Tabs
PEOPLE GET READY
As recorded by The Impressions
(From the 1965 Album PEOPLE GET READY)
Words and Music by Curtis Mayfield
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (
E MajorE 
A augmentedA 
D MajorD 
G+G 
BB E MajorE) - 'Horns'
Gtr II (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE) - 'Curtis Mayfield - Electric Guitar'
Gtr III (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE) - 'Curtis Mayfield - Electric Guitar'
Intro
Q=73
DbDb 
BbM7Bbm7 
GbGb DbDb
4/4
Gtr I (Horns arr. for Gtr.)
E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE Q E MajorE E +Q. E MajorE
|--------------------|------------------|
|-6--7-6-------------|------------------|
|--------6-(6)-------|-6----6-(6)-------|
|--------------8-6-8-|----8-------------|
|--------------------|------------------|
|--------------------|------------------|
|
| Gtr II (Clean El. Gtr.)
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|--------------6---6-|------------------|
|------6-------6---6-|----7-------6---6-|
|------6-------6---6-|----6-------6---6-|
|------6-------------|----8-------6---6-|
|--------------------|------------------|
|--------------------|------------------|
|
| Gtr III (Clean El. Gtr.)
| Q. E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE Q E MajorE E +H
|--------------------|------------------|
|--------------------|------------------|
|--------3-(3)-3---3-|-3----1-(1)-------|
|-6------3-(3)---3---|-4--x-3-(3)-------|
|-4------------------|------------------|
|--------------------|------------------|
1st & 2nd Verses
BbM7Bbm7 GbGb DbDb DbDb BbM7Bbm7
E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE Q E MajorE E +Q. E MajorE H +H
|--------------------|-------------------||---------------------|
|-6--7-6-------------|-------------------||o--------------------|
|--------6-(6)-------|-6-----6-(6)-------||---------------------|
|--------------8-6-8-|-----8-------------||--6--------(6)-------|
|--------------------|-------------------||o--------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------||---------------------|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|--------------6---6-|-------------------||---------------6---6-|
|------6-------6---6-|-----7-------6---6-||o-----6--------6---6-|
|------6-------6---6-|-----6-------6---6-||------6--------6---6-|
|------6-------------|-----8-------6---6-||------6--------------|
|--------------------|-------------------||o--------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------||---------------------|
|
| Q. E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE Q. E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE Q E MajorE E E MajorE E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE
|--------------------|-------------------||---------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------||o--------------------|
|--------3-(3)-3---3-|-3-----------------||--6------------------|
|-6------3-(3)---3---|-4-----------3-6---||--6---6-!8-(8)-8---8-|
|-4------------------|-4-----4-(4)-------||o---8---!8-(8)---8---|
|--------------------|-------------------||--------!6-(6)-------|
GbGb DbDb BbM7Bbm7 GbGb DbDb
Q. E MajorE +H W Q. E MajorE +Q. E MajorE
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-4-----3-(3)-------|-6------------------|-4-----3-(3)-------|
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|-------------------|-------------6----6-|-------------------|
|-----7-------6---6-|-----6-------6----6-|-----7-------6---6-|
|-----6-------6---6-|-----6-------6----6-|-----6-------6---6-|
|-----8-------6---6-|-----6--------------|-----8-------6---6-|
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|
| Q. E MajorE +H E MajorE E E MajorE E +E MajorE Q. Q. E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE Q
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-------3-(3)-------|-----6--------------|-------------------|
|-8-----3-(3)-------|---6---8-(8)-8------|-4-----3-(3)-3-6---|
|-9-----4-(4)-------|-4-----8-(8)--------|-------4-(4)-------|
|-------------------|-------6-(6)--------|-4-----------------|
BbM7Bbm7 GbGb DbDb 
Fm7Fm7 
EbM7Ebm7
W Q. E MajorE +H H H
|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|-6------------------|-4-----3-(3)-------|-6--------4--------|
|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|-------------6----6-|-------------------|-------------------|
|-----6-------6----6-|-----7-------6---6-|-----9-------7---7-|
|-----6-------6----6-|-----6-------6---6-|-----8-------6---6-|
|-----6--------------|-----8-------6---6-|----10-------8---8-|
|--------------------|-------------------|-----8-------6---6-|
|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|
| E MajorE E E MajorE E +E MajorE Q. Q. E MajorE +Q E MajorE e Q E MajorE E +E MajorE E MajorE E e
|--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------|-9-----------------|
|-------6-(6)--------|-3---------------6-|-8-----8-(8)---8---|
|---3-6-8-(8)-8------|-4-------------6---|-------------8---8-|
|-4-----8-(8)--------|-------4-(4)-------|-------------------|
|-------6-(6)--------|-4-----------------|-------------------|
Interlude
1.
