• Song:

    Free Fallin

  • Artist:

    John Mayer

John Mayer
Free Fallin' (live)
by Tom Petty

Capo 3

D = played on downbeat
U = played on upbeat
T = fret with thumb

Intro:
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|--3---------------3-3--2-------2^3-----------3^2-0~--0-3--2--|
|-----2------------2-2--2-------2^4---------2-----------2-----|
|--0----0---------------2-----2-------2----0------0~--0----2--|
|-----------------------0---0-------0----------------------0--|
|----------0--3----3-2------------------2---------3~--3-2-----|
                     T                  T               T
                                
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|------2^3-----------3^2-0~-------0---0--3---2-------2^3------|
|------2-----------2---------------------2--------------------|
|----2-----------0-------0~-----0------------2-----2-------2--|
|--0-----(0)---------------------------------0---0-------0----|
|------------0-2---------3~---3-----3-3--2--------------------|
               T         U    D (xx0232@1)     D (xx0232@1)T

|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------3^2--0~---------0---3--2-------2^3------------------|
|-------2------0~-------0-----2--2-------------into verse...--|
|-----0--------0~-----0----------2-----2----------------------|
|--------------------------------0---0------------------------|
|--2-----------3~---3-------3-2-------------------------------|
   T           U    D (xx0232@1)       T

Note that the parts of the intro directly following the G chords
are almost impossible to hear due to the fact that two or three
guitars are playing. I've put out some suggestions that sound
good and very similar if not exactly what he's playing live. The
timing is tricky, so I put in the U and D to indicate up and down
beats in the rhythm.


The verse is basically the same only more strumming with your fingers
mixed in with the fingerpicking.

Tabbing out the whole song exactly would take forever and would
serve only to confuse you. This is the type of fingerpicking/strumming
style that John would never play exactly the same way twice, so you
have to listen to the track a few times, get a feel for it, and play it
on your own. However, I can offer some basic pointers for the verse,
and of course for the chorus.


Basically the verse is very similar to the intro. The major difference
is that he plays the (B string 3rd fret) a lot more often than he plays
(B string 2nd), and he essentially never plays (B string open). I've left
out the strumming patterns as they're variable in very tiny ways and
seriously about anything works as long as you've got some rhthym. To help
I've simply placed an "S" over where he strums a bit.

Verse:   S         S
|----------------------|
|--3---3----3-3--3-----|
|--2---0----0-2--2-----|
|--0---0----0-0--2-----|
|----------------0-----|
|--2---3----3-2--------|
   T          T

This is repeated with this and similar variations:

         S         S
|---------------------------------------|
|--3---3----3-3--2----2^3--(
|--2---0----0-2--2----2-----------------|
|--0---0----0-0--2----2-----------------|
|----------------0----0-----------------|
|--2---3----3-2-------------------------|
   T          T

Chorus:
         S         S
|--------------------------|
|--3---3----3-3--2----2^3--|
|--2---0----0-2--2----2----|
|--0---0----0-0--2----2----|
|----------------0----0----|
|--2---3----3-2------------|
   T          T

The bridge is played the same, just with palm muting. If you
haven't learned that, it's a whole different lesson :)


Final chorus is strummed all the way through with no
fingerpicking mixed in at all.
Play LOUD!


Enjoy!


bwl385@yahoo.com
Tab by Brad Lewis



Lyrics and music by Tom Petty:

She's a good girl, loves her mama 
Loves Jesus and America too 
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis 
Loves horses and her boyfriend too 

It's a long day living in Reseda 
There's a freeway runnin' through the yard 
And I'm a bad boy 'cause I don't even miss her 
I'm a bad boy for breakin her heart 

And I'm free, free fallin', fallin'
And I'm free, free fallin', fallin'

All the vampires walkin' through the valley 
They move west down Ventura Boulevard 
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows 
And the good girls are home with broken hearts 

And I'm free, free fallin', fallin'
Now I'm free, free fallin', fallin'

Free fallin', now I'm free fallin', now I'm 
Free fallin', now I'm free fallin', now I'm 

I wanna glide down over Mulholland 
I wanna write her name in the sky 
Gonna free fall out into nothin' 
Gonna leave this world for a while 

And I'm free, free fallin' 
Now I'm free, free fallin'

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