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Guitar Tab for Hanging on a Star by Nick Drake

C
G
C
F
C
E

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Hanging on a Star - Nick Drake

Found on:
2021-03-28: Radio 3: Círculos excéntricos: La soledad de Nick Drake(2021-03-28)
N. R. Drake, 69.(2014-09-08)
Made to Love Magic(2004-05-24)
Time of No Reply(1991-07-01)
Fruit Tree(1979-03-09)
A Day Gone By...
HANGING ON A STAR



(TIME OF NO REPLY version - see below for MADE TO LOVE MAGIC version)



Tuning BbFBbEbBbD (like CGCFCE but lower)
no capo



This song involves some very simple chord shapes, but the picking
varies in detail all over the place. So as usual, here's one
version of the major ideas, but you should take it perhaps as a
guide rather than as gospel.


"A"

|----------------|
|--0--0--0--0--0-|
|--0--0--0--0--0-|
|---00-00-00-00-0|
|--0--0--0--0--0-|
|0---------------|

"B"

|----------------|---1-0-------0--|
|---0-0--0----0--|-0-0-0--0----0--|
|---0-0--0----2--|0--0-0--2----2--|
|---0-0--0----0--|-0----0-0-0-0-0-|
|--5-3-32-220--0-|2-2-2---0--0----|
|0-----------0--0|-------0-------0|


"C"          "D"

|-----0--|   |0---0--0|
|--0--0--|   |0---0--0|
|--0--0--|   |2---2--2|
|0--0--0-|   |--0--0--|
|-02-2--0|   |---0--00|
|--------|   |0-------|

the song begins AABBCDC and then we hit the verse:

|------(0)------(|0)------0--0--0-|            |-0--0--|
|0---0--0--0--0--|0---0---0--0--0-| (rpt last  |-0--0--|
|2---2--2--2--2--|2---2---0--0--0-| bar twice) |-0--0--|
|--0--0--0--0--0-|--0--0-----0--0-|            |-0--0--|
|---0--0--0--0--0|---0--0-2-2-22-2|            |2-22-20|
|0---0--0--0--0--|0---0--0--------|            |-------|
                                                       *

|----0--------10-|-------------0--|
|0---0--0-----0-0|0---0--0--0--0--| (rpt last
|2---2--2----0---|2---2--2--0--0--| bar)
|--0--0--0--0----|--0--0--0--0--0-|
|---0--0--02-----|---0--0--02-2--0|
|0---0--0--------|0---0--0--------|
        
Second verse as first verse up to *. then:

|----0-----------|
|0---0--0--0--0--|
|2---2--2--2--2--|
|--0--0--0--0----|
|---0--0--0--0-0-|
|0---0--0--0--0-0|

here we get four lots of B, with variations, most of which I'll
ignore; however, the 3rd and 4th times through, the second bar
begins:

|--------
|--0-0-0-
|--0-0-0-
|--0-0-0-
|25-9-x-0  (where x is 10)
|--------

after some C and D sections we get the last verse, which ends 
by repeating the last bar with top string variations (1's and 3's)
too boring to repeat here.


*********************************************************************


MADE TO LOVE MAGIC version


Tuning CGCFCE (not tuned down to Bb as above)
no capo

INTRO

|----------------|0---------------|
|--------0-------|--------0-------|
|-----0-------0--|-----0-------0--|  x2
|---0-------0----|---0-------0----|
|--5---5---5---5-|--5---5---5---5-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

(the open F needs to almost disappear when the higher notes are played;
if it rings too long you can either damp it a bit or play the higher notes a bit more strongly)

                           h
|----------------|----------------|
|-------------0--|----------------|
|-----0---0------|-0---0--02---2--|
|---0---0---0---0|---0---0---0----|
|--5---5---3---3-|--2---2---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

          p        h
|--------10------|----------------|
|-----------0----|--------0-------|
|0----0-------0--|02---2-------0--|(*last note on F string is a 2 when going into verse)
|---0---0--------|---0-------0----|  
|--2---2---2---2-|--0---0---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

rpt last four bars


VERSE

main patterns:

|----------------|0---------------|
|--------0-------|--------0-------|
|-----2-------2--|-----2-------2--|
|---0-------0----|---0-------0----|
|--0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

and 

          p
|--------10------|----------------|
|-----------0----|--------0-------|
|-----0-------0--|02---2-------2--|
|---0------------|---0-------0----|
|--2---2---2---2-|--0---0---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

