The Bells of Rhymney The Byrds
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 10:34:52 -0500
Subject: TAB: The Bells of Rhymney by the Byrds
This is how I play the song. After listening to it since 1965, it was a
revelation to me (once I started to try to pick it up) how much the
dropped-D tuning adds to the Byrds arrangement. Having the bass tuned
down to D too really puts a floor under the song! The tab, of course,
is not perfect. Corrections, additions, etc. always sought and welcome.
Peace.
Rick
rsambu@aol.com
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THE BELLS OF RHYMNEY
(Idris Davies & Pete Seeger)
as performed by The Byrds on their self-titled first LP
(Robyn Hitchcock does true-to-The-Byrds version)
- one guitar and bass drop low E to D (necessary)
- one 12-string (you know what brand) guitar would be great
opening riff:
e --------0-2------ ----3-2-0------- --------0-2------ ----3-2-0-------- B ----3-------3---- ----------3----- ----3-------3---- ----------3------ G ------2-------2-- ------------2--- ------2-------2-- -------------2--- D ----------------- --------------0- ----------------- ---------------0- A ----------------- ---------------- ----------------- ----------------- D --0-------------- --0------------- --0-------------- --0--------------
(verse 1):
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
Oh what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney
Is there hope for the future say the [C]brown [Em]bells of [A]Merthyr
Who m[D]ade the mine owner say the [C]black [Em]bells of [A]Rhonda
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
And who killed the miner say the grim bells of Blaina
(opening riff)
(verse 2):
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
Put vandals in court say the bells of Newport
All will be well if if if [Bm]if if say the [C]green [Em]bells of [A]Cardiff
Why so [D]worried sisters [Bm]why say the [G]silver bells of [E]Wye
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
And what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney
(break; also see note):
[/] [D] [/] [D] [/] [D] [/] [D] [/] [G] [/] [Em] [/] [Edim7] [/] [Edim7] [/]
(opening riff)
(repeat first verse)
(end):
opening riff
[G]oh..[/]...o[D]h...[/]..o[E]h...[/]...[E]...[/].o[D]h.[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]
opening riff
[G]oh..[/]...o[D]h...[/]..o[A]h...[/]...[A]...[/].o[D]h.[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]..[D]..[/]
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note on break:
If someone wants to post accurate tab for the break, please do. Meanwhile,
what I do is improvise a bit around this. Most of it is strummed~~~~~~~~.
I think Pete Seeger would approve of (any) liberties I've taken; I hope
Roger McGuinn would, too.
[D] [D] [D] [D]
e ---------------- ----------------- ----------------- -------------------- B -10~~~~~~~~~~~-- -12~~~~~~~~~~~~-- -10~~~~~~~~~~~~-- ---12-10------------ G -11~~~~~~~~~~~-- -11~~~~~~~~~~~~-- -11~~~~~~~~~~~~-- ---------12--11----- D -12~~~~~~~~~~~-- -12~~~~~~~~~~~~-- -12~~~~~~~~~~~~-- ----------------12-- A ---------------- ----------------- ----------------- -------------------- D 0--------------- 0---------------- 0---------------- 0-------------------
[G] [Em] [Edim7] [Edim7]
e -7~~~~~~~~~~~-- --7~~~/12~~~~~~-- --3~~~~~~~~~~~~-- --3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-- B -8~~~~~~~~~~~-- --8~~~/12~~~~~~-- --2~~~~~~~~~~~~-- --2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-- G -7~~~~~~~~~~~-- --9~~~/12~~~~~~-- --3~~~~~~~~~~~~-- --3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-- D --------------- -------14~~~~~~-- --2~~~~~~~~~~~~-- --2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-- A --------------- ----------------- ----------------- -------------------- D --------------- ----------------- ----------------- --------------------
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some chords for the dropped-D guitar:
[D] [G] [E] [D/F#] [Edim7] [Em] [C] [A] [Bm]
e ----3------x-------0-------2------3-------0-------0-------0-------2----- B ----2------x-------0-------3------2-------0-------1-------2-------3----- G ----3------x-------1-------2------3-------0-------0-------2-------4----- D ----0------5-------2-------0------2-------2-------2-------2-------4----- A ----0------5-------2-------0------x-------2-------3-------0-------2----- D ----0------5-------2-------4------x-------2-------x-------x-------x-----
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