A Virtuoso Is His Own Reward tab by Leo Kottke

This is a reissue of a classic Kottke tab by Charlie Weidhas. Enjoy!

Patrick R. Schwemmer
pschwemm@hotmail.com


   A Virtuoso is His Own Reward
   Written by Leo Kottke
   Transcribed by Charlie Weidhas
   Open D tuning (CD recording is tuned down 1/2 step)


   This tune is fun to play with lots of open strings played and a bit of
   slide thrown in. However, the tune sounds fine played without a slide
   (which is good because I can't play a slide worth a damn!)

   What I've done here is TAB only fragments of the tune. Each fragment
   (or riff) is repeated throughout the tune but is never quite the same
   each time played.

   IMHO, this song is really designed for improvisational playing around
   certain fingerings/patterns. Once you get the basic tune down, just let
   the rest flow. Without having the opportunity to ask Kottke, I would
   bet a buck that he plays the tune in this way.

   This is taken from "A Shout Towards Noon" and I've added in the
   CD track time to indicate from where the fragment was taken.

   Some assembly and imagination required. No timing included, listen to
   the recording. Once the basic pattern is learned, this song is fun to
   play and experiment with. Plus, its another tune to play when you're
   in open D.


   s = slide
   h = hit
   p = pull
   * = notes are played using slide
   () = optional note
   @ = time in CD where fragment is first heard


   @0:00 Fragment 1
    ****************************
   -----4-s-2s0--------------------------------
   -------------0-------------5-------------0--
   ---------------0-------------5--(0)----0-0--
   -----0-----------7---7-s-5-----5-4---0------
   --------------------------------------------
   -0-----------------7-----5---------0--------

   Note 1: Use vibrato on middle d string 4th fret note.


                **************
   -------------2-4---------4-s-2-0---------
   ----0-----0----------0-----------0-------
   --0-----0----------0---0-----------0-----
   -----------------0-------------------7---
   -----------------------------------------
   0-----0--------------------------------7-


   *********
   ------------------------7-------7-
   ------5---------------7-------7---
   --------5-------------5-------5---
   7-s-5-----2-4-s-5---5-------5-----
   ------------------0-------0-------
   ----5-----------------------------


   *****************************
   --4-s-2-0-------------------------------
   ----------0-------------5-------------0-
   ------------0-------------5---0-----0-0-
   --0-----------7---7-s-5-----5-----0-----
   ----------------------------------------
   0---------------7-----5---------0-------


   @0:26 Fragment 2
   -----------------------------------
   -------0---0-----------------------
   -1-s-3---1---0---------------------
   ---------------0-s-4-s-2-s-0-------
   -----------------------------2---0-
   -------------------------------0---



   ----------------------------------------------
   ------------------------0---------------------
   -1-s-3-1-s-3-s-1-0-1------1-1-s-3-1-0-h-1-s-3-
   -2-s-4-2-s-4-s-2-0-2---2----2-s-4-2-0-h-2-s-4-
   ---------------------0------------------------
   ----------------------------------------------

   ---------0---------0---------0------------
   ---------0---------0-------0---0----------
   -------------------------3----------------
   -----4---------4---------4-------4--------
   ---0---------0---------0-----------0------
   -0---------0---------0--------------------


   -------------------------0---------------
   -----------------------0-----------------
   -1-s-3-1-s-3-s-1-0-1-1-----1-1-s-3-s-1-0-
   -2-s-4-2-s-4-s-2-0-2---------2-s-4-s-2-0-
   -2-s-4-2-s-4-s-2-0-2---------2-s-4-s-2-0-
   -----------------------------------------



   @0:45 Fragment 3
   -

[INCOMPLETE!]
(This is where you come in...)