Somebody, from Alaska I believe, was looking for tab for Leo Kottke's
Stealing, so that he could be in good graces with a friend who might
take him Halibut fishing (sounds like a Kottke story there :-)). Anyway,
it inspired me to finally sit down and try writing some tab. Maybe I'll
get some of the other pieces I know down one of these days also.
This transcription is based on the live version on the My Feet Are Smiling
LP. My turntable hasn't been working for a while, so I wasn't able to do
any verification against the recording, but this is the way I've been
playing it for close to twenty years now. Any differences from the recording
are very minor and probably consist of variations on transitions between
sections. The version on Mudlark starts at section 3, and becomes a duet
after the first time through part 4 - much of which is just double tracking.
🎸
Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -
This is another of Kottke's high energy, fast tempo pieces. It is relatively
straightforward, the hard part being bringing it up to tempo.
It is also a good illustration of Leo's taking the thumb into melody
excursions, instead of always that "one oink per beat" duty.
The thumb always plays on the beat, with other fingers filling in the rest.
Where the player might be disinclined to use the thumb for higher strings
and melody parts, I've indicated its use by extending the beat mark all the
way up to the note to indicate the thumb's use. The first instance of this
appears in measure 10, then 25, and so on.
The slides in measures 66, 68, 70, and 72, begin at the first fret.
Please let me know if you find any problems, changes, or have any questions.
Stealing -- Leo Kottke
from My Feet Are Smiling
6-string standard tuning
Section order on My Feet Are Smiling:
1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 4, 6, 6, 7, 4, 3, 3
Section order on Mudlark:
3, 3, 4, 3, 7, 4, 6, 7, 6, 7
Intro: (repeat 5X, gradual crescendo)
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
1 |-----0-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0-----0--|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--3-----------0-----2-----|--3-----------0-----2-----|
|--------3-----------------|--------3-----------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Section 1:
C
|--------0--------0--------|--------------------------|
|-----1--------------------|--3p-1-----------1--------|
3 |--------------------------|-----------2--------------|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--3-----------3-----------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
|--------0--------0--------|--------------------------|
|-----1--------------------|--3p-1-----------1--------|
5 |--------------------------|-----------2--------------|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--3-----------3-----------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F
|--------0-----|-----------1--------------|
|-----1--------|-----------------1--------|
7 |-----------0--|-----2--------------------|
|--------2-----|--------3-----------3-----|
|--3-----------|--------------------------|
|--------------|--1-----------1-----------|
| | | | | |
1 . 2 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
G
|--3--------3--------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----0-----0-----0--------|
9 |-----------------4--------|--------5-----5-----------|
|--------5-----------5-----|--------|-----------0-----|
|--------------------------|--------|-----------------|
|--3-----------3-----------|--3-----|-----3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------1--------1--------|--3p-1-----------1--------|
11|--------------------------|-----------2--------------|
|--------3-----------3-----|--------3-----------3-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--1-----------1-----------|--1-----------1-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------1--------1--------|--3p--1----------1--------|
13|--------------------------|-----------2-----------2--|
|--------3-----------3-----|--------3-----------3-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--1-----------1-----------|--1-----------1-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C
|--------0--------0--------|--------------------------|
|-----1--------------------|--3p-1-----------1--------|
15|--------------------------|-----------2--------------|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--3-----------3-----------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C
|--------0--------0--------|--------------------------|
|-----1--------------------|--3p-1----------1---------|
17|--------------------------|-----------2-----------2--|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--3-----------3-----------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
G
|-----------3--------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------0--------|------------------0-------|
19|--------------------------|-----------0--2-----------|
|--------0-----------0-----|-----3--------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--3-----------3-----------|--1-----1-----1-----------|
| | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C G
|--------------------------|--------3--------3--------|
|--1--------1-----1--------|--------0--------0--------|
21|--0--------0-----0-----0--|--------------------------|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------0-----------0-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--3-----------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
|--3--------3-----3--------|
