Man On The Side Guitar Tab

Man On The Side
Words and Music by John Mayer
Transcribed by: Gabe and Andrew
Email: SupraSlick15_14@Juno.com
AIM: JMFan70
Ok this song is really really tricky to pick up on. But with alot of practice it should
be no sweat. I watched him play this live a while back and I tabbed it out note for note.
So everything that is in this tab is what he plays. I tried to make it as easy to read as
possible. This is the acoustic version of this song. In order to play this song the verse
is finger picked which is pretty tricky to do but if you watch him play you can pick up
on it. You can strum the verse but it wont sound as good.
Key:
/ -Slide Up
\ -Slide Down
h -Hammer On
p -Pull Off
~ -Vibrato
x -Muted String
Intro
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
b-/9--------------------------------3-----3--------------------------------
g-/9--11-9--------------------------2-----2-------7---7h9------------------
d-----11-9-------9------------------0--2--0----/9---9-----9/7p5---7--------
a------------/11---11/9--7----9---------------------------------7---7------
E---------------------------9---0~--------3--------------------------------
e--------------------------------------------------------------------------
b--------------------3~--3-----3----------------12----9--------------------
g--------------------2~--2-----2---------9---------11---11-11p9-----9------
d--5h6---------------0~--0--2--0-------9----11-------------------11---11--
a-------7p5----7-------------------9h11------------------------------------
E------------7---0~------------3------------(9)----------------------------
e---------------------------------------------------------------------------
b-------------------------------/9------------------------------------------
g--------9----------------------/9--11-9--------9---------------------------
d--9--------------------------------11-9--------9---------------------------
a--9h11-----9h10p9-7-9-7-------------------9h11---9h10p9-7-------7---9\-----
E-------------------------9/0------------------------------9/7-0-----9\-0---
e----------------------------------------------------------------
b--3-----3--------8--------------------------3-----3~---3~-------
g--2-----2------7---9-7----7-----------------2-----2~---2~-------
d--0--2--0---/9---------/9---9\7-5-----------0--2--0~---0~-------
a----------------------------------7-5---------------------------
E--------3-----------------------------7-0~-------------2~-------
Verse 1&2
Verse 1&2
Emphasise lower notes
e----------------------------------
b-5~--5---5------5---5---5----5----
g-4~--4---4------4---4---4h6--4----
d-6~--4h6-4------7---7---7----7----
a------------7p4(4)--4--------4----
E(0)-------------------------------
e----------------------------------------
b-4-----4h5-(4)-----5---5-----5---5------
g-4-----4---(4)-----4h6-4-----4---4------
d-4-----4h6-(4)-----7---7--7--4h6-4------
a----------------0-------------------7---
E-7--7-----------------------------------
Pre-Chorus
e--------------------------------------
b-2---9---7-------------4--5--2--------
g-2---9---8---1---2--4--4--4--2--------
d-2---7---7---2---2--4--2--2--2--------
a-x---x---x---2---x--x--------x--------
E-2---7---7---0---2--4--------2--------
e------------------------------
b-9-9-9---2--4-5--4-5----------
g-9-9-9---3--4-4--4-4----------
d-7-7-9---2--2-2--4-4----------
a-x-x-x---x--0-0--2-2----------
E-7/8/9---2--------------------
Chorus
e----------0------
b----2--2--0------
g-1--2--2--4------
d-2--2--2--4------(x2)
a-2--x--0--2------
E-0--2------------
^this part is fingerpicked
e-------------------------
b-----2--4--2--3--2-------
g-1---2--4--2--2--2--1----
d-2---2--4--2--0--2--2----
a-2---x--x--0-----4--2----
E-0---2--4-----------0----
Pre Chorus (Second Time)
e-------------
b-2--9-7------
g-2--9-8------
d-2--7-7------(x2)
a-x--x-x------
E-2-(7)7------
e-----------------------------
b-2--9-9-9--2--4-5--4-5-------
g-2--9-9-9--3--4-4--4-4-------
d-2--7-7-9--2--2-2--4-4-------
a-x--x-x-x--x----0--2-2-------
E-2--7/8/9--2-----------------
Play chorus again but play (xx032x) more then once
Bridge
e--------------------7------7----5---
b-3---/5-----2---4---5-----5-----5---
g-5---/7--1--2---4---5----5------5---
d-5---/7--2--2---4-------------------
a-3---/5--2--x---x-------------------
E---------0--2---4-------------------
e----------------------------------
b--3---5-----------3--3------------
g--5---7----4---4--2--2--1---------
d--5---7----2---2--0--0--2---------
a--3---5----0---x--x--x--2---------
E---------------4--3--2--0---------
Pre-Chorus (Third Time)
e------------------7-----
b-2---9\----2---9--x-----
g-2---9\----2---9--8-----
d-2---7\----2---7--7-----
a-x---x\----x---x--x-----
E-2---7\----2---7--7-----
e----------------------3-------
b-2--9-9-9--2--4h5--3--3-------
g-2--9-9-9--3--4-4--5--5-------
d-2--7-7-9--2--2-2--5--0-------
a-x--x-x-x--x-------3----------
E-2--7/8/9--2------------------
Back To Chorus
There you have it Man On The Side its 100% correct!! ;-)

Source: http://www.guitarmasta.net/m/mayer,_john/351899.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Alex Rhythm Player	#1 by Alex Vargas at Sep 28, 2007 at 9:28 AM EST
	This song is perfect. Perfect musically, perfect lyrically. Totally describes a crush, a love, youthful life.....

