Bon Iver – Skinny Love (Tab and Chords)
January 27, 2009
Bon Iver – Skinny Love (Chords)
Living in the UK makes it easier to pick an album of the year this year as Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago didn’t come out over here until 2008. And if you’re not familiar with its charms, get over to his website and download the album’s standout track Skinny Love.
I had a bit of trouble working out how to get this tune onto the uke. It’s obvious he’s using an usnusal tuning and a bit of research turned up that he was using CGEGCC. There are only three notes there (G, C and E) and, happily, they are open uke strings as well. So I tuned the A string down two frets so it’s exactly the same as the G string. From there, this arrangement is very similar to what he’s actually playing.
For the outro (and the intro) I play this:






Wow, you read my mind. I was thinking about trying to convert this to uke if I had some spare time this week and you have beaten me to it!
I’ll second that everyone should pick up Bon Iver’s whole CD, too. And he just put out a new EP last week, I think (at least, over here in the states). I haven’t heard it yet though…
Favourite song from one of my new favourite artists.
I’m so stoked to try this one out!!
Thanks a lot :)
What kind of uke are you playing in your recording? When I compare yours to mine, mine sounds like a different and higher key.
Benjamin: I’ve emusic-ed the first couple of tracks of the new EP (Blood Bank). I didn’t much like previews of the other two so I left well alone.
Courtney: Good luck with it.
Suzanne: I’m using a tenor ukulele for this one – a Ohana TK-35G. It’s in the same key, but it does sound fuller and bassier. Also, there’s a fair bit of reverb on there.
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!
This made my day!
Allison: You’re very welcome.
i love that you posted this. it’s fantastic. it’s my second uke song that i have learned and it’s great. when i play the E+5 during the middle section, it sounds wrong. am i doing something funny?
sorry, i meant the E7+5.
yessssss! ive been recently hypnotized by bon iver. at first i wasn’t sure how much i liked the falsetto, but i’ve come to love the whole album. and the new EP. now i can’t wait to pick my uke up and give this a good try!
Anne: It is quite discordant. Are you playing the chord with your index finger on the 7th fret? It could be that the intonation isn’t too great on your uke (so it sounds out of tune when you play high up the neck).
Kelly: Good luck with it. What did you make of the second half of the EP? I’m still not convinced.
i love you for tabbing this. a lot. thanks. you’ll be getting a gift-basket next christmas or something.
andrew: Thanks. Looking forward to xmas already ;)
I’m new – finger pattern is down down down up down? Using index? just to be sure..I never know with the finger patterns
DrSilverworm: Yep, index finger. For the strumming pattern try:
down, down (pause) up down up
a fine choice indeed, still yet to master it though, just wondering if you know the chords for stacks?
matt: There are some chords for it here. But you’ll have to move everything up two frets.
Could someone post a video tutorial of this song on the uke? Im having some trouble learning it..
I love this, thanks. Is there something different for the chorus? I feel like I’m missing a chord between the C and the Am. Guitar tabs say it’s a C/B.
I cant believe I missed this! THANKS :D
Jhube: You’re welcome.
I’m so excited to learn this! I have a question though: how does one play the d7 add 13? I’m still a bit of a newb..
thanks!
Ashley: When you’re tuned GCEG, it’s:
G string at the fifth fret
C string open
E string 7th fret
G string (that used to be A string) 7th fret