|--0--------0-----0--------|
23|--------------------------|
|--------0-----------0-----|
|--------------------------|
|--3-----------3-----------|
| | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Section 2:
C
|-----8--------7p-5--------|--------------------------|
|-----------------------8--|-----6--5-------5------8--|
24|--------5-----------5-----|--------|--7--------5-----|
|--5-----------5-----------|--5-----|-----5-----|-----|
|--------------------------|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|--------------------------|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F C G
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------1p-0--------------|----1------------0--------|
26|-----------------2--------|-----------0--------------|
|--------3-----------3-----|--------2-----------0-----|
|--------------------------|--3-----------------------|
|--1-----------1-----------|--------------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C
|-----8--------7p-5--------|--------------------------|
|-----------------------8--|-----6--5-------5------8--|
28|--------5-----------5-----|--------|--7--------5-----|
|--5-----------5-----------|--5-----|-----5-----|-----|
|--------------------------|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|--------------------------|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
G
|--------------0--------3--|--------------3s-7--------|
|-----------0-----3--1-----|-----0--------------------|
30|-----0--2-----------|-----|--------------------0-----|
|--------|-----------|-----|--------0-----0-----|-----|
|--------|-----------|-----|--------|-----|-----|-----|
|--3-----|-----3-----|-----|--3-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C
|-----8--------7p-5--------|--------------------------|
|-----------------------8--|-----6--5-------5------8--|
32|--------5-----------5-----|--------|--7--------5-----|
|--5-----|-----5-----|-----|--5-----|-----5-----|-----|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F C G
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------1p-0--------------|-----1-----------0--------|
34|-----------------2--------|-----------0--------------|
|--------3-----------3-----|--------2-----------0-----|
|--------------------------|--3-----------------------|
|--1-----------1-----------|--------------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
G
|--------------0--------3--|--------------3s-7--------|
|-----------0-----3--1-----|-----0--------------------|
36|-----0--2-----------|-----|--------------------0-----|
|--------|-----------|-----|--------0-----0-----|-----|
|--------|-----------|-----|--------|-----|-----|-----|
|--3-----|-----3-----|-----|--3-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C
|--5p-3--------------------|--------------------------|
|-----------5-----3--------|--1--------1-----1--------|
38|--------------------------|--0--------0-----0-----0--|
|--------5-----------5-----|--------2-----------2-----|
|--------------------------|--3-----------3-----------|
|--3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
G
|--------3--------3--------|--3--------3----3---------|
|--------0--------0--------|--0--------0----0---------|
40|--------------------------|-----------------------0--|
|--------0------------0----|--------0-----------0-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--3-----------3-----------|--3-----------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
---------------------------------------------------------
"Armadillo" intro:
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|--------------0-----2-----|
|--------3-----------------|
| | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
---------------------------------------------------------
Section 3:
C F
|--------3p-0--------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------3--------|-----------1--------1-----|
42|-----------------------0--|--0h-2-----------2--------|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------3-----------3-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--1-----------1-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C G
|--------3p-0--------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------3--------|-----------0--------0-----|
44|-----------------------0--|--0h-2-----------2--------|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------0-----------0-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--3-----------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C F
|--------3p-0--------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------3--------|-----------1--------------|
46|-----------------------0--|--0h-2-----------2-----2--|
|--------2-----------2-----|--------3-----------3-----|
|--3-----------3-----------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--1-----------1-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C G F G C
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------1--------0--------|--1-----0-----1-----------|
48|--------0--------0--------|--0-----0-----0-----------|
|--------2-----------0-----|--------------------2-----|
|--3-----------------------|--------2-----3-----------|
|--------------3-----------|--1-----------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Section 4:
C G Am G
|--------------------------|-----------3--------------|
|--------1--------0--------|-----1--------------------|
50|--------0--------------0--|-----------------0-----0--|
|--------2-----------0-----|--------2-----------0-----|
|--3-----------2-----------|--0-----------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F C G
