River Man

Tuning: Standard

Capo: 3rd fret

Time signature: 5/4

Note: the first 4 bars might sound odd if unaccompanied in that they don't change (on the track, the strings give some variation). You could play a 1 on the B-string for the first 2 bars, or a 2 on the D-string for the 3rd and 4th bar, to give it some variation, but below is what I think Nick plays.

Intro (call this Bar A):

|------------0--|
|--2---2-----2--|
|--4---4-----4--| (x4)
|--2---2-2---2-2|
|--0---0-----0--|
|0----0---0-0---|
             l
   r   r     r
   m   m     m     (suggested picking)
   i   i i   i  i
   t   t     t
 t    t   t t

Note: the 4's are quiet in the track (to imitate this just make the middle finger pick a bit more quietly).

Verse:

|-----------(0)-|       |---------------|---------------|
|--1---1-----1--|       |--3---3-----3--|--3---3-----0--|
|--4---4-----4--|       |--3---3-----3--|--3---3-----0--|
|--2---2-2---2-2| (x2)  |--0-----0---0--|--0-----0---0--|
|--0---0-----0--|       |------3--------|------3-------3|
|0----0---0-0---|       |3----3---3-----|3----3---3-0---|

|---------------|
|--1---1-----1--|
|--2---2-----2--| (x2)   then bar A x2
|--3---3-3---3-3|
|--3---3-----3--|
|1----1---1-1---|

Note: the 33033x (thanks to Howard Wright for the suggested fingering btw) is clearly heard as 33031x in the demo version of this song on the Made to Love Magic album. But it seems to be 33033x in the Five Leaves Left version.

Variation (call this Bar B):

The first variation is the verse ending “...in summertime”. Instead of bar As to finish, it has 4 bars of:

|------------0--|
|--4---4-----4--|
|--0---0-----0--|
|--2---2-2-----2|
|--0---0-----0--|
|0----0---0-0---|

(a cynic might suggest Nick’s little finger missed the G-string and a variation was born...)

Instrumental bit:

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

Last verse:

The last verse also ends with 4 bar Bs.

“Oh how they come and go” to end:

|---------------|       |---------------|
|--2---2-----2--|       |--1---1-----1--|
|--0---0-----0--| (x4)  |--0---0-----0--| (x2)
|--------4-----4|       |--------4-----4|
|--0---0-----0--|       |--0---0-----0--|
|0----0---0-0---|       |0----0---0-0---|

|---------------|       |---------------|
|--2---2-----4--|       |--4---4-----2--|
|--0---0-----0--| (x4)  |--0---0-----0--| (repeat to end)
|--------2-----2|       |--------2-----2|
|--0---0-----0--|       |--0---0-----0--|
|0----0---0-0---|       |0----0---0-0---|