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Where do the children play? - Cat Stevens
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Tabbed by: Ryan JM
Email: [email protected]
This lovely song is basically chords strummed in such a way that they
hit a pattern of notes. The pattern you're after is this:
D G
e|---2-----2-----------|---0---0-------------|
B|-----3-----3p0*------|-----3--(3p0*)-------|
G|---------------------|---------------------|
D|-0-------------------|---------------------|
A|---------------------|---------------------|
E|---------------------|-3-------------------|
And later for the "I know we've come a long way" part:
Em A
e|---------------------|---0---0-------------|
B|---0---0-------------|-----2--(2)----------|
G|-----0--(0)----------|---------------------|
D|---------------------|---------------------|
A|---------------------|-0-------------------|
E|-0-------------------|---------------------|
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* This is to show that you lift that finger when changing chord
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Sooo what you need to do is strum the chords and try to stick to the
pattern. It might look like this, for example:
D G
e|---2------2---2--xx--|---0------0---0--xx--|
B|-3---3----3---3p-xx*-|-----3--------3p-xx*-|
G|-2---2--------2--xx--|-----0--------0--xx--|
D|-0------------0--xx--|-0------------0--xx--|
A|---------------------|-2-------------------|
E|---------------------|-3-------------------|
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* Some muted clicks between the chords
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Dead easy, and really nice to play and listen to! :)
Alright, now then..!
INTRO:
D - G X4
C - Em - C - Em - A (just plain strum these chords)
D - G X2
The song starts with a synth (I think that's what it is) but
can be played just as well on a guitar, an electric with a nice
soft effect, for example.
Listen to the song to get the right timing.
e|---0-2*--0-2-3--2-3-5-5-5--3-2-3--3-3-2----|
B|-3--------------------------------------3--|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|X2
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* This is where the guitar comes in and plays the chord.
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Then it goes something like this I think for the change to C:
e|---------------3-3h5p3---------------------|
B|-1h3p1-0-1-3---------------1h3p1-0-1-0-----|
G|---------------------------------------2---|
D|-------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|
Then to the main synth riff, which comes back throughout the whole
song
[ Tab from: http://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/c/cat_stevens/where_do_the_children_play_tab_ver_2.html ]
MAIN SYNTH RIFF:
D G
e|-2-0-2-0-------------|-0---0-----0---------|
B|---------3-----------|---3---3-3-----------|
G|---------------------|---------------------|
D|---------------------|---------------------|
A|---------------------|---------------------|
E|---------------------|---------------------|X2
Oh yeah,
the bass comes in (as the guitar plays C) with
C - B - C - B - A, which looks like this:
G|--------------------|
D|--------------------|
A|-3----2------3-2-0--|
E|--------------------|
then plays the same note as the chord the guitar is
playing. Very simple. (I think it sounds like the synth
might also be playing what the bass is playing, but I'm not
sure)
Anyway, here's the song:
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D G D G
Well I think it's fine building jumbo planes
D G D G
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes get what you want to if you want cause you can get anything
Em A Em A
I know we've come a long way, we're changing day to day
Em A D - G - D - G - D - G - D - G
But tell me, where do the children play?
Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass
For your lorryloads pumping petrol gas
And you make them long, and you make them tough
C G C G
But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can't get off
I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
MIDDLEPLAY:
C - Em - C - Em - A
D - G X4
When you crack the sky, scrapers fill the air
Will you keep on building higher
'til there's no more room up there?
C G C G
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
C G C G
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?
Em7 A (just strum these now)
I know we've come a long way
Em7 A
We're changing day to day--hey
Em A D G D G
But tell me, where do the children play?
D G D G
Do doot do, do de do doot do
D G D D
Do de do doot do do de do do
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
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