Tabs
BE MY FRIEND
As recorded by Free
(From the 1970 Album HIGHWAY)
Words and Music by Paul Rodgers & Andy Fraser
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (
E MajorE 
A augmentedA 
D MajorD 
G+G 
BB E MajorE) - 'Paul Kossoff - Electric Guitar'
Gtr II (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE) - 'Paul Kossoff - Electric Guitar'
Intro
Q=64
BbmBbm Db/Eb7suEb/Bb 
BbM7Bbm7 
Eb/GEb/G
4/4
Gtr I
a Q Q Q Q W a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e
|---------------|-----------|------------------6---------------|
|---------------|-^8--------|------------------6-------8--8--8-|
|---6--6--6--6--|-^8--------|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8-|
|-6h8--6--6--6--|-^8--------|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8-|
|---------8--6--|-^6--------|--------------------8s10-10-10-10-|
|---------------|-^6--------|----------------------------------|
BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G
a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e
|------------------6---------------|
|------------------6-------8--8--8-|
|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8-|
|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8-|
|--------------------8s10-10-10-10-|
|----------------------------------|
BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G
a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e a E. S S S S S S S S S E MajorE e
|------------------6---------------|------------------6--------------||
|------------------6-------8--8--8-|------------------6--------------||
|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8-|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8---||
|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8-|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8---||
|--------------------8s10-10-10-10-|--------------------8s10-10-10---||
|----------------------------------|---------------------------------||
1st - 3rd Verses
$
BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G N.C. 
Bb5Bb5
a E. S S S S S S S S S E MajorE e S S S S S S S S S S Q.
||-------------------6------------|----------------------------------|
||o------------------6------------|----------------------------------|
||----6--6-6-------6---------8--8-|----------------------------------|
||--6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8-|----------------------------------|
||o--------------------8s10-10-10-|-11s13-13-13-13s11----11S8-8-8----|
||--------------------------------|-11s13-13-13-13s11-11------6-6----|
N.C.
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E MajorE
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-13-(13)-13-13-13-(13)-------13-(13)----13-(13)--------|
|-13h=15--15-15-15h=16--16-16-16p=15-----15p=13--13-----|
|-------------------------------------16------------16--|
~~~
S S E MajorE S S S S S S Q.
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|-11s13-13-13s11-11-11-11s13-13----|
|-11s13-13-13s11-11-11-11s13-13----|
BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G N.C. Bb5Bb5
a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e S S S S S S S S S S Q.
|------------------6---------------|-----------------------------------|
|------------------6-------8--8--8-|-----------------------------------|
|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8-|-----------------------------------|
|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8-|-----------------------------------|
|--------------------8s10-10-10-10-|-11s13-13-13-13s11----11S8-8-8-----|
|----------------------------------|-11s13-13-13-13s11-11------6-6-----|
1.
N.C. BbmBbmDb/Eb7suEb/Bb
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E MajorE Q Q Q Q W
|------------------------------------------------------|-------------|--------||
|------------------------------------------------------|-------------|-^8----o||
|------------------------------------------------------|-6--6--6--6--|-^8-----||
|-13-(13)-13-13-13-(13)-------13-(13)----13-(13)-------|-8--6--6--6--|-^8-----||
|-13h=15--15-15-15h=16--16-16-16p=15-----15p=13--13----|-------8--6--|-^6----o||
|-------------------------------------16------------16-|-------------|-^6-----||
2.,D.S.
N.C. Bb5Bb5
S S S S S S S S S S Q.
|----------------------------------||
|----------------------------------||
|----------------------------------||
|----------------------------------||
|-11s13-13-13-13s11----11S8-8-8----||
|-11s13-13-13-13s11-11------6-6----||
Chorus
BbmBbm 
Eb7Eb7 
Gb5Gb5
H E. S e E MajorE +H E. S e E MajorE +Q Q H
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|
|-6-------------|-----------------|--------------|
|-6----6--6-6-6-|-(6)----6--6-6-6-|-(6)--6--6----|
|-8----8--8-8-6-|-(6)----6--6-6-5-|-(5)--5--4----|
|---------------|---------------6-|-(6)--6-------|
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|
N.C.
