Bridge Over Troubled Water TAB

(solo guitar arrangement) (dedicated to my friend, Deannie)

Composer: Paul Simon
Arranged by: Chief Noda (cnoda @ comcast . net)
Tuning: Open G (D G D G B D)
Version: July 12, 2003 (first draft)

Bridge Over Troubled Water (MP3)

This is a solo guitar arrangement of the popular tune. The original is a "piani" tune, and I had to put a thinking cap on to make it work on a guitar. I use Open G tuning, and the arrangement is in key of G, which makes sing-along a difficult task (sometimes, a good thing :-).

I do three repeats, just as in the original. The problem was there's not much variation among three repeats that the third repeat gets "boring". I insert the Interlude to break up the flow. On the recording, my Interlude was a bit too long and now I play the eight-measure Interlue, as shown at the end. It's your call. If you want, you can do without the Interlude.

I also stay away from the piano intro. That's too famous, and I wanted not to give away the tune when I play the intro.

The following TAB is not "note-for-note" for my recording but should be very close. I don't play this the same way twice, anyway.

I play Measure 9 in two different ways, and the variation is shown at the end. I also play measures 16 ~ 18 differently in second and third repeats, as shown at the end. There is a really neat movement on the bass (and that's how Simon and Garfunkle did it).

Technically, this is not a difficult arrangement. Emotionally, you have to be "supportive" as the lyrics goes and therefore, you must be sincere and humble. That's hard for me.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Cheers
Chief


Intro:

  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----3---1-------|-----1---1-------|-----3---1-------|-----1---1-------|
|-----4---2-------|-----0---0-------|-----4---2-------|-----0---0-------|
|---5---5-3-------|---2---2-1-------|---5---5-3-------|---2---2-1-------|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|




Melody:
  N/C
  |   |   |   |
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|*------------5-5-|
|*----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|


1 |   |   |   |   2 |   |   |   |   3 |   |   |   |   4 |   |   |   |
|-----------------|---------------0-|-----------------|-----2---3---2---|
|---------------0-|-------1-----1-1-|-0-----0---0-----|-----1---3---1---|
|-4---2-0-----0---|-----0-----------|-----0-------2-0-|-----------------|
|---0-------0-----|---2-------2-----|---0-------------|---2-------------|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-----0---0---0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|



5 |   |   |   |   6 |   |   |   |   7 |   |t t|   |   8 |   |   |   |
|-0-----0-----5---|-2-----------2-2-|-0-------------0-|---------------0-|
|-0-----0-----3---|-1-----1-----1-1-|-0---0-------1-1-|-0---0-1-----0-1-|
|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|------2-0----0---|-0---0-0-----0---|
|---0-------0-----|---2-------------|---0-------2-----|---0-------2-----|
|-0-------0-----0-|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
                                          t means triplet



9 |   |   |   |   10|   |   |   |   11|   |   |   |t t12|   |t t|   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0---0-----------|-----------------|-----3-3---3-0---|-----------------|
|-0-------2---0---|-2-------------2-|-----2-2------2-0|-0---0-24----4---|
|------(0)-(0)-(0)|-------------0---|-----------------|---0-------0-----|
|-0---0---2---4---|-2---------2-----|-----------------|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-----0-0---------|-0---------------|---------4-------|



13|   |   |   |   14|   |   |   |   15|   |   |   |   16|   |   |   |
|-----0---9---7---|-5-----5-7-----7-|-7-------9---7---|-5-----5---------|
|-----0---8---7---|-5-------5---5---|-7-------8---7---|-5-----5-7---5---|
|-------0---0---0-|-5---5---6-6-----|-7---------------|-5---5---7---5---|
|---0-------------|---5-------------|-----------0---0-|---5-----------0-|
|-----------------|-5-------6-------|-7---------------|-5---------5-----|
|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|



17|   |   |   |   18|   |   |   |
|-----------------|-----5-7-5---5---|
|-5-3---3---3-----|-----5-7-5-------|
|-5-4---4-4-------|---------5-------|
|---------------0-|---5-------------|
|-----0-------0---|-5-------5-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|



First time, play this one

19|   |   |   |   20|   |   |   |   21|   |   |   |   22|   |   |   |
|-------9---------|-------7---------|-------5---------|-------5---------|
|-----8-----8-----|-----6-----6-----|-----5-----5-----|-----4-----4---4-|
|---7-----------7-|---5-----------5-|---5-----------5-|---5---------5---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|



23|   |   |   |   24|   |   |   |   25|   |   |   |   26|   |   |   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------1---------|-------1---------|-------1-1-------|
|-----4-----4-----|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----0-----|-----0----------*|
|---5-----------5-|---3-----------3-|---2-----------2-|---1------------*|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|



Second time, play this one and do "Interlude"

