The Sailors Grave On The Prairie

Leo Kottke

tom:
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Notes:

o  Open G tuning (tuned down if desired, see above) - DGDGBD

o  I play this tune with a concave brass slide on my pinky (4th finger).
   They're nice if you can get one; they go for about $12.

o  (sX/6) = use slide across X strings from bottom (i.e. s5/6 means the
   slide covers the 5th through 1st strings, s3/6 means the slide
   covers the 3rd through 1st strings)

o  Someone (and I've lost the email, so I can't credit them properly -
   sorry!) correctly pointed out that I neglected to mention Leo's
   wonderful "slide slam" in the last playthrough of section A.  Whether
   this was a mistake or intentional is becoming a question of legend,
   but all agree that it's priceless.  He slams the slide down against
   the fretboard (possibly the underside) without interrupting the rhythm
   of the song at all.  The spot where he does this is marked with an
   "(X)" in section A.  You can try it if you want - I've never been
   satisfied with my attempts and really think of it as his
   irreproducable signature on the piece.

o  Resist the temptation to play this one too quickly!  Take your time.
   Let the notes ring, and the slide scorch.  This is the music of a man
   who knows he is free.  (Sorry for the sappy interpretation :-))

o  Play in the following order:

   1. Intro
   2. Section A
   3. Section A
   4. Section B
   5. Section A (with gusto)
   6. Final section

(crowd: GET ON WITH IT!)
(ok, ok...)

/----------------------------------------------------------------------\
|                                Intro:                                |
\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

E|----5-----------+----------------|
B|----------------+----------------|
G|------------0---+----0-------0---|
D|5-------5-------+5-------5-------|
A|----------------+----------------|
E|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^


/----------------------------------------------------------------------\
|                              Section A:                              |
\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

E|--------5-------+4-----------0---| 2-p-0-----------+--------0-------|
B|----------------+--------3-------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
G|----0-------0---+----------------|--------0-------+--------0-------|
D|5-------5-------+0---------------|----------------+----------------|
A|----------------+----------------| 0---------------+0---------------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

    (s5/6)  --------------->  (s5/6)              (s1/6, vibrato---------|
E|--------5-------+--------7-------|------------9---+--------0---------|
B|----5-----------+----7-------7---| 8--/10----------+------------------|
G|/5----------5---+(/7)------------|----------------+------------0-----|
D|----------------+----------------|--------0-------+------------------|
A|/5--------------+/7--------------| 0---------------+0-----------------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^


E|--------5-------+4-----------0---| 2-p-0-----------+--------0-------|
B|----------------+--------3-------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
G|----0-------0---+----------------|--------0-------+--------0-------|
D|5-------5-------+0---------------|----------------+----------------|
A|----------------+----------------| 0---------------+0---------------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

                                     [(X) "slide slam" on 3rd repeat!]
    (s5/6)  --------------->  (s5/6) (s1/6, vibrato ---------------------|)
E|--------5-------+--------7-------| 5-----------5---+----2---0---------|
B|----5-----------+----7-------7---|----------------+------------------|
G|/5----------5---+(/7)------------|--------0-------+------------0-----|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
A|/5--------------+/7--------------| 0---------------+0-------0---------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

   (s6/6 ----------------------------------------------------------------|)
E|--------12------+--------10--\5--|--------5-------+0-----------------|
B|----12----------+----10----------|----5-----------+----1---0---------|
G|/12---------\10-+----------------| 5-----------5---+------------0-----|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
A|/12-------------+10--------------| 5---------------+0-------0---------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

   (s6/6 ----------------------------------------------------------------|)
E|--------12------+----10------\5--|--------5-------+0-----------------|
B|----12----------+----------------|----5-----------+----1---3---------|
G|/12---------\10-+----------------| 5-----------5---+------------0-----|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
A|/12-------------+10--------------| 5---------------+0-------0---------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

   (s6/6 ----------------------------------------------------------------|)
E|--------12------+----10------\5--|--------5-------+0-----------------|
B|----12----------+----------------|----5-----------+----1---0---------|
G|/12---------\10-+----------------| 5-----------5---+------------0-----|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
A|/12-------------+10--------------| 5---------------+0-------0---------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^


   (s3/6 ------->)  (s1/6)            (s5/6 -----------------------------|)
E|--------3-------+3---/2--0-------|--------5---/7--+7-----------------|
B|----3-------3---+------------0---|----5-----------+----7-------7-----|
G|/3------3-------+0-------0-------| 3/5-------------+--------7---------|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
A|----------------+----------------| 3/5-------------+7-------7---------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

   (s5/6)
E|----7-----------+| (The last measure of section A is in 5/4;
B|----------------+| let the notes ring and continue with the next
G|7---------------+| section)
D|----------------+|
A|7---------------+|
E|----------------+|
    1   ^   2   ^


/----------------------------------------------------------------------\
|                              Section B:                              |
\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

E|--------9-------+7-p-5---0-h-5---|----7-s-9-------+9-------0-------|
B|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G|----0-------0---+----------------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
A|0-------0-------+0-------0-------| 0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

E|----4b5-4---2---+----------------|----0-----------+----------------|
B|----------------+3-s-1---0---1---|----------------+1-------0-------|
G|----------------+----------------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
A|0-------0---0---+0-------0-------| 0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

E|--------9-------+7-p-5---0-h-5---|----7-s-9-------+9-------0-------|
B|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G|----0-------0---+----------------|------------0---+------------0---|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
A|0-------0-------+0-------0-------| 0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^

E|----4b5-4---2---+----------------|----------------+--------0-------|
B|----------------+3-s-1---0---1---|----0-----------+----------------|
G|----------------+----------------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
A|0-------0---0---+0-------0-------| 0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^


/----------------------------------------------------------------------\
|                            Final section:                            |
\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

                                     (s1/6, nice and slow from nut to
                                      5th fret, plenty of vibrato)
E|------------5---+----------------| /5--------------+----------------|
B|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G|----0-----------+---0--------0---|----------------+----------------|
D|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
A|0-------0-------+0-------0-------| 0---------------+----------------|
E|----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^    1   ^   2   ^    3   ^   4   ^