Today you will learn the melody to the old song Tom Dooley on your guitar. You will also learn to read tab notation which will help you learn melodies on your guitar without knowing how to read sheet music!
Here are the lyrics to the first verse:
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die
As I mentioned you will use tablature notation that will tell you what string to play and what fret to press down. Take a look at the following tab staff:
1. --------------------
2. --------------------
3. --------------------
The three lines represent the first three strings on your guitar. The first string or the E-string is the string with the highest pitch. The numbers placed on the strings in the following melody will tell you which fret to press down.
Now it is time for you to play the first part of the melody. Here is the guitar tablature notation together with the first line of lyrics:
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
1. -----------------0--0--
2. --------------1--------
3. --0--0--0--2----------
Time for the next tablature staff and lyrics:
Hang down your head and cry
1. ---------------------
2. --------------1--3--
3. --0--0--0--2--------
Try to use your left index finger to press down the notes on the first fret, your middle finger to press down the second fret and your ring finger for the third fret!
Time for the next line!
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
1. --------------------------
2. ----------------1--3--3--
3. --0--0--0--2------------
Try to learn this melody by heart by playing one line at a time. Knowing melodies by heart will make them accessible whenever you will find a guitar around!
Here you have your last guitar tablature!
Poor boy, you're bound to die
1. ---------0------------
2. --3--3-----1-----1---
3. ---------------2------
An ordinary guitar tablature staff consists of six lines representing the six string. You will find many sites on the Internet with this type of tabs!
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your guitar tablature, free sheet music, ebooks, music lessons and read his sheet music blog at Capotasto Music
Source: www.isnare.com
