Betts Dance Chords & Tabs
Tabbed by Jamie Phillips (jamiephillips22@hotmail.com)
Artist: Bert Jansch
Track title: Bett's Dance
Album: Toy Balloon (and Live at the 12 Bar)
Tuning: DADGBD
This is a really nice instrumental. Bert plays it using a "double dropped D" tuning, which
is basically a drop-D with the addition of the 1st string tuned to D also. I tabbed it in
a quarter-note based beat (notes are triplets), which was easier for me but my non-musically
trained mind suspects that it should be some kind of eighth-note beat. Doesn't really matter
anyway, as you'll probably want to work with the record to get the feel down. There are some
parts which should be strummed (you'll see) but I tabbed it as best I could nonetheless.
Experiment with fingerings as there are many possibilities - for instance, I couldn't make my
mind up whether the first note of the main riff was an open 1st (as I tabbed it) or 3rd fret of
the B. Some places it sounds open, some fretted. So make your own mind up. It's tabbed up until
just before the last repeat of the theme - then there's some improvised noodling at the end which
I didn't tab. The live version is very similar with a few small differences. Have fun! :o)
Rhythm: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4 (various!)
Beat: * * * * *
D||-------|--0-------------------------------------------|
B||-------|----------------------------------------------|
G||-------|-----2-----0-------------------------------0--|
D||-------|--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4-------|
A||-------|-----------------4---------4------------------|
D||----0--|----------------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * * *
D--0----------------------0----------|--0-------------------------------------------|
B----------------------------3-------|----------------------------------------------|
G-----2-----0----------------2-------|-----2-----0-------------------------------0--|
D--------4-----2-----0-------0-------|--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4-------|
A-----------------4------------------|-----------------4---------4------------------|
D---------------------------------0--|----------------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D--0----------------------0----------|--0--------0-------------0----------|
B----------------------------3-------|----------------------------3-------|
G-----2-----0----------------2-------|-----2--------0-------------2-------|
D--------4-----2-----0-------0-------|--------4--------2--0-------0-------|
A-----------------4------------------|------------------------------------|
D---------------------------------0--|---------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * * *
D--0-------------------------------------------|--0-----------------------0----------|
B----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------3-------|
G-----2-----0-------------------------------0--|-----2-----0-----------2-----2-------|
D--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4-------|--------4-----2-----0--------0-------|
A-----------------4---------4------------------|-----------------4-------------------|
D----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * * *
D--0-------------------------------------------|--0--------0-------------0----------|
B----------------------------------------------|----------------------------3-------|
G-----2-----0-------------------------------0--|-----2--------0-------------2-------|
D--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4-------|--------4--------2--0-------0-------|
A-----------------4---------4------------------|------------------------------------|
D----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * *
D-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B--------------------0----------------|--------------------3--------3-------|
G-----------2-----------0-------------|--------------0--------2-------------|
D--2--0-------(0)---------------------|-----0-----2--------------0----------|
A--------4--------2----------------0--|--2-----4--------0-------------------|
D--------------------------4-b5-------|----------------------------------0--|
* * * * * *
D------------------------------------|-------------------|
B--3--------3-------3--------3-------|--3--------3-------|
G-----2----------------2-------------|-----2-------------|
D--------0----------------0----------|--------0----------|
A------------------------------------|-------------------|
D----------------0----------------0--|----------------0--|
* * * * * *
D-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
B--3--------5--------3--------|--1--------------------------|
G-----2--------2--------2-----|-----0-----2p0---------------|
D--------4--------0--------4--|--------2--------2--2-p0-----|
A-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D-----------------------------|--------------------------0--|
* * * * * * *
D-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
B--3--------5--------3--------|--------------------------------------|
G-----2--------2--------2-----|-/5--5--5--5-\4--2--0-----------------|
D--------4--------0--------4--|-----------------------2-p0--2-p0-----|
A-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D-----------------------------|-----------------------------------0--|
* * * * * *
D-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
B--3--------5--------3--------|--1--------------------------|
G-----2--------2--------2-----|-----0-----2p0---------------|
D--------4--------0--------4--|--------2--------2--2-p0-----|
A-----------------------------|--------------------------3--|
D-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
This section with strummed feel:
* * * * * * * *
D---------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B---------------------------------------|-----3--3--3----3-----3--3--3----3--|
G--------0--4/5-4--0--2-p0--2--2-p0-----|-----2--2--2----2-----2--2--2----2--|
D--0-h2------------------------------2--|--0-----0--0----0--0-----0--0----0--|
A---------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D---------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B---/6-----6----6-----6--6--6----6\-|-----3--3--3----3-----3--3--3----3--|
G---/5-----5----5-----5--5--5----5\-|-----2--2--2----2-----2--2--2----2--|
D-------0--0----0--0--0-----0----0--|--0-----0--0----0--0-----0--0----0--|
A-----------------------------------|-------------------------0----------|
D-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B----6-----6----6-----3--3--3----3--|----6-----6----6-----6--6--6----6\-|
G----5-----5----5-----2--2--2----2--|----5-----5----5-----5--5--5----5\-|
D-------0--0----0--0--0-----0----0--|-------0--0----0--0--0-----0----0--|
A-------0----------0----------------|-----------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B-----3--3--3----3-----3--3--3----3--|----6-----6----6-----6--6--6----6--|
G-----2--2--2----2-----2--2--2----2--|----5-----5----5-----5--5--5----5--|
D--0-----0--0----0--0-----0--0----0--|-------0--0----0--0--0-----0----0--|
A----------------------------0-------|-----------------------------------|
D------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/bert_jansch/betts_dance_tab.html ]
* * * * * *
D-------------------|--7-p5-----------0------------------|
B-----3----3--3-----|--------6-------------3--3--3-------|
G-----2----2--2-----|-----------7-p5-------2--2--2-------|
D--0-------0--0--x--|-------------------------0--0-------|
A----------------x--|------------------------------------|
