you are here: www.michaelchapman.co.uk/tablature/ponchatoulah | play guitar the easy way

Michael Chapman Tablature

 

Ponchatoula(h)

'In a restaurant in Vicksburg, we were served by a girl from Ponchatoula. Once id heard the name, I just had to go'.

Michael Chapman track notes on Americana.

Incidently Michael himself uses two different spellings. The instrumental first appears on the 'black and white' self released album where it is listed as Ponchatoulah. On Americana the track is listed (with explanation) as Ponchatoula on the notes and Ponchatoulah on the back sleeve. This spelling is continued on Journeyman the live DVD. Ponchatoula Louisiana the place has no 'h'. (MH)

Ponchatoula times

This transcript of Ponchatoulah was a hard labour to get it right. The measure bars are indicated in red above the tabs. This is not an original invention since Stefan Grossman ( the famous ragtime guitar player and also close friend to Reverend Gary Davis) already did so in his instruction books twenty years ago. Ponchatoulah is in my opinion a marvel, it contains the typical melancholic atmosphere and guitar sound of Michael Chapman. Although it seems a simple tune, it is not. I had to practice a lot, especially to play part five. (JR)

Instrumental: Ponchatoulah

Composer: Michael Chapman

Time: 4/4

Tuning: DADGBE

Note: a cipher between ( ) means a prolongation.

Part one (play four times)

   |  |      |      |     |  |      |       |

|----------------------|--0-----------------------|

|--------3--(3)--------|--------3--(3)------------|

|----------------0-----|----------------0------0--|

|-----4-------------4--|-----4--------------4-----|

|----------------------|--------------------------|

|--0---------0---------|--0---------0-------------|


   |  |      |      |         |      |      |      |

|-------------------------|------------------------------|

|--------2--(2)--------3--|--(3)--------2--(2)-----------|

|----------------0--------|-------0-------------0-----0--|

|-----4-------------4-----|----------4-------------4-----|

|--0---------0------------|---0-------------0------------|

|-------------------------|------------------------------|

Part two (play three times)

   |     |      |      |           |      |      |     |

|------------------------------|-------------0--(0)----------|

|-----------0--(0)--------3----|--(3)------------------------|

|--------0-------------0-------|-------0------------0-----0--|

|-----4-------------4----------|----------4------------4-----|

|------------------------------|-----------------------------|

|--5------------5--------------|---5-------------5-----------|

   |     |      |      |          |     |      |      |

|----------------------------|------------------------------|

|-----------2--(2)--------3--|--(3)--------2--(2)-----------|

|-----0-------------0--------|-------0-------------0-----0--|

|--------4-------------4-----|----------4-------------4-----|

|----------------------------|------------------------------|

|--4------------4------------|---4-------------4------------|

Part three

   |     |      |      |          |     |      |      |

|-------------------------0--|--(0)-------------------------|

|-----------0--(0)-----------|-------------0--(0)-----------|

|-----0-------------0--------|-------0-------------0-----0--|

|--------4-------------4-----|----------4-------------4-----|

|----------------------------|------------------------------|

|--2------------2------------|-- 2-------------2------------|

Part four (play the third and the fourth bar three times)

   |     |      |      |        |      |      |      |

|---------------------------|-----------------------------|

|-----------0--(0)----------|-------------0--(0)----------|

|-----0-------------0-------|-------0-------------0-------|

|--------2-------------2/4--|--(4)-----4-------------4/7--|

|--0------------0-----------|---0-------------0-----------|

|---------------------------|-----------------------------|

   |       |     |       |         |      |      |      |

|---------------------------0--|--(0)-------------------------|

|-------------0--(0)-----------|-------0-------------0--------|

|-------0-------------0--------|-------------0--(0)--------0--|

|--(7)-----7-------------7-----|----------7-------------7-----|

|---0-------------0------------|---0-------------0------------|

|------------------------------|------------------------------|

Part five (play four times)

   |  |    |      |          |       |      |        |

|---------------------0--|--(0)--------------------------|

|-----7--(7)-------------|-------7--(7)----------7--(7)--|

|-------------6--(6)-----|---------------6--(6)----------|

|-----0-----------0------|-----------0---------------0---|

|------------------------|-------------------------------|

|--0------0--------------|---0---------------0-----------|

   |  |    |      |          |       |      |        |

|---------------------0--|--(0)--------------------------|

|-----7--(7)-------------|-------7--(7)----------7--(7)--|

|-------------7--(7)-----|---------------7--(7)----------|

|-----0-----------0------|-----------0---------------0---|

|------------------------|-------------------------------|

|--5------5--------------|---5---------------5-----------|

Transcription by jan.rouwens@pandora.be

download this as a microsoft word file

 

Guitar related links

Dave Artus has a website with other transcriptions of guitar pieces his site

Andy Roberts plays Wrecked Again & Postcards of Scarborough

A video (it isn't Michael playing) on open tuning pieces for guitar and at least three of the pieces are Michael's pieces if not his playing click here to visit

you are here: www.michaelchapman.co.uk/tablature/ponchatoulah | play guitar the easy way

page updatedb/02/05