Grateful Dead Music Forum

when the dead played this live did they do all those chord changes??

ive heard ratdog play it recently and it was much more laid back and wasnt choppy and switching chords every beat

I have thought this myself and I would say that the way that Jerry sings it, really seems like all those chord changes are there. They must be played real gently in the background.

Part of it may be Bobby's often subtle changes, sometimes just a note or two.

I never really play the verse changes, though I wouldn't dispute them. I pretty much barre the A chord and hammer on the B note (4 on the G string) for the E chord and hit the D note {3 on the B string (Asus4)} for the D chord. Only on the last D do I voice the full D chord (w/ the 3rd on the top) in the verse.

The point is to voice the melody while holding the barre A: (if your doing the jer thing...I think)


--A-E-A--E-A-D-A-E-A-D-----A
b-----2----2-3-2-----------
g-2h4----4-------4-2----2-------
d--------------------4---4-2

The red chords are the ones I voice fully

I agree with Bill above on how to play it, but I will say that this is a tricky song to play solo, just because you don't have anyone else backing you up. Because the song is so subtle, a "band" can get away playing subtle nuances, and as a whole, it sounds good, ala the Dead, because everyone fills in with different stuff.

Playing solo can prove to be a little different, because its not as full a sound, so when I used to play this song, I'd strum the chords, which I found cumbersome and squished in there.

Great song, though. Love it. Classic Hunter.

this ratdog version i have it sounds like bob is only strumming once or twice per measure, maybe the bass is playing along to the original chord structure to kind of hold down that melody...i really like it apposed to the constant blocky changes on the album

thanks bill, that is pretty cool what u tabbed there i like that

IamDocWatson wrote:this ratdog version i have it sounds like bob is only strumming once or twice per measure, maybe the bass is playing along to the original chord structure to kind of hold down that melody...

I'd bet that's exactly what's happening.

thats how it seems....the whole band is all just laying back piecing it together, making more of a singers song than a players but man this show is amazing....

I: Jam > The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion > Jack Straw > Bird Song > Little Red Rooster, West L.A. Fadeaway, Maggie's Farm > Eyes of the World

II: Mule Skinner Blues@5, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall@ > Even So > October Queen > The Deep End > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > Stuff* > Stella Blue > At a Siding > Terrapin Flyer* > One More Saturday Night
E: Black Muddy River

yep Jerry plays that rifage off the barred A chord only moving his hand to hit the E a full step up from his D, dont forget to hit that 4th during the E. and Bobby hits his chord on the 3rd beat throughout the song.

IamDocWatson wrote:thats how it seems....the whole band is all just laying back piecing it together, making more of a singers song than a players but man this show is amazing....

I: Jam > The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion > Jack Straw > Bird Song > Little Red Rooster, West L.A. Fadeaway, Maggie's Farm > Eyes of the World

II: Mule Skinner Blues@5, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall@ > Even So > October Queen > The Deep End > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > Stuff* > Stella Blue > At a Siding > Terrapin Flyer* > One More Saturday Night
E: Black Muddy River

Wow, that IS a great setlist...what's the date? Where'd you get it/is there a site I can DL it from???

i was at the show. i bought the cd there afterward, its from nerak nj..11/11/06....u can buy the shows at ratdoglive.com i dont download shows so im not sure about that one, but it was a great night bob on acoustic slide guitar for a sick muleskinner blues with lead barritone guitar over it...it was amazing AND THEN we got a black muddy river...great night

IamDocWatson wrote: its from nerak nj..11/11/06....u can buy the shows at ratdoglive.com i dont download shows so im not sure about that one, but it was a great night bob on acoustic slide guitar for a sick muleskinner blues with lead barritone guitar over it...it was amazing AND THEN we got a black muddy river...great night

I was at that show too Bobby rocked it out! Its about time he remembered that he is a rock star, not a mellow strummer

he never was a mellow strummer