'Motherless Children' by Clapton Eric - Guitar Tutorial

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              MOTHERLESS CHILDREN--Eric Clapton
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Album: 461 Ocean Boulevard
Tabbed by Alex Hovanes
email: [email protected]



Forgive me if it's not quite right and incomplete, I've only been playing for a year or so :)



Intro
e|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----2-2--2-----2-----2---------2-2--2-----2-----5p4-2-| 
D|-2h4--------4p2-2-4p2-2-4p2-2h4--------4p2-2-4p2-------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|


Main riff
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-| x2
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----12-12~-12----------------------------------------------|
B|-/14----------------15-15~-15-------------------------------|
G|----------------/16----------------14-14~-14-16-17r16-14-16~-|
D|-------------------------------/16---------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-|
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


VERSE
All the verses share the same pattern.

Note: At the end of a verse line, this riff is played in conujunction with the D chord:
             e|-------------------------|
	     B|-------------------------|
	     G|-----2-2--2-----2---4-2~-|
	     D|-2h4--------4p2---2------|
	     A|-------------------------|
	     E|-------------------------|

      If you listen to the song, you'll know which lines it comes in on.

1)
A                          D                   A                    D
Motherless children have a hard time when your mother is dead, Lord

A                          D                   A                    D
Motherless children have a hard time when your mother is dead, Lord

A                  E            D                     F
They don't have anywhere to go, wandering around from   door to door

A                        D                     A                    D
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, Lord


2)
Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, Lord
Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, Lord
Father will do the best he can, so many things a father can't understand
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, Lord



e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-| x2
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----12-12~-12~-121417/12~---/17-14-------------------|
B|-/14----------------------------------17~---------------|
G|------------------------------------------14~----14/16~-|
D|----------------------------------------------14--------|  (not exactly right, but it sounds good =P
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-16^17r16-13--------------12-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------14~--/11-13----13~-11-------------14~-------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------/12~-|
A|-------------------------------------12-14^15r14------12-14^15r14------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


3)
Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, Lord
Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, Lord
Sister will do the best she can, so many things a sister can't understand
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, Lord


OUTRO

D            A               D
   When your mother is dead

After the first couple of lines of the outro, the intro is laid in over the chords.
Then it breaks into the main riff
one more time, sounds like it stops, then slides up into an A chord.

That's it, enjoy =)



| /  slide up
|   slide down
| h  hammer-on
| p  pull-off
| ~  vibrato