Solid Air

Song: Solid air Artist: John Martyn Composer John Martyn Album: Solid air Tabbed by: DJ 6th Oct 2014 Light gauge strings would not be advisable for this low tuning. left -hand technique to avoid pushing the slackest strings off of the fretboard you will also need to re-check the tuning more often than usual too if you play this tune repeatedly while practising it the slack strings will go out of tune much quicker than standard tuning. John Martyn live duet with Danny Thompson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_Utj4Aljc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmSPv-rtSQ Live solo performance in Germany video(1978) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Blccc0PM0 Here John tunes even lower to:     with generally the same first part of the clip so the song begins at [3:24]      John constantly improvised on his songs never playing or singing them exactly as his records. There is plenty of room for experimenting and adding your own subtleties which is what his songs are all about. Use plenty of slides hammer-ons and percussive slaps to add more life. The key to playing this song is the beautiful open tuning. Once you hear that chord on open strings you’re half- way there. The chords are pretty much all one finger shapes straight barres across all the strings. Getting to the open tuning is the trickiest part a chromatic tuner is very useful unless you’ve the keen ear that John had:    Top E string - Down to D        B string - Down to A#        G string - Down to F        D string -   Up to D#        A string - Down to G Bottom E string - Down to C OPEN TUNING: --#--#- Try this little run at the beginning of the 1st & 2nd lines of the verses.    [Cm11 riff]        You’ve been (tak -ing your...) |-------------------------------| #|-------------------------------| |-------------------------------| G |-------0----0-----h3---h5---0--| C |--0----------------------------| N.B. Please IGNORE ANY POP-UP CHORD BOXES the website might automatically suggest and use the typed shapes shown below: Cm11    = 000000 or 050000 Fm11    = 555555 (Occasionally adding a high note - 555558) F11sus2 = 557555     = 777777 Cm11 *  = 0 0 0 0 12 12 (*Harmonics) h = Hammer-on note   p = pull-off note   \ = Slide note down Please select a star rating for this tab many thanks ========================================================================== [Intro]                                                   F11sus2 |---------------|----5-----5--5--|-----------------|-----5----5--5---5--| #|---------------|----5-----5--5--|-----------------|-----5----5--5---5--| D#|---------------|----5-----5--5--|-----------------|-----5----5--h7--5--| G |---------------|-------5--------|-----0-h3-h5--0--|--------5-----------| C |--0--0--12\-0--|--5-------------|--0--------------|--5-----------------| [Verse 1]      You’ve been taking your time and you’ve been living on  ...solid air      You’ve been walking the line you’ve been living on ...solid air Don’t know what’s going wrong inside And I can tell you that’s it’s hard to hide When you’re living on------ ...solid air----------------------! [Verse 2]      You’ve been painting it blue                   F11sus2        Cm11 And you’ve been looking through      ...solid air       You’ve been seeing it through                 F11sus2          Cm11 But you’ve been looking through      ...solid air Don’t know what’s going wrong in your mind And I can tell you don’t like what you find When you’re moving through   ...solid air-----------     solid air! [Verse 3]       I know you I love you and I can be your friend I could follow you    ...anywhere------ Even----- through----- ...so - lid air-------------! [Verse 4]      You’ve been stoning ’em cold you’ve been living on   ...solid air      You’ve been finding them cold you’ve been liv - ing on  ...solid air I don’t know what’s going wrong inside I can tell you that’s it’s hard to hide When you’re living on    ...solid air   ...solid air! [Verse 5]        You’ve been getting too deep you’ve been living on     ...solid air        You’ve been missing your sleep                 F11sus2         Cm11             Cm11 * And you’ve been moving through    ...solid air I don’t know what’s going wrong in your mind But I know you don’t like what you find When you’re moving through ...solid air                ...solid air! [Verse 6]       I know you I love you I will be your friend I could follow you    ...anywhere Even------- through   ...solid ...air-------------!    [Verse 7]        You’ve been walking your line you’ve been walking on   ...solid air        You’ve been taking your time But you’ve been walking on      ...solid air Don’t know what’s going wrong inside But I can tell you that’s it’s hard to hide When you’re living on    ...solid ...air----------------! [Verse 8]       Been painting it blue you’ve been living   on      ...solid air      And you’ve been seeing it through                 F11sus2        Cm11 And you’ve been moving through    ...solid air I don’t know what’s going on in your mind But I can tell you don’t like what you find When you’re living on     ...solid air----------     solid air! [Verse 9]       I know you I love you and I will be your friend I could follow you    ...anywhere------------  Even---- through------- ...solid air--------------!    [Coda]        Ice cool------    ...solid air----!        Nice---------  cool-----      ...so---------lid air!        | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / | /  /  /  / |  /  ||