Favorite Tab for Freight Train

[Admin]

Title: Freight Train
Artist: Chet Atkins


Jazz guitar - Standard Tuning

E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------------|-8---8---------------------------|
B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------------|---------10--10--8---------------|
G|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------------|---------------------10------10--|
D|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------------|-----10------10------10------10--|
A|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------------5---7---|-8---------------8---------------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------8-----------|---------8---------------8-------|


E|---------8-----------------------|-10--10--------------------------|---------8-----------------------|
B|-------------11--------------11--|---------11--11--10--8-------8---|-------------10------10----------|
G|-9---9---------------------------|---------------------------------|-10--10--------------------------|
D|-----8-------8-------8-------8---|-----8-------8-------8-------8---|-----10------10------10----------|
A|-10--------------10--------------|-10--------------10--------------|-8---------------8-------10--11--|
E|---------8---------------8-------|---------8---------------8-------|---------8-----------------------|


E|-------------------------------------|------------3--3---1---1---0---------|---------5---5---5---3-------3---|
B|-10------10-11-11--10------10-8--8---|-6---6------------------------3--3---|---------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-5---5-----------------------5---|
D|-----7---------7-------7---------7---|-----7---------5-------3---------3---|-----5-------5-------5-------5---|
A|-7-----------------7-----------------|-5-------3---------1-------3---------|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|
E|---------9-----------------9---------|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|


E|---------------------------------|-8---8---------------------------|---------8-----------------------|
B|-6---------------6---------------|---------10--10--8---------------|-------------11--------------11--|
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A|-8---------------8-------5---7---|-8---------------8---------------|-10--------------10--------------|
E|---------8-----------8-----------|---------8---------------8-------|---------8---------------8-------|


E|-10--10--------------------------|---------8-----------------------|-------------------------------------|
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A|-10--------------10--------------|-8---------------8-------10--11--|-7-----------------7-----------------|
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E|------------3--3---1---1---0---------|---------5---5---5---3-------3---|-5------|
B|-6---6------------------------3--3---|---------------------------------|-6------|
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A|-5-------3---------1-------3---------|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-8------|
E|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|--------|


E|----------------|----------------|---------------------|-----------------|---------------------|
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E|----------------5---|-12---12-12-13--12----10--|-8-----10--8---------------|------10-12---12--10----|
B|------8---8---------|--------------------------|-10--------10-----12---10--|-8----------------------|
G|----------9-----5---|-13---13-13-13--13--------|------------------12---10--|-9----10-12---12--10----|
D|-10-------10--------|--------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------|


E|-8------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----0---0--1--1---0-------0---------|
B|--------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|------------------------------3--3---|
G|-9------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------------------------|
D|--------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----2---------2-------2---------2---|
A|--------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------2-----------------2---------|
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E|-------------------------------------|---------0---0---0---------------|-0------|
B|------------3--3---1---1---0---------|---------------------3-------3---|-1------|
G|-5-------5--------------------2--2---|-0---0---------------------------|-0------|
D|-----7---------5-------3-------------|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-2------|
A|---------------------------------0---|---------2---------------2-------|-3------|
E|-5-------3---------1-------3---------|-3---------------3---------------|--------|


E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-13------------------|------12--10--------|
B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-13---13---11--10----|-8----13--11--------|
G|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|------14---12--10----|-9------------------|
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E|-13---10-------------|------13------------|-9----9--9----9---------|-----------10-----------|
B|-14---11---13--11----|------13--13--------|-10---10-11---10----11--|-10--------11---13--11--|
G|-----------14--12----|-14-------14--------|--------------------12--|-10----12--12---14--12--|
D|---------------------|-15-----------------|------------------------|----------------14--12--|
A|---------------------|----------------0---|-0------------0---------|------------------------|
E|---------------------|--------------------|------------------------|------------------------|


E|------------------------------|--------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B|-10---10-13---11-13--11-------|-10-----|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G|-10---10-14---12-14--12-------|-10-----|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D|-10---10-14---12-14--12-------|-10-----|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A|------------------------------|--------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
E|------------------------------|--------|-------------|-------------|-------------|


[Admin]

Although Elizabeth Cotten's version (the original) is great.

[Admin]

OK...the story behind this for me is that I was just a struggling guitar picker in Nashville in 1951. One day I was messing around, trying to do some new fingerstyle picking like Sam McGee had taught me. One of the songs Sam knew was an old Elizabeth Cotten song he had learned down at the local railroad depot from some African American men - Freight Train. Now I was struggling along, making some noise but nothing to write home to Mama about. As I recall, I was sitting outside the Ryman, picking on my old Gibson J45 when Chet Atkins comes along. He listened for a few minutes, and reached over and took the guitar out of my hand. He said something like, "watch this, just let the music roll off your fingers...". I watched in awe for a few minutes, then Chet handed me the guitar back, and with a slight smile, said, "now, you do it...just like me". I laughed and said, it will take me more than a few years to get that good. Chet smiled and told me, it's not how good you are, just make sure you are as good as YOU can be!

I'll never forget the song. Now I still can't play anywhere as good as Chet, but I play as good as I can.

https%3A//soundcloud.com/jim-pate/freight-train

[traveler]

Great story, Jim.

I enjoyed all three versions of the song.

[Admin]

Thanks.

[steve]

That was interesting. Would you beleive that I am not concious of ever having heard this before. neet little tune and the arrangement is brilliant.