#----------------------------------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--2---2(up)--2---------2---|2)-(1)---------1-----1-----1----1--1------------3--2---2------2---------2---|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.
