Country/crossover band, Lady Antebellum (Charles Kelley [vocals], Hillary Scott [vocals], and Dave Haywood [guitar/ keyboards], has come a long way in a short time. Formed in 2006, they hit on the first attempt when their debut single, “Love Don’t Live Here” reached #3 on the country charts. “I Run to You” went all the way to #1, helping to push their debut album, Lady Antebellum to platinum status. “Need You Now,” the title track from their second album, hit the #1 spot late last year, and in February of this year, the album debuted at the #1 spot on both the country and pop charts!

CAPO AT THE FOURTH FRET
Gtrs. 2, 3 & 5 are capoed at the fourth fret. This allows the song (which is in the key of E) to be played by a different set of grips, in the key of C. When these capoed instruments are notated on the staff, the key signature is C major (no sharps or flats). The guitars in standard tuning (Gtrs. 1, 6, 7 & 8) are notated in the key of E major (four sharps). You’ll also notice that there are two sets of chord symbols written above the staff. The chords on top correspond to the fundamental harmony of the non-capoed guitars, while the ones in parentheses are the resulting shapes of the capoed instruments.

THE ACOUSTIC
Dave Haywood plays the acoustic guitar (Gtr. 3) on the recording. He enters in measure 5 of the Intro, playing, what is to become, the main chordal riff. Founded on two basic chord voicings (Fmaj7 and Am), he adds several variations for color and movement. First up is the Fmaj7, which he plays with his thumb on the 6th string root. (Refer to the chord diagrams on page one of the transcription.) The initial grip spells out an Fmaj7sus2, but he immediately plants his 2nd finger down on the 2nd fret of the G string, making it an official, Fmaj7. Using an “all downstroke” strumming pattern, he toggles back and forth between these two similar grips for 2 measures (hone in on the G string in the tab staff to understand the timing of his finger placement), and then moves to an Am chord. This chord receives more treatment than the Fmaj7 shape. Lift your index finger on beat 3 to form an Asus2. In the next measure, plant your pinky on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string for an Asus4, then move back to the initial Am shape on the “and” of 3. Although he varies it slightly, this four-bar riff is the basic structure for the Verse and Pre-Chorus.

Dave switches to a “windshield wiper,” alternating-strumming pattern at the Chorus (a 12-string acoustic [Gtr. 5] doubles the part). He embellishes the C/G chord by periodically lifting his middle finger off the D string to form a passing, Cadd2 tonality. The Em shape remains stationary. Two other moves worth noting occur in the Guitar Solo, where a G/B grip gives way quickly to a C/G voicing (strum up in midair while changing grips), and a Gsus4 segues to a G (follow the fingering suggestions in the chord diagrams on page one of the transcription).

HAVING TROUBLE SEEING THIS TAB?  JUST RIGHT CLICK AND SELECT VIEW IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW.

THE ELECTRIC PARTS
There’s a boatload of layered electric parts in the song, but let’s address some key figures. We’ll take a look at the capoed electric (Gtr. 2) first. Entering with pickup notes in measure 4 of the Intro, the part involves an arpeggiated figure and a strummed triad. Here’s a tip for a pristine execution: Position your fretting fingers as if you’re going to strum the top portion of a C chord (2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, and index on the 1st fret of the B string), and play the arpeggio (G–C–E). Now all you have to do is drop your ring finger down on the 2nd fret of the G string to voice the Am triad. This little trick will lessen the chances for annoying string squeaks. You can keep your middle finger in place on the D string because that note (E) is common to both chords in the fundamental harmony.

Don’t forget to add subtle vibrato with your whammy-bar. If your guitar isn’t equipped with one, you may want to try applying slight pressure to the back of the neck while you hold the body of the guitar firmly with your right hand. This will loosen the tension on the strings, much like a whammybar does. By pulling back on the neck the strings will go sharp.

All of the other electric guitars are in standard tuning. Gtr. 1 is an arrangement of the synth pad, and only appears in the first four measures of the Intro, and again in the last three measures of the tune. Of all the electrics, Gtr. 4 is the most perennial throughout the arrangement. Slightly distorted with tremolo (set to the time of eighth-note triplets) and slapback delay (try a setting of around 100–150 ms), the crafty parts provide underlying textures, and a general sense of atmosphere to the song. Here’s a rundown of some of the trickier moves: The very first figure (measures 5–6 of the Intro) requires that you mute the B string with the fleshy underside of your index finger (which should be fretting the G string at the 4th fret). Make sure you bend the B string up toward you (so it doesn’t mute out the high-E string) in measure 8. For that phat E5 chord at the top of the Chorus section, try barring the A and D strings (at the 2nd fret) with the top portion of your index finger, fretting the G string (at the 4th fret) with either your ring or pinky finger (see Fig. 1).

Make sure the bottom portion of your barred index finger is up off the high-E and B strings. The second Verse features a palm-muted arpeggiated passage reminiscent of Andy Summers’ main guitar figure in “Every Breath You Take” by the Police. The figures make a lot more sense if you see them as chord voicings. Refer to the chord diagrams in Fig. 2 for fingering suggestions. The Guitar Solo is played by a slide guitar. Place the slide (glass or metal) on your ring finger and lay it across the appropriate fret wire (not the fret area). For best results, mute all of the strings on the other side of the slide (toward the headstock of the guitar) with your index and middle fingers.

Want more? Check out these cool links at guitaredge.com
• Get more Lady Antebellum guitar tabs at guitarinstructor.com
• Download “Need You Now” on iTunes
• Visit Lady Antebellum online at ladyantebellum.com

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