Gregory Alan Isakov - 3am

this is my favourite song of the absolutely brilliant gregory alan isakov . unfortunately
there are no very good tabs around . i have been working on the song for a long time and
actually used it to learn some basic picking techniques . i could have tabbed the whole
thing but it would not be worth the effort because you only need to know the correct
chords and then learn the picking pattern yourself . i don’t know it 100% correctly , greg
plays it very differently live , so there is no 100% correct version . make up your
little mix of hammers and pulls , just like i have . i will post a little part of the
intro to get you going . once you have your thumb moving irrespective of your other fingers ,
a whole new
world of guitar playing will open up . that’s what this song has done for me . it takes
some time , but it is well worth it .

capo 3rd

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
( first part of intro , exemplary picking pattern tabbed . ata marks notes played by
thumb , 0/2 marks hammer on from open string to 2nd for example . when a note is put right
beneath a hammered on note , play that note simultaneously with the hammering )

E | – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
B | – – – – – – – – 1 – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0a – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – |
G | – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0/2 – – – – – – 2 – – – – – – – – 0/2 – – – – – 2 – – – – – – – – |
D | – – – – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – – 2t – – – – – – – – 2t – – – – – – 2t – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
A | – – 3t – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
E | – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3t – – – – – – 3t – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |

C2 G2 Am

E | – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1a0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
B | – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1 – – – 1 – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – 1 – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
G | – – – – – – – – 0/2 – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – |
D | – – – – – 3t – – – – – – – – – 3t – – – – – – – 3t – – – – – 3t – – – – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – 0t – – – – – – – – – |
A | – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
E | – – 1t – – – – – – 1t – – – – – – – – – – 1t – – – – – 1t – – – – – – – – – 3t – – – – – – – – – 3t – – – – – – – – 3t – – – – – – – 3t – – – – |

F1 G3

– – – – – end of picking example – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

chords used :

E | – – 0 – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – 3 – – – 1 – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – – – – 5 – – – 3 – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
B | – – 1 – – – 1 – – – 1 – – – 1 – – – 1 – – – – – – – – 1 – – – 0 – – – 3 – – – 1 – – – – – – 0 – – – 1 – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
G | – – 0 – – – 0 – – – 2 – – – 0 – – – 2 – – – – – – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
D | – – 2 – – – 0 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 3 – – – – – – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – 0 – – – 0 ( 2 ) – – – 3 – – – 2 – – – – 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
A | – – 3 – – – 2 – – – 0 – – – x – – – 3 – – – – – – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – 2 – – – – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
E | – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – 3 – – – 1 – – – – – – – – 3 – – – 3 – – – 3 – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |

C1 G3 Am * Am/G F1 * * G1 G2 G4 G5 * * * F2 C2 Dm

* always hammer on 0/1 on B – sting when switching to this chord
* * use left hand thumb for bass f!
* * * hammer on 0/2 and pull off again on D – string

( intro )

C2 G2 Am Am F1 F1 G1 G2

C2 G2 Am Am F2 C2 G1 C2

G1 G2 G3 G4

C G3 Am Am7/G F
well , it’s 3 A . m . again , like it always seems to be
G1 G2 Am Am/G F
driving northbound , driving homeward , driving wind is driving me .
G1 G2 Am Am7/G F
it just seems so funny how i always end up here
G1 G2 Am Am/G F
walking outside in a storm while looking way up past the treeline .
G1 G2 G3 G4
it’s been some time .

Am F G5 G5
give me darkness when i’m dreaming , give me moonlight when i’m leaving ,
Am F G5 G5
give me shoes that weren’t made for standing .
Am F G5 G5
give me treeline , give me big sky , give me snowbound , give me rainclouds ,
Am G1 G2 G3 G4
give me bedtime just sometimes .

C G3 Am Am7/G F
now you’re talking in my room , there ain’t nobody here ,
G1 G2 Am Am/G F
cause i’ve been driving like a trucker , i’ve been wearing through the gears
G1 G2 Am Am/G F
i’ve been training like a soldier , i’ve been burning through this sorrow
G1 G2 Am Am/G F G1 G2 G3 G4
the only talking lately is a background radio

Dm F G5 G5
you are my friend and i was a saint
Dm F G5 G5
and riding that hope was like catching some train
Dm F G5 G5
now i just walk , but i don’t mind the rain
Dm F G5 G5
singing so much softer than i did back then
( interlude )

C2 G2 Am Am F2 C2 G1 C2

G1 G2 G3 G4

C G Am Am7/G F
well the night i think is darker , than we can really say ,
G1 G2 Am Am/G F
god’s been living in that ocean , sending us all the big waves
Am F G5 G5
and i wish i was a sailor so i could know just how to trust
Am F G5 G5
maybe i could bring some grace back home to dry land for each of us

Dm F G5 G5
say what you see , you say it so well
Dm F G5 G5
just say you will wait like snow on the rail
Dm F G5 G5
combing that train yard for some kind of saint
Dm F G5 G5
even my own self , it just don’t seem mine

Am F G5 G5
give me darkness when i’m dreaming , give me moonlight when i’m leaving
Am F G5 G5
give me mustang horse and muscle , oh , i won’t be going gentle
Am F G5 G5
give me slandered looks when i’m lying , give me fingers when i’m crying
Am F G5 G5
i ain’t out there to cheat you , see i killed that damn coyote in me

( outro )

Am Am F F

G5 G5 G5 G5