Down where the drunkards roll DADGAD

[Collingsman]

Hi folks, does anyone have the tab for Richard Thompson’s ‘Down where the drunkards roll’ in DADGAD tuning?

[JerrysGuitarBar]

It's hard to hear the guitar on the original. Is it in DADGAD? The dominant instruments are electric piano and dulcimer.
Richard seems to play it in drop D nowadays.

[Mycroft]

It is worth picking up a copy of Thompson's "Acoustic Classics" CDs, on which he performs a wad of his older tunes on solo acoustic guitar. Including "Drunkards."

[Collingsman]

I’ve definitely heard a version somewhere that sounded like is was in DADGAD, of course, I could be wrong, I’ll certain check out his acoustic hits album thanks. Just such a great tune.

[Rick Jones]

It looked like he did it in Drop D when he played it on his Facebook live session a while back.

Ditto on getting your hands on his Acoustic Classic album(s) too. So nice hearing everything stripped back like that, you really appreciate the complexity of his playing. That version of ‘when the spell is broken’ is mad.

[JonPR]

This version is in drop D:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arqRV1RWXGI

[rick-slo]

Why not standard tuning
Chords G to C etc.

[Collingsman]

Many thanks Rick

[Collingsman]

Thanks Rick

[Collingsman]

Thanks Jon

[Geof S.]

In Vol. 1 of the Richard Thompson Songbook the tuning is given as DADGBE, capo 5. There is unfortunately no Tab for this song in the Songbook, he just gives the chords and the vocal line in standard notation.

[JonPR]

Personally I wouldn't say tab as such is necessary for this. He doesn't play it fingerstyle. In that live version I posted (drop D capo 5, concert key G major), he does some hybrid picking, but mostly it's random strumming on standard drop D chord shapes. (I might work it out in detail, but I'm pretty sure it's just D, G and A shapes.)

In the version rick posted, he's also in drop D capo 5, while Loudon Wainwright is in EADGBE open position, playing in G. (Suzanne Vega is not playing, just singing.) RT improvises a solo, which is worth tabbing if you like it, but otherwise (behind the vocal) its a mix of strumming, and maybe some hybrid picking.

FWIW, the original version with Linda was in concert Bb, to suit her lead vocal, of course (Richard's backing vocal was way down in the bass). Just strumming on that one.

Here's another live drop D version, where you can see his chords clearly. Skip to 31:30 -

(This does have a rather nice hybrid-picked solo.) And a great piece of live hoovering to replace the applause afterwards.

[Geof S.]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Personally I wouldn't say tab as such is necessary for this. He doesn't play it fingerstyle. In that live version I posted (drop D capo 5, concert key G major), he does some hybrid picking, but mostly it's random strumming on standard drop D chord shapes. (I might work it out in detail, but I'm pretty sure it's just D, G and A shapes.)

In the version rick posted, he's also in drop D capo 5, while Loudon Wainwright is in EADGBE open position, playing in G. (Suzanne Vega is not playing, just singing.) RT improvises a solo, which is worth tabbing if you like it, but otherwise (behind the vocal) its a mix of strumming, and maybe some hybrid picking.

FWIW, the original version with Linda was in concert Bb, to suit her lead vocal, of course (Richard's backing vocal was way down in the bass). Just strumming on that one.

Here's another live drop D version, where you can see his chords clearly. Skip to 31:30 -

(This does have a rather nice hybrid-picked solo.) And a great piece of live hoovering to replace the applause afterwards.

The guitar parts for most of the songs in his songbooks are not written out note for note, likely for the reasons you have stated. There are some exceptions, though, with full standard notation and Tab.