Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground

Words & Music:

Blind Willie Johnson

 

Tabber is, alas, unknown for this amazing slide blues tune.  Play this in Open D tuning (D A D F# A D)

 

Playing Notes:

/ - slide up            \ - slide down          s - slide between notes

h - hammer on           p - pull off            # - note played slightly sharp

 

D-|--------------------------------------0-/7s6s7\---2-0---/4~----/7s6s7---|

A-|------------------------------------0-----------------------------------|

F#|----------------------------------0-------------------------------------|

D-|-0--/4--5--4~--0-0-/4-5-/7-/7~--0---------------------0----0----------0-|

A-|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

D-|-------------------------------------------------------------0----------|

 

|-/12s11s12------/5~----/7s6s7\---2-0---/3s2-----/7s6s7--0--0-0-/3s2-------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|------------0-------0----------------0-------0------------0----------0----|

|----------------------------------------0-----------------------0---------|

|--------------0-----------------------------------------------------------|

 

|----------------/4s2s4-s-2p0----------------------------------------------|

|-0-0-/5s4s5----------------------0-/7--5--0---/3---/5s4s5~-0--------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------0---------------0------------------------------0--/4-/5--4-5-|

|-----/5s4s5--------------------0---/7--5----0----3-/5s4s5~----------------|

|-----------------0--------------------------------------------------------|

 

|---------------0-/4~--s--2-p-0--0-/9s8s9---/12\----------------/4-s-2-s-4~|

|-----------------------------------------------/12------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|/7--/4-s-2-p-0----------------------------------------0-0-/7--0-----------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                hm hmmmmm mhmhmh    hmhmhm   hmhmhm      ah ha

 

|-------\2p0--/4s2s4-s-7-s-9-s-2-p-0---/2---/4s2s4--4-s-2-p-0--------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|------------------------------------0----0-------------------0-/4-5-/7-/4~|

|---------------------------------------0----------------------------------|

|--------------0----------------------------0------------------------------|

  hahaho why                           our   lord    uh hm hm

 

|-------------------------------0-/7~-s-2-p-0--0-/4~---/7s6s7---/12s11s12--|

|------------------------------0-------------------------------------------|

|----------------------------0---------------------------------------------|

|-0-/4-/5-/7--/7~-s-2-p-0--0--------0--------------0--0-------0------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                                 ah haaaahaaaha          haaaa

 


|-0-0-/5--/7s6s7s4p0--0---/3s2--/7s6s7-s-2p0--0---/3s2--/3s2p0-------------|

|-----------------------0-----------------------0----------------/5s4s5----|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------0-----------------------0-----------0-----------|

|------0-------------------------------------------------------------------|

       haa haaahahaha      aha                     hahaaaaaaa     hmhmhm

 

 

|-/4s2s4-s-2-p-0-----------------------------------------------------------|

|------------------/7--/5--0--/3--/7\---0----------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|------------------------------------------0--/4-/5~-4-5-/7~\--/4-s-2-p-0--|

|----------------0-/7--/5--0--/3--/7\---0----------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  hmmhmmhmmhmm      ah ahhhhh  haa haa well

 

 

|-0-/4s2s4-s-2-p-0-----/9s8s9---/16-s-14--/12s11s12-----0-/7s6s7--/4s2s4---|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------0--------------------------------0----------0---------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  hm hmhmhmmmmmmm hm   hmhmhm   hmmmmhmmmm  hmhmhm         hmhaa

 

 

|-4s2p0--/4s2s4-s-7-s-9\----------------/4s2s4-----------------------------|

|-------------------------0----/7--/5--------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------0------------------------|

|---------0---------------------------0---------0---0-0--/4-/5-/7-/4~-0-/4-|

|----------------------------0-/7--/5--------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   Lord                         ah  ah    ahaha   well

 

 

|----------------------0-0-/7s6s7--s--4s2p0---/4~---0--/7s6s7---/12s11s12--|

|-------------------0------------------------------------------------------|

|-----------------0--------------------------------------------------------|

|-/5-/7-/7-s-2--0-----------0---------------------0-----------0------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|----------------------------------------------0--------0----------0-------|

                            hmhmhm   hmhmhm             hmhm

 

 

|-0--------/5s4s5---/7s6s7-s-2p0---0-0-/3s2---/7s6s7--0-0-/3s2---/3s2p0----|

|---0------------------------------------------------------------------0---|

|-----0--------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------0--------0--------------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------0------------------0-------------0-|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

            hmhm     hmhm   hm hm       hmhm    hmhm        hmhm   hmhmhmhm

 

 

|-----------/4s2s4-s-2p0---------------------------------------------------|

|---/5s4s5----------------0---/7--5-0----5-/7--3s2p0-----------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-0---------------------------------------------------4-/5--4-5-/7--4-s-2p0|

|---/5s4s5------------------0-/7--5---0--5-/7--3s2p0-----------------------|

|------------0-------------------------------------------------------------|

  hm         ahaha   haha     hm hm      ha ha lord

 

 

|---/4s2s4~-----4s2p0--0---/9s8s9-/12-s-9-s-7--0-0-/7----/4s2sp0-/4--4s2p0-|

|------------------------0-------------------------------------------------|

|------------0-------------------------------------------------------------|

|-0-------------0-----------0--------------------------0--------------0----|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|----0----------------------------------------------0----------------------|

  hm hmhmhm     hmhmhm      hmhmhm hm   hm  hm      ha     hahaha ha   Lord

 

 

|-/4s2s4s7s9\------2p0----/4s2s4----/5s4-----4--5--7-/4~--0-4-5-7-7s5s4-0--|

|---------------------------------------/5---------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------0---------0---------0--------0------------------------------0|

|---------------0--0-------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------0-----------------------------------------------|

                   hmhm    hmhmhmh   hmhmhhm

 

 

|-/7s6s7-s-4-s-2-p-0--/4--------/7s6s7---/12s11s12-------/5----/7s6s7------|

|------------------------0-------------------------0-------------------0--0|

|--------------------------0-------------------------0---------------------|

|----------------------0-----0----------0--------------0-----0-----------0-|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   hmhmhm  hm  hm  hm            hmhmhm                    hm    hmhmhm

 

 

|-/3s2--/7s6s7~------/3s2--3s2p0--------------------/4s2s4-s-2-p-0---------|

|----------------0---------------0--/5--0--/5s4s5~------------------0----/7|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|------------------0---------------------------------0---------------------|

|--0------------------0----0-------------------------------------------0-/7|

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

   hmhm                    hmhmhmhm  hm hm

 

 

|------------------------/12~---|

|-5-0---/3---/5-s-3-p-0--/12~---|

|------------------------/12~---|

|-------------------------------|

|-5---0----3--------------------|

|-------------------------------|

 





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