The Blacksmith tab by Bert Jansch

Tabbed by Jamie Phillips (jamiephillips22@hotmail.com)

Artist: Bert Jansch
Track title: The Blacksmith
Album: The River Sessions (and LA Turnaround)
Tuning: DADGAD

This is an absolutely stunning track - the guitar part alone is worth learning simply to
see how great the DADGAD tuning can sound. I tabbed it from the live version which is just
guitar and vocals. I think the guitar on the studio version is virtually the same though.
This tab is the guitar part from the first verse - the other verses are the same with a few
minor variations which you can check out yourself. He repeats the main riff a few times
before he sings. The thing about this tune is that you could refinger virtually every phrase
a different way to suit your fingers. This is how I think it's played, although the live
version is a little sketchy in places. You'll get the general idea though! I've given an
alternate fingering for one of the verses I thought some fingers might have trouble with.
Enjoy! :o)

Rhythm 4/4 (and 2/4, 3/4)



Beat:*    *    *    *      *    *    *    *
D||--------0-h2--0-----------0-h2--0-----|--------------------------------0-----|
A||--------0-h3--0-----------0-h3--0-----|--------------------5--------7--------|
G||-----2-----------2-----2-----------2--|--------0-h5--0--------5-----------5--|
D||--0-----------------------------------|-----7-----------7--------7-----------|
A||--------------------------------------|--0-----------------------------------|
D||--------------------0-----------------|--------------------------------------|


  *    *     *      *    *    *    *
D-------------------------------|--------0-h2--0-----------0-h2--0-----|
A----------------------0--------|--------0-h3--0-----------0-h3--0-----|
G-/7----------------------0-----|-----2-----------2-----2-----------2--|
D-----0-----10---------------2--|--0-----------------------------------|
A--------8------7---------------|--------------------------------------|
D------------------10-----------|--------------------0-----------------|

  *    *    *    *      *    *    *    *
D--------0-h2--0-----------0-h2--0-----|--------------------------------0-----|
A--------0-h3--0-----------0-h3--0-----|--------------------5--------7--------|
G-----2-----------2-----2-----------2--|--------0-h5--0--------5-----------5--|
D--0-----------------------------------|-----7-----------7--------7-----------|
A--------------------------------------|--0-----------------------------------|
D--------------------0-----------------|--------------------------------------|


  *    *     *     *      *    *    *    *
D------------------7----------------------|--------2-h3--2-----------2-h3--2-----|
A--0-----------10-----10-p7-----7---------|--------0-----------------0-----------|
G-----------9----------------7-----7------|-----------------------------------0--|
D-------------------------------------10--|-----2-----------2-----2--------------|
A-----7--7--------------------------------|--0-----------------0-----------------|
D-----7--7--------------------------------|--------------------------------------|


  *    *    *      *    *    *
D--------0-h7-p0--------------|-----------------------------|
A-----8-----------8-----0-----|-----0--------------0--------|
G--------------------7--------|--------5-----4-/5-----5-----|
D-----------------------------|-----------7--------------7--|
A--------------------------8--|--7--------------------------|
D--0--------------------------|-----------------------------|


  *    *    *   *      *    *    *    *
D--------0-h2--0---------------------|--------0-h2--0-----------0-h2--0-----|
A--------0-h3--0---------------------|--------0-h3--0-----------0-h3--0-----|
G-----2-----------2------------------|-----2-----------2-----2-----------2--|
D--0---------------------------0-----|--------------------0-----------------|
A-------------------/5----3-------0--|--------------------------------------|
D-------------------/5----3----------|--0-----------------------------------|


  *    *    *     *      *    *    *    *
D--------0-h7-p0------------------------|--------0-h2--0-----------0-h2--0-----|
A-----8-----------8-----0------------0--|--------0-h3--0-----------0-h3--0-----|
G--------------------7---------7-5-----|-----2-----------2-----2-----------2--|
D--------------------------10-----------|--0-----------------------------------|
A---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D--0------------------------------------|--------------------0-----------------|


  *    *    *    *      *    *
D-----------0-----------------0--------|--------0-h2--0-----|
A-----0--------0--------0--------0-----|--------0-h3--0-----|
G--------0--------0--------0--------0--|-----2-----------2--|
D-/9-----------------8-----------------|--0-----------------|
A--------------------------------------|--------------------|
D--------------------------------------|--------------------|


  *    *    *    *      *    *
D-----------0-----------------0--------|--------0-h2--0-----|
A-----0--------0--------0--------0-----|--------0-h3--0-----|
G--------0--------0--------0--------0--|-----2-----------2--|
D-/9-----------------8-----------------|--0-----------------|
A--------------------------------------|--------------------|
D--------------------------------------|--------------------|


  *    *    *      *    *      *    *    *
D--------------0-----2h3p2p0--|--------0-h2--0-----|--------------0--------------|
A--------0-h3-----------------|--------0-h3--0-----|--------0-h3--------2h3p2p0--|
G-----0-----------------------|-----2-----------2--|-----0-----------------------|
D-----------------------------|--0-----------------|-----------------------------|
A-----------------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------|
D-/5--------------3-----------|--------------------|-/5--------------3-----------|


  *    *      *    *    *      *    *
D--------0-h2--0-----|--------------0-----2h3p2p0--|--------0-h2--0-----|
A--------0-h3--0-----|--------0-h3-----------------|--------0-h3--0-----|
G-----2-----------2--|-----0-----------------------|-----2-----------2--|
D--0-----------------|-----------------------------|--0-----------------|
A--------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------|
D--------------------|-/5--------------3-----------|--------------------|


  *    *    *      *    *    *    *
D--------------0--------------|--------0-h2--0-----------0-h2--0-----|
A--------0-h3--------2h3p2p0--|--------0-h3--0-----------0-h3--0-----|
G-----0-----------------------|-----2-----------2-----2-----------2--|
D-----------------------------|--0-----------------------------------|
A-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D-/5--------------3-----------|--------------------0-----------------|


  *    *    *    *
D--------0-h2--0-----------0-h2--0-----||
A--------0-h3--0-----------0-h3--0-----||
G-----2-----------2-----2-----------2--||
D--0-----------------------------------||
A--------------------------------------||
D--------------------0-----------------||


Alternative fingering for bar 3:

D||-----------------------------|----||
A||--5--------3--------0--------|----||
G||-----------------------0-----|----||
D||-----0--3-----2-----------2--|----||
A||-----------------3-----------|----||
D||-----------------------------|----||