No Picture kyle Professional	#2 by kyle mcdonough at Sep 28, 2007 at 12:49 PM EST
	Great song! I have been listening to it over and over gaining strength to realize my own situation. Music can really help us realize who we are can't it?

No Picture Alex Professional	#3 by Alex Moser at Sep 28, 2007 at 4:05 PM EST
	i've been listening to john for nearly a year now, and i must say i have fallen in love with almost every song he's written at some point or another. "man on the side", right now is my favorite by far. the way his voice hints at a deeper sadness through cynicism (ahh, enough big words? sorry about that) is so touching. this is a song that i have yet to find anyone who cannot in some way relate to, and i plan to play it 'till the speakers melt.

No Picture Casey Wanna Be	#4 by Casey at Sep 29, 2007 at 5:25 AM EST
	anyone know where i can find a tour date schedule of jm?

No Picture a Average	#5 by a a at Sep 29, 2007 at 10:24 AM EST
	This is the story of my life. Girls can never figure out what they want. One second you're with them, next they're getting on another guy. Being the man on the side and watching that is real shitty. Don't be that guy.

No Picture Frubescu Average	#6 by Frubescu at Sep 29, 2007 at 1:49 PM EST
	this is one of my favorite songs of his. the guitar in the beginning....soooo good i almost dont want him to start singing. but then he does and it only gets better

No Picture Ryan Average	#7 by Ryan Patrick at Sep 29, 2007 at 8:41 PM EST
	I love the part of this song when he says "I fell in love with the dream that I built of you Playing the part of the Queen" because it is so true. You all know what i mean, when you dont really know someone but you think of what it would be like to be with them and you fill in what you dont know with what you want them to be. Just like in Love Song when he says "all my wishful thinking was wrong" they never turn out to be quite as perfect as you'd imagined!

No Picture Nick Average	#8 by Nick Serpant at Sep 29, 2007 at 8:54 PM EST
	Oh my gosh. This song only describes word for word what I have been going through with my ex-girlfriend for the past 4 or 5 months. Don't ever let yourself be the man on the side, it fuckin sucks! Just waiting for that day that the most captivating woman comes along to change all this... this song is the best!

No Picture Jon Average	#9 by Jon Turner at Sep 30, 2007 at 3:36 AM EST
	This song can only be described as awsome. All his lyrics just blow me away, but this song just makes my heart bleed when I hear it. John is very talented, and I hope he stays around for many more years to come.

No Picture Cuboctahedron Wanna Be	#10 by Cuboctahedron at Sep 30, 2007 at 11:11 PM EST
	Gee, another John Mayer song I can relate to. I use the lyrics of this song a lot when I get angry at this girl I know for blowing me off all the time. It usually works to get my message across to her. My favorite part of this song has definitely got to be the verse that starts off "I feel in love with the dream that I built of you..." That describes how I've been feeling lately to a T. Anyway, just another great song from the man himself, John Mayer.

No Picture Jon Average	#11 by Jon Turner at Oct 2, 2007 at 10:37 AM EST
	This is such an awesome song. why can't everybody write songs are personal as john. I guess that wouldn't be a good thing than nobody would stand out as much as he does. I fell in love with the dream that I built of you Playing the part of the Queen Taking my own advice I'm giving up tonight Good luck to you and the King i love that line. This is a really good crush song i know we've all been there before in one aspect or another.

No Picture h4c\|< Average	#12 by h4c\|< ☺ at Oct 3, 2007 at 11:40 AM EST
	The best wordI can come up with to describe this is...Wow. There have been many songs in my life that I could relate to, but none that really reached out, and completely voiced every thought I have had like this ine does. I must say, however, that I cannot completely agree with ankleknocker. Women THINK they know what they want. They want relationships with guys that treat them like reash, but they want friendships with guys like us, that they can call at 3am and complain to about their horrible boyfriend to. I am not bitter or anything. Well, maybe a little, but I don't understand why the good guys are the "Men on the side" while the ones that have no respect for women, and no idea how to properly treat them are the ones they go for. Look at me, I am off on a tangent...sorry about that. I just want to say that I love this song, It is possibly my favorite song I have ever heard, along with "Love Soon" also by John Mayer. A friend at work recently recommended that I listen to some of hhis stuff, and I have been hooked ever since. Well, I guess that is probably more than you wanted to hear from me. Thank you for reading what I have to say.

No Picture James Average	#13 by James Long at Oct 3, 2007 at 5:23 PM EST
	Wow. The lyrics are just amazing. A really close guy friend of mine told me to think of him every time I hear this song...and I always do. Very sweet.