Help with The River of Jordan

[Stick]

I posted this a while back in another section but thought I'd try it here.
My church homecoming will be in about a month and I'd hoped to play this.

The River of Jordan by Ricky Skaggs. I've got the chords down in G but I can't find a tab for the intro or break to save my life. I've tried to just listen to it over and over and pick it out but I'm toooooo new to this for that to work.

God Bless
Stick

[Jim Broyles]

Ricky does it in A, and the intro lays well on the mandolin in A because you can play open strings. It can be done in G but the sound will be a little different. I can't tab it but I can do a video if you want.

[tree]

Volume 5 does a nice version also, in G. That's the version I'm most familiar with, but I don't really use tab.

[peliot]

Another great version is from jim and jesse with some beautiful cross picking. If anyone has transcribed that version, I'd love to get my hands on it!

[Ky Slim]

Here ya go Stick! I have been meaning to get back to you on this and then I saw where you posted another request for help in this forum. I think this is a great gospel tune and I'm going to check out some of the other versions mentioned here.

This should be pretty close to Ricky's version. I am not the best at writing out tab so this is just written in phrases not in set measures. I started to get lost trying to add the measure lines. I did try to place the chord name above the note where the chord changes occur. You will need to listen to the recording of Ricky for the timing of the licks because the spacing of the notes in my tab doesn't really imply anything.

You mentioned that you would be playing it in Key of G. I wrote it out in first in A and then changed all the licks to G at the bottom half of the page. The fingerings are different and it gives it a unique sound with open notes are in different places I guess. It sounds nice in G.

Obviously, playing in G and listening to Ricky in A for timing is not going to go so great. I suggest using a capo on the 2nd fret until you get the Key of G phrases down with the recording. (or close to down. This ain't rocket science )

You also mentioned Sierra's version. She plays it in C (which shapes up closer to G) and has some great sounding tricks as always. I haven't even tried it but will probably give it a shot at some point. Ricky has some really neat sounding stuff in the background with fills and tremolo.

Note: The slash / symbol is for slide and the scribbled squiggly line means tremolo. Also, I put parentheses around the second note of the intro because it is kind of optional. It happens so fast that it can barely be heard and my have been accidental.

I hope this helps. Best of luck at your church homecoming! Sounds like a great time!

Matt

[Mandoplumb]

Did someone say use a capo?

[Stick]

Slim, you are the man.
Know what I'm doing this weekend.

God Bless
Dan

[GreenMTBoy]

Thanks Kentucky Slim,
Its supposed to rain tomorrow,I think I know what I'll be doing also !