Title: Alone (Acoustic)
Artist: Ben Harper
Okay, here is the correct way to play this song. Lots of tab versions, with parts close but,
no one got the chorus right. And what the heck, while at it, I threw in the chords too. On
acoustic, if playing solo, you can play these chords instead of just hitting 1 note at
a time. It sounds great. When playing Alone alone, I use just notes for Intro, Pre-Chorus,
and Post Chorus riffs. In the Verse and Chorus I use the chords. For those, follow the tabs
and hit the bassnote on the E string then strum down-up-down-up's as indicated on strings
A, D, G, and optional B - following the A string lead below. It should be easy enough to
figure out. Enjoy/comment/rate!
Tuning: Recommend D Tuning (one whole step down)
* However, I'm displaying/listing in std tuning for simplification
Chords:
A/E = 0-12--x-14--x-x
G/E = 0-10--x-12--x-x
F#/E = 0--9--x-11--x-x
E/E = 0--7--x--9--x-x
C = 8-10-10-(9)-x-x
B = 7--9--9-(8)-x-x
A = 5--7--7-(6)-x-x
Gmmaj7 = 3--x--4-(3)-x-x (may list in places as Gmm7 for room)
**************************
Section Breakdowns:
INTRO:
A/E G/E F#/E G/E
e|---------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------|
A|---12-12-12-12-10-10-10-10---9-9-9-9---10-10-10-10-|
E|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
C B
e|---------------------------------------------------||
B|---------------------------------------------------||
G|--------------------------------------------------:|| (repeat x4)
D|---------------------------------------------------||
A|---10-10-10-10----10--10-----9-9-9-9------9--9-----||
E|--8-----------8-----------7-----------7------------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
4) This...
VERSE:
A/E G/E F#/E G/E
e|---------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------|
A|---12-12-12-12-10-10-10-10---9-9-9-9---10-10-10-10-|
E|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1a) emp- -ty room it
2a) Free- -dom it leaves
3a) Eve- -ry sin- -gle
4a) But in this life you
C B
e|--------------------------------------------------||
B|--------------------------------------------------||
G|-------------------------------------------------:|| (x4)
D|--------------------------------------------------||
A|---10-10-10-10----10--10-----9-9-9-9------9--9----||
E|--8-----------8-----------7-----------7-----------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1b) fills my mind.
2b) me con- -fi- -i- -ned.
3b) wall is cracked.
4b) can't turn ba- -a- -ack.
PRE-CHORUS:
C B
e|--------------------------------------------------||
B|--------------------------------------------------||
G|-------------------------------------------------:|| (x2)
D|--------------------------------------------------||
A|---10-10-10-10----10--10-----9-9--9-9-----9--9----||
E|--8-----------8-----------7-----------7-----------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1) I don't want to be, I
2) don't wanna be here (A-)
CHORUS:
E/E C A Gmmaj7
e|--------------------------------------------------||
B|--------------------------------------------------||
G|-------------------------------------------------:|| (x3)
D|-----------------------------------------4--4--4--||
A|-----7-7-7-7-----10-10-10----7-7-7-7--------------||
E|--0-----------8-----------5-----------3-----------||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1)A-lone... (Aah, ahh, ah) A-
2)A-lone... (Aah, ahh, ah) A-
3)A-lone... (Aah, ahh, ah) A-
then...
E/E C A
e|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------| (x1)
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|-----7-7-7-7-----10-10-10----7-7-7-7------7--7----|
E|--0-----------8-----------5-----------5-----------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
4)A-lone... (Aah, ahh)
A
e|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------| (x1)
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|-----7-7-7-7------7--7-------7-7-7-7------7--7----|
E|--5-----------5-----------5-----------5-----------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/ben_harper/alone_acoustic_tab_ver_2.html ]
OUTRO: (last Chorus line)
E/E C A
e|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------7-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-|
A|-----7-7-7-7-----10-10-10-7-~~~~~~(ring)~~~~~~~~~-|
E|--0-----------8-----------5-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
A-lone (Aah, ahhhhhhhhhhhh!)
***********************
Okay, now for the lyrics and chords....
ALONE - Ben Harper
Intro: (x4)
A/E G/E F#/E G/E |
C B |
This...
Verse 1:
A/E G/E F#/E G/E |C B |
Emp--ty room it fills my mind
A/E G/E F#/E G/E |C B |
Free-dom it leaves me con-fined
A/E G/E F#/E G/E |C B |
Eve--ry sin---gle wall has cracked
A/E G/E F#/E G/E |C B |
But in this life you can't turn back
Pre-chorus:
C B |
I don't want to live,
C B |
I don't wan-na li-i-ive...
Chorus:
E/E C A Gmm7 |
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A Gmm7 |
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A Gmm7 |
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A |A |
Alone (ah, ah)
Verse 2:
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B
As these words are with my tongue
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B
I ques-tion why they're even su-ng
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B
I have pro---mised but I lied
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B
I don't even know myself inside
Pre-chorus:
C B
I don't want to be,
C B
I don't wanna be here
Chorus:
E/E C A Gmm7
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A Gmm7
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A Gmm7
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A A
Alone (ah, ah)
Verse 3: (*first two passes don't get played on CD)
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B *
Today and tomor--row have be-come one.
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B *
Eve--ry single thing has become no-ne
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B
Hu---man na----ture is a beast
A/E G/E F#/E G/E C B
What I've done the most to show I have the least
Pre-chorus: (w/ extra pass)
C B
Please don't leave me here
C B
Please don't leave me here
C B
Don't you leave me
Chorus: (w/ Outro ending)
E/E C A Gmm7
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A Gmm7
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A Gmm7
Alone (ah, ah, ah)
E/E C A~~~~~~~
Alone (ah, ahhhh!)
*END*
Great song. Beginners, you should be able to play this if you know the song pretty well. I
would recommend just playing the notes, no chords, as in the tabs. Where 4 notes are shown on
the 5th (A) string it, you can use 2 to get the rhythm down. Then, move to 3 notes and
graduate to 4. Very fun song and it is great for both fretting and picking accuracy while
trying to keep a clean rhythm going.
Example of the Intro/Verse riff using chords:
(Yes, I know this isn't how the song is played, but give it a try. I think you'll like it.)
V = hard down
v = quick down
u = quick up
A/E G/E F#/E G/E
V v--u--v--u V v--u--v--u V v--u--v--u V v--u--v--u
e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|----14-14-14-14---12-12-12-12---11-11-11-11---12-12-12-12--|
D|----x--x--x--x----x--x--x--x----x--x--x--x----x--x--x--x---|
A|----12-12-12-12---10-10-10-10---9--9--9--9----10-10-10-10--|
E|--0-------------0-------------0-------------0--------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
C B
V v--u--v--u V V V V v--u--v--u V V V
e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|------(9)---(9)----(9)-(9)--------(8)---(8)----(8)---(8)---|
D|----10-10-10-10-----10--10------9--9--9--9------9-----9----|
A|----10-10-10-10-----10--10------9--9--9--9------9-----9----|
E|--8-------------8-------------7-------------7--------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Then the same idea for the chorus chords.
