The Bells Of Rhymney

	  		 
revelation to me (once I started to try to pick it up) how much the 
dropped-D tuning adds to the Byrds arrangement.  Having the bass tuned 
down to D too really puts a floor under the song!  The tab, of course, 
is not perfect.  Corrections, additions, etc. always sought and welcome. 
Peace. 
 
Rick 
[email protected] 
__________________________________________ 
 
                            THE BELLS OF RHYMNEY 
                        (Idris Davies & Pete Seeger) 
 
as performed by The Byrds on their self-titled first LP 
(Robyn Hitchcock does true-to-The-Byrds version) 
 
- one guitar and bass drop low E to D (necessary) 
- one 12-string (you know what brand) guitar would be great 
 
hide this tab
 
opening riff: 
 
e|--------0-2------|----3-2-0-------|--------0-2------|----3-2-0--------| 
B|----3-------3----|----------3-----|----3-------3----|----------3------| 
G|------2-------2--|------------2---|------2-------2--|-------------2---| 
D|-----------------|--------------0-|-----------------|---------------0-| 
A|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------| 
D|--0--------------|--0-------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|
 
 
(verse 1): 
    D                            G   D/F#     E   D(w/opening riff) 
Oh what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney 
                                     C     Em       A 
Is there hope for the future say the brown bells of Merthyr 
     D                          C     Em       A 
Who made the mine owner say the black bells of Rhonda 
     D                           G    D/F#     E   D(w/opening riff) 
And who killed the miner say the grim bells of Blaina 
 
(opening riff) 
 
(verse 2): 
    D                        G     D/F#   E   D(w/opening riff) 
Put vandals in court say the bells  of    Newport 
                          Bm            C     Em       A 
All will be well if if if if if say the green bells of Cardiff 
       D               Bm          G               E 
Why so worried sisters why say the silver bells of Wye 
     D                            G   D/F#     E   D(w/opening riff) 
And what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney 
 
(break; also see note): 
/   D   /   D   /   D   /   D   /   G   /   Em  / Edim7 / Edim7 / 
 
(opening riff) 
 
(repeat first verse) 
 
(end): 
                          | opening riff | 
G   /   D   /  E   /  E  / D / D / D / D / 
oh.....oh.....oh..........oh............. 
                          | opening riff | 
G   /   D   /  A   /  A  / D / D / D / D / 
oh.....oh.....oh..........oh............. 
 
__________________________________________ 
note on break: 
 
If someone wants to post accurate tab for the break, please do.  Meanwhile, 
what I do is improvise a bit around this.  Most of it is strummed~~~~~~~~. 
I think Pete Seeger would approve of (any) liberties I've taken; I hope 
Roger McGuinn would, too. 
 
hide this tab
 
   D                 D                 D                D 
e|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------| 
B|-10~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-10~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---12-10------------| 
G|-11~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---------12--11-----| 
D|-12~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|----------------12--| 
A|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------| 
D|0---------------|0----------------|0----------------|0-------------------| 
 
  G                Em                Edim7              Edim7 
e|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--7~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--| 
B|-8~~~~~~~~~~~--|--8~~~/12~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--| 
G|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--9~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--| 
D|---------------|-------14~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--| 
A|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------| 
D|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------| 
 
__________________________________________ 
some chords for the dropped-D guitar: 
 
      D      G       E      D/F#  Edim7     Em      C       A       Bm 
e|----3------x-------0-------2------3-------0-------0-------0-------2-----| 
B|----2------x-------0-------3------2-------0-------1-------2-------3-----| 
G|----3------x-------1-------2------3-------0-------0-------2-------4-----| 
D|----0------5-------2-------0------2-------2-------2-------2-------4-----| 
A|----0------5-------2-------0------x-------2-------3-------0-------2-----| 
D|----0------5-------2-------4------x-------2-------x-------x-------x-----|