How Long Tab

John Fahey - How Long
from the album "The Dance Of Death & Other Plantation Favorites"
 
Tuning: Open G
DGDGBD
 
 
Fahey uses a lot of embellishments when playing and changes things up fairly frequently.
You can add these in as you please.
 
This is the bare bones of the song:
 
First part:
 
e|--------------------------------------------------------12------------------|
B|--12--12-----------12--12----------12--12----------12-------12----12--------|
G|------------12---------------12--------------12-----------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---0---0------------0---0-----------0---0-----------0--------------0--------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-10-------10--10-------10--10---------10------0h12---10--10--------------|
G|-----10-----------10------------10---------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--0--------0---0--------0---0----------0------0-----------0--------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 
 
e|--5-----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--|---------------------------------------|
B|----5--------5-------5-------5-----|--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----4-------|
G|-----------------------------------|----5-------5-------5-------5----------|
D|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
A|--5-----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--|--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----4-------|
E|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
 
Chorus:
 
e|-0----0--0h1-0--0--0h1--0--0--0h1--0------0----|
B|--------------------------------------0---1----|
G|------------------------------------------2----|
D|------------------------------------------0----|
A|-0----0--0---0--0--0----0--0--0----0--0--------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|
 
 
e|-0--0--0--0--0--0---------|-0-0---0-----0-----0-------|
B|------------------1--0----|-0-0---0-----0-----0-------|
G|-0--0--0--0--0--0------0--|-0-0---0-----0-----0-------|
D|------------------0--0----|-0-0-3-3-3-2-2-2-1-1-1-0---|
A|-----------------------0--|---------------------------|
E|--------------------------|---------------------------|
 
e|---------------------------|
B|---------------------------|
G|------------------------0--|
D|------0-2-0-3-2-0--0----0--|
A|--0/4------------4---4--0--|
E|---------------------------|
 
Play this twice, but on the second time finish instead with this:
 
e|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|------------------------0---|
A|------0-----0-----0-----0---|
D|--0/4-- 0/4-- 0/4--0/4--0---|
E|----------------------------|
 
 
 
Second part:
 
 
e|--3-3----3--3-----3---3--------|
B|--2-2--2----2h3-----3----------|
G|--------------------------0----|  x 4
D|-------------------------------|
A|--0-0----0--0-----0---0---0----|
E|-------------------------------|
 
e|--5-5---5---8---8---8-----------------------------|
B|------5-----------5------5---5-5---5-5---5-5---4--|
G|---------------------------5----5------5----5-----|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--5-5---5---5---5---5----5---5-5---5-5---5-5---4--|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
 
Chorus:
 
e|-0----0--0h1-0--0--0h1--0--0--0h1--0------0----|
B|--------------------------------------0---1----|
G|------------------------------------------2----|
D|------------------------------------------0----|
A|-0----0--0---0--0--0----0--0--0----0--0--------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|
 
 
e|-0--0--0--0--2--0--0--2--0--2----|--5---5---3---3---2---2--1---1--0---|
B|---------------------------------|----0-------0-------0------0--------|
G|-0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0----|------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|--0---0---0---0---0---0--0---0--0---|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 
 
e|---------------------------|
B|---------------------------|
G|------------------------0--|
D|------0-2-0-3-2-0--0----0--|
A|--0/4------------4---4--0--|
E|---------------------------|
 
 
A lot of this was transcribed with the help of this extremely helpful video tutorial:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahb6jeeEBmo
 
This version differs slightly but is essentially the same.
 
 
************************************
 
| x   Dead note
| g   Grace note
| (n) Ghost note
| h   Hammer-on
| p   Pull-off
| r   Release
| >   Accented note
| t   Tapping
| b   Bend
| br  Bend release
| pb  Pre-bend
| pbr Pre-bend release
| /   Slide up
| \   Slide down
| ~   Vibrato
| s   Slap
| P   Pop
| PM  Palm mute
| TR  Trill
| N   Tremolo
 
************************************
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