Bedford Unplugged

See the main GuitarTab page for lots more old blues guitar tabs.

"Bill's Rag" by Bill Williams

This tab has now been completed and includes the entire tune.

Bill Williams of Greenup, Kentucky, was one of the great blues guitarists. There are 2 rare unavailable LPs (on the Blue Goose Records label). But as far as I know there are no CDs, no tablature, and no sheet music available. He played with Blind Blake, but made no recordings until he was over 70.

Important: The notes written as being played on the 4th fret should really be played on the 3rd fret bent.
You can vary how you bend this note up and down to make the guitar "talk".

Guitar tab (PowerTab).

Info about Bill Williams.


Standard tuning (E A D G B E)
Transcribed by www.bedfordunplugged.co.uk
Composed by Bill Williams, amended and with variations by Simon Edgeworth
Generated using Power Tab Editor by Brad Larsen
- http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org
E=eighth-note   Q=quarter-note   H=half-note   h.=threequarter-note   +=tied-note

 4/4

Section A1

  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E Q    Q  Q  E E Q    Q  E E E E Q
|----3--0-3-----|----------------|----3--0-3----|-2----1-------|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3----|--------------|----0-----0---|
|-------------2-|----------------|--------------|----0---------|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3--|----2------2--|-0------------|
|-3-----3-------|----------------|-3-----3------|------------2-|
|---------------|-1-------1------|--------------|--------3-----|


  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E +Q   Q
|----3--0-3-----|-----------------|-----------------|--------------0--|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3---1-|-----------------|--------------1--|
|-------------2-|-----------------|-----------------|--------------0--|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3---|-----------0-2-0-|-----------------|
|-3-----3-------|-----------------|-----0-1-2-------|---1-2-3-(3)-----|
|---------------|-1-------1-------|-3-3-------------|-3---------------|


Section A2

  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E Q    Q  Q  E E Q    Q  E E E E Q
|----3--0-3-----|----------------|----3--0-3----|-2----1--------|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3----|--------------|----0-----0----|
|-------------2-|----------------|--------------|----0----------|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3--|----2------2--|-0-------------|
|-3-----3-------|----------------|-3-----3------|------------2--|
|---------------|-1-------1------|--------------|--------3------|


  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E +Q   +Q.   E   E E E E Q  Q
|----3--0-3-----|-----------------|------------------|---------------|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3---1-|---4-(4)--(4)---4-|-3-1---1-------|
|-------------2-|-----------------|------------------|-----2---------|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3---|------------------|---------2-----|
|-3-----3-------|-----------------|------------------|---------------|
|---------------|-1-------1-------|-3----------------|------------3--|


Section B1

  Q  Q  E E Q    E E E E E E Q    Q  Q  E E Q    Q  E  E  E  E E  E
|----3--3-3----|---3---1-3-3----|----3--3-3----|-6------------------|
|--------------|----------------|--------------|-5--0--8------------|
|--------------|----------------|--------------|----0-10----10---10-|
|----2------2--|-----3-------3--|----2------2--|-5-------------9----|
|-3-----3------|----------------|-3-----3------|---------10---------|
|--------------|-1-------1------|--------------|--------------------|


  Q  Q  E E Q    E E E E E E Q    Q  H    +E  E   E E E E E E E E
|----3--3-3----|---3---1-3-3----|----3----(3)-5-|-3---0-----------|
|--------------|----------------|---------------|---4---1-------1-|
|--------------|----------------|---------------|---------2-0-2---|
|----2------2--|-----3-------3--|---------------|-----------------|
|-3-----3------|----------------|---------------|-----------------|
|--------------|-1-------1------|-3-------------|-----------------|


Section B2

  Q  Q  E E Q    E E E E E E Q    Q  Q  E E Q    Q  E  E  E  E E  E
|----3--3-3----|---3---1-3-3----|----3--3-3----|-6------------------|
|--------------|----------------|--------------|-5--0--8------------|
|--------------|----------------|--------------|----0-10----10---10-|
|----2------2--|-----3-------3--|----2------2--|-5-------------9----|
|-3-----3------|----------------|-3-----3------|---------10---------|
|--------------|-1-------1------|--------------|--------------------|


  Q  Q  E E Q    E E E E E E Q    H.      +E  E   E E  E  E E E E E
|----3--3-3----|---3---1-3-3----|-------------8-|-------------------|
|--------------|----------------|---------------|-8---------------1-|
|--------------|----------------|---------------|---8-/9------------|
|----2------2--|-----3-------3--|---------------|--------10-7-5-7---|
|-3-----3------|----------------|---------------|-------------------|
|--------------|-1-------1------|-3-------(3)---|-------------------|


Section A3

  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E Q    Q  Q  E E Q    Q  E E E E Q
|----3--0-3-----|----------------|----3--0-3----|-2----1--------|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3----|--------------|----0-----0----|
|-------------2-|----------------|--------------|----0----------|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3--|----2------2--|-0-------------|
|-3-----3-------|----------------|-3-----3------|------------2--|
|---------------|-1-------1------|--------------|--------3------|


  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|----3--0-3-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3---1-|-----------------|---1-3-4-3-1---1-|
|-------------2-|-----------------|---------------0-|-2-----------2---|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3---|-----------0-2---|-----------------|
|-3-----3-------|-----------------|-----0-1-2-------|-----------------|
|---------------|-1-------1-------|-3-3-------------|-----------------|


Section A4

  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E Q    Q  Q  E E Q    Q  E E E E E E
|----3--0-3-----|----------------|----3--0-3----|-2----3---------|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3----|--------------|----0-----0-----|
|-------------2-|----------------|--------------|----0---------0-|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3--|----2------2--|-0--------------|
|-3-----3-------|----------------|-3-----3------|------------2---|
|---------------|-1-------1------|--------------|--------3-------|


  Q  Q  E E E E   E E E E E E E E   h.      +E  E   E E E Q +H
|----3--0-3-----|-----------------|---------------|----------------|
|---------------|---4-3-1-4-3---1-|-------------4-|-3-1------------|
|-------------2-|-----------------|---------------|-----2-3-(3)----|
|----2------2---|-----3-------3---|---------------|-------2-(2)----|
|-3-----3-------|-----------------|---------------|-------3-(3)----|
|---------------|-1-------1-------|-3-------(3)---|----------------|