Guitar Question

Does anyone here play the tune Down to the River to Pray?
I found a great version of the song on YouTube that is played in DADGAD with a capo on 2. But my skill level isn't high enough to quite get the piece by simply watching. I am curious if someone could point me to a place where I can get the tabs for free...or if someone could bang out some tabs of their own.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I hope to play this with a four part harmony and with a banjo, fiddle and harmonica as accompaniment. Eventually.

I will try and link the video below.

well from what you said, i think it would improve your confidence and skill if you tab'd it out yourself from the vid.
it might take a while, but you'll learn alot from doing so.

if not i'm sure there will be tabs on ultimate-guitar.com or 911tabs.com

good luck.

reply to post by Rikku


There aren't.
I am working on doing it by ear and eye, but I am afraid it will take quite awhile indeed. Haha. I just thought I might check and see if someone here has already done the leg work.

ETA: thanks for the advice though. I will eventually get it. Just hoping to take a short cut.

Rather than using a capo try tuning your guitar down to E flat (E flat, G sharp, C sharp, F sharp, B flat, E flat) the slightly lessened tension of the strings coupled with the positioning of your hand at the thinner part of the neck will make it easier for you to play at a faster speed. I am surprised that no mod has picked up on what you claim to be king of.

reply to post by hotel1



I have had that up there for YEARS.
Your mind is in the gutter, my friend.

Speed isn't the issue, though. It is simply making sense of what he is doing. I am actually not certain he is actually even in DADGAD himself. Through the chorus part, for instance, I can duplicate his sound, but it appears he is playing his pinky on the higher A string, and in order for me to get that sound, I have to play it on the high D.

Or maybe I am way off base and don't even know it.

It may be a marketing trick. He wants money for the tabs.
In any event, he is confusing me a bit.

reply to post by JayinAR

The guy in the vid is picking out the melody, if your intention is to record a vocal version with harmony the guitar does not need to pick out the melody except maybe as an intro. Just playing the root chords behind the vocals should be sufficient, although I have to say it does sound extremely good picked out like that guy is doing.

reply to post by hotel1


Yeah.
The song goes through those same few movements over and over. Four verses and choruses.
It will probably go through once as an intro and then switch over to just strumming the chords.

I actually think it may be easier for me to not really pay too much attention to what he is doing. I'm finding that it is easier to figure it out by ear if I don't watch him. Perhaps I will just stick to that. Use the video as a quick reference and then go by ear alone.

reply to post by JayinAR


down to the river to pray TAB

This might help....