Ramblin On My Mind

Eric Clapton

Tom: E

The song structure is:
1st verse, 2nd verse, solo, 3rd verse, ending

Rhythm guitar
This is the basic riff, played with some variations. You can use also other fitting riffs
or start with playing chords. Try them out!


E7                     A7                     B7
I-------------------I  I-------------------I  I------------------- )I
I-------------------I  I-------------------I  I----0-0--0-0--0---- )I
I-------------------I  I-------------------I  I------------------- )I
I-------------------I  I--2-2-4-4-5-5-0----I  I------------------- )I
I--2-2-4-4-5-5-0----I  I--0-0-0-0-0-0---4--I  I--2---2------------ )I
I--0-0-0-0-0-0---3b-I  I-------------------I  I----------------3-- )b-I


Intro
The intro starts with with a double stop (two notes played together) combined with a
bending on one of the notes, followed by some common Blues licks:

0tr1 means a triller: fast hammer-on and pull-off (0h1p0h1p0 etc.)


I---7--7--I-7--7--7\----0-I-----------------------I-----------I------------------ )I
I---8b-8b-I-8b-8b-8\------I-----------------------I-----------I------0---0-0----- )I
I---------I---------------I-----------------------I---0h1-2-3-I-4\--------------- )I
I---------I---------------I-0tr2--0h2-------------I-2---------I------------------ )I
I---------I-----------2---I-----------2-1-0-------I-----------I----2---2-----2h4- )I
I---------I---------------I-----------------3b-0--I-----------I--------------0--- )I
                          |- piano starts here                            I've got


First Verse

E7                  A7                   E7                        E7
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I------------------------- )I
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I------------------------- )I
I-------------------I--------------------I-----0tr1-2-0tr1---------I-----0tr1-2 0tr1--------- )I
I-------------------I--2-2-4-4-5-5-0-----I-------------------0-1-2-I-------------------0-1-2- )I
I-2-2-4-4-5-5-0-----I--0-0-0-0-0-0---4---I-----------------2-------I-----------------2------- )I
I-0-0-0-0-0-0---3b--I--------------------I-0-0---------------------I-0-0--------------------- )I
ramblin'                 I've got ramblin'                                            I've got
                              all on my mind

A7                  A7                   E7                        E7
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I------------------------- )I
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I------------------------- )I
I---------------2---I---------------2----I-----0tr1-2 0tr1---------I-----0tr1-2 0tr1--------- )I
I-2-2-4-4-5-5-4---2-I-2-2-4-4-5-5-4---2--I-------------------0-1-2-I-------------------0-1-2- )I
I-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-I-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0--I-----------------2-------I-----------------2------- )I
I-------------------I--------------------I-0-0---------------------I-0-0--------------------- )I
ramblin'                 I've got ramblin                                          Is to leave
                              all on my mind

B7                  A7                          A7                        A7
I-------------------I---------------------------I-------------------------I------------------- )I
I---0-0--0-0--0-----I---------------------------I-------------------------I----0---0---------- )I
I-------------------I---------------------------I-------------------------I----2-2-2---------- )I
I-------------------I-2---2----2--4b-2-4-2---2--I------0-1-2-0------------I--2----------0-1-2- )I
I-2---2---------3b--I-0-0---/4-------------4----I--------------2-1-0------I-----------2------- )I
I-------------------I---------------------------I--0-0---------------3b-0-I------------------- )I
my baby,            'cause she treats me so unkind                                    I'm goin'


Second verse
(I'm goin') down to the station,
catch that old fast milk train, you'll see.

I'm going down to the station,
catch that old fast milk train, you'll see.
I've got the (continued as following:)

B7
I-----------2---2-------I---------------------------I-0-----------------------I--------------- )I
I---0-0---0---0---------I---------------------------I--------------------0----I---0---0-0--0-- )I
I-------2---------------I---------------------------I------0tr1-1-2-2-3-------I--------------- )I
I-----------------2-0-1-I-2-2--4-4--5-5--0----------I-------------------------I--------------- )I
I-----------------------I-0-0--0-0--0-0-------------I-----------2-3-3-4-------I-2---2---2----- )I
I-----------------------I------------------0--------I-0--0--------------------I--------------- )I
Blues about Miss So 'n So, and the sun got the Blues 'bout me.

Solo
He plays around 1 note (!) doing full, half and quarter bends.
To keep the tab in a comfortable length, I've used (only for this song)
bf for a full-tone bend,
bh for a half tone bend,
bq for a quarter tone bend and
hb for hold bend, that means pick the string after bending it.
It's a good idea to practice these bends before playing the solo. I think it's impossible to
make an absolute exact tab of this solo, you must listen to the record...

OK, now let's try it:


I----------------I---------------------------------- )I
I----8bh---8bh---I-10bf-10hb-10--------------------- )hb-(repeat  7 times)-I
I-/9-----9-------I---------------------------------- )I
I----------------I---------------------------------- )I
I----------------I---------------------------------- )I
I----------------I---------------------------------- )I

I----------------------------------------------- )I
I-10hb-10hb-10hb-8-8bh-10hb-10bh-10bq-10br-8-10- )I
I----------------------------------------------- )I
I----------------------------------------------- )I
I----------------------------------------------- )I
I----------------------------------------------- )I

(If you have problems with the scale at this position, you can also play it like

I--------------------I---------------------------- )I
I--------------------I---------------------------- )I
I-----12bh-----12bh--I-14bf-14bh-14bh-etc.-------- )I
I-/14------/14-------I---------------------------- )I
I--------------------I---------------------------- )I
I--------------------I----------------------I   -- )


I-----------------------I-7-5--------------------------I--------------- )I
I-10br-8---8-10-8-----5-I-----7rb-5---7-7bf-bh-7-5-7---I-7bf-7hb-7br-5- )I
I--------9---------/6---I-----------6----------------6-I--------------- )I
I-----------------------I------------------------------I--------------- )I
I-----------------------I------------------------------I--------------- )I
I-----------------------I------------------------------I--------------- )I


I-----7---------7--------------------------------------I------------------------------ )I
I-7bf---7hb-7bf---7hb-5----5-7--7bf-7bf-5-5-5--7bh-----I----3-3----------------------- )I
I------------------------6--------------------------6--I-/4-----\2-2-2tr0------------- )I
I------------------------------------------------------I------------------2---0h2----- )I
I------------------------------------------------------I--------------------2--------- )I
I------------------------------------------------------I------------------------------ )I

I-----0--0-----0-0-----0-0---I---------------- )I
I---0----0-------0-------0---I-0---0--0---0--- )I
I----------3p2-----3p2-------I-1--------2----- )I
I----------------------------I---------------- )I
I----------------------------I---2-2------2--- )I
I-0--------------------------I---------------- )I


Third verse
(Played same as first)

(I got) mean things,
I've got mean things all on my mind.

Little girl, little girl,
I've got mean things all on my mind.

Is to leave my baby,
cause she treats me so unkind.

Ending

I------------------------------3/4---- )I
I------------------------------2/3---- )I
I---0tr1-------2----3----4\----3/4---- )I
I------------------------------------- )I
I------2-------3-3--4-4--5\----------- )I
I-0-------3b-0------------------------ )I