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Midnight Hours Blues

Jack Mcgann

Text File

#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
#
From: Allyn Dimock 
Date: Sun, 14 Jan 1996 17:21:56 -0500
Subject: j/jack_mcgann/midnight_hours_blues.tab

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Guitar arrangements of Jack McGann.

Many of you may not recognize Jack McGann's name as a guitarist since he never
recorded commmercially.  You may however recognize the arrangement.  Jack was
highly regarded among his peers for his arrangements of traditional blues,
ragtime, and swing music.  He was also one of the most respected and admired
acoustic guitar teachers of the '70s and '80s.  His arrangements have been
passed on by his students, grand-students, peers, peers' students, etc.

Jack was also a social activist, and became nationally known for his fight
for equal health care coverage for persons with AIDS.
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Midnight Hours Blues              Trad. Arrangement copyright Jack McGann
                                  Transcribed and tabbed by Allyn Dimock

Permission obtained from the estate of Jack McGann for free distribution
of this tablature for educational purposes.  Please consider making a
contribution of your time or money for AIDS research and/or for health
care reform if you use this tablature.

Jack's version in A mixes measures of static bass notes with measures
of bass counterpoint.  Contrast this with Dave Van Ronk's version in G
which uses only static bass notes.  Both Jack's and Dave's arrangements
for guitar seem to be influenced by Leroy Carr's piano arrangement.

          A7                                                roll
E-------|---------------------------|-5---5-5---5-4---4-2------|-0
B-------|-5---5-----7-5---------5/7-|---7-----7-----5---3----2-|
G-3s4s5-|-6---6---7---6---6---------|--------------------------|
D-4s5s6-|(5)------------------------|-0-----------------0------|
A-------|-0-----0-----0-----0-------|-------6-----7---------4--|
E-------|---------------------------|--------------------------|
  |       |     |     |     |         |     |     |     |

3
E-0----------------0---------|-------5---3-----3--------|
B-------4--s3--------0---1/2-|-------2---2-----2-----3s-|
G-------2--s1--------1---1/2-|-----2---2----------------|
D----------------------------|--------------------------|
A-------3--s2--------2-------|-0-----0-----0-----0------|
E-------------0--------------|--------------------------|
  |     |     |      |         |     |     |     |

5 D
E-5---5-----8-5-------------|-5---5-5---5-4---4-2------|
B-7---7---7-------7-----5/7-|---7-----7-----5---3----2-|
G---------------------------|--------------------------|
D-0-----------0-------------|-0-----------------0------|
A-------0-----------0-------|-------6-----7---------4--|
E---------------------------|--------------------------|
  |     |     |     |         |     |     |     |

7
E-0----------------0-------|-------5---3-------------|
B-------4--s3--------0---2-|-------2---2-------------|
G-------2--s1--------1---2-|-----2---2---------------|
D--------------------------|-------------------0---1-|
A-------3--s2--------2-----|-0-----0-----0---4-------|
E-------------0------------|-------------------------|
  |     |     |      |       |     |     |     |

9 E                         Ao
E-0---------0-/4---0-------|-5---5-------0-----------|
B-----0---0----------------|-4---4-----------4-3-1s2-|
G--------------------------|---5-------5-------------|
D-2------------------------|---------4---------------|
A--------------------------|-0-----0-----0-----------|
E-------0------------0---0-|-------------------------|
  |     |      |     |       |     |     |     |

11                                bru   +1/2
E-----5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5---------3-----0-------|
B-------------------------|-------3-----------------|
G-2-----------------------|-------1-----------------|
D-------5-----4-----3-----|-2-----2-----------------|
A-0-----------------------|-------2-----------------|
E-------------------------|-----0-0-----0-----------|
  |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |

Variation: setting up for a first inversion D6 in measure 2.

3  +-+-+-+-+-+
   | | 1 | | |
4  +-+-+-+-+-+
   | | | 2 2 2
5  +-+-+-+-+-+
   | | | | | |
6  +-+-+-+-+-+
   | | | | | 4
7  +-+-+-+-+-+

1
E-------------------------|-----5-----7-5-----------|-0-|
B-5---5-----7-5-----------|-----5-----------7-------|---|
G-6---6---7---6-----------|-----5------------------2|---|
D-----------------7-6---5-|-4-----4-----4-----0-----|---|
A-0-----0-----0-----------|-----------------------4-|---|
E-------------------------|-------------------------|---|
  |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |       |

Variation: parallel and contrary melodies in measures 9-10

9
E-4---2-0---2-0-----------|-----------------0-------|---|
B-------------------4-----|-3-----2---3-4-----3---2-|---|
G-------------------------|-------------------------|-2-|
D-2-----0-----------------|-------------------------|---|
A-------------4-----3-----|-2-----------------------|-0-|
E-------------------------|-----0-1-----2-----4-----|---|
  |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |       |

In the wee midnight hours, long before the break of day,  2x
Oh, the blues come down, they tow all your mind away.

Don't your mind get lonesome thinking back to days of long ago,  2x
You know she used to love you, but now she just don't care no more.