The Band – Life Is A Carnival (Guitar Tab)

Versions (3)

Auto-scroll

Chords

As recorded by The Band (From the 1971 Album CAHOOTS) Words and Music by Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm & Rick Danko Transcribed by Slowhand Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Robbie Robertson - Electric Guitar 1' Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Robbie Robertson - Electric Guitar 2' Intro Q=92 1. N.C. E 4/4 Gtr I H Q Q Q E E E E Q +H. Q Q E E +H
|-------------||-----------------|--------------|----------------|
|---------/5--||o-\3--------5S3--|-(3)------/5--|-3----/5-(5)----|
|---------/6--||--\4--------4S2--|-(2)------/6--|-4----/4-(4)----|
|-------------||------2----------|--------------|----2-----------|
|-------------||o----------------|--------------|----------------|
|-------------||-----------------|--------------|----------------|

                                                     1st & 2nd Verses
                  2.
                                                      E
  +H.       Q      Q  E E H       Q   Q   Q   Q       S S E S S E E  E E E
|---------------||-------------|------------------||------------------------|
|-(5)------/5--o||-3-----------|-/5--/5--/5--/5\--||o-----------------------|
|-(4)------/6---||-4-----------|-/4--/4--/4--/4\--||------------------------|
|---------------||----2--------|------------------||--2p0---2p0--------0----|
|--------------o||-------------|------------------||o-----2-----2-----------|
|---------------||-------------|------------------||----------------/4------|

  S S E S S E E E E E   E E S S E E E E E   E. S +S  S E S S S S E E
|---------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|
|-2p0---2p0-----2-----|---------0-----2---|----------2-----0-----2---|
|-----2-----2---------|-------------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------0---|-0---2h4-----0-----|-0--0-(0)---0-----3-4---0-|

  S S S S +E  E S S S S +E  E
|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|-------2-(2)---------2-(2)---|
|---2-4-----------2-4---------|
|---------------------------0-|

  S S S S +S  S S S +E  E E E   S S S S +Q   S S S S +Q
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------2-(2)-----2-(2)-------|-------2-(2)--------2-(2)--|
|---2-4-------4-2-------------|---2-4----------2-4--------|
|-------------------------0---|---------------------------|

                                Pre-Chorus
                              $
                                 A                A7
                  ~
  S S S S +S  S E E S S S S E    Q  Q  E. S E E   Q  Q  Q  Q
|-----------------------------||----------------|--------------|
|-----------------------------||-2--2--2--2-2---|-2--2--2------|
|-----------------4-0h1-----0-||-2--2--2--2-2---|-0--0--0------|
|-------2-(2)-----------2-2-0-||-2--2--2--2-2---|-2--2--2------|
|---2-4-------4p2-------------||-0--0--0----0-4-|-0--0--0------|
|-----------------------------||----------------|--------------|

                                                      F#m   E
                                        |-3-|
  E E S S E S S S S +S  S E   E E S S E E E E E S S   Q  Q  Q  Q
|---------------------------|-----------------------|-2--2--0--0---|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|-2--2--0--0---|
|---------------------------|-----------1-----------|-2--2--1--1---|
|---0-----2-------0-(0)---2-|---0-----2---4-2-------|-4--4--2--2---|
|-----------------------2---|-----------------4-----|-4--4---------|
|-0---3S4-----3S4-----------|-0---3S4-----------3-0-|-2--2---------|

                              Chorus
  A             E        F#m   E        A
  Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q     Q  Q  Q  Q
|----0--0--0--|-------------||-------------|
|-2--2--2--2--|----0--0--2--||-0--0--0--2--|
|-2--2--2--2--|----1--1--2--||-1--1--1--2--|
|-2--2--------|----2--2--4--||-2--2--2--2--|
|-0--0--------|----2--2--4--||-2--2--2--0--|
|-------------|-0--0--0--2--||-0--0--0-----|

                                  To Coda
  E       A    E        A    E
  H    Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q   Q
|------------|-------------|--------------||
|-0----0--2--|-0--0--0--2--|-0--0--0--/5--||
|-1----1--2--|-1--1--1--2--|-1--1--1--/6--||
|-2----2--2--|-2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2------||
|-2----2--0--|-2--2--2--0--|-2--2--2------||
|-0----0-----|-0--0--0-----|-0--0--0------||

