Tabbed by Jamie Phillips (jamiephillips22@hotmail.com)
Artist: Bert Jansch
Track title: Bird Song
Album: Rosemary Lane
Tuning: DADGAD (detuned a semitone on recording)
This is one of Berts best songs, an absolute gem; Bert at his finest. Play
it gently. Watch out for the rhythm and timing, the bars are of differing
lengths and particularly watch for the change into 3/8 and then a bar of
7/8. The asterisks indicate the beats; if you're familiar with the song it
will flow naturally. Here I've tabbed out the instrumental break which is
basically the same as the verse, although on some verses he misses out the
bar of 7/8 and adds another bar of 4/4. You should be able to pick out the
structure from the record easily enough. There are a few fingering changes
you could make to suit your fingers best if you like. Enjoy! :o)
Rhythm: Various (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 7/8)
Intro:
Beat:* * * * * * * *
D||--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A||-----9--------7--0--------|--------------------------|
G||--7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D||--------------------4-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A||--------------------------|--------------------------|
D||--------0-----------------|--------0--------0-----0--|
Verse:
* * * * * * *
D--------------0-----------|-----------------------|
A--------------------0-----|--------------0h2p0----|
G-----0-----2--------------|--------------------0--|
D--4-----------------------|-----0-----------------|
A--------------------------|--3--------2-----------|
D--------0--------0-----0--|--------0--------------|
* * * * * * * * * *
D-----------------------------|---------------|--------------------------|
A-----0--------0--2p0---------|---------------|--------------------------|
G--2--------2---------2-0-----|--0------------|--------------0-----------|
D--------------------------4--|--2--2---2--0--|-----7-----7--------------|
A--0--------------------------|-------0-------|--9-----------------9-----|
D--------0--------------------|---------------|--------0--------0-----0--|
* * * * * * * * *
D------------------0------------------|--------------------------|
A--------------3h5----5p3----4h5p4p0--|--------------------------|
G-----4-------------------4-----------|--------------0-----2-----|
D--0--------0-------------------------|-----7-----0--------4-----|
A----------------------------7--------|--9-----------------------|
D--------5----------------------------|--------0--------0-----0--|
* * * * * * * *
D------------------2---------|------------------0---------|
A--------------2h4----4p2----|--------------0h2----2p0----|
G-----2-------------------2--|-----0-------------------0--|
D--2--------2----------------|--0--------0----------------|
A--------0-------------------|----------------------------|
D----------------------------|--------5-------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/bert_jansch/bird_song_tab.html ]
3/8
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
D-----------------|-----0-----|-----------|-----0-----|-----------|
A--0h-2p0---------|--0--------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
G--2------2-0-----|--2--------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
D--0-----------4--|-----------|-----5p-4--|--0--------|-----5p-4--|
A-----------------|-----------|--3--------|--2--------|-----------|
D-----------------|--------0--|-----------|--------0--|--5--------|
7/8 4/4
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
D-----0-----|----------------------------|--------------------------|
A-----0-----|----------------------------|--------------------------|
G--2--------|--2---4---5---4---2---0-----|-----2--------2-----------|
D--0--------|--4p0-5p0-7p0-5p0-4p0-2-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A-----------|-------------------------3--|--------------------------|
D--------0--|----------------------------|--------0--------0-----0--|
Ending:
* * * * * * * *
D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------0-----|
G-/7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D--------------------7-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------0--------0--------|--------0--------0-----0--|
* * * * * * * *
D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------0-----|
G-/7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D--------------------7-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------0--------0--------|--------0--------0-----0--|
* * * * * * * *
D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------0-----|
G-/7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D--------------------7-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------0--------0--------|--------0--------0-----0--|
* * * * * * * * * * *
D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|-------------------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------------|-------------------|
G-/7--------5--------0-----|--2--------2--------------|-------------------|
D-----------------7-----0--|--0--------0--------0-----|-----0-------------|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|--3----------3-----|
D--------0-----------------|--------0--------0-----0--|----------0-----0--|
* * * *
D--------------------------|-------------------||
A--------------------------|-------------------||
G--------------------------|-------------------||
D-----0--------0-----------|--6b7--------------||
A--2--------2-------2p0----|--5----------------||
D--------0--------------0--|--0----------------||
TAB guide: h = hammer on, p = pull off
/ = slide into from below
