Mayer adds some awesome feel to his guitar playing style. This is a tab for his
cover of Ain't No Sunshine. *Note that this is just one of the ways he plays the song.* He
improvises bits and pieces of the song every time he goes on stage so it's never the same.
Here is the way he played it at Madison Square Garden a few years ago. (Look up on
YouTube for song version)
* = staccato
# = accent
^ = fret note with your thumb
()= ghost note
I)
* # # # # # * # # # * * # #
|------X---3--------------------------|------X---3-------------------------|
|------X---3-6-3----------------------|------X---3-6-3---------------------|
|------X---3-3-3-------5-----5--------|------X---3-3-3---------5---5-------|
|------X---------------5h7---5--------|------X-----------------5h7-5-------|
|------X---------0-5-8---------8p5----|------X---------0-5--8--------8p5---|
|--3---X-3-------------------------8--|--3---X-3-------------------------8-|
^ ^ ^ ^
The first and seconds bars are NOT identical. Listen to song for the differences in
timing and accents.
Repeat the above part a few times, then...
[ Tab from: http://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/john_mayer/aint_no_sunshine_tab.html ]
IIa)
#* # # *
|------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|----------10------------------------------|--------8h11p8------------------|
|----------10---------------10-------------|----------------10p8-8--7-------|
|---------------------------10h12p10-------|---------------------8--8-------|
|----------------10-12-10-12---------12-10-|--------------------------------|
|-10---(10)--------------------------------|-8---(8)------------------5-3-1-|
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Then back into the first part.
An alternative to the above is:
IIb)
#* # * * * *
|---------------------------------------|-----X--8----------------------|
|--------10-----------------------------|-----X--8-11-------------------|
|--------10--------10-------------------|-----X--8-8---10---8-----------|
|------------------10----10-------------|-----X-------------8-----------|
|-----------10h12-----12----(12)-12p10--|-----X----------------10--8h10-|
|--10-10--------------------------------|--8--X-------------------------|
^ ^ ^
What makes this song great is John's funky style of playing and the feel he pours into
it. The options for improvisation are endless.
I gave you some general framework and example parts that John Mayer plays. If you want
to branch out and add your own touch, experiment with the minor pentatonic scale at the
1st position relative for each root note (3rd fret, 10th fret, and 8th fret of the low E string)
Enjoy
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