The Swamp Song
View chords used in this chart
The Swamp Song
TAB KEY:
b = bend (7b9 means bend the string at the 7th fret to make the note the
string would play at the 9th fret with no bend)
r = release bend
s = slide
h = hammer on
p = pull off
So, first of all, here's the basic riff that Bonehead (guitar #1) is
playing through most of the song:
Am
e-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------0--2--------------------------2--0--2----------------------
D----------------------------------0---------------------------0--------
A---0----0---------0---0---0---3-------0-----------0--0--0--3-----------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: In the transcription below, every place there's an exclamation point
(!) above the tab, that's where Bonehead's riff above has been played
through one time, to help you figure out the rhythm of the song.
Before the drums and the other instruments chime in, there's a little of
this:
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--5-------------------------------------------------------------------------
G--5----2--------------------------------------------------------------------
D--5----2---noise------------------------------------------------------------
A--3----0---------------0-----------0-------3--5--0--------0--3--0----3--5--0
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, we have Noel (Guitar #2) playing some of the parts with a dirty
sounding distortion (some parts I don't have listed because they are hard
to distinguish from the background noise in this song and aren't very
important to the sound of this song as a whole, anyway), but Paul Weller
(guitar #3) does most of the soloing with the cleaner, heavier distortion
effect.
So, after Bonehead starts his riff, right at the end of the last time
through before Paul starts playing, Noel does this:
e---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------7b8--7p5--5-----5-----------------------------------------------
D------------------------7-----7--------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then, Paul:
!
e-12-----12-----------------------------------------
B-15b17--15b17r15---13--15--13--13------------------ Repeat
G-----------------------------------14-------------- three
D--------------------------------------------------- times
A---------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------
On the fourth time:
!
!e--12-----12--------------------------------------------------------
!B--15b17--15b17r15---13--15--13--13---------------------------------
!G------------------------------------14-----------------------------
Paul !D-------------------------------------------------------------------
!A-------------------------------------------------------------------
!E-------------------------------------------------------------------
!
!
!e------------------------------------------------------------------
!B------------------------------------------------------------------
!G-------------------------------------7b8--5--7--5-----------------
Noel !D------------------------------------------------------------------
!A------------------------------------------------------------------
!E------------------------------------------------------------------
Here, for 2 times through Bonehead's riff, Noel uses a muffled guitar
effect and picks at an "Am" chord, something like this:
Am
e--------------0------------------------------------------------------------
B-----1--0--1------0--1-----------------------------------------------------
G----------------------------repeat-a-few-times-----------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--0---------------------0--------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then, Paul:
!
e---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------------13--15b17r15--13
G-12--14^^^--12--12----12--14^^--12--14^^--12--14--14^^--14-----------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------13--15b17r15--13--15b17------------15--15b17r15--13------
G--14--14---14---------------------------14----14------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--15p13-----------13--15b17--b17--b16.5--b16.5--15--13--15p13-----------
G---------14---14-----------------------------------------------14-------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's where the song kind of stops for a minute:
!e---------------------------------------------------------------
!B---------------------------------------------------------------
!G--------6b7r6-----------------------6b7r6b7r6b7r6b7r6b7--------
Noel !D---------------7-----------------------------------------------
!A---------------------------------------------------------------
!E---------------------------------------------------------------
!
!e---------------------------------------------------------------
!B---------------------------------------------------------------
!G--b9r8-----------------b8r7--5---------------------------------
Paul !D--------------------------------7------------------------------
!A---------------------------------------------------------------
!E---------------------------------------------------------------
Drums & Bonehead pick up again:
!
!e-12-----12-----------------------------------------------------
!B-15b17--15b17r15--13--15--13--13-------------------------------
!G----------------------------------14---------------------------
Paul !D---------------------------------------------------------------
!A---------------------------------------------------------------
!E---------------------------------------------------------------
!
!e---------------------------------------------------------------
!B---------------------------------------------------------------
!G-----------------------------------7b9r7--7p5-----5------------
Noel !D-----------------------------------------------7-----7---------
!A---------------------------------------------------------------
!E---------------------------------------------------------------
Paul:
!
e-12-----12--------------------------------------------------------------
B-15b17--15b17r15--13--15--13--13----------------------------------------
G----------------------------------14------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then, Paul:
!
e------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-15b17r15--13--------------13--15b17r15--13--------------13--15b17r15---
G---------------14--14--14--------------------14--14--14-----------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-13------13--15b17r15--13------13--15b17r15--13---------------------------
G-----14--------------------14--------------------14--14----------------14-
D------------------------------------------------------------12--14h17-----
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------13--15b17r15--15--13--15--13--15b17--13----13--15--13b13.5-
G-17--17--17--14-------------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B----15b17----------------13-------------------------------------------------
G-------------12--12--14-------0--2--5--2--0--2--0--2--2------7b8r7b8r7------
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e----------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------- Song
G--2--0--2-------2--0--2------2--0--2---7b9r7p5-----5------ stops
D------------------------------------------------7-----7--- again
A-----------0-------------0-------------------------------- here
E----------------------------------------------------------
!
e----17------------------------------------------------------------
B----20b22-----13------13--15--15b17--b17r15--13--15--13--15-------
G------------------14----------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e-17-----17------------------------------------------------------
B-20b22--20b22--13----13--15--13--------13--15--13---------------
G--------------------------------14--14-------------14-----------
D----------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------
! !
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------------------------------
G----2--0--2-------2--0--2-----2--0--2------2--0--2-----2--0--2-----2--0--2
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------0-----------0------------------------0---------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------------------------------
G----2--0--2---2--0--2------12--14--14------12--14--14--14p12------12--12--
D-----------------------14--------------14---------------------14----------
A--0-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------13h15--13----------13h15--15--15b17r15--13-----
G--14p12--14--12--14--14---------------14--14---------------------------14-
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
!
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--15p13--13h15--13--------------------------------------13--15--15b17r15--
G--------------------14--14------------------12--14--14--------------------
D----------------------------14--14--14--14--------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--13----------13h15--13----------13h15--13----------13--15--13--15--13----
G------14--14-------------14--14-------------14--14------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------------------------------
G--2-------------------------------5s7-5-----------------------------------
D--2----------------------faint:---5s7-5-----------------------------------
A--0-------------------------------0---0-----------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to play The Swamp Song
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Am. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.