Rhymes and Reasons for Guild 12 String

Cypress Knee

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Hi All,

The tune Rhymes and Reasons by John Denver has frustrated me for years, in part because the music and guitar is tuned down a full step and I did not want to re-tune a 12 string guitar just to play this song. The song is written in the key of F, then the chord charts in the song books are in the key of G with the notation in F. JD plays this song on youtube videos like that.

Well, here is the intro in Dropped D. If you move all the chords up a fifth, it may be easier on your vocals and the audience will most likely never know. And you can always use a capo to find your range.

- E- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - -5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
- B- - - - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - |
- G- - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - - - 7- - - | - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - - - -- -7 |
- D- - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - |- - - - - - - -0 - - - -- - - - - - - - - 0- - - - |
- A- -0 - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - |- -0 - - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - |
- D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |

- E- - - - - - - - - - - 3- - - - - - - - - - - -2| - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - - - - - - -0 - -|
- B- - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - -|- - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - |
- G- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
- D- - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - -|- - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - |
- A- - 0- - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - - - -|- -0 - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - |
- D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |

- E- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
- B- - - - - - - - -2 - - - - - - - - - 2- -- - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - 2- - - - -2 - - - - - -- -|
- G- - - - - - - - - - - - - -2 - - - - - - - - - - -| - - - - - 2- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0- -|
- D- - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - -| - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - 0- - - - -0 - - - - |
- A- -0- - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - - - - - -- - -| - - 0- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
- D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|

- E- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
- B- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
- G- - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - - - - - - -2 -| - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - - - - - - -2 -|
- D- - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - -| - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - -|
- A- - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - 0- -- - |- - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 -- - -|
- D- - 0- - - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - - - - -| - 0- - - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - |

For the song, substitute as follows:
G = D
D/F# = A
C = G
Em = Bm
Am = Em

Good luck,

CK
 

Cypress Knee

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Tabs are easy to read once you figure them out. The trouble is that many, like this one, do not have the time intervals for the notes.

The letter at the far left tells you the string. The number on the string corresponds to a fret. So it is essentially the D chord in the A shape on the fifth fret, three high strings, then half of the G and A chords in the open position.

The cool thing about this song for 12 string is that JD would play just the high note of the string instead of the octaves, so the tune is really unique. I re-wrote the first measure as an example:

- e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - -5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
- e- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - -5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|

- b- - - - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - |
- b- - - - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - |

- G- - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - - - 7- - - | - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - - - -- -7 |
- g- - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - - - 7- - - | - - - - - - - - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - - - -- -7 |

- D- - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - |- - - - - - - -0 - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
- d- - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - 0- - - - - - - |- - - - - - - -0 - - - -- - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - -|

- A- -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
- a- -0 - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - |- -0 - - - - - - - - - - - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - |

- D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
- d- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Pattern-T- - T - i- - -T - - m- -T - - -i- - - - - -T - - r- - T- - - i- - - T- - - m- - -T - - i- - |

PS- getting homemade tab to line up on this is a bear. Try this for timing and pattern

T TiTmTi|TrTiTmTi

T=Thumb
i=index
m=middle
r=ring
 
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steve488

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O my goodness. I am with Cougar & Richard. I cannot read that stuff at all. However, I suppose in light of its presentation here, and that one of my best friends tends to play the song at open mic's, I had best go home tonight and dig out the JD songbook I have had since the 70s' and see what it says - particularly since by friend borrowed my book to learn the song (which he plays very well on a JF-55-12 I think)
 

Nathan

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I thought the was going to be a thread about rationalizing a guitar purchase.
 

Rayk

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Just play along side the real track .
 

SFIV1967

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Cougar

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....If multiple numbers are in one line it is strumming of a chord....

Oh, just give me the chord. :tiger: I'm mainly a keyboardist, and an old one at that, so all that "music theory" stuff - I've been clued in on some of that anyway. I mainly play by ear. I can pick out the chord changes. With the guitar, it helps to watch a guy play it on youtube. :cool:

 

JohnW63

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I have when the picking pattern doesn't stay consistent. First line: 5435243 twice, Second line: 54215241 twice, Third line 5425342 then 52424243, Fourth line: 64536453 twice.

I've wanted to play this for ever, but the recording on the record is sped up a bit, so guitar is out of tune, and the live version is tuned down and I just don't want to tune down my 12 string. I guess I could and then put a capo on the second fret for other stuff. But then I loose the nice base of open chords when playing with songs in standard tuning.
 

Cypress Knee

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Hi John,

If you tune your 12 string to Drop D and then put a capo on the third fret you will be in the same key as the live recording.

CK
 

Rayk

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Oh, just give me the chord. :tiger: I'm mainly a keyboardist, and an old one at that, so all that "music theory" stuff - I've been clued in on some of that anyway. I mainly play by ear. I can pick out the chord changes. With the guitar, it helps to watch a guy play it on youtube. :cool:



My thumb won’t do that , I keep telling it to but it won’t listen . Lol
 

JohnW63

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I dropped the guitar down a full step. Strangely, the high octave G string broke while loosening it. Didn't expect that. It took a few minutes for it to settle in and all strings be in tune. A but easier to have string buzz, but it did gain some LOW end. I left the broken string off. Didn't really miss it.

I found a few instructional videos as well. I need to spend some time with it. As cool as it sounds, I don't know who would appreciate it, if I played it. I'll have to see if it's still in my key.
 
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