• Song:

    Ambulance Blues

  • Artist:

    Neil Young

  • Album:

    1974-05-16: New York, N...

Song: Ambulance Blues 
Artist: Neil Young 
Album: On The Beach 
Tabbed by: Kris Pender 
Tune down 1 whole step (D G C F A D)

This song, like most of Neil's acoustic numbers, should be played clawhammer style: 
downstrokes are hit with the edge of the thumb or pick, upstroke hit with middle 
finger (held in shape of a 'claw'). Downstrokes are marked ^

Intro:
   ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^
d|-0-------0---0---0-------0-----|-0h3---------3-------3-------3--|
A|-1-------1---1---1-------1-----|-1-------1---1---1---1---1---1--|
F|-0-------0---0---0-------0-----|-0-------0---0---0---0---0---0--|
C|-2-------2-------0h2-----2-----|-2-------2-------2-------2------|
G|-3-------3-------3-------3-----|-3-------3-------3-------3------|
D|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|

  ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^
|-3-------3---3---3---1---1-----|-1---1---1---0---0---0---0---0--|
|-1-------1---1---1---1---1-----|-1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1--|
|-2-------2---2---2---2---2-----|-2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2--|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-----|-3-------3-------3-------3------|
|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|

  ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^
|-0-------0---0---0-------0-----|-0-------0---0---0-------0------|
|-1-------1---1---0h1-----1-----|-0-------0---0---0h3-----0------|
|-2-------2---2---2-------2-----|-0-------0---0---0-------0------|
|-2-------2-------2-------2-----|-2-------2-------2-------2------|
|-0-------0-------0-------0-----|-2-------2-------2-------2------|
|-------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0------|

  ^       ^       ^       ^        ^       ^       ^       ^
|-2-------2---2---2---0---0---2--|-2---2---0----------------------|
|-3-------3---3---3---3---3---3--|-3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3--|
|-2-------2---2---2---2---2---2--|-2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2--|
|-0-------0-------0---0---0---0--|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

Verse
  ^       ^       ^       ^        ^       ^       ^       ^
|-0-------0---0---0-------0------|-0h3---------3-------3-------3--|
|-1-------1---1---1-------1------|-1-------1---1---1---1---1---1--|
|-0-------0---0---0-------0------|-0-------0---0---0---0---0---0--|
|-2-------2-------0h2-----2------|-2-------2-------2-------2------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3------|-3-------3-------3-------3------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

  ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^
|-3-------3---3---3---1---1-----|-1---1---1---0---0---0---0---0--|
|-1-------1---1---1---1---1-----|-1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1--|
|-2-------2---2---2---2---2-----|-2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2--|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-----|-3-------3-------3-------3------|
|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|

  ^       ^       ^       ^        ^       ^       ^       ^
|-0-------0---0---0---0---0------|-0-------0---0---0---0---0------|
|-1-------1---1---1---1---1------|-0-------0---0---0---0---0------|
|-2-------2---2---2---2---2------|-0-------0---0---0---0---0------|
|-2-------2-------2-------2------|-2-------2-------2-------2------|
|-0-------0-------0-------0------|-2-------2-------2-------2------|
|--------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0------|

  ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^       ^
|-2-------2---2---2---2---2-----|-2---2---2---2---2-------2---0---|
|-3-------3---3---3---3---3-----|-3---3---3---3---3-------3---3---|
|-2-------2---2---2---2---2-----|-2---2---2---2---2-------2---2---|
|-0-------0-------0-------0-----|-0-------0-------0-------0---0---|
|-------------------------0-----|-----------------0---------------|
|-------------------------0h2---|-----------------0h2-------------|

Play this with variations throughout (e.g., Em to Em7, D to Dsus2, etc.)

Other parts of song have straightforward picking pattern:

(G) 
Oh, Isabella, proud Isabella, 
(Am) 
They tore you down and ploughed you under 
(Bm)                                  (C)
You're only real with your make-up on 
(G)                              (D)
 How could I see you and stay too long
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