[jimfree3]

I am somewhat new to the acoustic guitar. I am trying to improve my strumming. I don't feel comfortable. Any tips, songs, or patterns that might help me loosen up my strumming?

[dadfad]

Try putting down the pick for awhile and just use thumb and fingers. New textures and ideas start to flow and you start to feel the individuality of each string and note separately. Try using hammers within some of the chords when you move into them (like when moving into a G 320003 or 320033, try hammering that 5-string from open to X2XXXX, etc). Start thinking in terms of the fret-board as split down the middle.... three strings of treble and three strings of bass, and use them differently as you play. Just a few ideas.

[jimfree3]

Thanks for the tips. I will give that a try. Any others out there?

[dadfad]

I did a tab for someone awhile back, "Hey Joe" as an acoustic version using hammers, etc. You might want to experiment with that, not necessarily for that particular tune, but just for the techniques, etc.

CODE

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of the #
# song. It is intended for private study, scholarship or research only.       #
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Author/Artist: Traditional/Billy Roberts
Title: Hey Joe Acoustic Arrangement
Arranged and Transcribed by: John M. (Dadfad)
Email: duolian@msn.com or Dadfad@dadfad.com


HEY JOE (Traditional Western Folk -Billy Roberts credited with modern version
        as recorded by The Byrds, The Leaves, Music Machine and Jimi Hendrix)
        Arranged and Tabbed by Dadfad (John M) 06/13/02

This arrangement is slow to moderate, an old-time hammer-to-3rds-and-5ths style
of the old Appalachian blue-ballad form. Though the rhythm's a very simple 1-2
3-4, it's not easy to show in tablature because at times there may be several
open-to-hammer movements within a space of one actual beat. It's probably best
to approach this arrangement played very slowly to develop a feel of how to put
them together within the beats. This is a very improvisational style and these
hammer-flourishes should be played as felt, adding, ommitting or changing their
use at will. This tab is meant to be more of a suggestion toward the style than
a carved-in-stone note-for-note text.

The symbols used in the tab notation are as follows:
* XhX =hammer from a note (held or open) to the next as one tone, ex. 0h2 is
 hammer from open to second fret quickly. A note played with a space before a
 hammer will be shown as 0---h3, meaning play 0 distinctly then hammer a 3.
* (up) and ^ show direction of the strum. ^ is normal and (up) of course, is
 up! Where not shown, like on partial-chord strums,etc it can be assumed to be
 the normal down-strum (or as felt appropriate).
* The \ means slide down to (toward the nut), for example \2 means slide down
 to 2. A suggested slide-from note is in (), like (4)\2 meaning slide to the
 2 coming down from the 4 with the 4 being sounded slightly in the process.
* The ~~ means to use an obvious vibrato, maybe a little more than what might
 normally be used on a single note.
* An XbXbX means bend from one note up to the next and relax the bend back to
 the start-from note, like 2b3b2 is play 2 and bend to the tone of the 3 and
 then let it relax back to the 2 note.
* These hammers are easiest played while holding a certain position, usually a
 chord. This position will be shown at the beginning of a series of licks with
 the notes in (). It doen't mean to play that chord or figure, just to hold
 that position so as to be able to play the following series of licks easily.
* a few other simple notes - an (X) or X doesn't mean to mute that string, just
 it is not played or held. I like the G chord 320033 with the added 5th, but
 this is just my preference and of course is optional. To me, not only does it
 sound better, it starts the fingers in a position that's easier to work the
 hammering, etc from. A slow arpeggiated strum is shown across the tab-staff
 with the notes slightly staggered diagonally toward the right.
* On the instrumental closing, the chords are extended. For example a G to C
 extension will take up approximately the same space and beats as the normal
 full progession to allow for more expression within the extension.

These hammers work well within this tune because of the dual relationships of
of the notes. Notes hammered into the C pentatonic is also the blues pent scale
of the A, the G pent notes are the blues pent notes of the E, which is the key
of the tune. These relationships add the blues-feel to a typically country and
western progression, which gives the traditional blue-ballad style its feeling.