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------1p-0--------------|----1------------0--------|
52|-----------------2--------|-----------0-----------0--|
|--------3-----------3-----|--------2-----------0-----|
|--------------------------|--3-----------------------|
|--1-----------1-----------|--------------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
C G/B Am G
|--------------------------|-----------3--------------|
|--------1--------0--------|-----1--------------------|
54|--------0--------------0--|-----------------0-----0--|
|--------2-----------0-----|--------2-----------0-----|
|--3-----------2-----------|--0-----------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------3-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
F C
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------0-----|--1--------1-----1--------|
56|-----------0--2-----|-----|--0--------0-----0-----0--|
|-----3--------------|-----|--------2-----------2-----|
|--------------------|-----|--3-----------3-----------|
|--1-----1-----1-----|-----|--------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Section 5:
A Amaj7/G#(?) D E
|--------------------------|--------------0-----------|
|--------------------------|--0h-2--------------------|
58|--------2--------1--------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------0-----------2-----|
|--------0-----------0-----|--------------------------|
|--5-----------4-----------|--2-----------0-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
D A E
|--------2p-0--------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------3--------|--2p-0--------------------|
60|--------------------------|--2-----------1-----------|
|--------0-----------0-----|--------2-----2-----2-----|
|--------------------------|--0-----------------------|
|--2-----------2-----------|--------------0-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
A Amaj7/G#(?) D E
|--------------------------|--------------0-----------|
|--------------------------|--0h-2--------------------|
62|--------2--------1--------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------0-----------2-----|
|--------0-----------0-----|--------------------------|
|--5-----------4-----------|--2-----------0-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
D A
|--------2p-0--------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------3--------|--2--------2-----2--------|
64|--------------------------|--2--------2-----2-----2--|
|--------0-----------0-----|--------2-----------2-----|
|--------------------------|--0-----------0-----------|
|--2-----------2-----------|--------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
E A
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|-----------9--------10----|-----------7--------------|
66|-----------------9--|-----|-----------------7--------|
|-------s9-----------|-----|--------7-----------7-----|
|--------|-----------|-----|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--------|-----------|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
A A E
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|-----------7--------8-----|--------7-----0-----------|
68|-----------------7--|-----|-----7--|-----------------|
|-------s7-----------|-----|--------|-----------2-----|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--0-----|-----------|-----|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--|-----|-----0-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Section 6:
E A
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|-----------9--------10----|-----------7--------------|
70|-----------------9--|-----|-----------------7--------|
|-------s9-----------|-----|--------7-----------7-----|
|--------|-----------|-----|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
A A E
|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|-----------7--------8-----|--------7-----0-----------|
72|-----------------7--|-----|-----7--|-----------------|
|-------s7-----------|-----|--------|-----------2-----|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--0-----|-----------|-----|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--|-----|-----0-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Section 7:
A D
|-----------------0--------|--2p-0-----3--2p-0-----0--|
|--------0h-2-----------2--|--------3-----------3-----|
74|--------2-----------------|--------|-----------|-----|
|--------|-----------2-----|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
A E
|--------------0-----------|--------------0-----------|
|--------0h-2-----2--0-----|-----------0--------------|
76|-----2--|-----------|--2--|--------1-----------------|
|--------|-----------|-----|-----2--|-----------2-----|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--------|-----------|-----|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
A D
|-----------------0--------|--2p-0-----3--2p-0-----0--|
|--------0h-2-----------2--|--------3-----------3-----|
78|--------2-----------------|--------|-----------|-----|
|--------|-----------2-----|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
A E A
|--------------0-----------|--------------------------|
|--------0h-2-----2--0-----|--------------2-----------|
80|-----2--|-----------|--2--|--------1-----2-----------|
|--------|-----------|-----|-----2--|-----------------|
|--0-----|-----0-----|-----|--------|-----0-----------|
|--|-----|-----|-----|-----|--0-----|-----|-----------|
| | | | | | | |
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
--
Craig Snider
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