Grateful Dead - Ripple

Grateful Dead Ripple Bass tab There are a couple of Ripple bass tabs out in the wild and they’re mostly correct but they are very difficult to use because they’re a meaningless string of notes. The problem is the timing! The Dead play this differently all the time. This isn’t 100% to the recorded version on American Beauty but I play it like this live and it sounds amazing. I tried to align the words with the notes and indicate how long the notes last: Q = Quarter note E = Eighth note X = Sixteenth note R = rest VERSE part 1 (G) (C) Q Q E E E E Q Q Q XX G|------------------------------------------|--------5--5- D|----------------------5-------------------|-----5------5 A|-----------------------------------2------|3------------ E|--------------------3---3-3-----5---------|------------- If my words did glow with the gold of sun---shine (C) (G) X X Q ER E Q X E XX E E X X Q Q G|-----------------5-------------5--5-4-2-|--------------- D|----------5----------5------7----5------|5---------5---- A|---3---3--------------------------------|--5------------ E|----------------------------------------|----3---------- And my tunes were played on a harp un-----strung VERSE part 2 (G) (C) Q Q Q Q E E E E Q Q X H G|-----------------------------------------------|--------5---- D|------------5---------5------------------------|---5--5------ A|----------------------------------------2------|3------------ E|--3-----------------3---3-3-----5--------------|------------- Would you hear my voice come through the mu-sic (C) (G) (D) (C) (G) X X Q X X Q XX XE E E E Q Q G|----------|---------|---------------------|-------- D|-------2--|-5-----5-|---------------------|------5- A|-3--------|-----5---|5---5--5-3--2--------|-------- E|----------|---------|---5--5----------5---|-3------ Would you hold it near as it were your own Chorus (Am) (D) Q Q Q Q Q E E H G|-------------------|-----------7--|----------- D|-----7-------7-----|-------7-9----|----------- A|-------------------|-5------------|----------- E|--5-------5--------|--------------|----------- Ripple in still water When there (G) (C) (A7) Q E E Q X Q Q X X Q G|--------------|----------------|-----------------| D|--------------|----------------|-----------------| A|-5------------|-3--------------|-0-----2-4-5-----| E|-------2--3---|--------3--3--- |-----------------| is no pebble tossed nor wind to blow Song structure: Verse (part 1 and 2) X2 Chorus Verse (part 1 and 2) X2 Chorus Verse (part 1 and 2) X2 Lyrics: If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung, Would you hear my voice come thru the music, Would you hold it near as it were your own? It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken, Perhaps they're better left unsung. I don't know, don't really care Let there be songs to fill the air. Ripple in still water, When there is no pebble tossed, Nor wind to blow. Reach out your hand if your cup be empty, If your cup is full may it be again, Let it be known there is a fountain, That was not made by the hands of men. There is a road, no simple highway, Between the dawn and the dark of night, And if you go no one may follow, That path is for your steps alone. Ripple in still water, When there is no pebble tossed, Nor wind to blow. You who choose to lead must follow But if you fall you fall alone, If you should stand then whos to guide you? If I knew the way I would take you home. La dee da da da, la da da da da, da da da, da da, da da da da da La da da da, la da da, da da, la da da da, la da, da da.