Mediterranean Sundance Chords & Tabs

by Al Di Meola

[Content]
This is my transcription of Al DiMeola's _Mediterranean Sundance_, an
acoustic duet with Paco Delucia off of the album _Elegant Gypsy_.  Al
plays on the right channel, and Paco plays on the left channel.  Paco
picks finger-style, while Al uses a pick.
Some notes:
I have only transcribed Al's parts, as I got tired of transcribing this
monster.  (Paco's rhythm parts would be very difficult to transcribe
note for note, as he plays more intricate finger-style parts than Al)
Apparently, an incomplete transcription of this piece exists (from an
old magazine).  I have not seen it, and therefore have not had the
opportunity to refer to it.
Al's playing is very fast and very clean.  Amazing, especially beacause
he is doing it on a steel-strung acoustic.  He may be playing
certain phrases in different positions, but the ones I notated are the
most likely.  The transcription is broken up roughly by phrasing.
Though I have not transcribed any of Paco's parts, there are only two
basic chord progresssions in the entire piece.  Em D C B7, and Am Bm7
(Bbm7) Am7 B7.  Paco uses the Bbm7 to approach the Am7 from the Bm7 when
he is playing in the upper positions, a very common jazz-thing.
This piece is ideal for a duet.  One player can jam out the chords,
while the other solos, and the players can switch around.  It would be
kind of silly to try to recreate this piece note for note, don't you
think?  Otherwise, Al's leads are good scalar exercises for building up
your acoustic chops.
============================================================================
Transcription notation:
h - hammer on
p - pull off
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
~ - vibrato
muted - palm mute
strum - strum the preceding chord
random comments are located throughout the transcription
============================================================================
A:
e|---0--0--0----0----0--0--0----0-----------0-|------------------------------|
B|--1--1--1----1-1--1--1--1----1-1----0-----0-|------------------------------|
G|-4--2--0--0h2----4--2--0--0h2------0-0----0-|-(repeat A  2nd time muted)---|
D|----------------------------------4---4---7-|------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------2-----2--9-|------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------0-0-|------------------------------|
B:
e|---------10--12\------12-10-7-10-7-----7-7-7-5-3-5-3-2-2-----2-3-5-3-2-----|
B|--8-10/12--12-------8-10--8-5--8-5-----5-5-5-3-1-3-1-0-0-------------------|
G|-9-9---------------9-------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------(fast)--------|
A|----------------------|-muted----|-----|---let ring----|-------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-----------2-3-5-3-2-----------2-3-5-3-2-----------2-3-5-3-2---------|------|
B|-4-5-7-5-4-----------5-4-5/7-7-----------4-5-7-5-4-----------5-4-5-5-|------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------|------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------|------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|------|
e|------------|--7-8-10-8-7------------7-8-10-8-7---------------7-8-10-8-7----|
B|------------|-------------7-8-10-8-7------------10-8-10/12-12---------------|
G|-(repeat B)-|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------|--(fast)-------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
e|------------7-8-10-8-7--------||--------------------------------------------|
B|-7-8-10-8-7------------8-7-5~-||--------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------||---(end of the intro)-----------------------|
D|------------------------------||--------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------||--------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------||--------------------------------------------|
DiMeola's Lead, Paco plays essentially Am Bm7 (Bbm7) Am7 B7
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---7---8---10---12-----13p12-10h12-10-8-8h10-8h10-8-8h10-8-8h10-8----------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D                                                                             
A|-|-tremelo-picking-|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------------|--------5-7-8-7-5---7-5-----|
B|-8p7-8p7-8p7-8p7--7-7\5-5----5-5-5-5-5-5/7-7~--|--5-7-8-----------8-----8-7-|
G|-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
D                                                                              
A|-----------------------------------------------|--(fast)--------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
e|-5----------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
B|---8-7-5-8-7-5----------------------------------------------|---------------|
G|---------------7-5---4-----------------------4-5-4---4-5-4--|----------5-7--|
D|-------------------7---5-7-4-5---4-----4-5-7-------7--------|--4/5-7-9------|
A|-------------------------------7---5-7----------------------|---------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------(slower)-----|--(fast)-------|
e|--------------------7-------------7-10-8-7----8-7-------------7-8-10--10-----|
B|-------7---8-7-10-8---10-8-7-8-10----------10-----10-8-7-8-10----------------|
G|-9-7-9---9-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|(slower)
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-10/12-12-12/14-14-14/15-15-15\14-14-14-14\12-12-12-12\10-10-10-10\8-8-8\7--|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-7-7/8-7-7-5-5/7-7--|--------5-7-8-7-5---7-5-----5---------------------------|
B|--------------------|--5-7-8-----------8-----8-7---8-7-5-8-7-5---------------|
