TIME IS TIGHT As recorded by Booker T. & The MG's (From the 1969 Album UP TIGHT) Words and Music by Al Jackson, Steve Cropper, Donald Dunn & Booker T. Jones Transcribed by Slowhand Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Booker T. Jones - Organ' Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Steve Cropper - Guitar ' Gtr III (E A D G B E) - 'Steve Cropper - Guitar' Q=138 $ C 4/4 Gtr I (Organ arr. for Gtr.) W W ||-----------------|----------------------||-| ||o----------------|---------------------o||-| ||-----------------|----------------------||-| ||-----------------|----------------------||-| ||o----------------|---------------------o||-| ||-----------------|----------------------||-| | | Gtr II | PM---------------------------------------- | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E ||-----------------|----------------------||-| ||o----------------|---------------------o||-| ||-----------------|----------------------||-| ||--2--2-0-2-0---2-|-(2)-0---2-(2)-0---0--||-| ||o-3--3-0-3-0---3-|-(3)-0---3-(3)-0---0-o||-| ||-------------3---|-------3---------3----||-|

^C W +H a Q Q ||------------------|--------------------------| ||o-----------------|------------12h13----12---| ||--12--------------|-(12)---------------------| ||------------------|--------------------------| ||o-----------------|--------------------------| ||------------------|--------------------------|

| |--------------------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E ||------------------|--------------------------| ||o-----------------|--------------------------| ||------------------|--------------------------| ||---2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2----(2)-0----0-| ||o--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3----(3)-0----0-| ||--------------3---|--------3-------------3---| W +Q. E Q Q |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-12--------------|-(12)--------------14---| |-----------------|----------14-15---------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| | | PM--------------------------------------- | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0----2-(2)-0----0-| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0----3-(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3-----------3---| W +H a Q a Q |-----------------|---------------20-------20---| |-----------------|------------20h22----20h22---| |-12--------------|-(12)------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| | |---------------------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2----(2)-0-------0-| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3----(3)-0-------0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------------3---|

^F W +H Q Q |-----------------|-----------------------| |-----------------|------------18----17---| |-17--------------|-(17)------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------|

| | PM-------------------------------------- | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|-----------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0------| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------3---| |-----------------|-----------------------| W +H +Q. E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----16-| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| | |---------------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0------| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------3----| |-----------------|------------------------|

^C W +H +Q. E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----16-| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------|

| | PM--------------------------------------- | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------3----| To Coda W +H. Q |-----------------|-------------------------|| |-----------------|------------------------o|| |-17--------------|-(17)--------------------|| |-----------------|-------------------------|| |-----------------|------------------------o|| |-----------------|-------------------------|| | |--------------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|-------------------------|| |-----------------|------------------------o|| |-----------------|-------------------------|| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0---0----|| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0---0---o|| |-------------3---|--------3---------3------||

^G W +H Q ^D Q ||--10--------------|-(10)-------15--14--| ||o-12--------------|-(12)-------15--15--| ||--12--------------|-(12)-------16--14--| ||------------------|--------------------| ||o-----------------|--------------------| ||------------------|--------------------|

| | Gtr III | PM PM--| PM-------| PM | Q E E E E E E E E E E Q Q ||------3-------3---|--------3----3---2--| ||o-----3-------3---|--------3----3---3--| ||------------------|-------------4---2--| ||------------------|-------------5---0--| ||o-----------------|--------------------| ||---3----3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3---------| 1.

^G W +W |-15--------------|-(15)-----------------|| |-15--------------|-(15)----------------o|| |-16--------------|-(16)-----------------|| |-----------------|----------------------|| |-----------------|---------------------o|| |-----------------|----------------------||

| | PM--| PM-------| PM--| PM | Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E |--3--3-------3---|--------3-------3-----|| |--3--3-------3---|--------3-------3----o|| |--4--------------|----------------------|| |--5--------------|----------------------|| |-----------------|---------------------o|| |-------3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3-3-3---3---|| 2.

