Ben Howard - Esmerelda
tuning EADGbd
Hi, this is my first tab. I noticed that there weren't any tabs for this song in a
standard tuning so I decided to make one.
The high "E" is downtuned two halfsteps to a "D" (use your D-string as reference when
you downtune)
It's not going to be 100% accurate because of the tuning but it sounds good enough to
play unless you're going to perform.
Capo
3rd fret to match Ben's recording
Chords
verse
Am F
chorus
F Asus2 Am Aadd9
Verse & intro:
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
B|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
D|--------------2-----------------------2-----------------------2-----------|
A|--0-----------------------0-----------------------0-----------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Oh, blinded...
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
B|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
D|--0-----------------------3-----------3-----------3-----------3-----------|
A|--------------3-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
B|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
D|--2-----------2-----------0-----------------------|
A|--------------------------------------3-----------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
The section above is what he plays throughout the verses but in the intro,
before the chorus and between the verses he plays it slightly different.
When you come to the part below he plays the F twice as long and the Am four
times as long (lose your index finger on the Am-chord...):
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
B|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
D|--0-----------------------3-----------3-----------3-----------3-----------|
A|--------------3-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
B|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
D|--3-----------3-----------3-----------3-----------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/ben_howard/esmerelda_tab_ver_3.html ]
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--- -----|
B|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0------ -----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------- -----|
D|--2-----------2-----------2-----------2------------x4 --0--|
A|--------------------------------------------------- -----|
E|--------------------------------------------------- -----|
Chorus:
d|--------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1--|
G|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D|-----3-----------3-----------3-----------3--------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------|
Oh, poor me...
d|--------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
G|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------|
d|--------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------1--|
G|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
A|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
d|--------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
G|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
A|--2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
In 2nd and last line of chorus he plays this as well...
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
B|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--3-----------3-----------3-----------3-----------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
The end of chorus:
d|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
D|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----|
A|-----5-----------5-----------3-----------3--------|
E|--1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------|
and now I'm going places...
d|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
D|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----|
A|-----2-----------2-----------3-----------3--------|
E|--1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------|
(he plays this section twice)
d|-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|
B|--------1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|x2 and then back to verse
A|--0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
(He plays some fancy bass-note stuff in the end of the song on
some of his live performances which you won't be able to do as
the capo will cover all your strings)
I hope you enjoy!
