Man of Constant Sorrow ------------------------------- By The Soggy Bottom Boys, featuring Dan Tyminski This is a transcription of the song "man of constant sorrow" by The Soggy Bottom Boys, The tuning for the song is DADGAD with a capo 3rd fret but if, like me, you don't want to retune your guitar, it can be played in Standard Tuning with a 6-string Capo on the 1st fret and a 3-string Capo 4th on strings 3,4,5 (the lower inner strings) Relative to 6-string capo All I did was transcribe this song into standard tuning. The main structure is from a tab I found here http://www.hakwright.co.uk/music/tab/const_sorrow.txt which was transcribed by Howard Wright The main chord shapes are: 02240x 5722xx x24422 F5 Bb5 Csus2 The top couple of strings are not played very often, and much of the guitar part uses just the bottom four or five strings. A very simplified view of the basic changes for the verse and chorus is given in the tablature below (chord names in brackets above the tab). Verse: (F5) (Bb5) (Csus2) (F5) E------------------------------------------------| B----------------------2-------------------------| G--4-------4------2----4--------4----------------| D--2-------2------2----4--------2----------------| A--2-------2------7----2--------2----------------| E--0--3/5--0---3--5-------3b4---0----------------| (repeat above line once) Chorus: (Csus2) (F5) E--------------------------| B---2----------------------| G---4-----4----------------| D---4-----2----------------| A---2-----2----------------| E---------0----------------| Below, I've transcribed the guitar part in detail, up to the end of the first chorus. Try and see how the basic changes (above) are mixed with quieter strums and short runs/fills to create the complete guitar part. I wouldn't try and learn the part note for note - work through the tab to get the main ideas then try to follow the basic changes but making up your own fills and ad libs. Here's the full tab from the intro up to the end of the first chorus (the ending is also written out): INTRO ------ NB - a lot of the bends on the 3rd fret bottom string are written as: ----3b4------ but they usually don't quite go up a full semitone, so bend up most of the way but leave the note a bit flat. (F5) E------------------------------------------------0------| B----------------------------------------0-------0------| G-------------------------2--------------4-------4------| D----------------5h7------2-2------------2----2---------| A--5h7---2-5-7-7------7-5-------------2--2--------------| E--0---0---0---0---0----------5-3b4---0-----0-----------| (Csus2) E----------------------------------------------------| B---------------------------2---------2--------------| G------------------4----4------4----4----------------| D-----2------------4---------4---4-------------------| A------------------2-------------2-------2-----------| E--0-------------------------------------------------| In constant sorrow all through his (F5) E-----------------------------------------------| B-------0---------------------------------------| G--4----4-----------2---2-----------------------| D--2----------------2---2-----------------------| A--2--------2-5/7-----5---x---------------------| E--0------0---0---0---------5--3----------------| days VERSE ------ (F5) E-------------------------------------------------| B-------------------------------------------------| G--4--------------------------4---4-4-4-----------| D--2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2----2-------2-2-2-2--2--2-2---| A--2--------2--------------2----------------------| E--0--------0------3/5-----0-------------3--------| I am a man of constant (Bb5) (Csus2) E-------------------------------------------------| B----------------------------2--2---------2-------| G-----------2----------------4-----4---4--4--4----| D--2--2-2-2-2--2--2-2-2-2----4-------4-4----------| A--7-----------7-------------2---------2----------| E--5-----------5----------------------------------| sorrow I've seen trouble all my (F5) E------------------------------------------------| B---------------------4--------------------------| G---------------------2--------------------------| D---------------------2--------------------------| A--2--2-2-2--5---7p5--7--------------------------| E--0---------0---0--------5--3b4-----------------| days (F5) E------0-0------------------------------------------| B------0-0------------------------------------------| G--4--------------------------4-4-4----4------------| D--2-------2-----2-2----2-----2-2-2----2--2--2------| A--2----------2------------2---------2--------------| E--0----------0----3/5-----0---------0----3---------| I bid farewell to old Ken- (Bb5) (Csus2) E------------------------------------------------------------| B---------------------------------2--2--2-----2----2---------| G-------2-2-2----2----------------4--4--4---4-4--4-----------| D--2--2-2-2-2-2--2---2--2--2--2---4-------4---4--4-----------| A--7-------------7----------------2-----------2--------------| E--5-------------5------------------------------------3b4r3--| tucky the place where I was born and (F5) E-----------------------------------------------| B------------------0----------------------------| G-----4----4-------4-------------2--------------| D--2--2----2-------2-------2-----2--------------| A--2------------2--2----------------------------| E--0-----0-3p0--0-------------------------------| bred, the place where CHORUS ------- (C5) E----------------------------------------------| B----------------------------------------------| G--4---4-------4-----x-------------------------| D--4--------------4---------2-2----------------| A--2-----2-2-2----2----------------------------| E-----------------------3b4--------------------| he born and (F5) E-----------------------------------------------| B-----------------------------------------------| G-----------------------------------------------| D------------------------2-----2----------------| A--2---2----2--5h7--7p5--2--5--2----------------| E--0-----0-----0----0----0--0--0---3p0----------| bred Guitar part continues similarly for all verses/choruses. ENDING ------- E-----------------------------------------------------| B-----------------------------------------------------| G---------------------------------------2-------------| D----------------5h6-------2------------2-------------| A--2--2--5h7-7-7-----7-2-5---5-5h7--2-5----2-------2--| E--0---------0-----------0---0-0--------------5-3--0--|