Bob Marley & The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry - Guitar Solo Tab

Natty Dread

1974 3:46

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About No Woman, No Cry

At 76 BPM in C major, "No Woman, No Cry" sits in a slow, unhurried groove that rewards anyone who can resist rushing. The signature guitar part is a gentle, repetitive chord progression built around open-position shapes, but the real skill is in matching the laid-back, behind-the-beat feel that defines Reggae. The rhythm guitar here plays the classic reggae skank, clipping the strings with a sharp upstroke emphasis on the offbeat, often with a slightly muted, choppy attack. That upstroke precision is harder to nail than it looks, especially at a slow tempo where every hiccup is exposed. The song is played in D Standard tuning, so drop everything down a whole step before you start. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the chord changes slowed down until the skank rhythm feels completely natural in your fretting hand before bringing it back up to tempo. Bob Marley & The Wailers made this feel effortless, and that ease is exactly what you are working toward.

• The song uses D Standard tuning, meaning every string is dropped a whole step, so retune before attempting the chord shapes.
• The core technique is the reggae skank: a crisp, muted upstroke on the offbeat that requires a loose wrist and precise right-hand control.
• At 76 BPM the slow tempo leaves little room to hide rhythmic inconsistencies, making steady internal pulse the main challenge to practise.