S S S S Q Q +S S e
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|-11s13-13-13-13--11--(11)-11-11-|
|-11s13-13-13-13--11--(11)-11-11-|
To Coda
BbmBbm Eb7Eb7 Gb5Gb5
H E. S e E MajorE +H E. S e E MajorE +Q Q H
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|
|-6-------------|-----------------|--------------|
|-6----6--6-6-6-|-(6)----6--6-6-6-|-(6)--6--6----|
|-8----8--8-8-6-|-(6)----6--6-6-5-|-(5)--5--4----|
|---------------|---------------6-|-(6)--6-------|
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|
BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G
a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e
|------------------6---------------|
|------------------6-------8--8--8-|
|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8-|
|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8-|
|--------------------8s10-10-10-10-|
|----------------------------------|
BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G
a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e
|------------------6---------------|------------------6----------------|
|------------------6-------8--8--8-|------------------6-------8--8--8--|
|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8-|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8--|
|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8-|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8--|
|--------------------8s10-10-10-10-|--------------------8s10-10-10-10--|
|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
D.S. al Coda &
BbM7Bbm7 Eb/GEb/G
a E. S S S S S S S S S S S e
|------------------6----------------||
|------------------6-------8--8--8--||
|---6--6-6-------6---------8--8--8--||
|-6h8--8-8p6-6-6-6---------8--8--8--||
|--------------------8s10-10-10-10--||
|-----------------------------------||
Chorus
BbmBbmDb/Eb7sus4Bbm Eb7Eb7
Q Q Q Q H Q e E MajorE +H Q E MajorE E
|-------------||--------------|---------------|
|-------------||o-------------|-----------6---|
|-6--6--6--6--||--6----6--6-6-|-(6)----6--6-6-|
|-8--6--6--6--||--8----8--8-6-|-(6)----6--6-5-|
|-------8--6--||o-------------|-------------6-|
|-------------||--------------|---------------|
1.,2. 2.
Gb5Gb5 BbmBbm 
AbAb BbmBbm AbAb
+H Q Q a H H 3x a H H
|--------------|--------------||-------------------------------||
|--------------|-------------o||-------------------------------||
|-(6)----6--6--|---6----5-----||---6----5----------------------||
|-(5)----4--4--|-6h8----6-----||-6h8----6----------------------||
|-(6)----------|-------------o||-------------------------------||
|--------------|--------------||-------------------------------||
|
| Gtr II
| W W 3x H S E MajorE +S S S +E MajorE
|--------------|--------------||-------------------------------||
|--------------|-------------o||-------------------------------||
|--------------|--------------||----------8b10r(8)-6-8b10==(8)-||
|--------------|--------------||-------------------------------||
|--------------|-------------o||-------------------------------||
|--------------|--------------||-------------------------------||
Outro
BbmBbm Bbm/Ab Eb7Eb7
H Q E MajorE E +Q Q S S S S e E MajorE
|------------------------|----------------------------|
|--6------6--6-6---------|-(6)-------6----6-6-6-6-6---|
|--6------6--6-6---------|-(6)-------6----6-6-6-6-6-6-|
|--8------8--8-6---------|-(6)-------6----6-6-6-6-6-5-|
|------------------------|--------------------------6-|
|------------------------|----------------------------|
|
| ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
| +H. E MajorE S +S S E. +H.
