The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi everybody,

I'd like to share my version of 'Round Midnight, a well known jazzballad transcibed for dobro in a variation of the G-tuning(first part only). It's a chord/melody kind of arrangement, intended to be played without accompanyment. I think my version is pretty basic, it's hard to capture all the shades of this complicated piece. Maybe someone has suggestions for improvement. I had three versions in standard notation, they all were different (chords, rhythm, even differences in the melody). Have a try.. Looking forward to your reactions!
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Round Midnight Williams/Monk
Am Am/G F#m7 Fmaj7 E7-9
h e e e e H q q Q e e e q Q q
d----------------I-----------I---------------I-2p0-----------I
b-----r--------5-I-----------I---------------I------r--------I
g-4:--e----2/4---I--5--------I--2--2---2-1-2-I------e--------I
D-4:--s--2-------I--5-----2--I--2------------I------s-----6--I
B-----t----------I-----------I---------------I------t-----6--I
E----------------I--5--------I--2------------I------------0--I
br
Am7 Am/G# D7 Fm7 Bb7 Em7 A7 Dm7
h e e e e H q h h h h h e e e e
d-------------5--I----------I-1----0---I--0-------I----------10--I
b---0-------5----I--7-------I----------I----------I--------10----I
g---5-----5------I----------I-1--------I------6^--I-10---10------I
D---5---7--------I------5---I------6---I--5---5---I-10-12--------I
B---5------------I----------I----------I--5-------I-10-----------I
E---5------------I----------I-1----6---I------5---I-10-----------I
br ch br

.................
G9 Bb7 Am7 D9 1. F#m7 B7-5
H q H --3-- h q q --3-- h
d--9----------I--------------I-----------I--------------I
b-*10------6--I-5------------I-*5--------I-----------0--I
g--10---------I--------------I--5--2--4--I----5\4/5--8--I
D-------------I----7\6\5-----I--4--------I-----------7--I
B-------------I--------------I-----------I-----------6--I
E-------------I--------------I-----------I--------------I
br
...................................... .............
F9 E9 Bb7 2.3. F#m7 Bb7
h q q q H q H h h
d-------------I-----------I------------II--------------I
b--r-r--------I-----------I-----6------II----------0---I
g--e-e-----2--I--1--------I-----7^----*II-----5----8---I
D--s-s--------I-------2---I-----6-----*II----------7---I
B--t-t--------I-----------I------------II-----5----6---I
E-------------I-----------I--6--6------II-----5--------I
ch- br
..........................
F9 Dm7 A to bridge
h q q h h h q q
d-------------I----------I-----------I
b-------------I------r---I--r--------I
g--2--/2----2~~~~----e---I--e--2--4--I
D-----------2~~~~----s---I--s--------I
B-------------I------t---I--t--------I
E--1---0------I----------I-----------I

Tab explanation:
---------- ----------
----5h8--- Hammeron ----(8)--- Ghost
----5p8--- Pulloff ----------

---------- ---------- Choke
----5/8--- Slide Up ----*8---- up to
---------- ---------- correct
----5\8--- Slide Down ---------- pitch

----------

Hey Pieter. As I write this I am awaiting the arrival of UPS with my very first resonator guitar. I am a pedaler. In your other post you complain about the lack of dobro tab here. Well you did the right thing. Take matters into your own hands. That is what the forum is here for.
I admit that the first thing I do when I unpack this Flinthill is probably NOT to play 'Round Midnight (which I've played for years on piano) but I will certainly save your tab for when I am ready to stretch out some.
Can you comment on that low E tuning? I will be starting with G B D G B D. Does that E open up a lot of stuff for you?
Thanks for the tab.

Hi Jon,
Thanks for your quick reaction. Pity you just are about to start playing the dobro; your knowledge of the tune would probably have revealed the weaker spots in my version of 'RM pretty soon. About the Emin7 tuning I used: I also started out playing in GBDGBD, but I accidently discovered the possibilities of the low E. You have an extra tone on top of the traid with a straight bar and it's a lot easier to accompany IImin-V-I's on the four lower strings. If you're looking for 'richer' chords on the six string (and have no money for an eight string), this tuning comes in handy.

Pieter

Hello Pieter ,
Thank you very much for posting that tab . I'm like Jon , I don't have a resonator guitar .... yet . I'm plucking away here on an old acoustic for the time being .

Thanks again ,
Ingo.