LOVE IN VAIN BLUES
As recorded by Eric Clapton
(From the 2004 Album ME AND MR. JOHNSON)
Words and Music by Robert Johnson
Arranged by Eric Clapton
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Dobro'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Electric Guitar'
Gtr III (E A D G B E) - 'Electric Guitar'
Intro
Q.=80
N.C.
12/8 6/8
Gtr I (Dobro) Gtrs I, II (El. Gtrs.)
W Q E E E E E Q E Q E Q E E E E Q E
|---------------7/-|-12-12-12-12--12-11--11-11--11-|-10-10-10-10----|
|---------------9/-|-14-14-14-14--14-13--13-13--13-|-12-12-12-12----|
|------------------|-------------------------------|----------------|
|------------------|-------------------------------|----------------|
|------------------|-------------------------------|--------------0-|
|------------------|-------------------------------|----------------|
1st - 3rd Verses
$
A5
12/8
Gtr II
Q. Q E Q. +Q E Q a E E E E Q E +Q. Q E Q E Q E Q E
|--5----5----5----(5)----|--------0---0----0-(0)---||----------------------|
|------------------------|----------3---3----------||o---------------------|
|------------------------|----0h1-------1----------||----------------------|
|-------5----4----(4)--3-|-2------------2----------||--2--2-4--4-2--2-4--4-|
|-(0)--------------------|-------------------------||o-0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-|
|------------------------|-------------------------||----------------------|
E E E E E E E E E E Q Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E +E E E
|------------------------|---------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------|------------------------|
|---------------------0--|---------------------|------------------------|
|-2---2-4---4-2---2-4----|-2--2-4--4-2--2-4--4-|-2--2-4--4-2--2-(2)-3-4-|
|-0---0-0---0-0---0-0----|-0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-|-0--0-0--0-0--0-(0)-----|
|------------------------|---------------------|------------------------|
N.C. A5
Q E Q E Q E E E E Q E Q E Q E E E E Q E Q E a E E E Q E
|----------------------|----------------------|-----------------0---------|
|-1--1----3-1----------|-1--1----3-1----------|-------------------3-------|
|-2--2----2-2------0---|-2--2----2-2------0---|--2-----2----0h1-----1-----|
|------0-------0-0---0-|------0-------0-0-----|--2-----2--2------------4--|
|----------------------|--------------------0-|-(0)--0--------------------|
|----------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|
E5
Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E E E E
|---------------------|--------------0-------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|-2--2-4--4-2--2-4----|----------------2-3-4-|
|-0--0-0--0-0--0-0----|-2--2-2--2-2----------|
|-------------------0-|-0--0-0--0-0----------|
To Coda
N.C.
Q. Q. Q. Q E Q E Q. Q. Q E
|---------------------|--------5----5----5------|
|-1-------------------|-------------------------|
|-2-------------------|--2----------------------|
|------0----0----0----|--------5----4----3--3---|
|-------------------0-|-(0)--0------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------|
1. 2.
Q E Q E Q E +Q. Q a E Q E Q E +E E E
|-0----0--0-0-----------||-0------0--0-0--0-(0)--------||
|----0---------3-(3)---o||--------0--0-0--0-(0)-/13-13-||
|-----------------------||----0h1----------------------||
|-2----2--2-2-----------||-2---------------------------||
|----------------------o||-----------------------------||
|-----------------------||-----------------------------||
Guitar Solo
N.C.
Q. Q E Q +E Q E
|-12------12-------12------12-----(12)-12-------12-------|
|-13b14---13b13.5--13b13.5-13b14--(13)-13b13.5--13b13.5--|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
~~
E. S E E. S E Q E Q E
|---------12-----------------12-------------0--------|
|-13b13.5----13b13.5-13b13.5----13b13.5----------/13-|
|---------------------------------------14-----------|
|----------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------|
Q E Q E Q E Q E E. S E Q E Q E Q.
|-12-------12------12-------12------12-------12------12----------|-15-----15-14--14-12--12------|
|-13b13.5--13b13.5-13b13.5--13b13.5-13b13.5--13b13.5-13b13.5--13-|-----13--------13-13--13------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
<
E E E E E E Q E E E E E. S E E. S E E E E E.S E
|-----5-8p7-7-5----0-----|-8----8-7----7-5--------------|
|---7-----7------5---6-7-|----7------7-----5------------|
|------------------------|-------------------7b9-7p5----|
|------------------------|---------------------------7\-|
|------------------------|------------------------------|
|------------------------|------------------------------|
Q E Q E a E E E Q a E
|---------------0---0------|
|-----------------3----1s2-|
|----2-2----0h1------------|
|------2-------------------|
|-0------------------------|
|--------------------------|
~
Q E Q E E E a E a Q a E a E. a S +E a S S Q Q E Q E
|----5-5--5-5---5h7-5h7--5h7-|-5h7--5h7-(7)-5h7-5-----------0-0----|
|----2-2--2-2----------------|--------------------8b8.5--5--5-5----|
|----------------------------|-----------------------------------2-|
|----------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|----------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-5--------------------------|-------------------------------------|
Q E Q a E E E E a a E E E Q E Q. Q. Q E
|-2--2-2----------------------|--------5----5----5----|
|-1--1-1--0h1-1-0-------------|-----------------------|
|-------------2---2-0h1p0-----|--2--------------------|
|-------------------------2---|--------5----4----3--3-|
|---------------------------0-|-(0)--0----------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------|
D.S. al Coda &
E7 E7
Q a E E E E Q E +Q. Q a E E E E Q E +Q.
