Biography:
Roy Harper (born 12 June 1941) is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s. He has released a large catalogue of albums as an artist (22 studio albums and 12 live albums) and his influence has been acknowledged by many musicians including Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin (who named the song "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" after him), Pink Floyd (who invited him to sing guest lead vocals on their song "Have a Cigar")
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From: Aaro J Koskinen
[Song: Roy Harper "Highway Blues"]
[Transcription by Dave Coniam ([email protected])]
I dunno which open tuning Roy uses but you'll a lot of stuff is
in some open tuning or other - as Gordon's naming of chords like
G1 and Bm1 suggests.
I play a lot of stuff in open E tuning - just crank the 3rd, 4th
and 5th strings up so that when you hit them you get the E chord
without holding down any strings. I find it's a great tuning for
a lot of old Joni and Beatles songs.
Here's an attempt at Highways Blues, which, like a lot of Harper
songs, requires very few chords.
In the "main" verses you hammer a sort of E and a vague D6;
following Gordon's line, I've called these E1 and A1.
The chorus then shifts to a good old E - A - B run.
I've only included a few of the words. Mebbe some kinder soul cd
stick the whole song on the list: the last verse I cant
remember/work it all out.
Fret
:0... _ _ _ _ _ ... _ _ _ _ _ ... _ _ _ _ _ ... _ _ _ _ _
1 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
2 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
3 |_|_|_|_|_| |_1_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
4 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
5 |_1_|_|_|_| |_|_4_|_|_| 1_1_1_1_1_1 |_|_|_|_|_|
6 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
7 |_|_4_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| 1_1_1_1_1_1
E1 D1 A B
Intro : E1 - D1 - E1 - D1 - E1 - D1 - E1
E1 D1 E1
Take a walk down your highway, tell me what you see
E1 - D1 - E1 - D1 -
E1 D1 E1
If you're down my way, well it could well be me
[.....]
A E1 A E1
Please give me a lift man, you know it won't be for far
A E1 A B
The way that you shift man, in your empty car
[.....]
E1 D1 E1 D1
I got the Highways Blues in my holey shoes
E1 D1 E1
and I cannot choose what I look like
[.....]
Like anything in an open tuning, this is pretty approximate, but
hammer away at it after a beer or two and it shdnt sound too bad!
"Once" goes pretty OK in open E as well- you basically fiddle
around on the top and second strings, picking out the melody, and
plonking a few chords (A, G# and B) in here and there. I'll bung
that up on the list as well if anybody's intrested.
Bash away
Dave Coniam
Hong Kong
[Song: Roy Harper "Highway Blues"]
[Transcription by Dave Coniam ([email protected])]
I dunno which open tuning Roy uses but you'll a lot of stuff is
in some open tuning or other - as Gordon's naming of chords like
G1 and Bm1 suggests.
I play a lot of stuff in open E tuning - just crank the 3rd, 4th
and 5th strings up so that when you hit them you get the E chord
without holding down any strings. I find it's a great tuning for
a lot of old Joni and Beatles songs.
Here's an attempt at Highways Blues, which, like a lot of Harper
songs, requires very few chords.
In the "main" verses you hammer a sort of E and a vague D6;
following Gordon's line, I've called these E1 and A1.
The chorus then shifts to a good old E - A - B run.
I've only included a few of the words. Mebbe some kinder soul cd
stick the whole song on the list: the last verse I cant
remember/work it all out.
Fret
:0... _ _ _ _ _ ... _ _ _ _ _ ... _ _ _ _ _ ... _ _ _ _ _
1 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
2 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
3 |_|_|_|_|_| |_1_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
4 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
5 |_1_|_|_|_| |_|_4_|_|_| 1_1_1_1_1_1 |_|_|_|_|_|
6 |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|
7 |_|_4_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_| 1_1_1_1_1_1
E1 D1 A B
Intro : E1 - D1 - E1 - D1 - E1 - D1 - E1
E1 D1 E1
Take a walk down your highway, tell me what you see
E1 - D1 - E1 - D1 -
E1 D1 E1
If you're down my way, well it could well be me
[.....]
A E1 A E1
Please give me a lift man, you know it won't be for far
A E1 A B
The way that you shift man, in your empty car
[.....]
E1 D1 E1 D1
I got the Highways Blues in my holey shoes
E1 D1 E1
and I cannot choose what I look like
[.....]
Like anything in an open tuning, this is pretty approximate, but
hammer away at it after a beer or two and it shdnt sound too bad!
"Once" goes pretty OK in open E as well- you basically fiddle
around on the top and second strings, picking out the melody, and
plonking a few chords (A, G# and B) in here and there. I'll bung
that up on the list as well if anybody's intrested.
Bash away
Dave Coniam
Hong Kong
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