Dave Matthews Band - American Baby Chords & Tabs

AMERICAN BABY
by Dave Matthews Band 
Tabbed by Adam Hanley (adwolf16@aol.com) 
www.angelfire.com/music4/dmbmidis 

Author's note: I added indicators in my tab of downbeats (*) and upbeats (+), as well as 

accents (^). Feel free to ignore them if you have the beat down pretty well, but it's got a 

lot of funky syncopations and off-beat accents so I thought they might be helpful. 


Pizzicato violin loop - Studio version, for guitar: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-3---3-2---------| 
g-2---4-----4-----|---------4-2-----| 
d-----------------|-----------------| 
a---5-----5-----5-|-------------5-5-| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 

For violin, in standard D major position: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
a-0---1-----1-----|-3---3-2-1-0-----| 
d---0-----0-----0-|-------------0-0-| 
g-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 


Live version, for guitar: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-3---3-2---------| 
g-4-----4-----4---|---------4-2---2-| 
d-----------------|-------------4---| 
a-----5-----5---5-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 

For violin, in standard D major position: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
a-1-----1-----1---|-3---3-2-1-0---0-| 
d-----0-----0---0-|-------------3---| 
g-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 

Not sure why Boyd plays this part differently in the studio than on the road, but he does. 

It's kind of not as good live because now his accents are on the downbeat of 1, the upbeat 

of 2, and the downbeat of 4, while the rest of the band's accents are on the downbeat of 2 

and the upbeat of 3. But whatever, Boyd is classically trained so he's probably right. 


Verse: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-----------------| 
g---x-4-----4-----|-x-x-----7-----6-| 
d-----------------|-----------------| 
a---x-2-----2-----|-x-x---5-5-----4-| 
E---x-3-----3-----|-x-x-7-----5---5-| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * + 

Pretty straightforward.. be careful not to get confused about which beat is 2 and which 
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/d/dave_matthews_band/american_baby_tab.html ]
beat is 4, because that can throw you off pretty bad once the chorus comes in. 



Chorus: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-----------------| 
g-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-7-7-7-7-7-6-6-6-| 
d-----------------|-----------------| 
a-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-4-4-4-| 
E-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-| 

      ^     ^           ^     ^ 

Straightforward again.. Same chords as the verse, but played more aggressively and with 

more room for variation in the strumming pattern. 



Bridge - This part is funny. In the studio, they play a different riff than they play live. 

On the studio version, Dave rests for a quarter beat before coming in on 2: 


Studio version: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|---2/3-2---------| 
g---------2---4---|-----------------| 
d-----0-4---2-----|-4---------------| 
a---------------2-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * + 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|---2/3-2-3/5-----| 
g---------2---4---|-----------------| 
d-----0-4---2-----|-4---------------| 
a---------------2-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * + 


But in the live versions, he (and the rest of the band) comes in on the upbeat of 2, adding 

a slight variation to the first few notes being played. The general riff is the same either 

way, but be careful of the extra note: 


Live version: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|---2/3-2---------| 
g-------2-4---4---|-----------------| 
d---0-4-----2-----|-4---------------| 
a---------------2-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * + 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|---2/3-2-3/5-----| 
g-------2-4---4---|-----------------| 
d---0-4-----2-----|-4---------------| 
a---------------2-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * + 

That's about it, there are really only two main sections (chorus/verse and bridge) but 

playing it solo can be very tricky. Email me at AdWolf16@aol.com with comments or 

suggestions, and visit my dmb midis site at www.angelfire.com/music