The Heart of Life - John Mayer

Tabbed by Robin Roy - err7126@umoncton.ca


Writer's Comments
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   Ok, there are a few tabs out for this song already, but none of 
them looked very complete to me so I decided to write my own. This 
song is more complicated than it seems and involves an interesting 
slapping/flicking technique. (BTW, thanks to Noah Needleman on youtube 
for his very helpfull tutorial video).

   The technique is a simple idea, but may require a lot of practice. 
If you listen carefully to the song, John plays a note at the same time 
as the slapping sound. This is achieved by flicking the smaller string 
down with your index finger nail as you slap the E string with your thumb. 
I've marked the slaps with an 'x' and the "flicks" with a 'd' (for down).  
I hope you enjoy my version of the tabs. Obviously, any comments or 
questions are appreciated. This is a very fun song to play :)

Tunning
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John plays it tuned half a step down (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb), in which case 
the name of the chords are only based on their position and not their 
actual note. You can also play it half a step down on the neck and it 
would sound the same since there are actually no open notes played in 
the song. Or just play it half a step high than John and avoid 
the hassle :P

Chords
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e|---x----x----x----x----x----x--|
B|--10----7----2----3----3----5--|
G|--11----7----2----4----2----6--|
D|--12----8----3----5----0----7--|
A|---x----x----x----x----x----x--|
E|--10----7----2----3----2----5--| <-- E string always with the thumb
    Dm   Bm   F#m   G   D/F#  A

x = Slap with your thumb
u = pluck the string up with your index
d = flick the string down wirth your index (the nail)



Intro
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     u   d u   d   u   d   u   d      u   d u   d   u   d   u   d
e|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--10----10------10------12------|---7-----7-------7------10------|
G|------11----11------11------11--|-------7-----7-------7-------7--|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--10--10----10--10--10--10--10--|---7---7-----7---7---7---7---7--|
         x     x       x       x          x     x       x       x
    Dm                                Bm


     u   d u   d   u   d u   d        u   d u   d   u   d u d u d u
e|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|---2-----2-------3-----3--------|---3-----3-------5-----5---5---5--|
G|-------2-----2-------4-----4----|-------2-----2-------6---6---6----|
D|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|---2---2-----2---3---3-----3----|---2---2-----2---5---5---5---5----|
         x     x       x     x            x     x       x   x   x
     F#m           G                  D/F#          A



Verse
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     u   d u   d   u   d   u   d      u   d u   d   u   d   u   d
e|-------------------------9--10--|-------------------------9---7--|
B|--10----10------10--12----------|---7-----7-------7---10---------|
G|------11----11------------------|-------7-----7------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--10--10----10--10--10--10--10--|---7---7-----7---7---7---7---7--|
         x     x       x       x          x     x       x       x
    Dm                                Bm


     u   d u   d   u   d u   d        u   d u   d   u   d u d u d u
e|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|---2-----2-------3-----3--------|---3-----3-------5-----5---5---5--|
G|-------2-----2-------4-----4----|-------2-----2-------6---6---6----|
D|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|---2---2-----2---3---3-----3----|---2---2-----2---5---5---5---5----|
         x     x       x     x            x     x       x   x   x
     F#m           G                  D/F#          A




Chorus
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    u       u   d    u   d   u   d     u  du  u  du  u  du  u  du
e|----------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|--------------5-------------------|--3---3--3---3--3---3--3---3--|
G|--6-------7-------11-------9------|-----4------4------4------4---|
D|------------------------------12--|------------------------------| X3
A|----------------------------------|------------------------------|
E|--5---5---5---5---10--10--10--10--|--3--3---3--3---3--3---3--3---|
        x       x        x       x        x      x      x      x
    A               Dm                 G

4th time:
    u       u   d    u       u   d     u  du  u  du  u  du  u  du
e|----------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|--------------5-------------------|--3---3--3---3--3---3--3---3--|
G|--6-------7-------11-------9------|-----4------2------4------2---|
D|------------------------------12--|------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|------------------------------|
E|--5---5---5---5---10--10--10--10--|--3--3---2--2---3--3---2--2---|
        x       x        x       x        x      x      x      x
    A               Dm                 G      D/F#   G      D/F#


    u  du  u  du  u  du  u  du      u   d u   d   d  ~~~~~~~
e|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
B|--5---5--5---5--5---5--5---5--|--10----10--10-----------10--|
G|-----6------6------6------6---|------11--------11------11---|
D|------------------------------|-----------------------12----|
A|------------------------------|----------------------x------|
E|--5--5---5--5---5--5---5--5---|--10--10----10--10--10-------|
       x      x      x      x           x         x