Nico – These Days (Tabs)
These Days has been covered many times by acts including Elliott Smith and St Vincent. Even Miley did an excellent version. Drake, not so much.
But the song was written by Jackson Browne and first released by Nico. This arrangement is based on Nico’s version rather the more laid-back Jackson Browne version version. I couldn’t resist playing the Cotton picking guitar of the Nico version (played by Browne himself) on the ukulele. Which is a pain in the arse.
Intro: Setting up the cotton picking pattern along with the thumb alternating between the g- and C-strings, the index finger picking the E-string and the middle A.
Except in bars 1 and 3 you start on the g-string and in the others you’re starting on the C-string. I’ve done to complete the descending line on the g-string. That run goes C-B-A-G in the first bar and needs the F on the C-string to finish it off.
Verse: Some more switching of the pattern in this section. This time it’s because some of the melody notes go low enough to fall on the C-string e.g. the final C note in bar 6 and the C-string, second fret in bar 8.
There’s a break from the alternating picking when you switch to one-finger-per-string picking in bar 12. That continues until you ease back into the alternating style in bar 16.
Solo: My take on the solo is a bit more in the Jackson Browne style. Particularly with the country bend in bar 26. I’ve also taken a hint from the descending bass-line and used a descending line harmonised with thirds in bars 24 and 34. The rest is plucking the chords with a few references to the melody thrown in.
Of course, you’re allowed and encourage to do whatever you fancy in this section and make it your own.
Links
Buy the Nico version
More 60s tabs and chords
Uke Hunt Patreon