G|--------------------|------------------------------------------7-5-4-7-5-4---|
D|--------------------|------------------------------------------------------7-|
A|--------------------|--(fast)------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
Paco plays Em D C B7
e|--------------------------------------------------------|-----------12-14-15-|
B|--------------------------------------------------------|--12-13-15----------|
G|-5-4-----4----------------------------------------------|--------------------|
D|-----7-5---7-5-4-7-5-4----------------------------------|--(fast and muted)--|
A|-----------------------7-5-3-2-0-2-0-2-0-------0-2-0-2--|--------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------3-2-3----------|--------------------|
e|-14-12-14-12-14-12--|-----------12-14-12-14-12----12-----|-----------12-14--|
B|--------------------|--12-13-15----------------15----15--|--12-13-15--------|
G                                                                              
D|-------(slower)-----|--(fast and muted)--(slower)--------|--(fast)----------|
A|--------------------|------------------------------------|------------------|
E|--------------------|------------------------------------|------------------|
e|-15-14-12----14-12-------12--------------------------------------------------|
B|----------15-------15-13----15-13-12-15-13-12--------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------14-12-11-14-12-11-9-12-11-9----|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------12-|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B                                                                              
G|-11-9-------9---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------12-10---12-10-9-12-10-9----10-9-------9---------------9-10-12-9-10-12-|
A|------------------------------12------12-10---12-10-9-10-12-----------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|--------------------------10-|-12-10-------10-------------------------------|
B|-----------------10-12-13----|-------13-12----13-12-10-13-12-10----12-10----|
G|-9-11-12-9-11-12-------------|----------------------------------12-------12-|
D                                                                              
A|-----------------------------|-(still fast)---------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
e|-----------------7-8-7-------------7-8-10-8-7-------------------------------|
B|----10---------8-------10-8-7-8-10------------10-8-7-10-8-7-----------------|
G|-11----12-11-9----------------------------------------------9-7-------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------10-9-7-10-9-|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------7-8-7-----------------------|--------------|
B|--------------------------7-8-10-------10-8-7~---7-8-7-------|---7-7--------|
G|----------------------7-9----------------------9-------9-8~--|-9-----9-9----|
D|-7-------------7-9-10----------------------------------------|--------------|
A|---10-9-7-9-10-------------------(slower)--------------------|-(slow)-------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|
e|-7\--7h8-7-------12\--12-12-10-12-10-8-10-8-7-8-7----7-7----7---7-7----7-7--|
B|-7\--------10-10-12\------------------------------10-----10---------10------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----7-7-------------7-8-10-8-7------7---------------------------------------|
B|-10-----10-8-7-8-10------------10-8---10-8-7-10-8-7-------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------9-7-5-4-----------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------7-5-4-----------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------7-5-3-2-0-|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G                                                                              
D|---------------------------------------2-0-------0-2-4-5-4------------------|
A|-2-0-------0-2-0-------0-2-3-5-3-2-0-------3-2-3-------------5-3-2-5-3-2-0--|
E|-----3-2-3-------3-2-3---------------3---------------------3----------------|
e|-----------------------------------------------------------||---------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------||----end-of-----|
G                                                                              
D|-----------------------------------------------------------||----DiMeola's--|
A|-3-2-0---2-0-------0-2-3-5-3-2-0---------------------------||---------------|
E|-------3-----3-2-3---------------2h3-2-2~-3-3~-2-2-3-3-2-2-||----lead-------|
DiMeola's rhythm Em D C B7 (but he actually doesn't play the thirds)
e|------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B                                                                              
G|---------9---7----------5---------4-------|--9---------7-----------5--4--5--|
D|---------9---7(strum)---5(strum)--4(strum)|--9(strum)--7(strum)---5-5--5--5-|
A|---------7---5----------3---------2-------|--7---------5---------3---3--3---|
E|-0-0-0-0-0--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|----------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------|-----------------------------------------------0------|
G|--4-----0-0---0---0---|--9---------7---------5-----------5---0--0--0---0---0-|
D|---5---4---4-4-4-4-4--|--9(strum)--7(strum)--5(strum)---5-5-4-4--4--4---4-4--|
A|-3--3-2-----2---2---2-|--7---------5---------3---------3---2---2--2--2---2---|
E|----------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
e|---------(rhthmically strumming now)--(something like this...)------------|
B                                                                            
