Sloop John B - Fingerstyle Blues Version - with Free Tab

 

This is my version of the classic song 'Sloop John B'. The song was originally a traditional Nassau folk tune but was made famous when the Beach Boys did their version of it. There have been many subsequent cover versions of it, but the Beach Boys version still remains the most notable.

The tune is in 4/4 time in the Key of C and is played on a guitar in standard tuning. The tune is quite straightforward to play if you are familiar with playing fingerstyle guitar, and shouldn't pose too many problems. Below is the tab for the song in various formats, and also some playing tips to help you:

Stand By Me Tab - Power Tab - PDF - TXT

Playing Advice

• The Key of C - This tune is played in the Key of C and uses the chords C, F, G and D. Most fingerstyle folk music is played in this key, so if you are familiar with playing that, this should be easy enough to play. It utilises a travis picking pattern with the thumb playing alternating bass strings on most bars. The only time this changes is on bars 13 and 29 where a D chord is used. Because of the lack of available root bass notes for this chord, the bass notes are all played on the same string, the D string. The C chord is fingered as it normally would be using the index, middle and ring fingers. It does not incorporate the bass note G on the 6th string which is commonly incorporated into a C chord, as this is not a true C chord.
  

• The Awkward F Chord - Switching to the F chord in this piece can be tricky. It occurs in bars 12 and 28. Because of the notes that need to be played I find that making a full barre F chord if better. However,  it does require a quick change into this chord. When changing to this chord, I would recommend creating the barre for the last 8th note of the previous bar, rather than the first beat of bars 12 and 28. You can see me do this in the video. This is what I find works best but you may find an easier way more suited to your playing style.
  

• Fingering the G Chord - The use of the G chord appears frequently within this piece of music in bars 8,9,15,24,25 and 31. There are multiple ways a G chord can be fingered in the position. However, I recommend using the ring finger on the 6th string and the middle finger on the 5th string. This leaves the pinky and index free to play the melody notes on the higher strings. It also allows for a quick change from the C chord which precedes the G chord. Again, you may be able to find a different fingering for this chord that works better for you.
  

This is about all I need to say about this piece.The chorus section with its wide stretch and intricate barre section makes this quite a tricky piece to play. However, with enough practise, you should be able to get it.

Thanks for Reading,
Neil