Booker T And The Mgs
Time Is Tight (ver 2) Tab
TIME IS TIGHT
As recorded by Booker T. & The MG's
(From the 1969 Album UP TIGHT)
Words and Music by Al Jackson, Steve Cropper, Donald Dunn & Booker T. Jones
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Booker T. Jones - Organ'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Steve Cropper - Guitar '
Gtr III (E A D G B E) - 'Steve Cropper - Guitar'
Q=138
$
C
4/4
Gtr I (Organ arr. for Gtr.)
W W
||-----------------|----------------------||-|
||o----------------|---------------------o||-|
||-----------------|----------------------||-|
||-----------------|----------------------||-|
||o----------------|---------------------o||-|
||-----------------|----------------------||-|
|
| Gtr II
| PM----------------------------------------
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
||-----------------|----------------------||-|
||o----------------|---------------------o||-|
||-----------------|----------------------||-|
||--2--2-0-2-0---2-|-(2)-0---2-(2)-0---0--||-|
||o-3--3-0-3-0---3-|-(3)-0---3-(3)-0---0-o||-|
||-------------3---|-------3---------3----||-|
C
W +H a Q Q
||------------------|--------------------------|
||o-----------------|------------12h13----12---|
||--12--------------|-(12)---------------------|
||------------------|--------------------------|
||o-----------------|--------------------------|
||------------------|--------------------------|
|
|--------------------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
||------------------|--------------------------|
||o-----------------|--------------------------|
||------------------|--------------------------|
||---2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2----(2)-0----0-|
||o--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3----(3)-0----0-|
||--------------3---|--------3-------------3---|
W +Q. E Q Q
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-12--------------|-(12)--------------14---|
|-----------------|----------14-15---------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|
| PM---------------------------------------
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0----2-(2)-0----0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0----3-(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3-----------3---|
W +H a Q a Q
|-----------------|---------------20-------20---|
|-----------------|------------20h22----20h22---|
|-12--------------|-(12)------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|
|---------------------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2----(2)-0-------0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3----(3)-0-------0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------------3---|
F
W +H Q Q
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|------------18----17---|
|-17--------------|-(17)------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|
| PM--------------------------------------
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0------|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3---|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
W +H +Q. E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----16-|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|
|---------------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0------|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3----|
|-----------------|------------------------|
C
W +H +Q. E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----16-|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|
| PM---------------------------------------
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3----|
To Coda
W +H. Q
|-----------------|-------------------------||
|-----------------|------------------------o||
|-17--------------|-(17)--------------------||
|-----------------|-------------------------||
|-----------------|------------------------o||
|-----------------|-------------------------||
|
|--------------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------------||
|-----------------|------------------------o||
|-----------------|-------------------------||
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0---0----||
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0---0---o||
|-------------3---|--------3---------3------||
G D
W +H Q Q
||--10--------------|-(10)-------15--14--|
||o-12--------------|-(12)-------15--15--|
||--12--------------|-(12)-------16--14--|
||------------------|--------------------|
||o-----------------|--------------------|
||------------------|--------------------|
|
| Gtr III
| PM PM--| PM-------| PM
| Q E E E E E E E E E E Q Q
||------3-------3---|--------3----3---2--|
||o-----3-------3---|--------3----3---3--|
||------------------|-------------4---2--|
||------------------|-------------5---0--|
||o-----------------|--------------------|
||---3----3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3---------|
1.
G
W +W
|-15--------------|-(15)-----------------||
|-15--------------|-(15)----------------o||
|-16--------------|-(16)-----------------||
|-----------------|----------------------||
|-----------------|---------------------o||
|-----------------|----------------------||
|
| PM--| PM-------| PM--| PM
| Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|--3--3-------3---|--------3-------3-----||
|--3--3-------3---|--------3-------3----o||
|--4--------------|----------------------||
|--5--------------|----------------------||
|-----------------|---------------------o||
|-------3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3-3-3---3---||
2.