 Interlude
  1.
  E
   Q  E E E E Q    +H.       Q    Q  E E H       Q   Q   Q   Q
|----------------|--------------|-------------|--------------------||
|-\3--------5S3--|-(3)------/5--|-3-----------|-/5--/5--/5--/5\---o||
|-\4--------4S2--|-(2)------/6--|-4-----------|-/4--/4--/4--/4\----||
|-----2----------|--------------|----2--------|--------------------||
|----------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------o||
|----------------|--------------|-------------|--------------------||
Guitar Solo 2. E E Gtr II ~~~~ W E S S S E S +H
|----------------------||---------------------------------|
|----------------------||---------------------------------|
|----------------------||-----9----9-9---11b13-(11)-------|
|----------------------||-------12------------------------|
|----------------------||---------------------------------|
|----------------------||---------------------------------|
|
| Gtr I
| S S E S S E E  E E E    S S E    S S E         E  E E E
|----------------------||---------------------------------|
|----------------------||---------------------------------|
|----------------------||---------------------------------|
|-2p0---2p0--------0---||-2p0------2p0--------------2-----|
|-----2-----2----------||-----2--------2------------------|
|---------------/4-----||-----------------------------0---|

   S S E  E    S     +S   S     +S   S      +S   S  +T  T  E
|--------12---------------------------------------------------|
|-------------10b12r(10)--------------------------------------|
|-11p9-------------------11b12-(11)-11b13==(11)-11r(11)p9-----|
|---------------------------------------------------------11--|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|
|  E   E  S S  E          E          E           E         E
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------0---------------------------------2------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|--0------2h4------------------------0------------------------|

