Long Train Runnin’ | TAB
Let’s break it down section by section, starting with the intro. Here’s Guitar 1:
Guitar 2 is very similar, but with a few key differences:
- No muted strums, giving it a cleaner feel
- The final chord is a min7
Verse
The verse begins in a similar way before moving to Cm, with fewer muted strums overall.
Over Cm, Guitar 1 moves between Cm7 and Cm6, then returns to the Gm vamp, now with more muted strums to add energy.
Next comes what can best be described as a turnaround, before returning to the Gm7 chord vamp.
That Gm/D is crucial—many players miss this, opting instead for Eb or Dsus4.
Here’s what Guitar 2 does:
- Instead of the chord vamp, it plays a tight minor pentatonic single-note riff
- Over Cm, it uses Cm9 rather than Cm7–Cm6
- For the turnaround, short stabs work well to contrast Guitar 1
- Then it returns to the minor pentatonic vamp
The stops replace the opening Gm7 vamp, before returning to the standard verse feel.
Ritardando
The ritardando at the end of the final verse lands on Cm, followed by a lick before heading into the outro vamp.
Outro
The outro features multiple layered guitar parts on the original recording. As the only guitarist in your band, mix elements from both parts, using this as your foundation:
Once you’ve got all this under your fingers, jam along with the backing tracks at the top of the page. For soloing, use the scales covered in the chord lesson.
Long Train Runnin’ Backing Tracks + TAB | Related Pages
Long Train Runnin’ | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn Long Train Runnin’ by The Dobbie Brothers using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and the original recording.
| Gm7 (Dm7) | Gm7 (Dm7) |
Down around the corner, half a mile from here…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- American Girl
- Blame It On The Booogie
- Go Your Own Way
- Play That Funky Music
- Shake Your Body To The Ground