GbGb N.C. DbDb BbM7Bbm7 GbGb 
Db6Db6
Q E MajorE E +E MajorE E MajorE Q W W
|--------------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|--------------------||----------------------|-----------------------o||
|--------------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|--4---4-3-(3)-------||----------------------|------------------------||
|--------------------||----------------------|-----------------------o||
|--------------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|
| Q E MajorE E H W W
|--------------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|------x-------------||----------------------|-----------------------o||
|------x-------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|------x-------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|--------------------||----------------------|-----------------------o||
|--------------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|
| |-3-|
| Q. E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE S S E MajorE E E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE S S S E MajorE e E MajorE E E MajorE E E MajorE
|--------------------||----------------------|------------------------||
|-^2-----------------||-9s11s9s4-------------|-----------------9-----o||
|-^3-----------------||-8s10s8s5-5-(5)-------|-6h8p6---------8-8------||
|-^4-------------6---||----------------6---6-|-------8-----8-8---(8)--||
|--------4-(4)-8---8-||------------------8---|---------9-8-8---------o||
|--------------------||----------6-(6)-------|-----------9------------||
2.
DbDb 
BbmBbm GbGb DbDb
Gtr III
E MajorE a E MajorE E E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE a E MajorE E a E MajorE E E MajorE Q E MajorE
|---------------------|--------------------||
|-6-6h7-6-------------|--------------------||
|-6---6-6-6-(6)-------|---6-6---6-6--------||
|---------8-(8)-8-6-8-|-6h8---6h8-6-6-6----||
|-4-------8-(8)-------|---9-----9-9-6-8--8-||
|---------------------|---------------9----||
D MajorD 
B minorBm 
G/DG/D D MajorD
|3|
E MajorE a E MajorE E E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE Q E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE
|---------------------|-3-3-(3)-------------||
|-7-7h8-7-------------|-3-3-(3)-7-(7)-------||
|-7---7-7-7-(7)-------|-4-4-(4)-7-(7)-----7-||
|---------9-(9)-9-7-9-|-5-5-(5)-7-(7)-4-7---||
|-5-------9-(9)-------|-5-5-(5)-5-(5)-------||
|---------------------|---------------------||
3rd Verse
D MajorD 
Bm7Bm7 G+G D MajorD
Gtr I
W Q. E MajorE +H
|------------------|---------------------|
|------------------|---------------------|
|------------------|---------------------|
|-7----------------|--5------4-(4)-------|
|------------------|---------------------|
|------------------|---------------------|
|
| Gtr II
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|------------7---7-|---------------------|
|----7-------7---7-|-------8-------7---7-|
|----7-------7---7-|-------7-------7---7-|
|----7-------7---7-|-------9-------7---7-|
|------------------|---------------------|
|------------------|---------------------|
|
| Gtr III
| Q E MajorE E +E MajorE E MajorE Q E MajorE E MajorE Q E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE
|------------------|---------------------|
|------------------|---------------------|
|-7----------------|---------------------|
|-7----------9-----|-----9-x---------7---|
|-5----9-(9)-------|-10------------9---9-|
|------7-(7)-------|---------------------|
Bm7Bm7 G+G D MajorD
Q. E MajorE +Q. E MajorE Q. E MajorE +Q. E MajorE
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|--7------4-(4)-------|--5-----4-(4)--------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|---------------7---7-|---------------------|
|-------7-------7---7-|------8-------7---7--|
|-------7-------7---7-|------7-------7---7--|
|-------7-------7---7-|------9-------7---7--|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|
| E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE Q Q. E MajorE +Q Q
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|--7------------------|
|-------7-9-(9)-------|--9------------------|
|-----9---9-(9)-------|-10-----9-(9)--------|
|-10------7-(7)-------|---------------------|
Bm7Bm7 G+G D MajorD 
F#m7F#m7 
E minor 7Em7
W Q. E MajorE +H H H
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|-7-----------------|--5-------4-(4)-------|--7---------5--------|
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|-------------7---7-|----------------------|-------9-------------|
|-----7-------7---7-|--------8-------7---7-|------10-------8---8-|
|-----7-------7---7-|--------7-------7---7-|-------9-------7---7-|
|-----7-------7---7-|--------9-------7---7-|---------------9---9-|
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------7---7-|
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|
| E MajorE E e E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E e E MajorE Q E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE Q Q. E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE Q
|-------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
|-----7-------------|----------------------|-10------------------|
|-------7-(7)-------|--7---7-----------7---|--9------7-(7)-------|
|---7---9-(9)-----9-|--9---9---7-(7)-7-----|---------------9-----|
|-5-----9-(9)-------|-10--10---9-(9)-------|--9------7-(7)-------|