|------------------------|----------------------------|
|------------------------|----------------------------|
|-(8)r---------8pb10r(8)p|==6--6b8==(6)r--------------|
|------------------------|----------------------------|
|------------------------|----------------------------|
|------------------------|----------------------------|
Gb5Gb5 BbmBbm AbAb
+H H H H
|--------------------------------|-----------|
|--------------------------------|-6---------|
|-(6)----------------6-----------|-6----5----|
|-(5)----------------4-----------|-8----6----|
|-(6)----------------------------|-----------|
|--------------------------------|-----------|
|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
| E MajorE E MajorE +S +E. +Q +S S e W
|--------------------------------|-----------|
|--------------------------------|-----------|
|-----8b10==(8)r(8)-(8)--(8)-6-5-|-----------|
|--------------------------------|-8---------|
|--------------------------------|-----------|
|--------------------------------|-----------|
BbmBbm Bbm/Ab Eb7Eb7 Gb5Gb5 BbmBbm
W H. e E MajorE H H W
|------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------------------|
|--6---------|--6-------6---|-------------|-6-----------------------------|
|--6---------|--6-------6---|--6-----6----|-6-----------------------------|
|--8---------|--6-------6---|--5-----4----|-8-----------------------------|
|------------|--------------|--6----------|-------------------------------|
|------------|--------------|-------------|-6-----------------------------|
|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
| +W +W +W S S S S S E. S S S S S S S S
|------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------------------|
|------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------------------|
|------------|--------------|-------------|---6p5----------6p5-------6p5--|
|-(8)--------|-(8)----------|-(8)---------|-------8-6-8--------8-6-8------|
|------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------------------|
|------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------------------|
Eb MajorEb
H Q Q H H
|------------|--------------------------------|
|-6----6--6--|--8---------8-------------------|
|-6----6--6--|--8---------8-------------------|
|-8----8--8--|--8---------8-------------------|
|------------|-10--------10-------------------|
|-6----6--6--|--------------------------------|
|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~
| W +E MajorE E MajorE Q S S S +S S S E MajorE
|------------|--------------------------------|
|------------|--------------------------------|
|------------|--------------8-8pb10r(8)-6-8---|
|-8----------|-(8)\-------------------------8-|
|------------|--------------------------------|
|------------|--------------------------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
Q Q Q Q H H
|-----------------------------|----------------|
|--6---6--6-------------6-----|--8------8------|
|--6---6--6-------------6-----|--8------8------|
|--8---8--8-------------8-----|--8------8------|
|-----------------------------|-10-----10------|
|--6---6--6-------------6-----|----------------|
|
|~~~~~ ~~~
| +H S S S +S S S E MajorE +H. Q
|-----------------------------|----------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------|
|---------8b10==8-8r(8)-6-8---|----------------|
|-(8)-----------------------8-|-(8)------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-6---------------6------6-----------6----|--8------8-------8--------8----|
|-6---------------6------6-----------6----|--8------8-------8--------8----|
|-8---------------8------8-----------8----|--8------8-------8--------8----|
|-----------------------------------------|-10-----10------10-------10----|
|-6---------------6------6-----------6----|-------------------------------|
|
| ~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~
| |---3----|
| S S +S +S S S E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE +E MajorE S E. E MajorE S S +E MajorE S S S S S S S E.
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-6-8b10==(8)r(8)p6-8-------8b10r(8)-6-8--|--8-6-8-(8)-6p5----8p6p5h=6p5--|
|---------------------8-(8)---------------|-----------------x-------------|
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
Q Q Q Q H H
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-6---6----------6--6---------|--8--------------8-------------|
|-6---6----------6--6---------|--8--------------8-------------|
|-8---8----------8--8---------|--8--------------8-------------|
|-----------------------------|-10-------------10-------------|
|-6---6----------6--6---------|-------------------------------|
|
| ~ ~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
| Q +S T T S S Q T T S S S E MajorE S S +E MajorE S S +S S S S +Q
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|--------6p5--------6p5-------|--6p5-6-(6)-5-6-(6)p5-6s8-(8)--|
|-8--(8)-----8-6-8------8-6-8-|-------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
H H H H
|---------------------|---------------------------------------|
|-6---------6---------|--8-----------------8------------------|
|-6---------6---------|--8-----------------8------------------|
|-8---------8---------|--8-----------------8------------------|
|---------------------|-10----------------10------------------|
|-6---------6---------|---------------------------------------|
|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
| S S Q. +Q. +E MajorE S S S S +Q +S S S S +Q
|---------------------|----6-9-----------------6-9------------|
