Tabs
Dean... The Train and the Gate attached...Regards. Jim
The Train and the Gate: From Terry's Movie... Bruce Head, who may well be
the world's authority on Leo, tells me that Terry is Terence Malick who
directed the movie Days of Heaven (Richard Gere, Brooke Adams and Sam
Shepard). Soundtrack won a grammy. I don't know if Train and Gate is in
movie or not. Leo has also done a tune called Out Takes from Terry's Movie.
Again, haven't seen movie so am no help here either. In fact, only
connection I have with the movie is that, like many of you, I'm constantly
being confused for Richard Gere... :-)
Train and Gate was also on Showtime Video, Paul Bunyan, with narration by
Johnathan Winters. Soundtrack was done by Windham Hill. I did see this a
number of years ago but, alas, I gooned it and actually took it back to
Blockbusters Video store. Dumb move!
One of Leo's all time best, The Train and the Gate is also one of his
easiest slide tunes once you get the feel of the initial slide on the first
string. The first slide has a unique timing thats hard to define.
My tab attached here is primarily from Live in Europe, however its pretty
much a generic version from all Leo's recordings. I think the best version
by far is Leo's cut from Live in Europe. Leo has been quoted as saying that
he does not improvise much but plays his stuff mostly the same each time.
While this may be true I think that, if anything, he plays individual
sections pretty much the same all the time but varies the length and order
of sections. This is true with Train and Gate as he plays sections in
various order on his different recordings of the tune.
Net result is you need to put the pieces of the puzzle together to suit your
taste. As example, I really like section V and tend to emphasize it around
section One more than I should. Really does not matter... my guess is that
the Kottke Tab Control Team is not gonna drag you kicking and screaming from
your house in the middle of the night cause you played Train and Gate out of
sequence. (I don't think!)
The Train and the Gate: From Terry's Movie
Leo Kottke
Tab: Jim Jarrell
Recorded on: Burnt Lips, The Essential Leo Kottke,
Live in Europe, Home and Away video
and Paul Bunyan video
Open 
G+G Tuning (lowered one step or so)
12 String (w/slide)
b bend
h hammer-on
p pull-off
T^ Brush down with thumb or note played with thumb
/ slide down neck (toward saddle)
\ slide up neck (toward nut)
X mute or slide to/from indefinite point
+ notes played without slide
V Heavy vibrato (more than normal,ie. as a slide tune
there's lots of vibrato going on already
g ghost note...played only in passing (not accentuated)
I index finger
() Optional note in lieu of note tabbed
M middle finger
Intro: 
A augmentedA constant vibrato throughout. Builds slowly
in intensity with liberal improvising on the
open strings.
First measure is played ad nauseum...slowly transitions
into second measure.
d|----8------8-----8---|----8-----8-----8-----8------8-----
b|------8------8-----8-|------8-----8-----8-----8------8---
g|--0-----0------0-----|--------0-----------0------------0-
D MajorD|---------------------|--------------0--------------------
G+G|---------------------|--0------------------------0-------
D MajorD|---------------------|-----------------------------------
d|----8-------8---|---------------|
b|------8---8-----|-----8-----8---| Last measure is a slow
g|--------0-------|--0-----0------| fade in at beginning and
D MajorD|--0-------------|---------------| end on some versions.
G+G|----------------|---------------|
D MajorD|----------------|---------------|
Section I *NOTE* 7-/9 is not to 9th fret but actually
the 8 & 3/4 or so position!!!!
Play the 5th fret pattern then move the slide
up to 7th fret without lifting slide from the
strings...this will produce a residual sound
I cannot duplicate in tab.
d|--7-/9----------------------------------7-/9---
b|------------0----------5-----/----7------------
g|-----------------0---------5-/-----------------
D MajorD|--------------0----------5---/------7----------
G+G|-(0)------0----------5-------/--7-------0------
D MajorD|-----------------------------------------------
v v
d|------------------------------|
b|-----0-------------/--7---8---| Last note on second string
g|-----------0-----5-/----------| can also be played at 1st
D MajorD|--------0----------/----------| string, 5th fret, or if you
G+G|--0-----------5----/--7---0---| must, just hit 3rd string
D MajorD|------------------------------| open with emphasis on high
v octave G+G
Section II Leo plays this section in a variety of ways depending
on recording. All slides are brush downs with thumb.