G|---------9---------7--------5---------4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
D|---------9(strum)--7(strum)-5(strum)--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
A|---------7---------5--------3---------2-2-2-2-0-0-2-2-2-2-2-2-0-2-3-2-0-2-|
E|-0-0-0-0------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B                                                                              
G|-9-9-9---------------0--0---0------------|--------------------------7-5-7---|
D|-9-9-9-7-7-7-5-5-5--4--4-4-4-4-----------|---------------------------7-7-7--|
A|-7-7-7-5-5-5-3-3-3-2--2---2---2-0-0-0-0--|--------7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-------5-|
E|-----------------------------------------|--0-0-0---0-0-0-0-----------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
B                                                                              
G|-----5---5---5-4-2-------------------------------------|----------9---------|
D|---5--5-5-5-5------5-4-2-------------------------------|----------9(strum)--|
A|-3-3---3---3-------------5-3-2-----------2-0-2-0-2-3-2-|----------7---------|
E|-------------------------------5-3-2-3-5---------------|--0-0-0-0-----------|
e|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------0--0----------|---------------------------------------|
G|-7---------5------------0--0--0---0--|----------9--------5-7-5-4-------------|
D|-7(strum)--5(strum)---4-----4--4-4-4-|----------9(strum)---------7-5-4---4-5-|
A|-5---------3---------2---2---2--2----|----------7----------------------7-----|
E|-------------------------------------|--0-0-0-0------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------------------------|--------0-------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------|--------0-------|
G|-----------5---------5---5----5-4-2------------------------|----------------|
D|-4---------5(strum)---5-5-----------5-4-2------------------|--------2-------|
A|---7-5-0-3-3-----------3--3-5-------------5-3-2-0------0-2-|--------2-------|
E|-------------------------------------------------3-2-3-----|--0-0-0-0-------|
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------------------0----|
G|-7---------------4-5-7-5-4---5-4-----4-----------------5-5-5---5---5---0-0---|
D|-7(strum)--4-5-7-----------7-----7-5---7-5-4-7-5-4-----5-5--5-5-5-5---4---4--|
A|-5-------------------------------------------------7-5-3-3---3---3---2-----2-|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B                                                                               
G|--0--5-4-2-------|-----------------------------------------------------5-7-9-|
D|-4-4-------5-4-2-|-2-2-2-(etc.)--0-0-0-(etc.)--------------5-7---5-7-9-------|
A|-----------------|-----------------------------------5-7-9-----9-------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------------------5-7-9-------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
B                                                                              
G|-7-5-4----------5-4-2----------------------------------|----------9---------|
D|-------5-5-5-5--------5-4-2----------------------------|----------9(strum)--|
A|-------3-3-3-3-0------------5-3-2-0------------2-3-2---|----------7---------|
E|------------------------------------3-2--2-3-5-------0-|--0-0-0-0-----------|
e|------------------------------------------------------------------7----------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------7---8-7-10-8---10-8-7-8-|
G|-(knock on guitar body)--7-----------------5-7-9-7-9---9---------------------|
D|-------------------------7(strum)--4/5-7-9-----------------------------------|
A|-------------------------5---------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----7-8-10-8-7----8-7------7-------------7--7-----7-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-8-------|
B|-10------------10-----10-8---10-8-7-8-10------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|---10--/----14-------12-----15---14---12-----------------12-----------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------15----15-13-12--------|
G|--(tremelo picking)------|play ten times very fast|------------------14-12--|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B                                                                              
G|-11--11-----11---11-11-11-11-----11---11-11-11--12--11-9-7------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------10-9-7-----------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------10-9-7----|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|------------------------|-(very fast constant strumming)----------|---------|
B                                                                              
G|------------------------|-9---------7---------5---------4---------|---------|
D|---------------9--------|-9(strum)--7(strum)--5(strum)--4(strum)--|---------|
A|---------------9(strum)-|-7---------5---------3---------2---------|---------|
E|-10-8-7-10-8-7-7--------|-----------------------------------------|---------|
e|(fast constant strumming)----------------|--------------------------------||
B                                                                             
G|-9---------7---------5---------4---------|--------------------------------||
D|-9(strum)--7(strum)--5(strum)--4(strum)--|--play intro, without A, to end-||
A|-7---------5---------3---------2---------|--------------------------------||
E|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------||
************************************
| h  Hammer-on
| p  Pull-off
| /  Slide up
| \  Slide down
| ~  Vibrato
************************************