                                                                        ~~~~
  Q     Q      Q        S  S  E    E    S  S  E   E  S  S  E    E      +E
|----------------------------12-|-12---12----12--12-12----12---15b17==(15)-|
|----------------------12h14----|---------14-----------14------------------|
|-9-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|
| E. S +S  S E S S S S  E     E    S S  S  S +E   E  S  S  S S +E       E
|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|----------2-----0------2-------|----------2-(2)-------------2-(2)---------|
|-------------------------------|----2--4---------------2--4---------------|
|-0--0-(0)---0-----3-4--------0-|---------------------------------------0--|

 ~~~~~~~
   +Q          Q         Q     S     +S   E
|-(15)r--------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------15--|
|-----------------------------14b16-(14)-----|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|
|   S   S S S +S  S S S +E  E  E          E
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|-----------2-(2)-----2-(2)------------------|
|-------2-4-------4-2------------------------|
|------------------------------0-------------|

   S     +S   E    S      +S   E    E   E  E   E
|------------12----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------15-----------------|
|-14b16-(14)------14b16==(14)------14--14-14r-14-|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|
|  S      S   S S +S       S   S S +E   E  E   E
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------|
|---------------2-(2)------------2-(2)-----------|
|---------2---4------------4---2-----------------|
|------------------------------------------0-----|

   S     +S   E    S   S  S  S  E    E    E     +E    H               E  S  S  S  S  E
|---------------------------------------------------|-------------------17-17-17-17-17--|
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|-12b13-(12)-----------------------------12b14-(12)-|-----------------------------------|
|------------14---14p=12-14p12-14---14--------------|-----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|
|                                                                     ~
|  S      S   S S +Q            S S  S S +Q           S S S S +S  S E E  S  S  S  S  E
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------4--0h=1--------0--|
|---------------2-(2)------------------2-(2)--------|-------2-(2)--------------2--2--0--|
|---------2---4-------------------2--4--------------|---2-4-------4p2-------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|---3---|
   E        +Q          E    H          Q      S      +S   E  S  +S   S  E  E     E
|-------------------------------------|-------------------19---------------19b21-19b22-|
|-19pb20r==(19)-----------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|-18pb19r==(18)-----------------------|-------19b21==(19)----19r(19)p17-17-------------|
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|
|  S     S   S  S +S  S S S +E  E E E   S S E  S       S   E  E          E  E     E
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|---------------2-(2)-----2-(2)-------|-2p0----2p======0-----------------2-------------|
|--------2---4--------4-2-------------|-----2--------------2---------------------------|
|---------------------------------0---|-------------------------------------0----------|

                                 D.S. al Coda
   S     S  E  S     E   S  E  E   E     +E
|-19b21r19-19---------------------------------||
|-------------19b21r19-----17-----------------||
|-----------------------------18\-------------||
|---------------------------------17b18-(17)--||
|---------------------------------------------||
|---------------------------------------------||
|
|  E        E  S     S E    E  E   E      E
|---------------------------------------------||
|---------------------------------------------||
|---------------------------------------------||
|----------------------0-----------2----------||
|---------------------------------------------||
|--0-----------2h====4---------0--------------||

    &
    E
    Gtr I
    Q  Q  Q   E E  3x   E  E  H     E E     E  E  S  E   S E  E  S  S  E
||-----------------||-----12------------|-----12-------------------------||
||o-0--0--0-----5-o||--------------14---|--------------------------------||
||--1--1--1--/6----||-/13----------14---|-/13----------------------------||
||--2--2--2--------||--------14---------|--------14s12-/12---12----------||
||o-2--2--2-------o||-------------------|-----------------------12h14-12-||
||--0--0--0--------||-------------------|--------------------------------||

 Outro
  E
  Gtr II
  S  S E E    E E  E  E E   +H           H
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|------9-9------9---------|----------------------|
|-9h11-------11---11-11-9-|-(9)------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|
| Gtr I
| S  S E S S  E E  E  E E    S S E S S E E E E E
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------------------|
|-2p=0---2p0----------0---|--2p0---2p0-----2-----|
|------2------2-----------|------2-----2---------|
|-----------------/4------|------------------0---|

  S  S E E   E +Q    Q     W
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------7-(7)-------|---------------------------|
|------9-7---7-(7)-------|---------------------------|
|-9h11-------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|
| E    E S S E  E  E E E   E. S +S  S E S S S S E E
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------0-------2---|----------2-----0-----2----|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|-0------2h4-------0-----|-0--0-(0)---0-----3-4---0--|

  E    E    S      +S   E     +Q         Q
|-----12--------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|----------14pb15r(14)p12b13-(12)-------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|
| S S  S S +E           E      S  S S S +E  E
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|--------2-(2)------------------------2-(2)---|
|---2--4--------------------------2-4---------|
|-------------------------------------------0-|

   Q        S     +E.      Q      E  E    E    E    E    E  E   E     E   E
|--------------------------------------|-12---12---14b16---12------------19--|
|-----------------------------------12-|----------------------------/21------|
|----------12b13-(12)-----------/13----|-------------------------------------|
|-14-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|
|  S S S S +S      S  S S +E  E   E  E    S S  S S +Q       S S S S  +Q
|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------2-(2)----------2-(2)----------|---------2-(2)------------2--(2)-----|
|----2-4-----------4--2----------------|----2--4--------------2-4------------|
|---------------------------------0----|-------------------------------------|

   E    E  E      E Q     E  E
|-19---19-22b24----------------|
|------------------------12-14-|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|
|  S S  E  S    S E E  E  E  E
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|--2p0-----2p===0---------0----|
|-------2---------2------------|
|---------------------/4-------|

   E    E  E      E  E E   S  S  E    E  E  E      E H
|-12---12-14b16-----12-------19-19-|-19-19-22b24-------------*|
|------------------------/21-------|-------------------------*|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------*|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------*|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------*|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------*|
|
|  S S  E  S    S E  E E   E     E    E  E  S    S E E E E E
|----------------------------------|-------------------------*|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------*|
|----------------------------------|-------------------------*|
|--2p0-----2p===0------2-----------|---------------0-----2---*|
|-------2---------2----------------|-------------------------*|
|--------------------------0-------|--0-----2h===4-----0-----*|
Duration Legend --------------- W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura + - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration) Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi- bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low melody durations appear below the staff Tablature Legend ---------------- h - hammer-on p - pull-off b - bend pb - pre-bend r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately) /\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere") s - legato slide S - shift slide - natural harmonic [n] - artificial harmonic n(n) - tapped harmonic ~ - vibrato tr - trill T - tap TP - trem. picking PM - palm muting \n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip \n - tremolo bar down n/ - tremolo bar up /n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip = - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls <> - volume swell (louder/softer) x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash Misc Legend ----------- | - bar || - double bar ||o - repeat start o|| - repeat end *| - double bar (ending) : - bar (freetime) $ - Segno & - Coda Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths