When To Step Away

capo 4th fret 

Based on official recording.  

I wrote out a picking pattern for the intro but just wrote chord shapes for the majority of the tab to make  
it easier to read. Abby uses a fingerpicking style throughout the song, so I recommend listening to the  
recording on your own to get a feel for how you'd like to play it.  


Here are the shapes used throughout the song: 


D |-0----0----0---(2)---0----0---------0----0----0----0----------------| 
A |-0----0----0----0----0----0---------2----1----0----0----------------| 
F#|-0----3----4----1----5----7---------0----0----0----0---------7----8-| 
D |-0----0----0----0----0----0---------0----0----0----6---------0----0-| 
A |-0----4----5----2----5----7---------2----1----0----5---------8----9-| 
D |-0----4----5----2----5----7---------0----0----0----6---------8----9-| 




Intro (just once) 

D |------------------------|------------------------|------------2-----------|------------0-----------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|---------0---------0h2p0|----------0-------------| 
F#|-0-------0---0h3-----3--|-4-----4h6p4-3-------3--|-1----------------------|-------0----------------| 
D |------0-----------0-----|------0-----------0-----|------0---0-------------|------0--0-0------------| 
A |----0-----0-----4-----4-|----5-----------4-----4-|----2--------------0h2p0|------------------------| 
D |-0-----0-----4-----4----|-5-----5-----4-----4----|-2-----2-----2----------|-0----------------------| 


(Simplified:) 

D |------------------------|------------------------|------------2-----------|------------0-----------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|---------0---------0h2p0|----------0-------------| 
F#|-0-----------0h3--------|-4-----4h6p4-3----------|-1----------------------|-------0----------------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|------0--0-0------------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2-----------------0h2p0|------------------------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-0----------------------| 


 
 Painted you 
  in different lighting  About a thousand times over  Not a single version left me satisfied 
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0-----------3----------|-4-----------3----------|-1----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|-0-----------0----------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 

 I'd reworked  
  it and reframed it, thinking I could bring us closer  Until you were too abstract to recognize    
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0-----------3----------|-4-----------3----------|-1----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|-0-----------0----------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 

 I had no  
  reference  Or measure of progress      All I could do was blend into your life 
D |------------------------|------------------------|-----------(5)----------|-----------(7)----------| 
A |-2-----------1----------|-0----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------6----------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-2-----------1----------|-0-----------5----------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |------------------------|-------------6----------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
 

 
 Penciling  
  in every inch of your skin           Sketching out all your proportions like they are mine 
D |-----------(2)----------|-----------(4)----------|-----------(5)----------|-----------(7)----------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0----------------------|-3----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 

 Print and  
  reprint, starting from scratch again      Oh I was never quite done with you, was I? 
D |-----------(2)----------|-----------(4)----------|-----------(5)----------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0----------------------|-3----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 

 Detail- 
  obsessed half the time but the finer the line, then the easier it is erased 
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-5----------------------|-7----------------------|-7----------------------|-8----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-5----------------------|-7----------------------|-8----------------------|-9----------------------| 
D |-5----------------------|-7----------------------|-8----------------------|-9----------------------| 

 The hardest 
  part about the art of loving you was knowing when to step away 
D |------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 


D |------------------------|------------------------|------------2-----------|------------0-----------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|---------0---------0h2p0|----------0-------------| 
F#|-0-----------0h3--------|-4-----4h6p4-3----------|-1----------------------|-------0----------------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|------0--0-0------------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2-----------------0h2p0|------------------------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-0----------------------| 
 

 
 Lost the 
  color in my face but left it to interpretation    Orchestrated my bad taste palatable 
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0-----------3----------|-4-----------3----------|-1----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|-0-----------0----------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 

 Making marks  
  and accolades but all the closure that I crave, it's in front of me and hung up on my wall  'Cause I had no 
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0-----------3----------|-4-----------3----------|-1----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|-0-----------0----------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5-----------7----------| 


  reference or measure of progress      All I could do was rewrite what went wrong 
D |------------------------|------------------------|-----------(5)----------|-----------(7)----------| 
A |-2-----------1----------|-0----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------6----------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-2-----------1----------|-0-----------5----------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |------------------------|-------------6----------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
 

 
 Penciling  
  in every inch of your skin           Sketching out all your proportions like they are mine 
D |-----------(2)----------|-----------(4)----------|-----------(5)----------|-----------(7)----------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0----------------------|-3----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 

 Print and  
  reprint, starting from scratch again      Oh I was never quite done with you, was I? 
D |-----------(2)----------|-----------(4)----------|-----------(5)----------|-----------(7)----------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0----------------------|-3----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-4----------------------|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 

 Detail- 
  obsessed half the time but the finer the line, then the easier it is erased 
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-5----------------------|-7----------------------|-7----------------------|-8----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-5----------------------|-7----------------------|-8----------------------|-9----------------------| 
D |-5----------------------|-7----------------------|-8----------------------|-9----------------------| 

 The hardest 
  part about the art of loving you was knowing when to step away 
D |------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 
D |-5----------------------|-7----------------------| 

       
                               Knowing when to step away                         Knowing when to step away 
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| 
F#|-0-----------0h3--------|-4-----4h6p4-3----------|-1----------------------|-5----------7-----------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|-0----------0-----------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5----------7-----------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-5----------7-----------| 

                                                  Hmmm                  mmmm 
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------2-----------|-0----------------------| 
A |------------------------|------------------------|---------0---------0h2p0|-0----------------------| 
F#|-0-----------0h3--------|-4-----4h6p4-3----------|-1----------------------|-0----------------------| 
D |-0-----------0----------|-0-----------0----------|-0----------------------|-0----------------------| 
A |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2-----------------0h2p0|-0----------------------| 
D |-0-----------4----------|-5-----------4----------|-2----------------------|-0----------------------| 




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| (n) Ghost note 
| h   Hammer-on 
| p   Pull-off 

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