| Author: | Leonard | Latest revision: | February 22, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes: | Cat revealed at his 1971 US concert held at Berkeley Community Theatre that he got inspired by someone writing to Rolling Stones about how beautiful and free this place called Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, was. In a way this song is more about Cat’s imagined version of the mystical East than the location itself. A young but nervous Peter Gabriel plays the flute on the studio recording. In live performances Cat would often play this song without a capo, probably out of convenience. The rare video reels of Cat’s 1971 Montreux performance (see below) as well as the studio demo with its solo-guitar arrangement, which this transcription is based on in the main, proved useful in transcribing the song. Cat finger-strums through the entire song in his unique way, just utilizing his thumb and index finger, with his thumb often hitting several bass strings at once, and never playing any repeating part quite the same. The fingerpicking parts are at the same time both fleshed out and not quite as mapped out as one would assume. Though it may not be obvious, but the song contains a variety of different time signatures and off-beat chord changes. The solo section is rather freeform, following the vocal melody more closely with bass notes on guitar, and never quite adhering to the chosen time signature. In live performances Cat is known to energetically strum through the solo as well. | ||
| Each guitar tab is the author’s own work and represents his or her own interpretation of the song. Visitors may use the guitar tabs offered here only for private study, scholarship, or research. |
|||
"Katmandu"
by Cat Stevens
from the original album
MONA BONE JAKON (1970)
Standard tuning
(bass to treble) E-A-D-G-B-E
Capo on 3rd fret
in 3/4 and 4/4 time, mostly
INTRO
D D4 F/D G/D C
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E| |-2---------2h3-----------|-5-------7---------------|-----0h1-0---------------| |
B| |-----3-----------3-------|-----6/8-----8-------1---|-------------1-----------| |
G|.|---------2-----------2/5-|-----------------7-------|-----------------0-------|.| Play
D|.|-0----------(0)----------|-0-------0---------------|---------------------2---|.| twice.
A| |-------------------------|---------------------3---|-------------------------| |
E| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |
LINK
Note: To hit more than one bass
D/F# C/G D/F# C/G note at once, roll or
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . strum with thumb.
E| |---------2-------------------0---|---------2-------------------0---| |
B| |-------------------------1-------|-------------------------1-------| |
G|.|-----2-------2-------0-----------|-----2-------2-------0-----------|.| Play
D|.|-0-------0------(0)--------------|-0-------0------(0)--------------|.| twice.
A| |-----------------0---3-----------|-----------------0---3-----------| |
E| |-----------------2---3-----------|-----------------2---3-----------| |
VERSE 1
D/F# C/G D F/C C G
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|---------2-------------------0---|---------2---------------1-------|-------------------------3-------|
B|-------------------------1-------|-----------------------------1---|---------1-------0-------0-------|
G|-----2-------2-------0-----------|-----2-------2-------2-----------|-0---0---0-------0---0---0-------|
D|-0-------0-------0---------------|-0-------0-------0---3-----------|-2---------------0-------0---0---|
A|-----------------0---3-----------|---------------------3-----------|-3---------------x---------------|
E|-----------------2---3-----------|---------------------------------|-----------------3---------------|
I sit be-side the dark be-neath the mire cold grey dusty day
D/A A E! C/G G
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|---------2-------|---------0-----------0-0-0-------|--------(0)----------3-----------|
B|-----------------|-------------2-------0-0-0-------|---------1---1-------0-----------|
G|-----2-------2---|-----2---------------1-1-1-------|-----0---0---0-------0-----------|
D|-0-------0-------|-2-------------------2-2-2-------|---------2---2-------0-----------|
A|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------0---2-2-2---2---|-3---------------3---2---2-------|
E|-----------------|---------------------0-0-0-------|----------------(3)----------3---|
The morning lake drinks up the
D/A D2/F Em7 RIFF_________ C
/ . / . / . / . . . . . . . . . .
E|---------2-------------------0---|-------------------------------------|
B|---------3---------------3-------|---------3----------------------(1)--|
G|---------2-------------2---------|-----0-------------------------------|
D|-----0-------0---0---3-----------|-2-----------------------------------|
A|-0---------------0---------------|---------------------0---2---3-------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------0---3-------------------|
sky Katman-...
CHORUS 1
G C G D/A F/C Em
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------1-------------------|
B|-0---3---1p0-----0---------------|--------(3)-------------(3)------|---------1---1-------------------|
G|-------------0-------0------(0)--|-----0-------2-------2--(2)------|-----2-------2-------2-------0---|
D|---------------------------------|---------0---------------0---2---|-----3---------------------------|
A|-------------------------3-------|-----------------0---------------|-3-------------------------------|
E|-3------(3)-----(3)--------------|-3-------------------------------|-------------------------0-------|
...-du, I'll soon be see-ing you, and your strange be-wildering
Am Dm G C ! C/B !
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-----------------------------1---|-------------3---------------------|---------3---------------3-------|
B|---------1---1-----------3-------|-0-----------0-------3---3/5-(5\)3-|-1-------1---------------1-------|
G|---------2---2-------2------(2)--|-0-------0---0---------------------|(0)-----(0)--------------0-------|
D|-----2---2---------------0-------|-0---0-----------0---0-------------|---------------------------------|
A|-0-------------------------------|-x---------------x-------5/7-(7\)5-|-3-----------3---2-----------2---|
E|---------------------------------|-3---------------3-----------------|---------------------------------|
time will hold me down
FILL_________________________
Em* D/F* G* A* B2*
/ . / . / . / .
E|---------------------------------|
B|-------------------------0-------|
G|-0---2---4---2-------0-------0---|
D|---------------------------------|
A|-------------0-------4-----------|
E|-0---2---3-----------------------|
REPEAT LINK.
VERSE 2
D/F# C/G D F/C#
Chop me some broken wood, we'll start a fire
C G D/A A E! C G D/A D2/F Em7 RIFF
White warm, light the dawn, and help me see old satan's tree
CHORUS 2
C G C G D/A
Katman-du, I'll soon be touching you
F/C Em Am Dm G C C/B FILL
And your strange be-wildering time will hold me down
REPEAT LINK. (But don't play it twice.)
SOLO (Focus on vocal melody, loose timing.)
D/F# C D F/C C G D/A
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|---------------------------------|-----------------1---------------|---0-----0-3---------------------|
B|-----------------------------1---|-----------------1---------------|-1-1-----1-1-------------0-0-----|
G|-2---0-------------------0---0---|-------------0---2-----------0---|-0-------0---------------0-0-2---|
D|---------4p2-4---0-----------2---|-----0---4-------3---------------|-----2-------0-----------0-0-0---|
A|---------------------3-----------|-0-----------------------3-------|-----------------2p0-------------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------3-----------|
(D/A) A E C G
/ . / . / . / . . . . / . / . / . / .
E|---------------------0-----------|-0-0-0---0---|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------2-----------|-0-0-0---0---|---------1-----------------------|
G|---------------------2-----------|-1-1-1---1---|-----0---0-----------------------|
D|-----0---2-------------------2---|-2-2-2---2---|---------2---2-------0-----------|
A|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-2-2-2---2---|-3-----------------------2p0-----|
E|---------------------------------|-0-0-0---0---|-----------------0-----------3---|
D/A D2/F Em7 RIFF_________ C
/ . / . / . / . . . . . . . . . .
E|---------2-------------------0---|---------------------------------0---|
B|---------3---3-----------3-------|---------3-------------------1-------|
G|---------2---2---------2---------|-----0-------------------------------|
D|---------0---0-------3-----------|-2-----------------------------------|
A|-0---------------0---------------|---------------------0---2---3-------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------0---3-------------------|
G C G D/A F/C Em
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-----------------------------0---|-----------------------------0---|-1-----------1-----------1h3-0---|
B|-3-----------3-----------1-------|-3---0---3---------------3---0---|-1-----------1-------1-------0---|
G|-----0-------0-------0-----------|-------------2-------2---2-------|-----2-------2-------2-----------|
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|-------------------------3-------|---------0-------0---------------|-3-------3-------3---------------|
E|-3-------3-------3---------------|-3-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
(Em) Am Dm G C/G*
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-----------------------------1---|-------------3--------------------|
B|-----1---------------1---3-------|-0-----------0-------0---1----1-1-|
G|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-------------0-------0---0----0-0-|
D|-------------------------0-------|-----0----------------------------|
A|---------0-------0---------------|----------------------------------|
E|-0-------------------------------|-3-------3-------3-------3--------|
REPEAT LINK. (But don't play it twice.)
VERSE 3
D/F# C/G D F/C#
Pass me my hat and coat, lock up the cabin
C G D/A A E! C G D/A D2/F Em7 RIFF
Slow night, treat me right until I go - be nice to know
CHORUS 3
C G C G D/A
Katman-du, I'll soon be seeing you
F/C Em Am Dm G C C/B FILL
And your strange be-wildering time will keep me home
REPEAT LINK. (But don't play it twice.)
REPEAT INTRO.
OUTRO
D
/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / .
E|-0---------------0h2-------------|-2---------------2---------------||
B|-3---------------3---------------|-3---------------3---------------||
G|-0---------------0h2-------------|-0---------------2---------------||
D|-0---------------0---------------|-0---------------0---------------||
A|-0---------------0---------------|-0---------------0---------------||
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------||
NOTES
=====
Note #1: In order to understand how the song is played,
(approach) it is important to understand Cat's approach to
fingerpicking. His motto is that as long as you
get the chord shape right, you can't pick a wrong
note when finger-picking. This is the reason
why you see fleshed-out fingerpicking parts here
alongside fairly broad, less defined strokes of
a chord, yet it all fits together.
Note #2: Just like Cat, use your thumb and index finger
(picking) only. Don't be afraid to hit more than one string
with your thumb (bass strings) or index (treble
strings) at once, otherwise you won't be able to
play the song like Cat did.
Note #2: Pay note to how irregular the song is. The time
(irregular) signatures are all over the place, even though
one wouldn't guess by just listening to the song.
Pay special attention to Cat changing chords on
an upbeat, such as in the LINK or VERSE sections.
Note #3: Yes, no verse or chorus is played exactly the same.
(merging) Hence, we have transcribed a merged version of all
the different verses and choruses in the tablature
for VERSE 1 and CHORUS 1 above to give you a better
idea for Cat's variations. Look out for notes in
parenthesis.
Note #4: Cat uses at least three different C major chords
(C chords) throughout the song. He interchanges them at will
at times except for the LINK section which always
stays the same chord-wise:
C C C/G
x32013 x32010 332010
Note #5: The middle section consists of a free-form solo. Cat
(solo) basically follows the vocal melody with corresponding
bass notes on his guitar, with much truncated timing.
This will almost certainly give you a hard time play-
ing alongside the recording. We based the transcrip-
tion for the solo on the studio demo, which has only
Cat's guitar on it and was therefore less error-prone
for transcribing.
CHORDS (in order of appearance and relative to capo position)
======
D D4 F/D G/D C C C/G
xx0232 xx0233 xx0565 xx0787 x32010 x32013 332010
---IRM ---IRL ---IRM ---IRM -RM-I- -RM-IL RLM-I-
D/F# F/C G D/A A E
200232 x33211 320003 x00232 x02220 022100
T--IRM -RLMII RM---L ---IRM --IMR- -MRI--
D2/F Em7 Em Am Dm C/B C/G*
xx3230 xx2030 022000 x02210 xx0231 x2x013 3x2013
--MIR- --I-R- -MR--- --MRI- ---MRI -M--IL R-M-IL
Chord fingering: T = thumb
I = index finger
M = middle finger
R = ring finger
L = little finger
Tablature notation: h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
~ = vibrato
[ ] = natural harmonic (Harm.)
/ = legato slide (gliss) up the fret
\ = legato slide (gliss) down the fret
! = accentuate part with great intensity
d = downward stroke
u = upward stroke
LYRICS ONLY
===========
I sit beside the dark beneath the mire
Cold grey dusty day, the morning lake drinks up the sky
Katmandu, I'll soon be seeing you
And your strange bewildering time will hold me down
Chop me some broken wood, we'll start a fire
White warm, light the dawn, and help me see old satan's tree
Katmandu, I'll soon be touching you
And your strange bewildering time will hold me down
Pass me my hat and coat, lock up the cabin
Slow night, treat me right until I go - be nice to know
Katmandu, I'll soon be seeing you
And your strange bewildering time will keep me home
Playing Cat Stevens 