^G W +W ^C W |-15--------------|-(15)------------||-----------------| |-15--------------|-(15)------------||-----------------| |-16--------------|-(16)------------||-12--------------| |-----------------|-----------------||-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------||-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|

| | Gtr II | PM--| PM PM-----------| | Q E E E E E E E E E E H Q E E E E E E |--3--3-------3---|--------3--------||-----------------| |--3--3-------3---|--------3--------||-----------------| |--4--------------|-----------------||-----------------| |--5--------------|-----------------||--2--2-0-2-0---2-| |-----------------|-----------------||--3--3-0-3-0---3-| |-------3-3-3---3-|---3--3----------||-------------3---| +H a Q Q W +Q. E Q Q |--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------| |------------12h13----12---|-----------------|-------------------------| |-(12)---------------------|-12--------------|-(12)--------------14----| |--------------------------|-----------------|----------14-15----------| |--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------| |--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------| | | PM--------------------------------------------------------------| | +E E E E +E E E E Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------| |--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------| |--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------| |--(2)-0---2----(2)-0----0-|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0----2-(2)-0----0--| |--(3)-0---3----(3)-0----0-|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0----3-(3)-0----0--| |--------3-------------3---|-------------3---|--------3-----------3----| W +H a Q a Q |-----------------|---------------20-------20---| |-----------------|------------20h22----20h22---| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-17--------------|-(17)------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| | | PM-------------------------------------------- | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2----(2)-0-------0-| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3----(3)-0-------0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------------3---|

| |---------------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|-----------------------| |-----------------|-----------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0------| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------3---| |-----------------|-----------------------| W +H +Q. E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----16-| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| | | PM--------------------------------------- | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0------| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------3----| |-----------------|------------------------|

| |---------------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------3----| W +H. Q |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-17--------------|-(17)-----------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| | | PM----------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0---0-| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0---0-| |-------------3---|--------3---------3---| C Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E ||------------------------|-------------------------| ||o--5---5------5-------5-|--(5)------5--(5)------5-| ||---5---5--7---5--7----5-|--(5)-7----5--(5)-7----5-| ||----------7------7-5----|------7-5---------7-5----| ||o-----------------------|-------------------------| ||------------------------|-------------------------| | | Gtr III | E E E E +E E E E +E E E E +E E E E ||------------------------|-------------------------| ||o------8-10-(10)---8-10-|-(10)---8-10-(10)---8-10-| ||-----9-----------9------|------9-----------9------| ||--10--------------------|-------------------------| ||o-----------------------|-------------------------| ||------------------------|-------------------------| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------------|----------------------|| |--5---5------5-------5-|-(5)-----5-(5)-----5-o|| |--5---5--7---5--7----5-|-(5)-7---5-(5)-7---5--|| |---------7------7-5----|-----7-5-------7-5----|| |-----------------------|---------------------o|| |-----------------------|----------------------|| | | E E E E +E E E E W |-----------------------|----------------------|| |------8-10-(10)-8------|---------------------o|| |----9-------------9----|----------------------|| |-10-----------------10-|----------------------|| |-----------------------|---------------------o|| |-----------------------|----------------------|| F Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |--5----5--3---5---3----5-|--(5)--3----5--(5)--3----5-| |--6----6--3---6---3----6-|--(6)--3----6--(6)--3----6-| |--------------------5----|---------5-------------5---| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| | | E E E E +E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-------8-10-(10)----8-10-|-(10)----8-10-(10)-------8-| |----10-----------10------|------10--------------10---| |-10----------------------|-------------------10------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +Q Q |--5----5--3---5--3-----5-|-(5)-3---5-(5)-----| |--6----6--3---6--3-----6-|-(6)-3---6-(6)-----| |--------------------5----|-------5-----------| |-------------------------|-------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------| | | E E E E +E E E E W |-------8-10-(10)-8-------|-------------------| |----10-------------10----|-------------------| |-10-------------------10-|-------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------| C Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------------|-------------------------| |--5---5------5-------5-|--(5)------5--(5)------5-| |--5---5--7---5--7----5-|--(5)-7----5--(5)-7----5-| |---------7------7-5----|------7-5---------7-5----| |-----------------------|-------------------------| |-----------------------|-------------------------| | | E E E E +E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------------|-------------------------| |------8-10-(10)---8-10-|-(10)---8-10-(10)---8-10-| |----9-----------9------|------9-----------9------| |-10--------------------|-------------------------| |-----------------------|-------------------------| |-----------------------|-------------------------| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +Q Q |-----------------------|-------------------| |--5---5------5-------5-|-(5)-----5-(5)-----| |--5---5--7---5--7----5-|-(5)-7---5-(5)-----| |---------7------7-5----|-----7-5-----------| |-----------------------|-------------------| |-----------------------|-------------------| | | E E E E +E E E E W |-----------------------|-------------------| |------8-10-(10)-8------|-------------------| |----9-------------9----|-------------------| |-10-----------------10-|-------------------| |-----------------------|-------------------| |-----------------------|-------------------|

