This is my own interpretation of the jangly classic Turn! Turn! Turn!, for one six-string guitar. I've tried to really strip it down to the basics, including a total redo of the intro and the solo.
OK, there's no real way to make this song super easy and have it sound good, and there are a few 16th note hammer-ons that I threw in. Other than that, there's really not much else that's too difficult. Pay attention to the note durations - most of the notes are eighths, but the timing can get a little tricky in spots.
I've posted a powertab file so you can listen along if you have the powertab editor:
Click Here for Turn! Turn! Turn!
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
THE BYRDS - TURN! TURN! TURN!
Arranged by Mitch Schlesinger
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - '6 String '
Intro
Q=125
4/4
Gtr I
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
||------0-----0-----|-0-----0---------|-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----------||
||o---3-----3-----3-|-----3-----3---3-|---3-----3-----3-|-----3-----3---3--o||
||------------------|---0-------------|-----------------|---0---------------||
||--0-----2-----4---|---------4---2---|-0-----2-----4---|---------4---2-----||
||o-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------o||
||------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------||
For the intro, keep your ring finger planted on the B-string, 3rd fret. (That's a D note.) Your ring finger will spend much time there in this version of the song. Then toggle your index on the 2nd and 4th frets as needed.
For the verses, you'll need to move the ring finger around a little bit, but conveniently it keeps coming back to the D note. I'll play the C# with my middle finger and hammer on with the ring to get it back into place.
Note the time shift!
To everything ...
2/4
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E S S E E E
||------0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-----|
||o---3---3---3---3-|---3---3---2-----|-2h3---3---|
||------------------|-----------------|-----------|
||--0---------------|-----------------|---------0-|
||o-----------------|---------0-----0-|-----------|
||----------3-------|-2---------------|-----------|
there is a season ...
4/4 2/4
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E S S E E E
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-----|
|---3---3---3---3-|---3---3---2-----|-2h3---3---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------|
|-0---------------|-----------------|---------0-|
|-----------------|---------0-----0-|-----------|
|---------3-------|-2---------------|-----------|
and a time for every purpose under Heaven.
4/4
E E E E E E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E +E Q E
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0-----|-----2-3-(3)-0----||
|---3---3---3---3-|---2-----2h3---3---|---3---------3--3-||
|-----------------|-------------------|----------------2-||
|-----------------|-----------------0-|-0--------------0-||
|-----------------|-0-----0-----------|------------------||
|-3-------2-------|-------------------|------------------||
A time to be born ...
Q E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E
|----2-0---3----|---------0------|-----2-----3----|---------0-------|
|-3------3----0-|-----2h3---3--3-|-------3------0-|-----2h3---3--3--|
|-2-----------0-|---2----------2-|---2----------0-|---2----------2--|
|-0-------------|--------------0-|-0-------0------|--------------0--|
|---------------|-0--------------|----------------|-0---------------|
|---------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|
E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E
|-----2-----3----|---------0------|-----2-----3----|
|-------3------0-|-----2h3---3--3-|-------3------0-|
|---2----------0-|---2----------2-|---2----------0-|
|-0-------0------|--------------0-|-0-------0------|
|----------------|-0--------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|
1.,2.
E E E E E E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E +E Q E q H. 3x
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0-----|-----2-3-(3)-0--2--|-2---------||
|---3---3---3---3-|---2-----2h3---3---|---3---------3--3--|-3--------o||
|-----------------|-------------------|----------------2--|-2---------||
|-----------------|-----------------0-|-0-----------------|-0---------||
|-----------------|-0-----0-----------|-------------------|----------o||
|-3-------2-------|-------------------|-------------------|-----------||
3.
D
Gtr I
q Q E Q E
|-2---------------||
|-3---------------||
|-2----------0----||
|-0-----0-4-------||
|----0------------||
|-----------------||
After the 3rd repeat, the "solo" begins. I've taken the basic melody line and really simplified McGuinn's arpeggiating. You can really beef this part up, but I wanted to keep it as simple as possible.
The extremely shortened easy-play version of the solo: Get Jangly With It!
2/4
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Q E
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|--------|
|---3---3---3---3-|---3---3---3---3-|--------|
|-2-------0-------|-----------------|------0-|
|-----------------|-4-------2-------|-0-4----|
|-----------------|-----------------|--------|
|-----------------|-----------------|--------|
4/4
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|---3---3---3---3-|---3---3---3-----|---3-------3-----|
|-2-------0-------|---------------4-|-4-----2-2-----0-|
|-----------------|-4-------2-------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E W
|-----0-------0---|-----0-----0-----|------|
|---3-------3-----|---3-----3-----3-|------|
|-0---------------|-----------------|------|
|-------4-4-----0-|-0-----4-----2---|-0----|
|-----------------|-----------------|------|
|-----------------|-----------------|------|
After the solo, repeat the verse sections one time, then go into the simplified outro (same as the intro) two times, and end with a resounding D chord. (Hey, can you guess the key this is in? :D )
Outro
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
||------0-----0-----|-0-----0---------|-----0-----0-----|-0-----0----------||
||o---3-----3-----3-|-----3-----3---3-|---3-----3-----3-|-----3-----3---3-o||
||------------------|---0-------------|-----------------|---0--------------||
||--0-----2-----4---|---------4---2---|-0-----2-----4---|---------4---2----||
||o-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------o||
||------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
W
|-^2----*|
|-^3----*|
|-^2----*|
|-^0----*|
|-------*|
|-------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
<n> - natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - <E/E./Q/Q./H/H.> = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
***************************************************************************************
* Generated using Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen - http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org *
***************************************************************************************
And for those who just want to sing along, here are some words taken straight from the Book of Ecclesiastes. I wonder who Pete Seeger paid royalties to?
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!
Have fun!
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