G C
W +W W
|-15--------------|-(15)------------||-----------------|
|-15--------------|-(15)------------||-----------------|
|-16--------------|-(16)------------||-12--------------|
|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|
|
| Gtr II
| PM--| PM PM-----------|
| Q E E E E E E E E E E H Q E E E E E E
|--3--3-------3---|--------3--------||-----------------|
|--3--3-------3---|--------3--------||-----------------|
|--4--------------|-----------------||-----------------|
|--5--------------|-----------------||--2--2-0-2-0---2-|
|-----------------|-----------------||--3--3-0-3-0---3-|
|-------3-3-3---3-|---3--3----------||-------------3---|
+H a Q Q W +Q. E Q Q
|--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
|------------12h13----12---|-----------------|-------------------------|
|-(12)---------------------|-12--------------|-(12)--------------14----|
|--------------------------|-----------------|----------14-15----------|
|--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
|
| PM--------------------------------------------------------------|
| +E E E E +E E E E Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
|--(2)-0---2----(2)-0----0-|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0----2-(2)-0----0--|
|--(3)-0---3----(3)-0----0-|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0----3-(3)-0----0--|
|--------3-------------3---|-------------3---|--------3-----------3----|
W +H a Q a Q
|-----------------|---------------20-------20---|
|-----------------|------------20h22----20h22---|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-17--------------|-(17)------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|
| PM--------------------------------------------
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2----(2)-0-------0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3----(3)-0-------0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------------3---|
F
W +H Q Q
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|------------18----17---|
|-17--------------|-(17)------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|
|---------------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0------|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3---|
|-----------------|-----------------------|
W +H +Q. E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----16-|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|
| PM---------------------------------------
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0------|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3----|
|-----------------|------------------------|
C
W +H +Q. E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----16-|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|
|---------------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3----|
W +H. Q
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-17--------------|-(17)-----------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|
| PM----------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2-(2)-0---0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3-(3)-0---0-|
|-------------3---|--------3---------3---|
C
Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
||------------------------|-------------------------|
||o--5---5------5-------5-|--(5)------5--(5)------5-|
||---5---5--7---5--7----5-|--(5)-7----5--(5)-7----5-|
||----------7------7-5----|------7-5---------7-5----|
||o-----------------------|-------------------------|
||------------------------|-------------------------|
|
| Gtr III
| E E E E +E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
||------------------------|-------------------------|
||o------8-10-(10)---8-10-|-(10)---8-10-(10)---8-10-|
||-----9-----------9------|------9-----------9------|
||--10--------------------|-------------------------|
||o-----------------------|-------------------------|
||------------------------|-------------------------|
Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------------|----------------------||
|--5---5------5-------5-|-(5)-----5-(5)-----5-o||
|--5---5--7---5--7----5-|-(5)-7---5-(5)-7---5--||
|---------7------7-5----|-----7-5-------7-5----||
|-----------------------|---------------------o||
|-----------------------|----------------------||
|
| E E E E +E E E E W
|-----------------------|----------------------||
|------8-10-(10)-8------|---------------------o||
|----9-------------9----|----------------------||
|-10-----------------10-|----------------------||
|-----------------------|---------------------o||
|-----------------------|----------------------||
F
Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|--5----5--3---5---3----5-|--(5)--3----5--(5)--3----5-|
|--6----6--3---6---3----6-|--(6)--3----6--(6)--3----6-|
|--------------------5----|---------5-------------5---|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|
| E E E E +E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-------8-10-(10)----8-10-|-(10)----8-10-(10)-------8-|
|----10-----------10------|------10--------------10---|
|-10----------------------|-------------------10------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
Q E E E E E E +E E E E +Q Q
|--5----5--3---5--3-----5-|-(5)-3---5-(5)-----|
|--6----6--3---6--3-----6-|-(6)-3---6-(6)-----|
|--------------------5----|-------5-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------|
|
| E E E E +E E E E W
|-------8-10-(10)-8-------|-------------------|
|----10-------------10----|-------------------|
|-10-------------------10-|-------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------|
C
Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|--5---5------5-------5-|--(5)------5--(5)------5-|
|--5---5--7---5--7----5-|--(5)-7----5--(5)-7----5-|
|---------7------7-5----|------7-5---------7-5----|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|
| E E E E +E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|------8-10-(10)---8-10-|-(10)---8-10-(10)---8-10-|
|----9-----------9------|------9-----------9------|
|-10--------------------|-------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
Q E E E E E E +E E E E +Q Q
|-----------------------|-------------------|
|--5---5------5-------5-|-(5)-----5-(5)-----|
|--5---5--7---5--7----5-|-(5)-7---5-(5)-----|
|---------7------7-5----|-----7-5-----------|
|-----------------------|-------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------|
|
| E E E E +E E E E W
|-----------------------|-------------------|
|------8-10-(10)-8------|-------------------|
|----9-------------9----|-------------------|
|-10-----------------10-|-------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------|
G D
W +H Q Q
||--10--------------|-(10)-------15--14--|
||o-12--------------|-(12)-------17--15--|
||--12--------------|-(12)-------16--14--|
||------------------|--------------------|
||o-----------------|--------------------|
||------------------|--------------------|
|
| PM PM--| PM-------| PM
| Q E E E E E E E E E E Q Q
||------3-------3---|--------3----3---2--|
||o-----3-------3---|--------3----3---3--|
||------------------|-------------4---2--|
||------------------|-------------5---0--|
||o--5------5-5-----|---5--5---5---------|
||---3----3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3---------|
1.
G
Gtr I
W +H a Q a Q
|-15--------------|-(15)------------------------||
|-15--------------|-(15)----------15------15---o||
|-16--------------|-(16)-------14h16---14h16----||
|-----------------|-----------------------------||
|-----------------|----------------------------o||
|-----------------|-----------------------------||
|
| PM--| PM-------| PM------| PM
| Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|--3--3-------3---|--------3---------------3----||
|--3--3-------3---|--------3---------------3---o||
|--4--------------|-----------------------------||
|--5--------------|-----------------------------||
|-------5-5-5---5-|---5--5---5-----5-5-------5-o||
|-------3-3-3---3-|---3--3---3-----3-3-------3--||
2.
D.S. al Coda
G
W +H Q Q
|-15--------|-(15)------------||
|-15--------|-(15)------------||
|-16--------|-(16)------------||
|-----------|---------14--15--||
|-----------|-----------------||
|-----------|-----------------||
|
| W +W
|--3--------|--(3)------------||
|--3--------|--(3)------------||
|--4--------|--(4)------------||
|--5--------|--(5)------------||
|-----------|-----------------||
|-----------|-----------------||
&
C G/D
W +H +Q. E
|-15--------------|-(15)-------(15)-----19-|
|-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----20-|
|-17--------------|-(17)-------(17)-----19-|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|
| Gtr II
| PM---------------------------------------
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3----|
C/E G
W +H +Q. E
|-20--------------|-(20)-------(20)-----22-|
|-20--------------|-(20)-------(20)-----24-|
|-21--------------|-(21)-------(21)-----24-|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|
|---------------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3----|
C G/B C
W +H +Q. E W
|-24--------------|-(24)-------(24)-----15-||--15--------------------|
|-----------------|---------------------15-||o-17--------------------|
|-----------------|---------------------16-||--17--------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------||------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------||o-----------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------||------------------------|
|
| Gtr III
| PM-----------------------------------|
| Q E E E E E E +E E E E +E E E E E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|------------------------||------------------------|
|-----------------|------------------------||o------8-10-(10)---8-10-|
|-----------------|------------------------||-----9-----------9------|
|--2--2-0-2-0---2-|--(2)-0---2--(2)-0----0-||--10--------------------|
|--3--3-0-3-0---3-|--(3)-0---3--(3)-0----0-||o-----------------------|
|-------------3---|--------3----------3----||------------------------|
G/B C G/B
+H +Q. E W +H. Q
|-(15)--------(15)-----15-|-15--------------------|-(15)------15---||
|-(17)--------(17)-----15-|-17--------------------|-(17)------15--o||
|-(17)--------(17)-----16-|-17--------------------|-(17)------16---||
|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------|---------------o||
|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------||
|
| +E E E E +E E E E E E E E +E E E E W
|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------||
|-(10)---8-10-(10)---8-10-|------8-10-(10)-8------|---------------o||
|------9-----------9------|----9-------------9----|----------------||
|-------------------------|-10-----------------10-|----------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------|---------------o||
|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------||
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
- tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