|---------------------|---------------------------------------|
|-6-8-----------------|--------8b10==(8)--(8)r-----8b10==(8)--|
|-----8----(8)---(8)/-|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------------------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
H H H H
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|--6------6-------------------|--8-------------------8-------------------|
|--6------6-------------------|--8-------------------8-------------------|
|--8------8-------------------|--8-------------------8-------------------|
|-----------------------------|-10------------------10-------------------|
|--6------6-------------------|------------------------------------------|
|
|~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
| +H S S S S S S S S S S S S +S S E MajorE +S S E MajorE +S T T E MajorE
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-----------11-11p9---11-11p9-|----11-11p9-(9)---------------------------|
|-(8)r------------------------|----------------10s8-(8)-6p5-(5)-5h6-5----|
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
H H H H
|-----------|----------------------|
|-6----6----|--8--------8----------|
|-6----6----|--8--------8----------|
|-8----8----|--8--------8----------|
|-----------|-10-------10----------|
|-6----6----|----------------------|
|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| W +Q H +E MajorE S S
|-----------|----------------------|
|-----------|----------------------|
|-----------|------/8------(8)s6s8-|
|-8---------|-(8)------------------|
|-----------|----------------------|
|-----------|----------------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
H H H H
|--------------|------------------------------|
|-6-----6------|---8--------------------8-----|
|-6-----6------|---8--------------------8-----|
|-8-----8------|---8--------------------8-----|
|--------------|--10-------------------10-----|
|-6-----6------|------------------------------|
|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
| H. Q +S S S S E MajorE S S +H
|--------------|------------------------------|
|----------11--|-(11)-9-11-11-11-9-11-(11)----|
|--------------|------------------------------|
|-8------------|------------------------------|
|--------------|------------------------------|
|--------------|------------------------------|
BbmBbm Eb MajorEb
E MajorE E E MajorE E E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE E
|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|-6---6---6-------------6------------|---8-----------------8-------8----8---|
|-6---6---6-------------6------------|---8-----------------8-------8----8---|
|-8---8---8-------------8------------|---8-----------------8-------8----8---|
|------------------------------------|--10----------------10------10---10---|
|-6---6---6-------------6------------|--------------------------------------|
|
| H E MajorE S S +E MajorE S S +S S S +S S E. E MajorE E Q
|-----------16--------------16-------|------16------------------------------|
|--------------16b18==(16)r----16b18-|-(16)----16b18r(16)-14-16p==14--------|
|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
BbmBbm
E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE
|------------------------------------------|
|-6--------6-----------6----------6--------|
|-6--------6-----------6----------6--------|
|-8--------8-----------8----------8--------|
|------------------------------------------|
|-6--------6-----------6----------6--------|
|
| E. S S S S S S S S S S S E MajorE
|------------------------------------------|
|------16-16s18-18-18s16-16-16p14---14p13--|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
Eb MajorEb BbmBbm
E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE
|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|--8---------8--------8--------8--------------|---6----6-----6------------------6-------|
|--8---------8--------8--------8--------------|---6----6-----6------------------6-------|
|--8---------8--------8--------8--------------|---8----8-----8------------------8-------|
|-10--------10-------10-------10--------------|-----------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|---6----6-----6------------------6-------|
|
| ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
| S E. +S S E MajorE E. S E MajorE S S +H +S S +S S Q
|--------------------------16-------16--------|-----------------------------16----------|
|-14-13----(13)-14------------16b18----16b18==|=(16)-------(16)r-16b18-(16)----16b18====|
|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
Eb MajorEb
E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE
|-------------------------------------------------*|
|---8------8------------------8-------------8-----*|
|---8------8------------------8-------------8-----*|
|---8------8------------------8-------------8-----*|
|--10-----10-----------------10------------10-----*|
|-------------------------------------------------*|
|
|~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| +Q T +T E MajorE S S E. +Q
|----------------------------16-16pb18====(16)r---*|
|-(16)r---16b18r(16)-14---------------------------*|
|-------------------------15----------------------*|
|-------------------------------------------------*|
|-------------------------------------------------*|
|-------------------------------------------------*|
Duration 🏷Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E MajorE - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature 🏷Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc 🏷Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
