Freight Train Chords & Tabs
All the chords in the song are the standard chord shape:
C G E F G7 E7
-0---3---0---1---1---0-|
-1---0---0---1---0---3-|
-0---0---1---2---0---1-|
-2---0---2---3---0---2-|
-3---2---2---3---2---2-|
-----3---0---1---3---0-|
While this song may look really complicated, it is simply a melody played over a travis riff
and a rolling riff. To play the melody, use your left pinky to fret notes that are not
part of
one of the chords. The bass notes of the chords always walk on the eighth note, and the melody,
for the most part, is on the beat.
A section:
/chords:-C---C---C---C---G---G7--G---G---G---G---G---G---C---C---C---C---|
|timing:-1---2---3---4---1---2---3---4---1---2---3---4---1---2---3---4---|
| | |
| |e|-3---0----------------3--1-------3---1----------------3--0-------|
|T |b|---------3---1----0-----------0----------3----0---1----------0---|
| A |g|----------------0---0-------0---------------0---0---0-------0----|
| B |d|---2---2---2---2---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---2---2---2---2-|
|1 |a|-3---3---3---3-----------------------------------3---3---3---3---|
|treb|E|-----------------3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3-------------------|
| |:
| |:
\finger|:
B section:
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/e/elizabeth_cotten/freight_train_tab_ver_5.html ]
/chords:-E---E---E---E7--F---F---F---F---C---C---G---G---C---C-----------|
|timing:-1-&-2---3---4---1-&-2---3---4---1---2---3---4---1---2-----------|
| | |
| |e|---0--1--0--------------------1--0-------------------------------|
|T |b|--------------3----1--3--1------------1--0---3---1---------------|
| A |g|---1---1----1---1--2--------2-------0----------------------------|
| B |d|-----------2---2---3---x---3-------2---2---0---0-----------------|
|2 |a|---------------------------------3---3-------2---3-0-------------|
|treb|E|-0---0---0---0---1---1---1---1-----------3-----------3-0---------|
| |:
| |:
\finger|:
Freight train, Freight train, gone so fast
Freight train, Freight train, gone so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
They won't know what route I've gone
When I am dead and in my grave
No more good times here I crave
Place the stones at my head and feet
Tell them all that I've gone to sleep.
When I die, Lord, bury me deep
Way down on old Chestnut street
Then I can hear old Number 9
As she comes rolling by.
Freight train, Freight train, gone so fast
Freight train, Freight train, gone so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
They won't know what route I've gone
The melody follows the guitar melody. The first two lines are to the A section,
the second two are to the B.
In between the verses, you can also play an alternate B section to break things up.
/chords:-E---E---E---E7--F---F---F---F---C---C---G---G---C---C-----------|
|timing:-1-&-2---3---4---1-&-2---3---4---1---2---3---4---1---2-----------|
| | |
| |e|---0-----0------------1-------1--0-------------------------------|
|T |b|------3-------3----1-----131----------1--0---3---1---------------|
| A |g|---1---1----1---1--2---------2------0----------------------------|
| B |d|-----------2---2---3---x----3------2---2---0---0-----------------|
|3 |a|---------------------------------3---3-------2---3-0-------------|
|treb|E|-0---0---0---0---1---1---1---1-----------3-----------3-0---------|
| |:
| |:
\finger|:
