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        • Calico Skies | acoustic
        • Dear Prudence | acoustic
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        • Every Night | acoustic
        • Girl | acoustic
        • Happy With You | acoustic
        • Here Comes the Sun | acoustic
        • Here, There and Everywhere | acoustic
        • Here Today | acoustic
        • I Will | acoustic
        • In My Life | acoustic
        • Jenny Wren | acoustic
        • Jealous Guy | acoustic
        • Julia | acoustic
        • Junk | acoustic
        • Michelle | acoustic
        • Mother Nature's Son | acoustic
        • My Love | solo
        • Norwegian Wood | acoustic
        • Revolution | rhythm and solo
        • Run Of the Mill | acoustic
        • Two Of Us | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps Anthology Version | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps | solo
        • Yesterday | acoustic
        • Your Love Is Forever | acoustic
      • Boston >
        • More Than A Feeling | acoustic
        • More Than A Feeling | rhythm solos & fills
        • Peace Of Mind | solos
      • Bruce Cockburn >
        • Foxglove | acoustic
        • Wondering Where The Lions Are | acoustic
      • Bryan Adams >
        • It's Only Love | rhythm and solo
        • One Night Love Affair | rhythm and solo
        • Run To You | rhythm and solo
      • The Cars >
        • Drive | acoustic
        • Just What I Needed | rhythm and solo
        • My Best Friend's Girl | rhythm & solo
        • Shake It Up | solo
      • Cat Stevens >
        • Wild World | acoustic
      • Coldplay >
        • The Scientist | rhythm
        • Viva La Vida | rhythm
      • Cream | Eric Clapton >
        • Badge | rhythm & solo
        • Crossroads | intro and 1st solo
        • Layla Unplugged| acoustic
        • Tears In Heaven | acoustic
      • Crowded House >
        • Don't Dream It's Over | rhythm & solo
      • The Cult >
        • Fire Woman | rhythm and solo
        • She Sells Sanctuary | rhythm and solo
      • Dave Mason >
        • We Just Disagree | acoustic
      • David Bowie >
        • Heroes | rhythm and solo
        • Rebel Rebel | rhythm and solo
      • Deep Purple >
        • Highway Star | solo
      • Dio | Doug Aldrich >
        • Push | solo
      • Dire Straits >
        • Money for Nothing | rhythm
        • Sultans Of Swing | electric
      • Doobie Brothers >
        • China Grove | rhythm & solo
        • Long Train Running | rhythm
      • Doug Aldrich >
        • Fast Pentatonic Lick | lick
    • E-H >
      • The Eagles >
        • Hotel California | acoustic
        • Hotel California | solos
        • I Can't Tell You Why | solo
        • Lyin' Eyes | acoustic & electric
      • Ed Sheeran >
        • Photograph | acoustic
        • Sing | acoustic
        • Thinking Out Loud | acoustic
      • Eddie Money | Jimmy Lyon >
        • Two Tickets To Paradise | rhythm & solo
      • Edgar Winter Group >
        • Free Ride | rhythm & solo
      • Electric Light Orchestra >
        • Mr. Blue Sky | acoustic
      • Emerson, Lake & Palmer >
        • C'est La Vie | acoustic
        • From The Beginning | acoustic
        • I Believe In Father Christmas | acoustic
        • Lucky Man | acoustic
        • Still You Turn Me On | acoustic
      • Eric Johnson >
        • Eric Johnson style #1 | lick
        • Eric Johnson style #2 | lick
      • The Faces >
        • Stay With Me | electric
      • Fleetwood Mac - Lindsey Buckingham >
        • Big Love | acoustic "live version"
        • Bleed To Love Her | acoustic
        • Landslide | acoustic
        • Landslide | live solo
        • Never Going Back Again | acoustic
        • Never Going Back Again | live solo
        • Oh Well Part 1 | acoustic - electric
        • Rhiannon | rhythm and solo
        • Say Goodbye | acoustic "live version"
        • Stephanie | acoustic
      • Foreigner >
        • Double Vision | rhythm
      • Free >
        • All Right Now | rhythm
        • Mr. Big | rhythm
      • Gary Moore >
        • Blues for Neruda | lick
        • Gary Moore style | 3 speed licks
        • Parisienne Walkways | rhythm &solo
        • Still Got the Blues | solo
      • Greg Kihn >
        • The Breakup Song | electric
      • The Guess Who >
        • American Woman | acoustic electric rhythm and solo
      • Hall & Oates >
        • Sara Smile | rhythm and intro solo
    • I-L >
      • Jackson Browne >
        • Running On Empty | acoustic
        • These Days | acoustic
      • James Gang | Joe Walsh >
        • Funk #49 | rhythm
      • James Taylor >
        • Fire and Rain | acoustic
      • James Vincent Mcmorrow >
        • Wicked Game (Game of Thrones Season 6 Trailer) | acoustic
      • Jim Croce >
        • Time In A Bottle | acoustic
      • Joe Satriani >
        • Always With Me, Always With You | solo
      • John Mayer >
        • XO | acoustic
      • Journey >
        • Any Way You Want It | solo
        • Separate Ways | solo
      • Kansas >
        • Dust In The Wind | acoustic
      • Led Zeppelin >
        • Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You | acoustic
        • Black Dog | Rhythm
        • Bron-Yr-Aur | acoustic
        • Going To California | acoustic
        • Immigrant Song | rhythm
        • Kashmir | rhythm
        • Over The Hills And Far Away | acoustic
        • The Rain Song | acoustic/electric
        • Ramble On | acoustic
        • Stairway To Heaven | solo
        • Whole Lotta Love | rhythm and solo
    • M-P >
      • Maroon 5 >
        • Maps | rhythm and solo
      • Marty Balin >
        • Hearts | electric
      • Metallica >
        • Nothing Else Matters | rhythm and solo
      • Montrose >
        • Rock Candy | rhythm and solo
      • Mötley Crüe >
        • Kickstart My Heart | rhythm
      • Mountain | Leslie West >
        • Mississippi Queen | rhythm and solo
      • Neil Young >
        • Harvest Moon | acoustic
        • Heart Of Gold | acoustic
        • Old Man | acoustic
      • Norah Jones >
        • Don't Know Why | acoustic
      • Ozzy Osbourne | Randy Rhoads >
        • Crazy Train | solo
      • Peter Frampton >
        • Baby I Love Your Way | acoustic
        • Show Me The Way | acoustic
      • Peter Gabriel >
        • Solsbury Hill | acoustic
      • Pink Floyd >
        • Comfortably Numb | solos
        • Goodbye Blue Sky | acoustic
        • Wish You Were Here | rhythm and intro solo
      • The Police >
        • Every Breath You Take | rhythm
      • Prince >
        • Purple Rain | rhythm
    • Q-T >
      • Queen >
        • Bohemian Rhapsody | solo
      • Radiohead >
        • No Surprises | rhythm
      • Raspberries >
        • Go All the Way | rhythm
      • Rick Derringer >
        • Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo | rhythm
      • The Rolling Stones >
        • Angie | acoustic
        • Brown Sugar | electric
        • Can't You Hear Me Knocking | electric
        • Honky Tonk Women | electric
        • Love In Vain | acoustic
        • Wild Horses | acoustic & electric
        • You Can't Always Get What You Want | acoustic
      • Ron Sexsmith >
        • Secret Heart | rhythm
      • Santana >
        • Black Magic Woman | solos
        • Europa | solo
        • Samba Pa Ti | solos
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        • Can't Live Without You | rhythm & solos
        • No One Like You | solos
      • Simon and Garfunkel >
        • The Boxer | acoustic
      • Steely Dan >
        • Reelin' In the Years | solos
      • Steve Vai >
        • Tender Surrender arpeggio | lick
      • Stevie Winwood | Blind Faith >
        • Can't Find My Way Home | acoustic
      • Thin Lizzy >
        • The Boys Are Back In Town | rhythm & solos
      • Todd Rundgren >
        • Can We Still Be Friends | rhythm
      • Tom Petty >
        • Learning To Fly | rhythm & solo
      • The Tragically Hip >
        • Ahead By A Century | acoustic
        • Bobcaygeon | acoustic - electric
        • Fiddler's Green | acoustic
      • The Tubes >
        • Talk To Ya Later | electric rhythm & solo
    • U-Z >
      • U2 >
        • Ordinary Love | acoustic
      • Van Halen >
        • Feel Your Love Tonight | rhythm and solo
        • Jump | solo
      • Whitesnake >
        • Is This Love | solo
      • ZZ Top >
        • Cheap Sunglasses | rhythm
        • La Grange | rhythm
        • Sharp Dressed Man | rhythm
  • Gear

Ahead By A Century by The Tragically Hip | acoustic

Paul Langlois, Johnny Fay, Davis Manning
An acoustic guitar lesson on how to play “Ahead By A Century” by the Tragically Hip from their 1996 album, “Trouble at the Henhouse.”

This and “Bobcaygeon” have always been my favorite “Hip” songs. Gord Downie is a great lyricist.

I can't say I know what this song is really about, but all the same, I feel like I get it.

I wanted to do this tutorial as an homage to Gord Downie, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer a few months ago.

It’s a very sad and ironically tragic situation.

The Hip have been one of Canada’s biggest band for many years and will complete their farewell Canadian tour later this month. (August 2016)

Anyways, a lot of folks play this one in standard tuning using standard D, C, A and G shapes.

That will work, but the guitars on the record are open tuned and that’s what gives the song its unique sound.

It’s an open C tuning but with the high E string tuned all the way down to a C. That’s the trick of this song.

C-G-C-G-C-C.

Once you get the guitar tuned to this you put a capo on the second fret to bring it into the key of D.

When you hear how it sounds and feels in the proper tuning, you’ll never play it in standard again!

It’s not a hugely tough song to learn, but like most things, it’s the feel that will take a while to get down.

I hope you enjoy this lesson and good luck to Gord and the rest of the band in this really tough time for them and their fans. Cheers
Andy

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  • Home
  • Christmas
    • Christmas Album & TABS
    • Christmas Song Lessons >
      • Angels We Have Heard On High | acoustic
      • Deck The Halls | acoustic
      • The First Noel | acoustic
      • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen | acoustic
      • Good King Wenceslas | acoustic
      • I Believe In Father Christmas | acoustic
      • It Came Upon A Midnight Clear| acoustic
      • Joy To the World | acoustic
      • O Come All Ye Faithful | acoustic
      • We Three Kings Of Orient Are | acoustic
  • Donate
  • tabs
  • merch
  • Lesson Index
    • A-D >
      • AC/DC >
        • Back In Black | rhythm
        • Bad Boy Boogie | rhythm
        • Baptism By Fire | rhythm
        • Beating Around The Bush | rhythm
        • Play Ball | rhythm and solo
        • Riff Raff | rhythm
        • Rock Or Bust | rhythm
        • Rock the House | rhythm
        • You Shook Me All Night Long | solo
      • Adele >
        • Million Years Ago | acoustic
      • Aerosmith >
        • Sweet Emotion | rhythm
        • Walk This Way | solos
      • Alan Parsons Project >
        • Eye In the Sky | electric rhythm & solo
        • I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You | electric rhythm & solo
      • Allman Brothers >
        • Little Martha | acoustic
      • America >
        • Tin Man | acoustic
        • Ventura Highway | acoustic
      • Badfinger >
        • Baby Blue | electric and acoustic
        • No Matter What | electric rhythm
      • Beatles | Solo >
        • A Day In the Life | acoustic
        • Across the Universe | acoustic
        • Blackbird | acoustic
        • Bluebird | acoustic
        • Calico Skies | acoustic
        • Dear Prudence | acoustic
        • Eleanor Rigby | acoustic
        • Every Night | acoustic
        • Girl | acoustic
        • Happy With You | acoustic
        • Here Comes the Sun | acoustic
        • Here, There and Everywhere | acoustic
        • Here Today | acoustic
        • I Will | acoustic
        • In My Life | acoustic
        • Jenny Wren | acoustic
        • Jealous Guy | acoustic
        • Julia | acoustic
        • Junk | acoustic
        • Michelle | acoustic
        • Mother Nature's Son | acoustic
        • My Love | solo
        • Norwegian Wood | acoustic
        • Revolution | rhythm and solo
        • Run Of the Mill | acoustic
        • Two Of Us | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps Anthology Version | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps | solo
        • Yesterday | acoustic
        • Your Love Is Forever | acoustic
      • Boston >
        • More Than A Feeling | acoustic
        • More Than A Feeling | rhythm solos & fills
        • Peace Of Mind | solos
      • Bruce Cockburn >
        • Foxglove | acoustic
        • Wondering Where The Lions Are | acoustic
      • Bryan Adams >
        • It's Only Love | rhythm and solo
        • One Night Love Affair | rhythm and solo
        • Run To You | rhythm and solo
      • The Cars >
        • Drive | acoustic
        • Just What I Needed | rhythm and solo
        • My Best Friend's Girl | rhythm & solo
        • Shake It Up | solo
      • Cat Stevens >
        • Wild World | acoustic
      • Coldplay >
        • The Scientist | rhythm
        • Viva La Vida | rhythm
      • Cream | Eric Clapton >
        • Badge | rhythm & solo
        • Crossroads | intro and 1st solo
        • Layla Unplugged| acoustic
        • Tears In Heaven | acoustic
      • Crowded House >
        • Don't Dream It's Over | rhythm & solo
      • The Cult >
        • Fire Woman | rhythm and solo
        • She Sells Sanctuary | rhythm and solo
      • Dave Mason >
        • We Just Disagree | acoustic
      • David Bowie >
        • Heroes | rhythm and solo
        • Rebel Rebel | rhythm and solo
      • Deep Purple >
        • Highway Star | solo
      • Dio | Doug Aldrich >
        • Push | solo
      • Dire Straits >
        • Money for Nothing | rhythm
        • Sultans Of Swing | electric
      • Doobie Brothers >
        • China Grove | rhythm & solo
        • Long Train Running | rhythm
      • Doug Aldrich >
        • Fast Pentatonic Lick | lick
    • E-H >
      • The Eagles >
        • Hotel California | acoustic
        • Hotel California | solos
        • I Can't Tell You Why | solo
        • Lyin' Eyes | acoustic & electric
      • Ed Sheeran >
        • Photograph | acoustic
        • Sing | acoustic
        • Thinking Out Loud | acoustic
      • Eddie Money | Jimmy Lyon >
        • Two Tickets To Paradise | rhythm & solo
      • Edgar Winter Group >
        • Free Ride | rhythm & solo
      • Electric Light Orchestra >
        • Mr. Blue Sky | acoustic
      • Emerson, Lake & Palmer >
        • C'est La Vie | acoustic
        • From The Beginning | acoustic
        • I Believe In Father Christmas | acoustic
        • Lucky Man | acoustic
        • Still You Turn Me On | acoustic
      • Eric Johnson >
        • Eric Johnson style #1 | lick
        • Eric Johnson style #2 | lick
      • The Faces >
        • Stay With Me | electric
      • Fleetwood Mac - Lindsey Buckingham >
        • Big Love | acoustic "live version"
        • Bleed To Love Her | acoustic
        • Landslide | acoustic
        • Landslide | live solo
        • Never Going Back Again | acoustic
        • Never Going Back Again | live solo
        • Oh Well Part 1 | acoustic - electric
        • Rhiannon | rhythm and solo
        • Say Goodbye | acoustic "live version"
        • Stephanie | acoustic
      • Foreigner >
        • Double Vision | rhythm
      • Free >
        • All Right Now | rhythm
        • Mr. Big | rhythm
      • Gary Moore >
        • Blues for Neruda | lick
        • Gary Moore style | 3 speed licks
        • Parisienne Walkways | rhythm &solo
        • Still Got the Blues | solo
      • Greg Kihn >
        • The Breakup Song | electric
      • The Guess Who >
        • American Woman | acoustic electric rhythm and solo
      • Hall & Oates >
        • Sara Smile | rhythm and intro solo
    • I-L >
      • Jackson Browne >
        • Running On Empty | acoustic
        • These Days | acoustic
      • James Gang | Joe Walsh >
        • Funk #49 | rhythm
      • James Taylor >
        • Fire and Rain | acoustic
      • James Vincent Mcmorrow >
        • Wicked Game (Game of Thrones Season 6 Trailer) | acoustic
      • Jim Croce >
        • Time In A Bottle | acoustic
      • Joe Satriani >
        • Always With Me, Always With You | solo
      • John Mayer >
        • XO | acoustic
      • Journey >
        • Any Way You Want It | solo
        • Separate Ways | solo
      • Kansas >
        • Dust In The Wind | acoustic
      • Led Zeppelin >
        • Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You | acoustic
        • Black Dog | Rhythm
        • Bron-Yr-Aur | acoustic
        • Going To California | acoustic
        • Immigrant Song | rhythm
        • Kashmir | rhythm
        • Over The Hills And Far Away | acoustic
        • The Rain Song | acoustic/electric
        • Ramble On | acoustic
        • Stairway To Heaven | solo
        • Whole Lotta Love | rhythm and solo
    • M-P >
      • Maroon 5 >
        • Maps | rhythm and solo
      • Marty Balin >
        • Hearts | electric
      • Metallica >
        • Nothing Else Matters | rhythm and solo
      • Montrose >
        • Rock Candy | rhythm and solo
      • Mötley Crüe >
        • Kickstart My Heart | rhythm
      • Mountain | Leslie West >
        • Mississippi Queen | rhythm and solo
      • Neil Young >
        • Harvest Moon | acoustic
        • Heart Of Gold | acoustic
        • Old Man | acoustic
      • Norah Jones >
        • Don't Know Why | acoustic
      • Ozzy Osbourne | Randy Rhoads >
        • Crazy Train | solo
      • Peter Frampton >
        • Baby I Love Your Way | acoustic
        • Show Me The Way | acoustic
      • Peter Gabriel >
        • Solsbury Hill | acoustic
      • Pink Floyd >
        • Comfortably Numb | solos
        • Goodbye Blue Sky | acoustic
        • Wish You Were Here | rhythm and intro solo
      • The Police >
        • Every Breath You Take | rhythm
      • Prince >
        • Purple Rain | rhythm
    • Q-T >
      • Queen >
        • Bohemian Rhapsody | solo
      • Radiohead >
        • No Surprises | rhythm
      • Raspberries >
        • Go All the Way | rhythm
      • Rick Derringer >
        • Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo | rhythm
      • The Rolling Stones >
        • Angie | acoustic
        • Brown Sugar | electric
        • Can't You Hear Me Knocking | electric
        • Honky Tonk Women | electric
        • Love In Vain | acoustic
        • Wild Horses | acoustic & electric
        • You Can't Always Get What You Want | acoustic
      • Ron Sexsmith >
        • Secret Heart | rhythm
      • Santana >
        • Black Magic Woman | solos
        • Europa | solo
        • Samba Pa Ti | solos
      • Scorpions >
        • Can't Live Without You | rhythm & solos
        • No One Like You | solos
      • Simon and Garfunkel >
        • The Boxer | acoustic
      • Steely Dan >
        • Reelin' In the Years | solos
      • Steve Vai >
        • Tender Surrender arpeggio | lick
      • Stevie Winwood | Blind Faith >
        • Can't Find My Way Home | acoustic
      • Thin Lizzy >
        • The Boys Are Back In Town | rhythm & solos
      • Todd Rundgren >
        • Can We Still Be Friends | rhythm
      • Tom Petty >
        • Learning To Fly | rhythm & solo
      • The Tragically Hip >
        • Ahead By A Century | acoustic
        • Bobcaygeon | acoustic - electric
        • Fiddler's Green | acoustic
      • The Tubes >
        • Talk To Ya Later | electric rhythm & solo
    • U-Z >
      • U2 >
        • Ordinary Love | acoustic
      • Van Halen >
        • Feel Your Love Tonight | rhythm and solo
        • Jump | solo
      • Whitesnake >
        • Is This Love | solo
      • ZZ Top >
        • Cheap Sunglasses | rhythm
        • La Grange | rhythm
        • Sharp Dressed Man | rhythm
  • Gear