(Instrumental Lead-In)
1)-(0)---------------------------(3)---------3---3(up)--(2)--2----------------
2)-(1)---------------------------(3)---------3---3------(3)--3---3----3----3--
3)-(0)----------0--0h2--0--------(0)------0--0---0------(2)--2--2h4---2----0--
4)-(2)------0h2------------0h2-0-(0)---0--0--0---0------(0)--0----------------
5)-(3)----3----------------------(2)--0h2---------------(0)--0----------------
6)-(X)---------------------------(3)--------------------(X)-------------------


1)-(0)---------------------(0)--------0--0--0--0--0--0---0---0---0--0--0--0--|
2)-(2)----------2---2------(0)--------0--3--0--2--0--0--0h2-----0h2----2--0--|
3)-(2)--2---2---2--2h4--2--(1)--1--1-----------------------------------------|
4)-(2)--2--2h4----------2--(2)--2--2-----------------------------------------|
5)-(0)--0---------------3--(2)--2--2-----------------------------------------|
6)-------------------------(0)--0--0-----------------------------------------|

(First Vocal-Line)
1)-(0)-----------------------(3)--3-----------(2)---------------(0)-----------
2)-(1)-----------------------(3)--------------(3)---------------(2)-----------
3)-(0)-----------0-----0--0--(0)--0-------0---(2)--2--2h4--2--2-(2)--2--2--2-0
4)-(2)------2---0h2----2--0--(0)--0---0---0---(0)--0---0---0--0-(2)--2--2--2-0
5)-(3)--3---3----------3-----(2)--2--0h2------(0)--0------------(0)--0--0--0-0
6)-(X)-----------------------(3)--3-----------(X)---------------(X)-----------
......................Hey........ Joe,..........................where ya goin'


1)-----(0)------------------------0--0--0--0--0--0-|(0)--0---0----------------|
2)-----(0)------------------------0--3--0--2--0--0-|(3)-3h5--3----------------|
3)-----(1)-------------3---------------------------|(4)--------(4)\2--0-------|
4)-----(2)--2----------2-------2-------------------|---------------------2--0-|
5)-----(2)--2----------2-------2-------------------|--------------------------|
6)-----(0)--0------------------0-------------------|--------------------------|
with  that gun in your hand?                        (turnaround back to the C)


(repeat the vocal-line licks, starting from the C chord thru E chord positions
for each vocal-line, using that C-G-D-A-E progression)


HEY JOE by Billie Roberts

Hey, Joe. Where you goin' with that gun in your hand.
Hey, Joe. Where you goin' with that gun in your hand.
Goin' down an' shoot my ol' lady. Caught her messin' round with another man.


Hey Joe, can you tell me where you gonna go?
Hey Joe, won't ya tell me where you gonna go?
I'm runnin' down to Mexico, find a place where I can be free.

Find a place where there ain't no hangman
Tryin' to put his noose around me.


These are addditional variations that may be used for verses or as
an instrumental break.

1)-(0)------------------------------------------3--3---3(up)--3---------3---|
2)-(1)---------1-----1-----1----1--1------------3--3---3------3---------3---|
3)-(0)---------0----0h2---2h3---2--0--0---0--0--0--0---0------0---------0---|
4)-(2)----0h2------------------------0h2--2--0--0--0---0------0---------0---|
5)-(3)--3---------------------------------------2--2---2------2---------2---|
6)-(X)------------------------------------------3^-3-^-3------3^--------3^--|
(Play this C through G formation as a two chord extension)


1)-(0)-0-----------------------0--0---------------------------------|
2)-(3)-3--------3------3---3---3--3--3------------------------------|
3)-(2)-2-------2h4-----2---0---2--2--0---2---2---2--0--2---2----0---|
4)-(0)-0-----------------------0--0--0---2--2h4--2--0--2---2----0---|
5)-(0)-0---------------------------------0-------------0---0----3---|
6)-(X)--------------------------------------------------------------|
    (let ring)(Play this extended D through A formation two chord extension


1)--0-------0--------------------------------------------
2)--0-------0----(repeat---------------------------------
3)--1-------1----------chord-----------------------------
4)--2-------2--------------fading..)---------------------
5)--2-------2--------------------------------------------
6)--0-------0--------------------------------------------
...into a repeated E chord that fades out. Pause. And then play this...


1)--------------------3--5--5b6b5--p3-----------------------------------------
2)--------0---h3---5--------------------5--3----------------------------------
3)---------------------------------------------4---\2--0--2b3b2---0-----------
4)-------------------------------------------------------------------2--0-----
5)-------------------------------------------------------------------------2--
6)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
...single-string closing figure.


1)--------------------0--------------------0--0---||
2)-------------------0---------------------0--3---||
3)------------------1-----------------------------||
4)-----------------2------------------------------||
5)---0------------2-------------------------------||
6)-------3~~~----0--------------------------------||
into a slowly strummed full E chord....then....  End.

(Hopefully the format comes out okay. If not, it should copy to Notepad or something alright.)