|-------7-(7)-------|----------------------|---------------------|
4th Verse
N.C. D MajorD Bm7Bm7 G+G D MajorD
Q E MajorE E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE Q W Q. E MajorE +H
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|--5-----5--4--(4)-------||-7------------------|--5------4-(4)-------|
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|
| W Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|------------------------||-------------7----7-|---------------------|
|------------------------||-----7-------7----7-|-------8-------7---7-|
|------------------------||-----7-------7----7-|-------7-------7---7-|
|------------------------||-----7-------7----7-|-------9-------7---7-|
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|
| E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE E +E MajorE Q. E MajorE Q E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE Q
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------||--------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------7-||-7-7-7--------------|---------------------|
|--------------------7---||-7-7-7-9-(9)-9------|-----9-----------7---|
|-10-10-10--9--(9)-9-----||-------9-(9)--------|-10------------9-----|
|-10-10-10-10-(10)-------||-------7-(7)--------|---------------------|
Bm7Bm7 G+G D MajorD Bm7Bm7
W Q. E MajorE +Q. E MajorE W
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|--7-----------------|--5-------4-(4)-------|--7-----------------|
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e
|--------------7---7-|----------------------|--------------7---7-|
|------7-------7---7-|--------8-------7---7-|------7-------7---7-|
|------7-------7---7-|--------7-------7---7-|------7-------7---7-|
|------7-------7---7-|--------9-------7---7-|------7-------7---7-|
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|
| E MajorE E E MajorE E +E MajorE E MajorE Q E MajorE Q E MajorE E MajorE E MajorE Q E MajorE E E MajorE E +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
|--------------------|--7---7---------------|----------------7---|
|------7-------9-----|--9---9-----------7---|------7-9-(9)-9---9-|
|----9---9-(9)-------|-10--10---------9-----|----9---9-(9)-------|
|-10-----7-(7)-------|----------------------|-10-----7-(7)-------|
Outro
Freely Q=63
G+G G+G F#m7F#m7 N.C.
Q. E MajorE +H Q. E MajorE H W
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|--5------4-(4)-------|-7------5----------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e E MajorE e Q e E MajorE H W
|---------------------|------9------------||------|
|-------8-------7---7-|-----10------------||------|
|-------7-------7---7-|------9------------||------|
|-------9-------7---7-|-------------------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|
| E MajorE E MajorE Q E MajorE E MajorE Q Q E MajorE E +E MajorE E MajorE Q W
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
|--7------------------|-9------7-(7)------||------|
|--9--------------7---|-------------------||------|
|-10------------9-----|-9------7-(7)------||------|
|---------------------|-------------------||------|
In tempo Q=73 H.=H
D MajorD Bm7Bm7 
G/AG/A D MajorD
Q H. +Q Q E MajorE E MajorE +Q +W
|--------------------|------------------------------|---------*|
|--------------------|------------------------------|---------*|
|----14--------------|-(14)--12---12----11----(11)--|-(11)----*|
|--------------------|------------------------------|---------*|
|--------------------|------------------------------|---------*|
|--------------------|------------------------------|---------*|
|
| Q e E MajorE E MajorE e e e H S S S S Q +W
|-----5--------7---7-|-------------------------10---|-(10)----*|
|-----7--------7---7-|---------------------10-------|---------*|
|-----7--------7---7-|-------------------9----------|---------*|
|--------------------|----------------9-------------|---------*|
|--------------------|-------------9----------------|---------*|
|--------------------|------------------------------|---------*|
|
| Q E MajorE E MajorE +E MajorE E MajorE E E MajorE Q E MajorE E +H +W
|--------------------|------------------------------|---------*|
|--------------------|---3----3-7-(7)---------------|--(7)----*|
|-----7--------7-7-7-|---4----4-7-(7)---------------|--(7)----*|
|-----7--------7-7-7-|---5----5-7-(7)---------------|--(7)----*|
|-5------------------|----------5-(5)---------------|--(5)----*|
|--------7-(7)-------|---5----5---------------------|---------*|
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
People get ready
There's a train a-coming
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord
So people get ready
For the train to Jordan
Picking up passengers
From coast to coast
Faith is the key
Open the doors and board them
There's hope for all
among the loved the most
There ain't no room
for the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just
To save his own
Have pity on those
whose chances grow thinner
Cause there's no hiding place
Against the Kingdom's Throne
So people get ready
There's a train a-comin'
You don't need no baggage
you just get on board!
All you need is faith
to hear the diesels humming
Don't need no ticket
you just thank the Lord
Other versions of People Get Ready
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for People get ready by Impressions
| Version | Type |
|---|
| People get ready | Chords |