19|   |   |   |   20|   |   |   |   21|   |   |   |   22|   |   |   |
|-------9---------|-------7---------|-------5---------|-------5---------|
|-----8-----8-----|-----6-----6-----|-----5-----5-----|-----4-----4---4-|
|---7-----------7-|---5-----------5-|---5-----------5-|---5---------5---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|



23|   |   |   |   24|   |   |   |   25|   |   |   |   26|   |   |   |
|-------9---------|-------7---------|-------5---------|-------5-----5---|
|-----8-----8-----|-----6-----6-----|-----5-----5-----|-----4-----------|
|---7-------------|---5-------------|---5-------------|---5-------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0-------0-----0-|-0-------0-----0-|-0-------0-----0-|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|


Interlude (as recorded):

  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-5-----5---5-4---|-2-----0---------|-----------------|---------------5-|
|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-------3-0-------|-------1-0-------|
|-----0-----------|---0-------0---0-|-----0-----0---0-|-----2-----2-----|
|---0-------------|-----------------|---4---------4---|---0---------0---|
|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-4---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|-0---------------|



  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-5-----5---5-4---|-2-----0---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-------3-0-------|-------1-0-------|
|-----0-----------|---0-------0---0-|-----0-----0---0-|-----2-----2---2-|
|---0-------------|-----------------|---4---------4---|---0---------0---|
|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-4---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|-0---------------|



  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------1-0-------|-------3-0-------|-------1-0-------|-----0-1-0-------|
|-----0-----2-----|-----0-----0---0-|-----0-----2-0---|-----------2-0---|
|---2-----------2-|---4---------4---|---0-------------|---0-----------0-|
|-2-----------2---|-4---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|



  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------1-0-------|-------3-0-------|-------3-0-------|---------1-------|
|-----0-----2-----|-----0-----0---0-|-----0-----0---0-|-------2---------|
|---2-----------2-|---4---------4---|---4---------4---|-----0-----------|
|-2-----------2---|-4---------------|-5---------------|---2-------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|


  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-----------0-----|---------0-------|-------0---------|-------0---------|
|-----------------|-----------0-----|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------------0---|-------0-----0---|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------4-----4-|-----4---------4-|-----3-----------|-----2-----------|
|-------4---------|---4-------------|---3-------------|---2-------------|
|-2---------------|-2---------------|-1---------------|-0---------------|



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



Third time, play this one

19|   |   |   |   20|   |   |   |   21|   |   |   |   22|   |   |   |
|-------9---------|-------7---------|-------5---------|-------5---------|
|-----8-----8-----|-----6-----6-----|-----5-----5-----|-----4-----4---4-|
|---7-----------7-|---5-----------5-|---5-----------5-|---5---------5---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|



23|   |   |   |   24|   |   |   |   25|   |   |   |   26|   |   |   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------1---------|-------1---------|-------1-0-----1-|
|-----4-----4-----|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----0-----|-----0-------0---|
|---5-----------5-|---3-----------3-|---2-----------2-|---1-------1-----|
|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|




27|   |   |   |
|---------5-------||
|-------3---------||
|-----0-----------||
|---0-------------||
|-0---------------||
|-----------------||
                END


Interlude (as I play now):

  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-5---------5-4-2-|-0-----------0---|-----------------|-0---------------|
|-------0---------|-----------------|-3-----3---3-5-3-|-------0-----0---|
|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|-----2-----2---2-|
|---0-------------|---4---4---------|---4-------------|---0-------------|
|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-4-------4-------|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|---------0-------|



  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-5---------5-4-2-|-0-----------0---|-----------------|-0---------------|
|-------0---------|-----------------|-3-----3---3-5-3-|-------0---------|
|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|-----2-------0---|
|---0-------------|---4---4---------|---4-------------|---0-------------|
|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-4-------4-------|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|---------0-------|



  |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |     |   |   |   |
|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------0-----0---|-------0-----0---|-------0-----0---|-------0-----0---|
|-----4---------4-|-----4---------4-|-----3---------3-|-----3---------3-|
|---4-------------|---4-------------|---3-------------|---3-------------|
|-2---------------|-2---------------|-1---------------|-1---------------|



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



Variation of Measure #9
  |   |   |   |
|-----------------|
|-0---0-----------|
|-0-------2---0---|
|-----------------|
|-0---0-----------|
|---------4---2---|


Variation of Measure #16 - 18

16|   |   |   |   17|   |   |   |   18|   |   |   |
|-5-----5---------|-0-----------0---|-----5-7-5---5---|
|-5-----5-7---5---|-0---0---0-------|-----5-7-5-------|
|-5---5---7---6---|-----------------|---5-------------|
|---5-----------5-|---7---7-6-------|-5-------5-------|
|-5---------5-6---|-7---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

Note the movement of the baseline from 7 to 6 to 5