Hesitation Blues

HESITATION BLUES (trad., after J. Kaukonnen, as recorded on the LP

This is in response to a request last week.  It is a great country
blues tune, in "swung" 4/4, i.e. every quarter is subdivided in 3
(or you can think of it as 12/8, if you'd rather).  When this sort
of thing is written down, it is traditionally written as dotted
time, but the eighth note is really only 1/3 of a quarter note, not
1/2.  Clear as mud? Count it as ah 1 and ah 2 and ah 3 and ah 4,
with all syllables the same length, and you'll do fine.  Quarter
notes are at a normal walking speed.

Notes:

1. Low notes, on the beat, are always played by the thumb
2. I use the chord positions marked above the tab to play all the
   other notes--just use the most obvious convenient finger within
   the chord (or nearby) to fret the tabbed notes
3.
/= 1-fret rising slur, //= 2, etc.
^= 1/2 tone push
x= damped note
h= hammer on
!= Broken chord (rapid arpeggio, bass>treble)
==== sustained note

4. The vamp in the first line shows h's before the treble notes in the
   Am and E7 chords: these are hammered on on the beat, but not plucked.

5. There are probably some errors-- if it doesn't sound right, you'll
   know.  It is pretty obvious, once you get the feel.  I never play it
   exactly the same, two verses running, so this is just a template.

I'm not at all sure of the first line of that last verse, but it's
my best guess.  I'd be happy to hear alternate "translations".

Tim Keenan
Department of Forest Resources
UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK

I hope someone enjoys this--let me know.


        Am          E7           Am          E7
e-----|-----------------O-------|-----------------O-------
B-----|h1x----1-----O---3-------|h1x----1-----O---3-------
G---O-|h2x----2---Oh1---------O-|h2x----2---Oh1---------O-
D-----|h2x----2----h2-----2-----|h2x----2----h2-----2-----
A-----|-Ox---------h2-----------|-Ox---------h2-----------
E-----|-------------O-----------|-------------O-----------
4 + a   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a

a       nickel is a nickel and a  dime is a  dime

 Am           E             C          C7
|-----------------O-1---2-|!3---O-------------------
|h1x----1-----O-----------|!1-----1---------3-1-----
|h2x----2---Oh1---------O-|!O---------4-3---------O-
|h2x----2----h2-----2-----|-------2-----------2-----
|-Ox---------h2-----------|!3-----------3-----------
|-------------O-----------|-------------------------
  1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a

     I need a new gal          she won't mind, tell me --


Chorus:
   F           F              F          F
e|-------------------------|-------------------------
B|-1x----3x----3^====3---1====x----3x----3^====3---1-
G|-2x----2x----------2---2====x----2x----------2---2-
D|-3x----------3-----------|-3x----------3-----------
A|-------------------------|-------------------------
E|-------------------------|-------------------------
   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a

     How long                      do I have to    wait?

   C7                        C7
e|-------------------------|-------------------------
B|-------1x----------------|-1x----------------------
G|-------3x----2-/-3====x--|-3x----2-/-3====---------
D|-------2x----1-/-2====x--|-2x----1-/-2====---------
A|-3x----------2-/-3====x3x|-------2-/-3====--------- OR:-----O---1--|-2
E|-------------------------|-----------------O-1---2-    ---3--------|--
   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a        a 4 + a

   G7                        G7
e|-------1---------1-------|-------------------------
B|-----------3-------------|-----------5-4-----3-----
G|-----O-----------------O-|-----O-----------O-----O-
D|-------O-----------O-----|-----//5-----4-----3-----
A|-------------------------|-------------------------
E|-3x----------3-----------|-3-----------------------
   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a

Can I    get you now,    Lord,     must  I     hesi-

   C     C7    F     Fm6     C           G7
e|-------------------------|-----------1===========--
B|-----1-------1-----1-----|-1---------O===========--
G|-------3-----2-----1-----|-O---O-----O===========--
D|-------2-----3-----O-----|-------------O-----------
A|-3-----------------------|-3-----------------------
E|-------------------------|-------3-----------3-----
   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a   1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a

  -tate?

Well, the eagle on the dollar says "in God we trust"
You say you want a man, I wanna see that dollar first, tell me--
(Chorus)
If the river was whiskey, and I was a duck,
You know I'd swim to the bottom, Lord, an' never come up, tell me--
(Chorus)
Rocks in the ocean, baby, fish in the sea
knows you mean the world to me, tell me--
(Chorus)
Well, the hesitatin' stalker's got them hesitatin' shoes
Lord, I got them Hesitatin' Blues, tell me--
How long do I have to wait?
Can I get you now, Lord, must I hestitate
Said, can I get you now, how long must I hesitate?