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* Song:
* Album:
* Version:
* Interpretation:
* Tuning:
* Notes:
Black is the colour
Turf
2 / 3 »»»
Michelle Kinkead(mmkinkead@bigfoot.com)
DADGAD, but either 1/2 or 1 step lowered
It's originally an old traditional tune and there are tons of different versions out there now, but this one seems to be based on an arrangement by Scottish singer Hamish Imlach.
I think it has an especially beautiful and haunting feeling in this tuning and is a wonderful song to play around with; you can easily alter your picking or strumming to suit your mood.

Black is the colour

I've tried to show just basic fingerings that sound fairly accurate for each part plus a few transitions, instead of trying to coherently tab out all the actual picked notes--please let me know if you have any ideas about that! ; )
Black is the 

D---------][---------------------][------------------------------
A-------0-][---------------------][------0-----------------------
G---0-----][0---------0----------][2-0---2-----------------------
D---3-----][2-slide---5----------][0--3b-0----------------------
A---1-----][0-slide---3----------][0-----0-----------------------
D---------][---------------------][0-----0-----------------------
    colour     of my  true love's  hair       And his/her lips are


D-------------][---------------][------------------------------
A-------------][0--------------][------0-----------------------
G---0---------][0--------------][2-0---2-----------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------][0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------][0-----0-----------------------
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    like          some rose so   fair        S/he has the sweetest 

D-------------][---------------]  [------------------------------
A-------------][0--------------]  [------0-----------------------
G---0---------][0--------------]  [2-0---2-----------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------]  [0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------]  [0-----0-----------------------
D-------------][---------------]  [0-----0-----------------------
    smile        and the gentlest  hands      And I love the 

D---------][--------------] [------0-----------------------
A-------0-][--------------] [------0-----------------------
G---0-----][0-------0-----] [2-0---2-----------------------
D---3-----][2-slide-5-----] [0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1-----][0-slide-3-----] [0-----0-----------------------
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    ground   whereupon s/he  stands              I love my 

D---------][--------------] [------------------------------
A-------0-][--------------] [------0-----------------------
G---0-----][0-------0-----] [2-0---2-----------------------
D---3-----][2-slide-5-----] [0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1-----][0-slide-3-----] [0-----0-----------------------
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    love      and  well /she knows           And I love the 

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A-------------][0--------------][------0-----------------------
G---0---------][0--------------][2-0---2-----------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------][0--3b-0----------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------][0-----0-----------------------
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   ground         whereon s/he   goes            I wish the 

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A---1----slide][3--------------][0-----0-----------------------
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    day           it soon might  come            When s/he and 

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A-------0-][--------------] [------0-----------------------
G---0-----][0-------0-----] [2-0---2-----------------------
D---3-----][2-slide-5-----] [0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1-----][0-slide-3-----] [0-----0-----------------------
D---------][--------------] [0-----0-----------------------
    I         might be as    one                  Black is the 

D---------][---------------------][------------------------------
A-------0-][---------------------][------0-----------------------
G---0-----][0---------0----------][2-0---2-----------------------
D---3-----][2-slide---5----------][0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1-----][0-slide---3----------][0-----0-----------------------
D---------][---------------------][0-----0-----------------------
    colour     of my  true love's  hair       And his/her lips are


D-------------][---------------][------------------------------
A-------------][0--------------][------0-----------------------
G---0---------][0--------------][2-0---2-----------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------][0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------][0-----0-----------------------
D-------------][---------------][0-----0-----------------------
    like          some rose so   fair        S/he has the sweetest 

D-------------][---------------]  [-----------------------------
A-------------][0--------------]  [-----0-----------------------
G---0---------][0--------------]  [2----0-----------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------]  [2----2-----------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------]  [0----0-----------------------
D-------------][---------------]  [-----------------------------
    smile        and the gentlest  hands      And I love the 

D---------][--------------] 
A-------0-][--------------] 
G---0-----][0-------0-----] 
D---3-----][2-slide-5-----] 
A---1-----][0-slide-3-----] 
D---------][--------------] 
    ground   whereupon s/he  


D--x--------------0--------x-----------0-----------
A--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
G--7----------9--9---------7-----------2-----------
D--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
A--x----------x------------x-----------0-----------
D--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
   stands

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A--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
G--7----------9--9---------7-----------2-----------
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A--x----------x------------x-----------0-----------
D--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------                                              
						  I'll go to the

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    Clyde     and     mourn and    weep          For satis-

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D---3----slide][5--------------][0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------][0-----0-----------------------
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   -fied          I never shall  be           I write him/her a 

D-------------][---------------]   [--------------------------
A-------------][0--------------]   [------0-------------------
G---0---------][0--------------]   [2-0---2-------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------]   [0--3b-0-------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------]   [0-----0-------------------
D-------------][---------------]   [0-----0-------------------
    letter        just a few short  lines           And suffer 

D---------][---------------------][------0---------------------
A-------0-][---------------------][0-----0---------------------
G---0-----][0---------0----------][2-0---2---------------------
D---3-----][2-slide---5----------][0--3b-0--------------------
A---1-----][0-slide---3----------][0-----0---------------------
D---------][---------------------][0-----0---------------------
    death    ten      thousand     times           Black is the 

D---------][---------------------][------------------------------
A-------0-][---------------------][------0-----------------------
G---0-----][0---------0----------][2-0---2-----------------------
D---3-----][2-slide---5----------][0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1-----][0-slide---3----------][0-----0-----------------------
D---------][---------------------][0-----0-----------------------
    colour     of my  true love's  hair       And his/her lips are


D-------------][---------------][------------------------------
A-------------][0--------------][------0-----------------------
G---0---------][0--------------][2-0---2-----------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------][0--3b-0-----------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------][0-----0-----------------------
D-------------][---------------][0-----0-----------------------
    like          some rose so   fair        S/he has the sweetest 

D-------------][---------------]  [-------0--------------------
A-------------][0--------------]  [0------0--------------------
G---0---------][0--------------]  [2------0--------------------
D---3----slide][5--------------]  [2------2--------------------
A---1----slide][3--------------]  [0------0--------------------
D-------------][---------------]  [----------------------------
    smile        and the gentlest  hands         And I love the 

D---------][--------------] 
A-------0-][--------------] 
G---0-----][0-------0-----] 
D---3-----][2-slide-5-----] 
A---1-----][0-slide-3-----] 
D---------][--------------] 
    ground   whereupon s/he  


D--x--------------0--------x-----------0-----------
A--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
G--7----------9--9---------7-----------2-----------
D--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
A--x----------x------------x-----------0-----------
D--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
   stands

D--x--------------0--------x-----------0-----------
A--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
G--7----------9--9---------7-----------2-----------
D--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------
A--x----------x------------x-----------0-----------
D--8---------10------------8-----------0-----------