Owen – A Bird In Hand (Guitar Tab)

Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D) • Capo 1 • Video Lesson

Versions (2)

Auto-scroll

Chords

This tab is based on the solo acoustic arrangement of 'A Bird in Hand' that Mike Kinsella (a.k.a. Owen) plays live. There are several videos on youtube of him performing this song, often with slight variations. You can watch a good representative version here: There are some time signature changes throughout the song. The rhythm is denoted in the tab, but you'll have to listen carefully to the song to nail down the timing exactly. A space of two dashes (--) between notes indicates an eighth note. The beginning and end of each measure is padded with two dashes that are not indicative of any rhythm. The song is played in Open D tuning (DADF#Ad from low to high) with a capo on the 1st fret. Fret numbers are given relative to the capo.

[Intro]
D |-----------0-----0-------|-----------0-----0-------|
A |-----0-----0-------------|-----0-----0-------------|
F#|--------10----------10---|--------10----------10---| [x2]
D |--------------11---------|--------------11---------|
A |-------------------------|-------------------------|
D |--0----------------------|--9----------------------|

[Verse 1]
D |-----------0-----0-------|-----------0-----0-------|
A |-----0-----0-------------|-----0-----0-------------|
F#|--------10----------10---|--------10----------10---| [x7]
D |--------------11---------|--------------11---------|
A |-------------------------|-------------------------|
D |--0----------------------|--9----------------------|

D |-----------0-----0-------|--------------0-----------|----------------------|
A |-----0-----0-------------|-------0-------------0----|-----------0----------|
F#|--------10----------10---|----------10--------------|--0-------------------|
D |--------------11---------|----11-----------11-------|--------0-------------|
A |-------------------------|--------------------------|-----7----------------|
D |--0----------------------|--9-----------------------|----------------------|

[Chorus 1]
D |-----------0----------------|-----0--------0-------------|
A |-----------0----------------|-----0----------------------|
F#|-----0L-0--------------0L---|--0--------------7----------| [x8]
D |-----0h-5--------------0h---|--5L-5L-5/-7--------7-------| 
A |----------------------------|----------------------------|
D |--5-----------------5-------|--------5/-7----------------|

[Verse 2]
D |-----------0-----0-------|-----------0-----0-------|
A |-----0-----0-------------|-----0-----0-------------|
F#|--------10----------10---|--------10----------10---| [x7]
D |--------------11---------|--------------11---------|
A |-------------------------|-------------------------|
D |--0----------------------|--9----------------------|

D |-----------0-----0-------|--------------0-----------|----------------------|
A |-----0-----0-------------|-------0-------------0----|-----------0----------|
F#|--------10----------10---|----------10--------------|--0-------------------|
D |--------------11---------|----11-----------11-------|--------0-------------|
A |-------------------------|--------------------------|-----7----------------|
D |--0----------------------|--9-----------------------|----------------------|

[Chorus 2]
D |-----------0----------------|-----0--------0-------------|
A |-----------0----------------|-----0----------------------|
F#|-----0L-0--------------0L---|--0--------------7----------| [x3]
D |-----0h-5--------------0h---|--5L-5L-5/-7--------7-------| 
A |----------------------------|----------------------------|
D |--5-----------------5-------|--------5/-7----------------|

D |-----------0--------|--------------0-----------|----------------------|
A |-----------0--------|-------0-------------0----|-----------0----------|
F#|-----0L-0-----------|----------10--------------|--0-------------------|
D |-----0h-5-----------|----11-----------11-------|--------0-------------|
A |--------------------|--------------------------|-----7----------------|
D |--5-----------------|--9-----------------------|----------------------|

[Bridge] [Part 1] - Repeat x1

D |-------------------------|--------0------------|
A |-----------0-------------|---------------------|
F#|--------5----------------|-----------7---------| [x2]
D |-----0-------------------|--------------7------|
A |-------------------------|---------------------|
D |--5----------------------|--5/-7---------------|

D |----------------------------|--------0----------|
A |-----------0----------------|-------------------|
F#|--------5--------5----------|-----------7-------|
D |-----0--------------4-------|--------------7----|
A |----------------------------|-------------------|
D |--5-----------5-------------|--5/-7-------------|

[Part 2] - Repeat x4
D |-------------------------|--------0------------|
A |-----------0-------------|---------------------|
F#|--------5----------------|-----------7---------| [x3]
D |-----0-------------------|--------------7------|
A |-------------------------|---------------------|
D |--5----------------------|--5/-7---------------|

D |----------------------------|--------0----------|
A |-----------0----------------|-------------------|
F#|--------5--------5----------|-----------7-------|
D |-----0--------------4-------|--------------7----|
A |----------------------------|-------------------|
D |--5-----------5-------------|--5/-7-------------|

[Part 3] - Repeat x1

D |-------------------------|--------------0-----------|----------------------|
A |-----------0-------------|-------0-------------0----|-----------0----------|
F#|--------5----------------|----------10--------------|--0-------------------|
D |-----0-------------------|----11-----------11-------|--------0-------------|
A |-------------------------|--------------------------|-----7----------------|
D |--5----------------------|--9-----------------------|----------------------|

[Solo]
D |-----0-------------------|-------------------------------|
A |--------4p-0--4/-5\-4p---|--0--------0-------------------|
F#|-------------------------|-----0--------------0----------|
D |-------------------------|-----0h-5-----2--------0-------|
A |-------------------------|-------------------------------|
D |--5----------------------|-------------------------------|

D |-----4-------|--7--7--7--7--7--7----|
A |-----0-------|--0--0--0--0--0--0----|
F#|-----0-------|--0--0--0--0--0--0----| [x3]
D |-----0-------|--0--0--0--0--0--0----|
A |-------------|----------------------|
D |--5--5-------|--7--7--7--7--7--7----|

[Verse 3]
D |-----------0-----0-------|-----------0-----0-------|
A |-----0-----0-------------|-----0-----0-------------|
F#|--------10----------10---|--------10----------10---| [x7]
D |--------------11---------|--------------11---------|
A |-------------------------|-------------------------|
D |--0----------------------|--9----------------------|

D |--------------0-----------|----------------------|
A |-------0-------------0----|-----------0----------|
F#|----------10--------------|--0-------------------|
D |----11-----------11-------|--------0-------------|
A |--------------------------|-----7----------------|
D |--9-----------------------|----------------------|

D |-----------0----------|
A |----------------------|
F#|--------5-------------|
D |-----0----------------|
A |----------------------|
D |--5-------------------|