\] Cane Break Blues

Merle Travis Transcription by Tom Thomason (1995)

TablEdited by Tom Thomason (1998)

####
^ UUnU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUnU UUU UUU UU UU UU
#U U U
UUnU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUU UUnU UUU UUU UU UU UU
#U U U
G
U U U U U U

E maj E maj

1
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B
E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B T 2 3 3 3 32 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 0 2 3 3 3 32 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 0
G 3 4 4 4 43 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 1 3 4 4 4 43 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 1
D
A C
A B
E 0 0 0 0 0 0

T = L.H. thumb

#### U U U nU nU U U U U U U
P U U U U U Ux U U U nU U #U U U U U
U
U
G x x x
nx U
U
x
x x x x x x

A E7 E maj 6
5
5
¼
7 5 4 4 0 0
T 8 5 5 7 5 8 5 3 3 0
A 6 4 3 2 1 1 2
7 7 7 7 0 2 2
B 4
5 5 5 5 4 4 0

T T T

#### nU nU U U U U U U U U
UU U K U U UU nUUU UUU UU nUU UU nUU UU UU U K U
G U U #U nU U P U K U xP U
x
x x
x
x x x A x
A
x x x x x x x

B9 A7/6 A7 A7/6 E7 E flat 7 D7 E7

6
9
B B B B B B B
2 2 3 2 0 3 2 0 4 4 0 3 0 2 0 0 7 7 0
T 2 2 0 3 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0
2 4 4 3 2 2
A
1 1 2 2 1 Sl 6 Sl
B 2 0 2 7 2
2 0 0 0 0 0 0

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 Cane Break Blues - Merle Travis

#### U U U U U U U U U nU U U U U
U xP U U U xP U Px P P P P nUU #UU
G nU #U U nU #U A
A
x
x x
x x
x x x x

E7 E maj A min add 9 A

6 6 5 5 5
14

7 7 0 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 ¼ 7
T 0 0 0 0 8 8 8 5 B
A
Sl Sl 5 6
6 Sl 6 6 5 6 5 6 7 6 7
B 7 2 7 7 7
0 0 0 0 5 5

T T

#### U U U U nU U U U U U U U nU U U
U U U nU P U U nU U U U
G nx nx U
U U U #U
x x
x x x
x x x x x x

E7 E7 B7

18

¼ 4 0 4 4 0 4 ¼
T 5 7 5 8 5 3 3 3 3 3 0 0
A 4 2 2
7 7 0 0 0 1 1
B 0 1 2
5 5 4 4 4 0 4 2

T T T T T T

U U U
#### nU U U U U UU nUUU UUU UU nUU UU nUU UU UU nU U
U U U U U U U UU #U nU
UU
U
UU UU P K
KA x O U U
G x
x
x x x

E7 E flat 7 D7 A maj 6 E maj 6

9
22

P
B B B B B B B B

O
2 32 32 3 3 2 0 4 4 0 3 0 2 0 0 Sl 12 9 7 0
T 0 2 0 3 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 2 9 8
3 43 43 4 4 2 4 4 3 2 2 2 9 6 4
A 1 2 9
B 0
0 0 0

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 Cane Break Blues - Merle Travis

#### UU nU U U U U nU
P UU P nUU P P U
G nx P P
x x

U
x x x
x x x x x x x
x x x x
x x x x x

C# min 6 C min 6 E9 A
5
26

4 3 2 7 5
T 5 4 3 8 5
A 2 1

P P
2 2 2 7 7
B 3 2 2 4 2 2 4 2 0
0 4 0 0 0 2 4 5 0

U U U
#### U n P U U P KK
UU nK U U UUnU UU nUU UU UU
G A x O #U nU U U U nU P U U U
U A
U U U #U
x
x x
x

E maj B 9+

30

P
¼ B B B B ¼

O
Sl 12 7 7 0 0 0 0 0
T 5 2 9 8 0 3 2 1 0 3 0 0
A 6 4 2 9 4 3 2 1 2 2
5 2 9 1 1
B 0 0 1 2
0 4 2

LL
#### nU U U U U U U U UU U nUUU UU nUU UU nKK LL
U U U U nU U U U #U nA B
G
x
x B

A7 E maj 6/9
11
34
B B B B B
2 32 32 3 2 0 0 0 4 0 3 0 2 12
T 2 0 3 0 2 0 1 12
3 43 43 4 2 0 0 4 3 2 11
A 11
B 0 11
0 0 B

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 Cane Break Blues - Merle Travis

This is a real fun blues in the key of E.

Measure 17 starts off with a slightly awkward A chord being used to good effect. At the end of the measure he restores a standard A shape by using a little harmony run in 1/8ths.
The middle finger of the left hand (which was playing the seventh fret of the fourth string) shouldn't be lifted from the string when moved to the sixth fret for the first note of the
harmony run. Once this note has been played, the middle finger is moved rapidly to the sixth fret of the third string and the ring finger replaces it on the fourht string.

The run beginning in measure 25 can be tricky. I chose a fingering which brings the left hand progressively down the neck in reasonably small steps and leaves a natural anchor
(index finger on the fourth fret of the third string) for the descending figure beginning with the C#m6 in measure 26. If you prefer, you can play: 1 (12), 1 (9), 2 (12), 2 (8), 1 (0), 3
(6), 2 (0) before setting the C#m6.

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