Red River Valley

this arrangement by Peter Wilson (closely based on the Reader's

digest Family Song Book, inspired by the Kentucky Headhunters)

This is your basic major chord progression in Gmajor

but I use some more advanced inversions to follow the melody

which I show below. The numbers in parenthesis are my own notation

and indicate the inversion in use. I came up with this by a

process of playing around, and I'm not God, so feel free to

experiment with this. The song uses a lot of parallel sixths

which I play using a regular pick and a finger pick on my

long finger which is a standard country technique. Finger them

like this. (Numbers are for fingers, not frets here)

--1---|-------|-------|---2---|-------

------|-------|-------|-------|-------

------|---2---|-------|---2---|-------

-

-

-

Sliding sixths are a lick which sounds very much like a steel

guitar. There is a particularly choice one on the last line.

Notice it is the bottom (bass) note which is slid. This tab comes

with no warranty and I accept no liability for consequential

damages. This song is a great confidence builder for beginners as

it isn't too hard to play, but makes you sound like a country pro.

Oh yeah, the passages I have marked stacatto, use a real common

lead guitar lick. After sounding the notes release the strings

quickly. You want to make the guitar chirp.

x x x x x x x x

----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

| | | o | o | | | | | o | | | | | o | | | | | o

7 ----------- 3 ----------- 5 ----------- 3 ----------

| | | | o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | o | |

----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

| | o | | | | | o o o | | | o o o | | | o | | |

----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

G(7) C(3) D(5) | | | | o |

-----------

x x x x

----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

o o o o o o o o o o o o | | | o o o | | | | | o

8 ----------- 3 ----------- 5 ----------- 10 -----------

| | | o | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

| o o | | | | o o | | | | | o | o | | | o o o |

----------- ----------- ----------- ------------

C(8) G(3) D7 G(10)

Red River Valley (traditional)

adlib

G(7) G(3) C(3) strum

|-------------3--|-7---7---7---5--|-3---3---5---3--|-----3----------|

|---------3---3--|-8---8----------|-----3----------|-5---5----------|

|----------------|-7---7---7---5--|-4---4---5---4--|-5---5----------|

|----------------|-9---9----------|-----5----------|-----5----------|

|----------------|----------------|-----5----------|----------------|

|----------------|----------------|-----3----------|----------------|

from this val - ley they say you are go -ing

adlib

G(7) G(10) D(7) strum

|-------------3--|-7---7---7---7--|-10--10--8---7--|-5--------------|

|---------3---3--|-8---8-------8--|-12--12--10--8--|-7--------------|

|----------------|-7---7---7------|-12--12---------|-7--------------|

|----------------|-9---9----------|-12--12---------|-7--------------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

we will miss yr brt eyes + sweet smile

adlib

G(7) G7 (sl) C(8) strum

|-------------3--|-7---7---7---5--|-3---3---5---7--|-10--8----------|

|---------3------|-8---8-------7--|-6---6---6---8--|-----8----------|

|----------------|-7---7---7------|-4---4----------|-10--9----------|

|----------------|-9---9----------|-5---5----------|-----10---------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----10---------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----8----------|

for they say you are ta- king the sun shine

{ ----staccatto ------ } adlib

G(3) | D7 | G(3) strum

|----------------|-3---3---3---5--|-7-------5---5--|-3--------------|

|-------------5--|-3---3----------|----------------|-3--------------|

|-------------5--|-4---4---3---5--|-7-------5---5--|-4--------------|

|----------------|-5---5----------|----------------|-5--------------|

|----------------|-5---5----------|----------------|-5--------------|

|----------------|-3---3----------|----------------|-3--------------|

that bright -ens our path way a while

adlib

G(7) D7 G(3) strum

|-------------3--|-7---7---7--7---|-7---7---5---7--|-5---3----------|

|---------3---3--|-8---8----------|-7---7---7---7--|-----3----------|

|----------------|-7---7---7--7---|-7---7---5---7--|-5---4----------|

|----------------|-9---9----------|-9---9---7---9--|-----5----------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----5----------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----3----------|

come + sit by my side if you love me

{ ------ stacatto ---------------} adlib

G(7) G(10) |D(7) strum

|-------------3--|-7-------3---7--|-10------8---7--|-5--------------|

|---------3---3--|----------------|---------10--8--|-7--------------|

|----------------|-7-------4---7--|-12-------------|-7--------------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|-7--------------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

do not hast- en to bid me a dieu

adlib

G(7) G7 (sl) C(8) strum

|---------10--8--|-7---7---7---5--|-3---3---5---7--|-10--8----------|

|---------10--10-|-8---8-------7--|-6---6---6---8--|-----8----------|

|----------------|-7---7---7------|-4---4----------|-10--9----------|

|----------------|-9---9----------|-5---5----------|-----10---------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----10---------|

|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----8----------|

but re- mem- ber the red ri- ver valley

slide adlib

G(3) bottom D7 G(3) strum

|----------------|-3---3---2---3--|-5---5---7---5--|-3--------------|

|---------5---5--|-3---3----------|-7---7---7---7--|-3--------------|

|---------5---5--|-4---4---2---4--|-5---5---7---5--|-4--------------|

|----------------|-5---5----------|-7---7---9---7--|-5--------------|

|----------------|-5---5----------|----------------|-5--------------|

|----------------|-3---3----------|----------------|-3--------------|

and the cow- boy who loves you so true