Run Honey Run (open G version) – John Martyn
Posted on | April 20, 2010 | 2 Comments
Hi
Here is an alternative tab and tuning for Run Honey Run from the London Conversation album. It was first posted on the original John Martyn Guitar Freaks' Forum by Andy Stephen on 28th September, 1999.
You can find another interpretation using DADDAD here
Run Honey Run
Playing Notes
Tablature
Run Honey Run - John Martyn
Tags: John Martyn > London Conversation > Run Honey Run
Run Honey Run – John Martyn
Posted on | April 15, 2010 | 2 Comments
Hi
One of our newest users, George wrote
Hi,,,Could you please post the tab to Run Honey Run by John Martyn, if you have it available? (I looked all over the internet and I did not find anything, but someone told me that i could find the tab to that awesome song here),,Thanks,,George
Run Honey Run from the London Conversation album is without doubt a well-loved song among John Martyn fans and beyond, having been covered by several YouTubers (including LiteGauge, Waggonerslad, buniluvr and loomskichoom) and of course the excellent Morcheeba version. All of these are well worth a listen and they all contribute a unique quality to this lovely song.
The first reaction when trying to work out what’s going on in this track is to go for some sort of open G tuning (capoed at the 4th fret to get to the key of B if you want to play in the same key as the track). As we have seen several guitarists have done some excellent covers using this or similar tunings and all praise to them.
If you are a bit of a geek / freak like me however, you might not rest easy if you suspect that the original was played some other way. Why do I think this? Well, choosing the above tuning option leaves I think a few unanswered questions.
- How do you account for the double hit on the same note an octave above the root B which we can clearly hear throughout the song? You either need to play it on the same string, which if you listen carefully isn’t what seems to be going on, or constantly keep another string fretted for every bar which would be a severe hindrance as it occurs in every bar, or tune 2 mid-range strings in unison to G (which would be B capoed at the 4th fret). Maybe this could be done with the 2nd and 3rd strings but it doesn’t sound right.
- What about the other natural notes of an open G? Don’t they just get in the way as they aren’t heard on the track?
- What about the timbre of the notes heard on the track? Don’t they sound a bit different from notes played about mid-range on the fingerboard?
I’ve listened to this track many times for pleasure as I love the album. When I listened to it again more recently to try to work out how to play it, the first thing I noticed was the typical early John Martyn “alternating bass” with the root note being followed by 2 unison picks an octave above. This is the pattern I learned years ago from songs like Seven Black Roses, Sing a Song of Summer, Goin’ Down to Memphis, Traffick Light Lady, Road to Ruin….
If Run Honey Run uses the same DADDAD tuning as these then it must have the capo at the 9th fret. Unusual, but the more you listen and try to play this I am convinced the more you will believe this is the tuning used on the track. Furthermore, the clean uncomplicated sound points to thumb and index fingers alone being used by the picking hand, just as in the songs I mentioned above.
So tune to DADDAD, slap on a capo at the 9th fret, and try out the tab.
**WARNING. THIS VIDEO CONTAINS SCENES OF ME TRYING TO SING!**
Run Honey Run
Video
Playing Notes
- Capo on 9th fret (as on album) or any other fret you prefer.
- Use only thumb and index finger for picking.
- This tab is I think fairly accurate, but you will find minor variations at points in the album track.
Tablature
Run Honey Run - John Martyn
Tags: John Martyn > London Conversation > Run Honey Run
Goin’ Down To Memphis – John Martyn
Posted on | April 2, 2010 | No Comments
Hi
From The Tumbler this is the only slide (or I prefer the term bottleneck) guitar song I have heard John Martyn play, although he does use a bit as an embellishment at the end of Go Easy.
The tab gives the main components which you can combine as required. It doesn't cover the whole thing but any extra bits can easily be worked out from slight modifications to these. I worked this out about 1970 and havn't played it much since, so I hope it still sounds a bit like the real thing.
Goin' Down To Memphis
Playing Notes
- Goin' Down To Memphis is in DADDAD which JM used a lot.
- You need to place the bottle neck or slide on the little finger of your fretting hand.
- The bottleneck only plays on the first and second string.
- Use just the thumb and index finger of the picking hand (which JM does in much of his early guitar playing).
- You need a fair bit of stamina in your picking hand to maintain the same pace and duration for all the verses.
- In the first couple of bars, the alternating bass on the 6th and 4th strings swaps places, if that makes sense.
- The main chord changes are a quick sliding full barre with the index finger to the 7th then 5th fret.
Tablature
Goin' Down To Memphis - John Martyn
(Originally posted on John Martyn Guitar Freaks Forum about 1999)
Willie
Tags: Goin' Down To Memphis > John Martyn > The Tumbler
Spencer The Rover – John Martyn
Posted on | April 1, 2010 | No Comments
Hi
The lyrics of this traditional folk ballad might strike an emotional chord with anyone who's work has taken them away from family and loved ones for any length of time. This and other aspects of the tale also seem to have some parallels with the often crazed troubadour lifestyle which John Martyn led. In any case his is a lovely interpretation of the song (on the Sunday's Child album) and here is a tab posted on the original John Martyn Guitar Freaks' Forum by Andy Stephen circa 2000.
Spencer The Rover
Playing Notes
- The tuning is DADGAD.
- John Martyn strums the 6th and 5th strings through most of the song, although this is not shown on the tab.
- On the original live televised version way back early 70's (which is included on the BBC Live CD) before playing Spencer the Rover, he lights up what looks like a spliff, inhales very deeply and says "Look, Clint Eastwood". That's our John!
Tablature
Spencer The Rover - John Martyn
(Originally posted on John Martyn Guitar Freaks Forum by Andy Stephen circa 2000)
Tags: John Martyn > Spencer The Rover > Sunday's Child
Sing a Song of Summer – John Martyn
Posted on | April 1, 2010 | 3 Comments
Hi
Sing A Song Of Summer is a merry nonsense song which like Knuckledy Crunch, Fishin' Blues and Woodstock, reflect the youthful, light-hearted John Martyn. It also showcases his nascent dazzling guitar technique and is in the same class as other songs on the album like Seven Black Roses, Going Down to Memphis and The Gardeners. All of these can be a challenge to play because of the speed and stamina required to keep the pace up.
Sing A Song Of Summer
Video
(Originally recorded and posted on YouTube February 2010)
Playing Notes
- Tuning is DADDAD which is used a lot on his first albums.
- As with much of his earlier playing, John Martyn uses only the thumb and index finger for picking. I'm not sure why, but one possible advantage is that it facilitates the fairly rapid alternating bass. It also gives a characteristic rhythmic pattern to this and other songs in the tuning like Seven Black Roses and Going Down To Memphis.
Willie
Tags: John Martyn > Sing a Song of Summer > The Tumbler
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