The Bells Of Rhymney

The Byrds

Tom: G

From: RS*
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 10:34:52 -0500

This is how I play the song.  After listening to it since 1965, it was a
revelation to me (once I started to try to pick it up) how much the
down to D too really puts a floor under the song!  The tab, of course,
is not perfect.  Corrections, additions, etc. always sought and welcome.
Peace.

Rick
*
__________________________________________

                            THE BELLS OF RHYMNEY
                        (Idris Davies & Pete Seeger)



- one guitar and bass drop low E to D (necessary)
- one 12-string (you know what brand) guitar would be great


opening riff:


e|--------0-2------|----3-2-0-------|--------0-2------|----3-2-0--------|
B|----3-------3----|----------3-----|----3-------3----|----------3------|
G|------2-------2--|------------2---|------2-------2--|-------------2---|
D|-----------------|--------------0-|-----------------|---------------0-|
A|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|--0--------------|--0-------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|


(verse 1):
    D                            G   D/F#     E   D(w/opening riff)
Oh what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney
                                     C     Em       A
Is there hope for the future say the brown bells of Merthyr
     D                          C     Em       A
Who made the mine owner say the black bells of Rhonda
     D                           G    D/F#     E   D(w/opening riff)
And who killed the miner say the grim bells of Blaina

(opening riff)

(verse 2):
    D                        G     D/F#   E   D(w/opening riff)
Put vandals in court say the bells  of    Newport
                          Bm            C     Em       A
All will be well if if if if if say the green bells of Cardiff
       D               Bm          G               E
Why so worried sisters why say the silver bells of Wye
     D                            G   D/F#     E   D(w/opening riff)
And what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney

(break; also see note):
/   D   /   D   /   D   /   D   /   G   /   Em  / Edim7 / Edim7 /

(opening riff)

(repeat first verse)

(end):
                          | opening riff |
G   /   D   /  E   /  E  / D / D / D / D /
oh.....oh.....oh..........oh.............
                          | opening riff |
G   /   D   /  A   /  A  / D / D / D / D /
oh.....oh.....oh..........oh.............

__________________________________________
note on break:

If someone wants to post accurate tab for the break, please do.  Meanwhile,
what I do is improvise a bit around this.  Most of it is strummed~~~~~~~~.
I think Pete Seeger would approve of (any) liberties I've taken; I hope
Roger McGuinn would, too.


   D                 D                 D                D
e|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
B|-10~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-10~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---12-10------------|
G|-11~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---------12--11-----|
D|-12~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|----------------12--|
A|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|0---------------|0----------------|0----------------|0-------------------|



  G                Em                Edim7              Edim7
e|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--7~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
B|-8~~~~~~~~~~~--|--8~~~/12~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
G|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--9~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
D|---------------|-------14~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
A|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|


__________________________________________
some chords for the dropped-D guitar:


      D      G       E      D/F#  Edim7     Em      C       A       Bm
e|----3------x-------0-------2------3-------0-------0-------0-------2-----|
B|----2------x-------0-------3------2-------0-------1-------2-------3-----|
G|----3------x-------1-------2------3-------0-------0-------2-------4-----|
D|----0------5-------2-------0------2-------2-------2-------2-------4-----|
A|----0------5-------2-------0------x-------2-------3-------0-------2-----|
D|----0------5-------2-------4------x-------2-------x-------x-------x-----|