• Song:

    American Baby

  • Artist:

    Dave Matthews Band

  • Album:

    DMB Live Trax Vol. 6

Dave Matthews Band
American Baby



*=upstroke
+=downstroke

Pizzicato violin loop - Studio version, for guitar: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-3---3-2---------| 
g-2---4-----4-----|---------4-2-----| 
d-----------------|-----------------| 
a---5-----5-----5-|-------------5-5-| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 

For violin, in standard D major position: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
a-0---1-----1-----|-3---3-2-1-0-----| 
d---0-----0-----0-|-------------0-0-| 
g-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 


Live version, for guitar: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-3---3-2---------| 
g-4-----4-----4---|---------4-2---2-| 
d-----------------|-------------4---| 
a-----5-----5---5-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 

For violin, in standard D major position: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
a-1-----1-----1---|-3---3-2-1-0---0-| 
d-----0-----0---0-|-------------3---| 
g-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * * + *   * + * + * + * + 

Not sure why Boyd plays this part differently in the studio than on the road, but he does. 

It's kind of not as good live because now his accents are on the downbeat of 1, the upbeat 

of 2, and the downbeat of 4, while the rest of the band's accents are on the downbeat of 2 

and the upbeat of 3. But whatever, Boyd is classically trained so he's probably right. 


Verse: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-----------------| 
g---x-4-----4-----|-x-x-----7-----6-| 
d-----------------|-----------------| 
a---x-2-----2-----|-x-x---5-5-----4-| 
E---x-3-----3-----|-x-x-7-----5---5-| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * + 

Pretty straightforward.. be careful not to get confused about which beat is 2 and which 

beat is 4, because that can throw you off pretty bad once the chorus comes in. 



Chorus: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|-----------------| 
g-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-7-7-7-7-7-6-6-6-| 
d-----------------|-----------------| 
a-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-4-4-4-| 
E-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-| 

      ^     ^           ^     ^ 

Straightforward again.. Same chords as the verse, but played more aggressively and with 

more room for variation in the strumming pattern. 



Bridge - This part is funny. In the studio, they play a different riff than they play live. 

On the studio version, Dave rests for a quarter beat before coming in on 2: 


Studio version: 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|---2/3-2---------| 
g---------2---4---|-----------------| 
d-----0-4---2-----|-4---------------| 
a---------------2-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * + 

e-----------------|-----------------| 
b-----------------|---2/3-2-3/5-----| 
g---------2---4---|-----------------| 
d-----0-4---2-----|-4---------------| 
a---------------2-|-----------------| 
E-----------------|-----------------| 

  * + * + * + * +   * + * + * + * +
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