All The Best

Here's John Prine's All The Best from the album The Missing Years.

This is my first attempt at writing tablature, so please forgive

any mistakes.

John Prine was on the Larry King radio show several years back.

This transcription is based on that night's solo performance of

All The Best. I chose that version because it was easier to hear

his guitar. For the most part, it matches The Missing Years.

A couple of comments about the song. First, standard open chord

fingerings for D, A, and E are all used, but the main trick to

this song is a variation of an open A chord followed by a hammer-on

which forms the next chord, a D with an A bass (D/A).

A -> D/A

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

1 1

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

XO111X 2 X0 1 x 2

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

3 2 3

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

4 3 4

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

Next, fingerpicking. If you're new to this, you might want to

practice by playing various patterns while going through a few

chord changes. If you haven't yet learned to fingerpick, it's

well worth the effort. A nice thing about fingerpicking is that

you can fret strings that aren't really part of a chord if you

find that convenient. Just avoid sounding those strings when

you're fingerpicking. A good example is the alternate A and D/A

fingering above. I fret the high-E at the third fret (as part of

the index finger barre), but don't pick that string.

The tab will pretty much show you the notes, but there are a

number of places where you'll need to rely on your ears for

timing. There are several parts, such as the hammer-on chord

transition, that have kind of a roll feel to them. I think

all the notes are there, but you'll need your ears for the

phrasing. In this song, I pick all of the notes on the low-E, A,

and D strings with my thumb. My index finger picks the notes on

the G string, my middle finger picks B string notes and my ring

finger gets the notes on the high-E. That's just a suggestion,

and you may find it easier to do it differently.

This song is really not all that hard once you learn it. It's

one of the few I can usually play all the way through without

messing up. Standard tuning, capo on the third fret to match the

album (second fret for the Larry King performance), and the tab

is relative to the capo. I put the chords at the top of the tab

to help with the left hand fingering. Also, I marked a note (in

a couple of places) with an asterisk. While learning the song,

it might help you to think of that note as starting a 5-note

phrase. It definitely helped me when I was first trying to

figure out the song.

That's about it. If some parts don't sound right to your ears,

you may want to leave out or add a note or two. Also, the A to

D/A hammer-on part might make your left hand cramp at first. It

takes some time, but if you stick with it, it'll eventually stop.

(Capo at 3rd fret)

Intro (very similar to verse):

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

|------------2--------------2-----|-----------3-----2-------------

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

|--------2------2--------2--------|--2*----------4-----2----------

|-----0------0-----0-----------0--|--------0--------0-----0-------

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

---------|-----------------------------------|-----------0----------

---2-----|-----------3-----2--------------2--|----------------------

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

2--------|--2-----------4-----2--------2-----|--------2-------------

------0--|--------0--------0-----0-----------|----------------------

---------|-----------------------------------|--0-----------0-------

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

---0--------3--3--2--|

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

2--------2-----4-----|

------0-----0-----0--|

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

Verse/chorus:

Well, I

wish you love and happiness

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

|--------------------|-----------3-----2--------------2-----|-------

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

|--------------------|--2*----------4-----2--------2--------|--2----

|--------------0-----|--------0--------0-----0-----------0--|-------

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

I guess I wish you all

------------------------------|--------------------|-----------0----

------3-----2--------------2--|-----------------2--|----------------

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

---------4-----2--------2-----|-----2--------2-----|--------2-------

---0--------0-----0-----------|--0-----0-----------|----------------

------------------------------|--------------------|--0-------------

the best And I wish that you

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

------------------3--3--2--------------2-----|-----------3-----2----

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

------2--------2-----4-----0--------2--------|--2-----------4-------

------------0-----0-----0-----0-----------0--|--------0--------0----

0--------------------------------------------|----------------------

don't do like I do and ever fall in

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

------------2-----|-----------3-----2--------------2-----|----------

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

2--------2--------|--2-----------4-----2--------2--------|-----2----

---0-----------0--|--------0--------0-----0--------------|--0-------

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

love with someone like you

------------------|-----------0--------------|-----------------|

------------------|--------------------------|--------3--3--2--|

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

------------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|-----2-----4-----|

------0-----------|--------------------------|--0-----0-----0--|

------------------|--0-----------0-----------|-----------------|

Cause if

you fell like I did

NC D A (standard)

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

------------3-----------------------3-----2-----|-------------------

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

---------0-----------0-----------0-----------0--|-----2--------2----

0--2--4--------0-----------0-----------0--------|--0-----0----------

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

you'd prob'ly walk around the block like a little

0-----------------------|-----------------0-------------------------

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

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

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

---0-----------0--------|--0-----0-----------0-----------0----------

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

kid Ah, but kids don't know

|-----------0-----------------------0-----------|-------------------

|-----------------------0-----------------------|--------3--3--2----

|-----1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----|-------------------

|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2--|-----2-----4-------

|--------------0--------------------------------|--0-----0-----0----

|--0-----------------------0-----------0--------|-------------------

they can only guess how hard it is

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

------------2-----|-----------3-----2--------------2--|-------------

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

0--------2--------|--2-----------4-----2--------2-----|--------2----

---0-----------0--|--------0--------0-----0-----------|--0----------

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

to wish you happi ness

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

2--------------------------------|--------3--3--2----|--------2-------|

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

---------2--------2-----------2--|-----2-----4-----2-|------2---------|

---0-----------------------------|--0-----0-----0----|--0--------0----|

---------------0--------0--------|-------------------|----------------|

Lyrics:

I wish you love and happiness

I guess I wish you all the best

I wish you don't do like I do

And ever fall in love with someone like you

Cause if you fell just like I did

You'd probably walk around the block like a little kid

But kids don't know they can only guess

How hard it is to wish you happiness

I guess that love is like a Christmas card

You decorate a tree you throw it in the yard

It decays and dies and the snowmen melt

Well I once knew love I knew how love felt

Yeah I knew love love knew me

When I walked love walked with me

And I got no hate and I got no pride

Well I got some much love that I cannot hide

Say you drive a Chevy say you drive a Ford

You say you drive around the town till you just get bored

Then you change your mind for something else to do

And your heart gets bored with your mind and it changes you

Well it's a doggone shame and it's an awful mess

I wish you love I wish you happiness

I wish you love I wish you happiness

I guess I wish you all the best

Thanks to Peggy for the request and to OLGA for the inspiration.

If you have any comments, improvements, suggestions, etc., please

e-mail me at DaveG70140@aol.com.