Silver Swan Rag

<Julian> writes...

Here's a transcription of one of my favourite ragtime pieces, Silver Swan,

based on a version by Ton van Bergyk. It should be played very slowly and

majestically, about the tempo of 'Air on a G String'.... basically rather

swan-like, I suppose.

Drop-D tuning (DADGBE), and you can capo up to second fret if you need to,

although it makes the high passage in Section 1 a bit harder.

It is usually played Introduction, then Section 1, then Section 2 twice,

and Section 1 again to finish.

A note on my hastily made-up tab.....

2h3 hammer on from 2nd to 3rd fret

3p2 pull off from 3rd to 2nd fret

12. natural harmonic on 12th fret

3x artificial harmonic on 3rd fret

Introduction

E|---------------|----------------|-------2--3--3--|--2--5-----|

B|---------------|----------------|--3h5-----0--0--|--2--8-----|

G|---------------|----------2-----|----------------|--3--6-----|

D|---------------|--0h2--4-----0--|-------0--2--3--|--4--7-----|

A|---------0-----|----------------|--2h4-----------|--------0--|

D|-0h2--4-----0--|----------------|----------------|-----------|

Section 1

E|-5--------------2-|--7-----5-----|-14----------14----|-3x----2x----|

B|-7-----------3----|--6-----7-----|-15-------15-------|-------------|

G|----------2-------|--------------|-------14----------|----0-----4--|

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

A|-------0----------|--------0-----|-----------0-------|-1-----2-----|

D|-0----------------|--6-----------|--0----------------|-------------|

E|-12.------------6h7-----|-2------------0----------|-12.-----------6h7----|

B|-12.-----------------6--|-3---------3---------10--|-12.----------------8-|

G|-----12.-7.-------------|----2h4----------11------|-----12.--7.----------|

D|------------------0-----|--------0---------0------|-----------------0----|

A|------------------------|-0-----------------------|----------------------|

D|-------------5----------|--------------0----------|-------------5--------|

E|-------5-----|-5--------------2-|--7-----5-----|-14----------14----|

B|-7-----8-----|-7-----------3----|--6-----7-----|-15-------15-------|

G|-7-----6-----|----------2-------|--------------|-------14----------|

D|----0--7-----|----0--------0----|-----0-----0--|-----0----------0--|

A|----------0--|-------0----------|--------0-----|-----------0-------|

D|-0-----------|-0------------8---|--6-----------|--0----------------|

E|-3x----2x----|-12.------------6h7-----|-2------------0------5--|

B|-------------|-12.-----------------6--|-3---------3------5-----|

G|----0-----4--|-----12.-7.-------------|----2h4-----------7-----|

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

A|-1-----2-----|------------------------|-0----------------------|

D|-------------|-------------5----------|--------------0---------|

E|-------------0--|------------|

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

G|-1--------0-----|------------|

D|----------------|-4----------|

A|-2--1--0--------|----0-------|

D|----------------|-------0----|

Section 2

E|-----------------------2--|--------7--------0-----6--|

B|-3p2--3--------2h3--------|-----9-----0--------8-----|

G|---------4----------------|-10-----------6-----------|

D|------4-------------4-----|--0-----------------------|

A|-2----------2-------------|--------------7-----------|

D|--------------------------|--------------------------|

E|-7----------------------|---------2-----------|----------------------2-|

B|---7-----0-----------0--|---------------------|-3p2--3--------2h3------|

G|------7--------7--6-----|-3-------3-----------|---------4--------------|

D|------9-----------------|-4--5p4-----2--------|------4-------------4---|

A|------------------8-----|---------------5--4--|-2----------2-----------|

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

E|-------5--8--------5--8-|-9------2--2-----0-------|----------0----|

B|----7-----------7-------|----10--2-----------3--0-|----2----------|

G|-------5-----------5----|--------------------1----|-------0-----0-|

D|------------------------|-7------------------2----|-7--------2----|

A|-6-----------6----------|-------------------------|-4--1----------|

D|------------------------|--------------2----------|-7-------------|

E|-----------------------2--|--------7--------0-----6--|

B|-3p2--3--------2h3--------|-----9-----0--------8-----|

G|---------4----------------|-10-----------6-----------|

D|--------------------4-----|--0-----------------------|

A|-2----------2-------------|--------------7-----------|

D|--------------------------|--------------------------|

E|-7---------------------2-|-3-----------|-0-----9--------0-----|

B|---7-----------2h3-------|-5--------0--|----8--------8-----0--|

G|------7--4---------------|-4-----------|----------------0-----|

D|------9-------------4----|-------2-----|----------------------|

A|------------2------------|----2--------|----7-----------------|

D|-9-----------------------|-2-----------|-8--------5-----------|

|----- first ---------|

| ending |

E|-------7-------------|-------2-------------|----2--------------2-|

B|----7--------7-----0-|----2--------5--3--2-|-------3--------2----|

G|-7--------------7----|-3--------------3----|-4--------4--3-------|

D|----9-----------9----|----2-----------2----|---------------------|

A|---------------------|---------------------|-2-------------------|

D|-9--------9----------|-4--------4----------|-------------4-------|

|--- second --|

| ending |

E|-------5-----|

B|-------8-----|

G|-4-----6-----|

D|----2--7-----|

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

D|-------------|

I hope you enjoy this.... questions or comments welcome. I've got a lot

more tab that I've collected over the last 20 years, mainly classic rags

like this, blues and boogie (Blind Blake etc), Scottish and Irish fiddle

tunes, and some bluegrass and fingerstyle jazz. As and when I've got time,

I'll start formatting my favourites up for the net.....

julian