^G W +H Q ^D Q ||--10--------------|-(10)-------15--14--| ||o-12--------------|-(12)-------17--15--| ||--12--------------|-(12)-------16--14--| ||------------------|--------------------| ||o-----------------|--------------------| ||------------------|--------------------|

| | PM PM--| PM-------| PM | Q E E E E E E E E E E Q Q ||------3-------3---|--------3----3---2--| ||o-----3-------3---|--------3----3---3--| ||------------------|-------------4---2--| ||------------------|-------------5---0--| ||o--5------5-5-----|---5--5---5---------| ||---3----3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3---------| 1.

^GGtr I W +H a Q a Q |-15--------------|-(15)------------------------|| |-15--------------|-(15)----------15------15---o|| |-16--------------|-(16)-------14h16---14h16----|| |-----------------|-----------------------------|| |-----------------|----------------------------o|| |-----------------|-----------------------------||

| | PM--| PM-------| PM------| PM | Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E |--3--3-------3---|--------3---------------3----|| |--3--3-------3---|--------3---------------3---o|| |--4--------------|-----------------------------|| |--5--------------|-----------------------------|| |-------5-5-5---5-|---5--5---5-----5-5-------5-o|| |-------3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3-----3-3-------3--|| 2. D.S. al Coda

^G W +H Q Q |-15--------|-(15)------------|| |-15--------|-(15)------------|| |-16--------|-(16)------------|| |-----------|---------14--15--|| |-----------|-----------------|| |-----------|-----------------||

| | W +W |--3--------|--(3)------------|| |--3--------|--(3)------------|| |--4--------|--(4)------------|| |--5--------|--(5)------------|| |-----------|-----------------|| |-----------|-----------------|| &

^C W +H +Q. ^G/D E |-15--------------|-(15)-------(15)-----19-| |-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----20-| |-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----19-| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------|

| | Gtr II | PM--------------------------------------- | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-| |-------------3---|--------3----------3----|

^C/E W +H +Q. ^G E |-20--------------|-(20)-------(20)-----22-| |-20--------------|-(20)-------(20)-----24-| |-21--------------|-(21)-------(21)-----24-| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------|

^C W +H +Q. ^G/B E ^C W |-24--------------|-(24)-------(24)-----15-||--15--------------------| |-----------------|---------------------15-||o-17--------------------| |-----------------|---------------------16-||--17--------------------| |-----------------|------------------------||------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------||o-----------------------| |-----------------|------------------------||------------------------|

| | Gtr III | PM-----------------------------------| | Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E E E E E +E E E E |-----------------|------------------------||------------------------| |-----------------|------------------------||o------8-10-(10)---8-10-| |-----------------|------------------------||-----9-----------9------| |--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-||--10--------------------| |--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-||o-----------------------| |-------------3---|--------3----------3----||------------------------|

+H +Q. ^G/B E ^C W +H. ^G/B Q |-(15)--------(15)-----15-|-15--------------------|-(15)------15---|| |-(17)--------(17)-----15-|-17--------------------|-(17)------15--o|| |-(17)--------(17)-----16-|-17--------------------|-(17)------16---|| |-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|| |-------------------------|-----------------------|---------------o|| |-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------||

| | +E E E E +E E E E E E E E +E E E E W |-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|| |-(10)---8-10-(10)---8-10-|------8-10-(10)-8------|---------------o|| |------9-----------9------|----9-------------9----|----------------|| |-------------------------|-10-----------------10-|----------------|| |-------------------------|-----------------------|---------------o|| |-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|| Duration Legend --------------- W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura + - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration) Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi- bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low melody durations appear below the staff Tablature Legend ---------------- h - hammer-on p - pull-off b - bend pb - pre-bend r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately) /\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere") s - legato slide S - shift slide - natural harmonic [n] - artificial harmonic n(n) - tapped harmonic ~ - vibrato tr - trill T - tap TP - trem. picking PM - palm muting \n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip \n - tremolo bar down n/ - tremolo bar up /n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip = - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls <> - volume swell (louder/softer) x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash Misc Legend ----------- | - bar || - double bar ||o - repeat start o|| - repeat end *| - double bar (ending) : - bar (freetime) $ - Segno & - Coda Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths

Booker T and the Mgs - Time is tight