Vincent | TAB
Full of extensions, odd time signatures, and ever-changing fingerstyle patterns, you simply must have TAB in order to play Vincent as Don did, here’s the first half of the verse.
The build-up, which follows the vocal is a G69 as that is what the chord spells if we add all intervals together.
Using this kind of approach, make sure you can see all intervals in all chords to make sure you understand the chord names.
For example, the second bar’s second half says Gsus4 as the initial hammer on is so quick, but in the third bar, it says Gadd4 because we use both the 3rd and 4th more clearly.
Here’s the second half of the verse.
The second half is very similar, but not identical. Notice how there are fewer notes and therefore a cleaner arrangement. The second to last bar is completely new. The last two beats are the beginning of the chorus.
Here’s the chorus which I feel you could argue should be called a bridge…
The first chord is an Amadd4 as we have both the m3rd and sus4. The Emb6 is a nice touch, the Em is over a 5/4, but in the next chorus, it’s just a 4/4.
The A7 is a IIx, and the second to last bar, G – Gmaj7 – G6 – G is my favorite part of the song. The G69 is the beginning of the verse.
Lastly, here’s the middle 8 section.
Similar to the chorus at first, we get an Am – Cm, Cm being a IVm chord. Usually, we get IV – IVm, that’s C – Cm. I think Am instead of C is a great variation on the concept.
The D7 is in a 3/4 bar. The G69 is the beginning of another verse.
Play along with the original recording and practice each TAB on its own and you’ll soon be able to play Vincent like Don did.
Don’t forget that he never played it the same twice so once you got the hang of it, feel free to let go of the TAB and just play it using the force.
Vincent TAB | Related Pages
Vincent | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Vincent by Don McLean using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, TAB, and style original recording.
| N.C G69 | G Gsus4 | G G6 Gsus4 | Am Asus2 |
Starry, starry night. Paint your palette blue and gray…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
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Don McLean tunes
Don McLean is an American singer-songwriter most famous for his ’71 songs American Pie and Vincent.
When McLean’s indie label Media Arts was sold to United Artists, he got an unexpected chance to make his second album for a major label.
Don McLean on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Vincent chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.