The Buena Vista Social Club is the legendary band in which Ry Cooder gathered
some of the greatest names from the history of Cuban music, including Ibrahim
Ferrer, Compay Segundo and Ruben Gonzales. They got a Grammy for their album and
featured in Wim Wender's docupic "Buena VIsta Social Club". Chan Chan is their
most famous song, and it perfectly creates the laid-back, smooth Cuban atmosphere
they are known for. Check http://www.bvsocialclub.com/ for more info.
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Well this song is impossible to tab out correctly – it’s all improvisation, on
TWO guitars – but I thought I’d give you a few things to start with.
The basic pattern of the song is a Dm / F / C7 / Gm / A layout.
Don’t strum the chords, you get the best sound when you pluch three
or four strings together.
Dm F C7 Gm A
e[--1----1------3---3---0--] _
B[--3----1------5---3---2--] \
G[--2----2------3---3---2--] |---> B,G and D plucked give the best sound.
D[--0----3------5---5---2--] _/
A[-------3------3---5---0--]
E[-------------------------]
I’ve tabbed out a couple of the fills used throughout the song. Applied on the
basic pattern, you get this (quite accurate) version:
Dm F C7Gm A Dm etc...
e[--1-------------1-----------------------1---]
B[--3--3----1-------1---1-5-3--2----------3---]
G[--2-------2---------2---3-3--2--2-0-----2---]
D[--0-0-----3---3---------5-5--2------3-2-0---]
A[------------3-------------------------------]
E[--------------------------------------------]
\_________/ \_______/
“up fill” “down fill”
Vary by using the high e string a bit more, skipping a few notes in the fill or
plucking a chord a few times instead. Which could look like this:
Dm F C7Gm A Dm etc...
e[--1-------1-----1----------------------1----]
B[--3-------1---------1---5-3--2-2--2-2--3----]
G[--2-------2-------------3-3--2-2--2-2--2----]
D[------0--------3--------5-5--2-2--2-2-------]
A[------------3-------------------0-----------]
E[--------------------------------------------]
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/buena_vista_social_club/chan_chan_tab_ver_2.html ]
You get the point :) Now besides at the top of the neck there are some other
places you can play around with the basic pattern. The e and B strings around the
10th fret are very suitable:
Dm F C7 A
e[------10-10-10/12-10-8~~-(8)--10-8-----------------12-10-----------]
B[-(10)-10-10-10-------10~-(10)-----(10)-11--11--11-------(11)-10~~--]
G[--------------------------------------(10)(10)(10)-----------------]
D[-------------------------------------------------------------------]
To get back up the neck use this: (the same as the “down fill”)
Dm F C7 Gm A
e[-------------------0-------]
B[-10-8-6-5-3~--1~-----3-----]
G[-----------------------2---]
D[---------------------------]
You can do the same on the G and D strings around the 7th fret.
Start with G[-7-7-7/9-] and you’ll work the rest out easily...
D[-7-7-7---]
Get back up the neck with D[--7-5-3-2-0~----2-0----]
A[-------------3~-----3--]
After a while a trumpet enters to complete the Cuban atmosphere.
You can keep doing the basic pattern, but here’s a small part of the trumpet solo
to get you going on that one too.
e[--5~-------5~------6~-----------]
B[-----6-5-3----6-5-3---6-5-3-----]
G[----------------------------3~--]
D[--------------------------------]
And then the most difficult part: the solo. Kevin Futhey tabbed this one out
already and I think it’s very accurate.
e[-10--10~--8-10--8~---10-8---------------------------------8~-]
B[-10--10~--------10~-------11---------10~----------10-11-12---]
G[-----------------------------9-10-12------9-10-12------------]
D[-------------------------------------------------------------]
e[----------------------10-10-10-10-10/12-10-8--8~--10-8--------8------]
B[-6p5---8-8--[Outline-]10-10-10-10----------10-10~------11-8-11-11-10-]
G[-----7------[---A----]-----------------------------------------------]
D[------------[-Chord--]-----------------------------------------------]
e[--------------6-7-8/10-8\6----------------------------]
B[--------6-8/10-------------10-8-6----8----------------]
G[-7-7-7-9-------------------------9-7--10-9-7----------]
D[---------------------------------------------10-8-7~--]
Now back to the Dm / F / C7 / Gm / A scheme, and end on Dm.
That’s it!
Mail any comments to driesgevaert@pandora.be.
