Serge Gainsbourg - La Javanaise - Guitar Tab

N°4

1962 2:29

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About La Javanaise

Written by Serge Gainsbourg in 1962, "La Javanaise" is a deceptively gentle waltz-flavored piece that rewards a guitarist who pays close attention to feel and touch. The song sits in C major in E Standard tuning, and at 120 BPM the pulse moves along briskly enough that keeping a smooth, even rhythm without rushing the chord changes takes real discipline. The harmonic movement is sophisticated for Pop, featuring chromatic inner voices and jazz-influenced chord voicings that ask you to think beyond open shapes and reach for fuller, more pianistic fingerings. Getting the right tone here means keeping the attack soft and controlled, letting the chords breathe rather than strumming aggressively. The trickiest transitions happen when chromatic passing chords appear, so isolate those bars in the Practice Toolbar and loop them slowed down until the left hand moves without hesitation. Once the chord work is smooth, focus on the right-hand pulse to capture that lilting, swaying feel the song depends on entirely.

• The song uses jazz-influenced chord voicings in C major that go well beyond basic open chords, making clean left-hand fingering the central challenge.
• At 120 BPM in a waltz-like feel, maintaining an even, gentle right-hand pulse without rushing is harder than it first appears.
• E Standard tuning is used throughout, so no retuning is needed, but chord voicings with chromatic inner movements deserve slow, isolated practice.