(quite a few small variations of course)



INSTRUMENTAL BIT AFTER V2 contains this variation:

          p
|--------10------|0---------------|
|-----------0-2--|--------0-------|
|-----0----------|-----2-------2--|
|---0------------|---0---0---0----|
|--2---2---2---2-|--0---0---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

and also then this:

                   h
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|--------0-------|
|-0---0---0---0--|02---2-------2--|
|---0---0---0---0|---0-------0----|
|--2---5---9---x-|--0---0---0---0-| x=10
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

(the notes on the G string slide up)


next verse is pretty much as before but with a few open top E strings thrown in here and there

then another instrumental bit, ending:

          h        h                h                                 h
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|--------0-------|
|2----4--02---2--|02---4--2----0--|02---0--0----0--|2----0--0----0--|02---2-------2--|
|---0---0---0----|---0---0---0---0|---0---4---0----|---0---4---0----|---0---0---0---0|
|--0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|--0---0---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

          p  p                              p
|--------10-30---|----------------|--------10------|----------------|
|-------------0--|--------0-------|-----------0-2--|0-------0-------|
|0----0----------|02---2-------2--|0----0----------|-----2-------2--|
|---0---0-------0|---0-------0----|---0------------|---0---0---0----|
|--2---2---2---2-|--0---0---0---0-|--2---2---2---2-|--0---0---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|

          p  p                              
|--------10-30---|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|0------------0--|--------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
|-----0----------|02---2-------2--|-0---0---0---0--|-0---0---0---0--|
|---0---0-------0|---0-------0----|---0---0---0---0|---0---0---0---0|
|--2---2---2---2-|--0---0---0---0-|--2---2---2---2-|--2---2---2---2-|
|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|0---0---0---0---|
 *                                 *

(* - fret the G string 2nd fret hard so you hear it even though
 it's not plucked, just to underline the chord change)


and finally

  h
|-----0----------|
|--------0-------|
|02-----------2--|
|---0-------0---0|  3 and a half times
|--0---0---0---0-|
|0---0---0---0---|





Tabbed by Chris Healey

CGCFCE Resources

More CGCFCE Resources

Tuning Map

  • Fret
  • S6
  • S5
  • S4
  • S3
  • S2
  • S1
  • -13
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • -12
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • -11
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • -10
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • -9
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • -8
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • -7
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • -6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • -5
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • -4
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G
  • C
  • -3
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • G#
  • C#
  • -2
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A
  • D
  • -1
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • 0
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • 1
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • 2
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • 3
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • 4
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • 5
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • 6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • 7
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • -4
  • -2
  • -2
  • -2
  • 1
  • 0
            ___________
           q o       o p
           q o   G   o p
           d o   T   o b
           q o   D   o p
           q o   B   o p
           d o       o b
            \!       !/
            |=========|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|              ____    ______  ____    ____
            |!!!!!!!!!|             /\  _`\ /\__  _\/\  _`\ /\  _`\
            |!!!!!!!!!|             \ \ \L\_\/_/\ \/\ \ \/\ \ \ \L\ \
           _|!!!!!!!!!|__            \ \ \L_L  \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \  _ <'
         .+=|!!!!!!!!!|--.`.          \ \ \/, \ \ \ \ \ \ \_\ \ \ \L\ \
       .'   |!!!!!!!!!|   `.\          \ \____/  \ \_\ \ \____/\ \____/
      /     !=========!     \\          \/___/    \/_/  \/___/  \/___/
      |    /|!!!!!!!!!|\    ||
       \   \!!!!!!!!!!!/   //
        )   `========='   ((
      .'    !!!!!!!!!!!    `..
     /      !!!!!!!!!!!      \\
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
     \     =============     //
 hjw  `.    o987654321o    .;'
 & warm `-._____________.-'
    whisky