Tab for "If I Needed You"

[banjar]

I'd love to have high speed so I could watch the clips.

I didnt want to mention this until I got my copy-I've been looking a long time, and finally found one dirt cheap. There is a DVD called Townes Van Zandt--Houston--A Private Concert. It is pretty rare, and usually runs into 3 figures in price. Some bozo on ebay has been asking over 200 and someday he/she may get it, but not now. Right now there are a small number available on Amazon for a steep price, but a lot less than that. The reviews on Amazon are useful if you keep in mind that nobody but diehard TVZ fan would go to the trouble of finding this footage. Hence I think it is overrated a bit. (Getting to the point now) Several reviews mention you can see his fingerings on a number of his popular songs like Pancho and Lefty, If I needed you, and Tecumseh Valley, and others. I think this is also overstated a bit-all you get is views from sort of above the headstock. Experienced fingerstyle players arent going to need it, it wont be a huge help to super new beginners because you cant see exactly what he does, but I think people in between (like me) might be helped.

You can (or could a few months ago) see the Tecumseh Valley clip on youtube to see what I mean. It is the one in color. The other is black and white and is badly out of synch. The color clip is also one of the Bonus clips on the TVZ documentary Be Here to Love Me (which I think is pretty decent, though ultimately not very uplifting, lol)



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I spent some more time with it and this is close to how he plays the intro to Tecumseh Valley, I think

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I found that this similar pattern makes a nice backup pattern through most of the song AND the rhythm of it fits nicely with that F lick (if you can call it that) I tabbed above. So I finally can play the whole song. That intro, this pattern with some bass runs thrown in (later) and the F lick (and I usually throw in a couple extra notes in the Am), I think will make a very serviceable version of Tecumseh Valley once I can put em all together. Then maybe later I'll hear other little things he does and decide if I need them or not.

[fjs717]

Banjar, thanks for posting the Tecumseh Valley intro. I too was looking for a reasonably priced copy of 'Townes Van Zandt--Houston--A Private Concert'. Last November 2007 I just happened to search for it on amazon.com and was amazed(no pun intended) to find it for $24.99 (it was actually being sold thru amazon by the_media_specialists). Needless to say I jumped on it. I haven't watch it in awhile so I plan to check it out again and see if I can pick up on some of the fingering.

[LindaW]

You can also play it simply just by travis picking and concentrating on your voice. Sounds great that way too.

[banjar]

Originally Posted by LindaW

You can also play it simply just by travis picking and concentrating on your voice. Sounds great that way too.

People use and misuse the term Travis picking in various ways. Are you suggesting just alternating bass? I do that in spots on some John Prine songs (so does he) but I dont call it Travis picking. I call that playing just an alternating bass. I think the tabs I posted would be considered Travis picking by most people (other than Travis, probably. ). Oh well this is probably a whole separate thread...


The DVD is no longer in production because the family of TVZ doesnt want it to be. Thats why it is so expensive. I'm happy there are a few reasonably priced copies floating around. I got mine for $15. You're not likely to find it for less than 4 times that. And like I said I dont recommend it if you're hoping to learn exactly how he picks, esp at steep prices. His voice is rough in spots too, and he seems pretty tired and possibly intoxicated. Definitely worth $15-25 though.

[banjar]

I just wanted to add that TVZ's widow is going to publish a songbook one of these days/years. It is supposed to be out in 2009, but it has been delayed time and again over the last few years so don't hold your breath. But it will be published and its supposed to have tabs. There is a yahoo group for Townes fans that his widow Jeanene frequently posts on

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/AboutTownes/

And I just wanted to keep this thread visible as there really is a vacuum of good fingerpicking tabs for his songs. I think I'm going to work on "I'll be here in the morning" next

[rhymelover]

I realize this is the mother of all necros, but this thread seems to be one of the first Google results for questions about this song's tablature...from the live version from the Old Quarter. Hopefully this is helpful to someone...






Alternatively, it can be viewed here: https://imgur.com/a/EyqcX