This measure on Live in Europe only I think
+ + + + + + + + +
d|----------------------------------------------------------
b|----------------------------------------------------------
g|-3-/5------------0--------0--------3-/5----5-----4---2---0
D MajorD|-3-/5-----4-/5--------5-------5----3-/5------0------------
G+G|-3-/5--0-------0--------0-------0--3-/5--------4---2---0--
D MajorD|----------4-/5------5-------5------------0----------------
Or above measure can be played as follows:
d|------------------------------------------------------------------
b|------------------------------------------------------------------
g|-3-/5-----------0-------0---0--3-/5-----------0---5-----4---2---0-
D MajorD|-3-/5-------0-------0----------3-/5-------0---------0-------------
G+G|-3-/5--0--0---0---0---0---0-0--3-/5--0--0---0---0-----4---2---0---
D MajorD|------------------------------------------------------------------
Or another way.... also the easiest! I play 6th string notes w/o
slide
d|--------------------------------------------------------------------
b|--------------------------------------------------------------------
g|-3-/5--------0-------0-------0-----3-/5--------0--------0-------0---
D MajorD|-3-/5----0-------0-------0-------0-3-/5----0-------0--------0------0
G+G|-3-/5--0-------0-------0-------0---3-/5--0-------0--------0-------0-
D MajorD|-----------5-------4-------5-----------------5--------4-------2-----
d|---------------------------------------------------|
b|---------------------------------------------------|
g|-3-/5--------0-------0-------0-----3-/5----5-/7----|
D MajorD|-3-/5----0-------0-------0-------0-3-/5----5-/7----|
G+G|-3-/5--0-------0-------0-------0---3-/5----5-/7----|
D MajorD|-----------5-------4-------5-----------------------|
Repeat Section I
d|---------------------------------------------------------
b|---------------------------------------------------------
g|-3-/5---5-/7-----------0--------3-/5---5-/7-------0------
D MajorD|-3-/5---5-/7---------------0----3-/5---5-/7-----------0--
G+G|-3-/5---5-/7---------0----------3-/5---5-/7--X-/4---0----
D MajorD|--------------X-/4p0-----2---4---------------------------
+ +
d|-------------------------|
b|-------------------------| Repeat Intro
g|----------3-/5---5-/7----|
D MajorD|----------3-/5---5-/7----|
G+G|--2---4---3-/5---5-/7----|
D MajorD|-------------------------|
Section III All notes played w/o slide. Bend the 7th fret
notes up as you hit the hammer-ons. Syncopation
comes with bass notes coming both on and off
hammer-ons.
d|----------------------------------------|
b|--7-h8---7-h8----7-h8----7------7-h8----|
g|--------------0--------------0----------| Repeat measure
D MajorD|-------0---------0---------0----------0-|
G+G|--0---------0----------0--------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------|
d|--7-h8----7-h8-----7-h8-----7------7-h8-----
b|--------------------------------------------
g|----------------0----------------0----------
D MajorD|-------0-----------0-----------0---------0--
G+G|--0----------0-----------0---------0--------
D MajorD|--------------------------------------------
d|--7-h8----7-h8-----7-h8-----7-----------|
b|-----------------------------------8----|
g|----------------0----------------0------| Repeat entire
D MajorD|-------0-----------0-----------0------0-| Section
G+G|--0----------0-----------0---------0----|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------|
Section IV Play this section 3 times. Play 3-/5 slide
instead of 3 and 5 brush third time through
d|--------------------------------------|----------
b|--------------------------------------|----------
g|-----------0--------0-----0-----5---3-|---3-/5---
D MajorD|-----------------0--------------5---3-|---3-/5---
G+G|--------0-----------0--------0--5---3-|---3-/5---
D MajorD|--2-/4--------0--------0--------------|----------
T^ T^
Repeat Section I two times
Section V Same idea as 1st section on moving from
5th to 7th fret. This section stands out
in the Home and Away video.
d|------------------------------------------
b|---6-/7-----0---------5------/-----7------
g|---6-/7---------0---------5--/------------
D MajorD|---6-/7-------0---------5----/--------7---
G+G|---6-/7---0---------5--------/---7--------
D MajorD|------------------------------------------
In next measure, 2nd thumb brush is for timing to
lead into beginning of section.
d|------------------------------------|-----7-/9---|
b|------------0---------7----------0--|------------|
g|--11-/12--------0----------------0--|------------|
D MajorD|--11-/12------0--------------0---0--|------------|
G+G|--11-/12--0--------7----7\5--0------|--5---------|
D MajorD|--11-/12----------------------------|------------|
T^ T^
Repeat above section... second time through play
last measure vice two thumb brushes and continue
into section I. Repeat entire tune until you run
out of beer then end with intro. End with intro? An
oxymoron for sure...another reason I don't do this
for a living.
