Chord/Tab song: The Bells of Rhymney

Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 10:34:52 -0500
Subject: TAB: The Bells of Rhymney by the Byrds

This is how I play the song. After listening to it since 1965, it was a
revelation to me (once I started to try to pick it up) how much the
dropped-D tuning adds to the Byrds arrangement. Having the bass tuned
down to D too really puts a floor under the song! The tab, of course,
is not perfect. Corrections, additions, etc. always sought and welcome.
Peace.

Rick
[email protected]
__________________________________________

THE BELLS OF RHYMNEY
(Idris Davies & Pete Seeger)

as performed by The Byrds on their self-titled first LP
(Robyn Hitchcock does true-to-The-Byrds version)

- one guitar and bass drop low E to D (necessary)
- one 12-string (you know what brand) guitar would be great

opening riff:



e|--------0-2------|----3-2-0-------|--------0-2------|----3-2-0--------|
B|----3-------3----|----------3-----|----3-------3----|----------3------|
G|------2-------2--|------------2---|------2-------2--|-------------2---|
D|-----------------|--------------0-|-----------------|---------------0-|
A|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|--0--------------|--0-------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|


(verse 1 and 2)

(break; also see note):
[/] [D] [/] [D] [/] [D] [/] [D] [/] [G][/][Em][/][Edim7][/][Edim7][/]
(opening riff)

(repeat first verse)

(end):
| opening riff |
[G]oh..[/]...o[D]h...[/]..o[E]h...[/]...[E]...[/].o[D]h.[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]
| opening riff |
[G]oh..[/]...o[D]h...[/]..o[A]h...[/]...[A]...[/].o[D]h.[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]

__________________________________________
note on break:

If someone wants to post accurate tab for the break, please do. Meanwhile,
what I do is improvise a bit around this. Most of it is strummed~~~~~~~~.
I think Pete Seeger would approve of (any) liberties I've taken; I hope
Roger McGuinn would, too.

[D] [D] [D] [D]

e|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
B|-10~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-10~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---12-10------------|
G|-11~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---------12--11-----|
D|-12~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|----------------12--|
A|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|0---------------|0----------------|0----------------|0-------------------|


[G] [Em] [Edim7] [Edim7]

e|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--7~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
B|-8~~~~~~~~~~~--|--8~~~/12~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
G|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--9~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
D|---------------|-------14~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
A|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|


__________________________________________
some chords for the dropped-D guitar:

[D] [G] [E] [D/F#] [Edim7] [Em] [C] [A] [Bm]

e|----3------x-------0-------2------3-------0-------0-------0-------2-----|
B|----2------x-------0-------3------2-------0-------1-------2-------3-----|
G|----3------x-------1-------2------3-------0-------0-------2-------4-----|
D|----0------5-------2-------0------2-------2-------2-------2-------4-----|
A|----0------5-------2-------0------x-------2-------3-------0-------2-----|
D|----0------5-------2-------4------x-------2-------x-------x-------x-----|