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/ Grateful Dead / American Beauty (1970) / Operator guitar tab

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 11:52:55 -0800
From: Peter Poirier
Subject: CRD: g/grateful_dead/operator.crd

From:  Peter Poirier (peterp@hde.com)
Song:  Operator
Group: Grateful Dead
Written By: Ron McKernan

This is one of the few Dead tunes by the late, great, Pigpen.  In it
I've included my neophyte attempt at transcribing his smokin'
harmonica solo.  Most of the hole 3 suck notes should be preceded
by a short grace note bend.

Intro: | F / / / | C / A7 Dm | Dm / / C F | F / / / | F / / / |

F
Operator, can you help me?  Help me if you please
Bb                                  F
Give me the right area code and the number that I need
G                    C              A7
My rider left upon a midnight flyer
Dm                  C  F
Singin' like a summer breeze

F
Think she's somewhere down south, down about Baton Rouge
Bb                                  F
I just cain't remember no number, a number I can use
G                        C                     A7
Directory don't have it, central done forgot it
Dm                  C  F
Got to find a number to use

Break (play the intro here)

Tryin' to check out a number, tryin' to run down a line
Operator said that's privileged information and it ain't no business o' mine
It's floodin' down in Texas, the poles are down in Utah
Got to find a private line

She could be hanging 'round a steel mill, working in a house of blue light
Riding a get-away bus out of Portland, talkin' to the night
I don't know where she's gone, I don't care where she's been
Long as she's been doin' it right

(now slap that Bb harp in your rack & blow with all yer might like so...)

| F        /        /        /        |        /        /        /
  -3       -3       -3  -4   -3  ~3   -3  -3
| F        /        /        /        |        /        /        /
  6   -5   -4   4   3 ~3 -2  -3  -3                          -3  -3  -3
| Bb       /        /        /        |        /        /        /
  -3       ~3  -2   -3  ~3   -2  -3   ~3  -2   -3  ~3   -2   3   3   3
| F        /        /        /        |        /        /        /
| -4 -5 -4 -3          ~3 -2 -3  -3
| F        /        /        /        | C      /        /        A7  Dm

Dm                            F
Long as she's been doing it right


Notes on harp tab:
3 means blow hole 3
-3 means suck hole 3
~3 means suck & bend hole 3


Grateful Dead albums
1990 Without a Net
1989 Built to Last
1987 In the Dark
1981 Dead Set
1981 Reckoning
1980 Go to Heaven
1978 Shakedown Street
1977 Terrapin Station
1976 Steal Your Face
1975 Blues for Allah
1974 The Grateful Dead From the Mars Hotel
1973 Wake of the Flood
1973 History of the Grateful Dead, Vol. 1
1972 Europe '72
1971 The Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
1970 American Beauty
1970 Workingman's Dead
1969 Live/Dead
1969 Aoxomoxoa
1968 Anthem of the Sun
1967 The Grateful Dead
American Beauty tabs
01Box of Rain tabbass tab
02Friend of the Devil tabbass tab
03Sugar Magnolia tabbass tab
04Operator tabbass tab
05Candyman tabbass tab
06Ripple tabbass tab
07Brokedown Palace tabbass tab
08Till the Morning Comes tabbass tab
09Attics of My Life tabbass tab
10Truckin' tabbass tab

 

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