Chords/Tab Req: St. James Infirmary

17 Sep 99 - 06:37 PM (#115096)
Subject: Tab request 'St. James Infirmary'
From: [e-mail]

I'm in a beginning guitar class and my instructor told me to go search the web for tabs and chords of songs I'd like to learn. It's probably too advanced for me right now but I would love to learn to play "St. James Infirmary." Does anyone have it or know where I can find it? I can find lots of audio files and lyrics but not tabs (or chords, even). Thanks so much!

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Search for "infirmary" threads

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18 Sep 99 - 02:58 AM (#115238)
Subject: Chords Add: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Bugsy

Don't have the Tab but these are the chords I play"

(Am)I went down to (E)old Joe's (Am)barroom.

on the (C)corner (G) by the (E)square(E7).

The(Am)drinks they were(E)on the (Am) table.

And the (C)usual (E) crowd was (Am) there.(E7)

On the (Am) left stood (E)old Joe(Am) McKennedy.

his (C) eyes they were (G) bloodshot (E)red (E7)

He was (Am) drinking down that (E) old rye (Am)whisky.

And (C)these were the (E)word he (Am) said"

"Go (Am) to St (E)James in-(Am)firmary.

(guitar solo) C-G-E-E7-- Am-E/E7-Am--C-E/E7-Am.

I hope you understand my drift - good luck with the lesson.

Bugsy.

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19 Sep 99 - 05:33 PM (#115575)
Subject: Chords Add: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: Roger in Baltimore

Tiffany,

Welcome to the Mudcat. As your guitar instructor probably already knows, there are many different ways to play a song. My transcription of "St. James Infirmary" goes like this.

  E~~~~~~~Am~~~~~~E~~~~~~~~~Am
  I went down to old Joe's barroom.
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dm~~~~~~~Am~~~~~~E
  On the corner by the square.
  ~~~~~Am~~~~~E~~~~Am
  The drinks were served as usual,
  ~~~~~~~~~F~~~~~E~~~~~~~~~Am~~~~~E
  And the usual crowd was there.
  ~~~~~~~Am~~~~~~~~E~~~~~~~~~~Am
  On my left stood big Joe McKennedy.
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dm~~~~~~~~Am
  His eyes were bloodshot red.
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E~~~~~~Am
  He turned to the crowd around him,
  ~~~~~~~~~~~F~~~~~~~~~~~~~E~~~~~~~~~~~~~Am
  And these were the very words that he said,

  CHO:
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E~~~~~~Am
  "Let her go, let her go God bless her,
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~Dm~~~~~Am
  Where ever she may be,
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Am
  She may search this whole world all over,
  ~~~~~~~F~~~~~~~~~~~~E~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Am
  Never find another man as sweet as me."
  

This is neither better nor worse than Bugsy's version, just different and it might better "fit" how you hear the song.

Enjoy the music!

Roger in Baltimore

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19 Sep 99 - 06:33 PM (#115589)
Subject: Chords Add: ST. JAMES INFIRMARY
From: JedMarum

I found a very simple, elegant melody and chord progression for this song in an old Jerry Silverman book (The Art of the Folk Blues vintage circa 1964.

It looks like this:

~~~~~~~Am~~~~~~E7~~~~~~~~Am
It was down at old Joe's barroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dm~~~~~~~E
On the corner by the square.
~~~~~Am~~~~~~~~~E7~~~~~~~~Am
The drinks were served as usual,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~E7~~~~~~~~~Am
And the usual crowd was there.

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20 Sep 99 - 02:33 AM (#115656)
Subject: RE: Tab request 'St. James Infirmary'
From: John in Brisbane

This request may not help Tiffany just yet, but I have an older version of Power Tracks Pro Audio which does a respectable job of displaying and printing TAB notation. If anyone would care to play with the most recent version there is a free download demo at http://www.pgmusic.com/ptwa/ptwa.htm

I cannot tell from the description whether the demo version will print the TAB (the inference is that it will) The TAB function is only a small part of the overall Sequencer/Recording Studio package of Power Tracks. I am away from home otherwise I'd try a download myself. The full program costs $29.

I don't believe that this TAB part of the suite would satisfy experienced finger pickers looking for exotic arrangements, but should be of immense benefit for beginners.

I posted a tune for St James in the last month or so.

Regards, John

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