Possum The chords in this song are played in a sort of bouncy-manner. The best way that I've found to play the E chord in this song is to play it in the open position like this: E|------|-- B|------|-- G|---2--|-- D|---4--|-- A|---3--|-- E|------|-- 1st 2nd fret (2nd finger = your middle finger, 1st = your index finger, etc.) The idea is that you use lift off and hammer on your 2nd finger to rock between Em, E and Esus4 in a riff like this (switching to tab notation) Em (022000@1) Esus4 (022200@1)E (022100@1) H H H E|---0----0----0---0--0--0------------------------| B|---0----0----0---0--0--0------------------------| G|---0-1--2----0-1-2--2--0-1----------------------| D|---2----2----2---2--2--2------------------------| A|---2----2----2---2--2--2------------------------| E|-0-----------------------------------------------| \----+ \--------------+ The Em is played for about 8th-note duration; the overall chord is an E and the G (open G string) of the Em and the sus4 are nothing more than passing tones. Trey does some other stuff here, mostly noodling around on these chords, that I'm not going to write out, but listen to any recording and he'll do something different yet interesting; I'll just show the underlying chords below. E riff I come from atop the mountain baby Where the people come to pray AI (x02220@1)come from atop the mountain baby EWhere (022100@1)the people come to pray BAin't (x2444x@1)no truth in action G (320003@1) A (x02220@1) ELess (022100@1)you believe any way (Same chords) I was riding down the road one day Someone hit a possum I was riding down the road one day Someone hit a possum The road was his end His end was the road So they say Chorus: E (hold 4 bars) E (riff) Whoa possum... possum A (hold 4 bars) E (riff) Whoa possum... possum BWhoa (x2444x@1)possum G (320003@1) A (x02220@1) EYour (022100@1)end is the road Solo: Echord (022100@1) 2 | | | / E|-15---|-12----------------------------------| B|------|----15-14-13-12----------------------| G|------|----------------14-13-12-13----------| D|------|----------------------------14-12----| A|------|----------------------------------14-| E|------|-------------------------------------| | | | E|-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------------| G|-------------------------------------| D|-14----------12----------------------| A|----14-13-14----14----13-12----------| E|-------------------12-------15-12-12-| \--/ | | | | | | E|-----------------------------|---------------------------------| B|-----------------------------|---------------------------------| G|-----------------------------|-----------------------0-1-------| D|-----2-------0---------------|-------------2---0-1-2-----2-0-1-| A|-0-2---2-1-2---2-1-0---------|-0-1---0-1-2---2-----------------| E|---------------------3-0-0-3-|-----3---------------------------| A chord | | | | | | /S /S /S /S /S E|----------------------------------|--------------------------------| B|---2-----3---5-----7-----8----9---|----10-10-------10----12----10--| G|----------------------------------|--------------------------------| D|-2---2-4---5---5-7---7-9---10---10|-11-------10-11----12----11---12| A|----------------------------------|--------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|--------------------------------| \---/ \---/ \---/ E chord | | | /S E|----12---------------------------------------| B|------15-14-13-12----------------------------| G|-13---------------14-13-12-14-12-14-14-12----| D|------------------------------------------14-| A|---------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------| B7Chord (x21202@1) | | | | | | E|-----------------------|------------------------------| B|-----------------------|------------------------------| G|-14--12--11--10--------|-----------6-----6-7-8------9-| D|---14--14--12--12-14---|---7-----7-----7-------9------| A|-----------------------|-9---6-9-----9----------------| E|-----------------------|------------------------------| Gchord (320003@1) Achord (x02220@1) Echord (022100@1) | 2 | 2 3 3 3 / /------ E|----------------------------------------|-----| B|-----------------12-10------------------|-----| G|-11-12-11-9-11-9-------11-9-------------|-----| D|----------------------------10-11-10-11-|-7---| A|----------------------------------------|-----| E|----------------------------------------|-----| Echord (022100@1)(2nd time through progression) | | | 2 | 2 | | | --------+ / / E|--------14--12-17--15-|-------------------------------------12---| B|----------------------|-17--16-15---15---------------------------| G|----------------------|---16-----16---16-15-14---14---12-13----13| D|----------------------|------------------------14--14------------| A|----------------------|------------------------------------------| E|----------------------|------------------------------------------| 2 | | | / P /S E|--------------------------------------| B|-14-14-(14)-12-14-12------------------| G|---------------------12-13-------9----| D|--------------------------14--11---11-| A|--------------------------------------| E|--------------------------------------| \--/\--/ | | | | | 3 3 3 /S E|------------------------------------|-------------------12--12---| B|-12-11-10---------------------------|----------------------------| G|---9--9--9-11-9-12-11-9-11-9--------|--------11--9-11-13--13---5-| D|-----------------------------11-9---|11--9-11--11----------------| A|----------------------------------11|--11------------------------| E|------------------------------------|----------------------------| A chord | | | | | | H E|---5----------------------------|--------------------------------| B|-----8-7-5----------------------|--------------------------------| G|-6---------5-6------------------|--------------------------5-7-8-| D|---------------7-5---7-------5--|--------------------5-6-7-------| A|-------------------7---7-6-7----|-7--6-5-------5-6-7-------------| E|--------------------------------|--------8-5-8-------------------| E chord | | | | | | 3 3 3 ~ E|--------------------------------|-----------------------| B|--------------------------------|-----------------------| G|-9-9-8-7---7--------------------|-----------------------| D|---------9---9-8-7----------6---|-6-7-8-9-6---------6---| A|-------------------10-7-7-----7-|-----------7-----7---7-| E|--------------------------------|-------------9-7-------| B7 chord | | | E|-------------------------| B|-------------------------| G|-----------6---7-8-7-8---| D|---7-----7-------------9-| A|-9---6-9-----9-----------| E|-------------------------| (Same chords as earler verse I was riding down the road one day Someone hit a possum I was riding down the road one day Someone hit a possum The road was his end His end was the road So they say chorus: E (hold 8 bars) E (riff) Whoa possum... possum A (hold 8 bars) E (riff) Whoa possum... possum B (x2444x@1) G (320003@1) A (x02220@1) EWhoa (022100@1)possum your end is the road B (x2444x@1) G (320003@1) A (x02220@1) EWhoa (022100@1)possum your end is the road