D----------------x--|---------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * *
D--7-p5-----------0------------------|--7-p5-----------0---------------|
B--------6-------------3--3--3-------|--------6-------------3--3-------|
G-----------7-p5-------2--2--2-------|-----------7-p5-------2--2-------|
D-------------------------0--0-------|-------------------------0-------|
A------------------------------------|----------------------------0----|
D---------------------------------0--|---------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B-----------------------3--3----------|-------------------3--3----------|
G-----------------------2--2----------|-------------------2--2----------|
D--------0--2h3p2p0--------0----------|--------0--3----0-----0--0-------|
A--0-h3-----------------------0-------|--0-h3---------------------------|
D----------------------------------0--|------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * *
D---------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B-------------------3--3----------|-----------------------3--3---------|
G-------------------2--2----------|-----------------------2--2---------|
D--------0--3----0-----0--0-------|--------0--2h3p2p0--------0---------|
A--0-h3---------------------------|--0-h3------------------------------|
D------------------------------0--|---------------------------------x--|
* * * * * * * *
D----------------------------0----0--|----0--0--0----0--------------------|
B----------------------3--3--3----3--|----3--3--3----3--------------------|
G----------------------2--2--2----2--|----2--2--2----2--------------------|
D--3p2p0-5p0-2p0----0-------------0--|----0--0--0----0--------0--3-p0-----|
A--0-------------3----------------0--|----0--0--0----0--0--3--------------|
D------------------------------------|---------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * *
D--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
B--6--------6--------6--------6--------|--6--------6--------6--------6--------|
G-----5--------5--------5--------5-----|-----4--------4--------4--------4-----|
D--------0-----------------0-----------|--------0--------0--------0--------0--|
A--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D-----------------0-----------------0--|--------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D-----------0-----------------0--------|-----------0-----------------0--------|
B--6-----------6-----6-----------6-----|--5-----------5-----5-----------5-----|
G-----3-----------------3--------------|-----3-----------------3--------------|
D--------0--------0--------0-----------|--------0--------0--------0--------0--|
A-----------------------------------0--|--------------------------------------|
D--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D-------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B--3--------3--------3--------3-------|--3-------3--------3--------3-------|
G-----2--------2--------2-------------|-----2-------2--------2-------------|
D--------0-----------------0----------|-------------------------0----------|
A-------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D-----------------0----------------0--|----------------0----------------0--|
* * * * * * * * *
D--0-------------------------------------------|--0----------------------0----------|
B----------------------------------------------|----------------------------3-------|
G-----2-----0----------------------------------|-----2-----0----------------2-------|
D--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4----4--|--------4-----2-----0-------0-------|
A-----------------4---------4------------------|-----------------4------------------|
D----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * * *
D--0-------------------------------------------|--0----------------------0----------|
B----------------------------------------------|----------------------------3-------|
G-----2-----0-------------------------------0--|-----2-----0----------------2-------|
D--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4-------|--------4-----2-----0-------0-------|
A-----------------4---------4------------------|-----------------4------------------|
D----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------0--|
* * * * * * * * *
D--0--------0-------------0----------|--0-------------------------------------------|
B----------------------------3-------|----------------------------------------------|
G-----2--------0-------------2-------|-----2-----0-------------------------------0--|
D--------4--------2--0-------0-------|--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4-------|
A------------------------------------|-----------------4---------4------------------|
D---------------------------------0--|----------------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * * *
D--0-------------------------0-------|--0-------------------------------------------|
B----------------------------3-------|----------------------------------------------|
G-----2-----0-------------2--2-------|-----2-----0-------------------------------0--|
D--------4-----2-----0----0--0-------|--------4-----2-----0h2p0-----0---h2-h4-------|
A-----------------4------------------|-----------------4---------4------------------|
D---------------------------------0--|----------------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D--0-----------------------0--0-------|-/4--------4/5\4-----0----------------|
B-----------------------------3-------|-----3------------------0-------------|
G-----2-----0-----------2-----2-------|------------------0--------2-------0--|
D--------4-----2-----0--------0-------|--------0---------------------4-------|
A-----------------4-------------------|--------------------------------------|
D----------------------------------0--|--------------------------------------|
* * * * * * *
D-----------------------------|--4--------4/5\4-----0----------------|
B-----------------------------|-----3------------------0-------------|
G-----------------0--2p0------|------------------0--------2-------0--|
D--2-p0-----0-h2-----------4--|--------0---------------------4-------|
A--------4--------------------|--------------------------------------|
D-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
D--------------------0--0--0--0-------|--4--------4-5-4-----0----------------|
B--------------------3--3--3--3-------|-----3------------------0-------------|
G--------------------2--2--2--2-------|------------------0--------2-------0--|
D--2-p0-----0-h2--0--0--0--0--0-------|--------0---------------------4-------|
A--------4----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D----------------------------------0--|--------------------------------------|
* * * * * * *
D-----------------------------|-/4--------4/5\4-----0----------------|
B-----------------------------|-----3------------------0-------------|
G-----------------0--2-0------|------------------0--------2-------0--|
D--2--0-----0--2-----------4--|--------0---------------------4-------|
A--------4--------------------|--------------------------------------|
D-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
* * * *
D--------------------0--0--0--0-------||
B--------------------3--3--3--3-------||
G-----------------0--2--2--2--2-------||
D--2-p0-----0-h2-----0--0--0--0-------||
A--------4----------------------------||
D----------------------------------0--||
TAB guide: h = hammer on, p = pull off
b = bend note up into next note
/ = slide into note from below
\ = slide down to note from above
x = dead (or muted) note
()= ghost note