|-0------0-----0----------||-0------0---0-0--0-(0)---||
|----------3------3-(3)---||----------3--------------||
|----0h1------------------||----0h1----------1-(1)---||
|-2----------2------------||-2-----------------------||
|-------------------------||-------------------------||
|-------------------------||-------------------------||
Interlude
A5
Q E Q E Q E +E E E E E E Q E Q E E E E
|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------/5-|
|--------------------0---|-2---2-----------2------|
|-2--2-4--4-2--2-(2)-----|-------4--4-2-----------|
|-0--0-0--0-0--0-(0)---0-|---0---0--0-0--0---0--0-|
|------------------------|------------------------|
N.C. D5
Q E Q E Q E Q E E E E Q E Q E +Q E Q E Q E Q E E E E
|-0--0-0--0-0--0-0--0-|--0-0-0-0--0-0--0-(0)\----|----------------------|
|-5--5-5--5-4--4-4--4-|-/5-5-5-5--4-5--5-(5)\----|----------------------|
|-6--6-6--6-5--5-5--5-|-/6-6-6-4--5-6--6-(6)\----|-2--2-4--4-2--2---0---|
|---------------------|--------------------------|-0--0-0--0-0----0---0-|
|---------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
N.C.
Q E Q E Q E +E E E Q E E E E a E E E Q E
|------------------------|------------------0-0-0----|
|------------------------|--------------------3-3----|
|-2--2-4--4-2--2-(2)-0---|--2-----2-----0h1----------|
|-0--0-0--0-0--0-(0)-----|---------------------------|
|----------------------0-|-(0)--0------------------0-|
|------------------------|------------0--------------|
A5
Q E E E E E E E E E E
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|------------------------0h==|
|--2---2-4---4-2---2-2-------|
|-(0)--0-0---0-0---0-0-------|
|----------------------------|
E7 D7/F# N.C.
Q E Q E +Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E
|------0----------------|-----------------------|--------5----5----5----|
|----0----3-(3)---------|--1---1-1-------1-1----|-----------------------|
|-1---------------------|--2---2-2-------2-2----|--2--------------------|
|-----------------------|--0---0-0----0---------|--------5--5-4--4-3--3-|
|-----------------------|---------------------0-|-(0)--0----------------|
|---------0-(0)--0-0--2-|-(2)-------------------|-----------------------|
Outro Solo
E7 N.C.
Q a E Q E Q E E E E Q E Q E Q +E Q.
|-0------0--0-0--0----------||-12-------12------12-------12------12-----(12)------|
|--------3--3-3--3---/12s13-||-13b13.5--13b13.5-13b13.5--13b13.5-13b14--(13)------|
|----0h1--------------------||----------------------------------------------------|
|-2-------------------------||----------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------||----------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------||----------------------------------------------------|
~~
Q E Q E Q E Q E
|-12-------12------12-------12----------0---------|
|-13b13.5--13b13.5-13b13.5--13b13.5----------/13--|
|-----------------------------------14------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
~~
+E. S E E. S E Q E E Q
|-----------12-----------------12-------------0----------|
|-(13)b13.5----13b13.5-13b13.5----13b13.5---------20b22--|
|-----------------------------------------14-------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
~~~~~~~ ~~
Q E Q E E S E S E. S E E E E Q E Q E E E E
|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------0--------|
|-20b22--20b22-20b22--20b22-20b22-20-17--------------|-------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------20p19--17----|--------19b21--19-17--------5--|
|-------------------------------------------------19-|-19-----------------------7----|
|----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
E. S E E +S S E Q +E E a E E Q E E Q a Q E Q a E
|----------------------------------------|------------------0------|
|-----5----------------------------------|----------------3----1s2-|
|-7b9---7b9-7b9r(7)p5---5b7--(5)---------|----2-2----0h1-----------|
|---------------------7----------7-------|----2-2------------------|
|----------------------------------7s5-3-|-0-----------------------|
|----------------------------------------|-------------------------|
E Q E E E E a Q a Q a E
|--------5---5---5h7--5h7--5h7-|
|-(2)--------------------------|
|--2---------------------------|
|-----2------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|-------7:6-------| |-3-|
a E. S E S S S S S S T T S S S a E E +E E E
|-5h7--7s10-7h10p7----7-------------------------------|
|------------------10---10-8h10p8---8-----------------|
|---------------------------------9---9s7-5-(5)/------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
6/8
Q E E E E E E E Q E Q E +Q E Q E Q E Q E Q E
|---------------------------|----5-(5)----5---------|-------0-----0--|
|-1-------------------------|-----------------------|----------3-----|
|-2--2-0------------------2-|-----------------------|-0tr1-----------|
|--------2-1-0---0----------|----5-(5)--5-4-------3-|----------------|
|--------------3---3b3.5----|-0---------------------|----------------|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
|
| Gtr III
| W W Q. Q E
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|---------/5s=6--|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
Free time Q.=70
12/8
Q. E Q H. +W. +Q. Q. H.
|-3----------------------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|------------------------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|-------2----------------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|-----------2------------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|----------------0-------:-(0)------------------:-(0)------------------*|
|------------------------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|
| ~~
| Q. +E E E H. Q. +Q E H. +E +E E Q. H.
|-5----(5)-/5------------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|-------------\4---------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|------------------------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|----------------7-------:----------------------:----------------------*|
|----------------7-------:-/5----(5)--3---------:----------------------*|
|------------------------:--------------5-------:-(5)-(5)--------------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
