Dave Matthews Band - Ill Back You Up Chords & Tabs

"I'll Back You Up"
>From the album "Remember Two Things" by The Dave Matthews Band

This is how I play it.  The chords are basically the same as those in
Chris Ambrose's transcription at OLGA, but I've tabbed the solo and the
end-of-line riffs.

I think there are two guitars in the song, and either part alone doesn't
do the song justice.  So, my transcription has some of each.  Oh, and I
give no guarantee about correctness... 


Chords used:
------------
A:577655
C#m7:   xx7757  (you can use B: 799877 -- sounds close enough and is
                 easier to play)
F#m:    244222  (try to just hit the bass strings (244xxx))
E:      022100
G:      355433

Each chord is two measures.  Some, however, are not simply strummed.
Those are indicated with the chord, an asterisk, and a number, like E*1, 
meaning play the two measures as described by Note #1 (shown below).  I 
didn't mark/tab all of the measures that have pickings in them because they 
are all over the song and a little improvisation will work well enough on
those measures.


Note #1:
--------
E:-------------------/4---|-------------0--0--0--0-|
B:------------------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
G:-1----------------------|-------------1--1--1--1-|
D:-2-----2-----2----------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
A:-2-----2----------------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
E:-0-----0----------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum strum


Note #2:
--------
E:-------------------0----|-------------0--0--0--0-|
B:-------------3----------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
G:-1-----1----------------|-------------1--1--1--1-|
D:-2----------------------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
A:-2----------------------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
E:-0----------------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #3:
--------
E:-------4-----7-----0----|------------------------|
B:------------------------|------------------------|
G:-1----------------------|------------------------|
D:-2----------------------|-------2-----h4---------|
A:-2----------------------|----------------2--h4---|
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #4:
--------
E:------------------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
B:------------------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
G:-1----------------------|-------------1--1--1--1-|
D:-2----------------------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
A:-2-----------2/////11---|-------------2--2--2--2-|
E:-0-----0----------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #5:
--------
E:-0-----------------0----|------------------------|
B:-0-------------(0)------|-0----------------------|
G:-1----------(1)---------|------------------------|
D:-2-------(2)------------|-------2-----h4---------|
A:-2----(2)---------------|----------------2--h4---|
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #6:
--------
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
B:-0----------------------|------------------------|
G:-1----------------------|------------------------|
D:-2----------------------|-------/4----h5---------|
A:-2----------------------|----------------2--h4---|
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #7:
--------
E:-0-----------------12---|-------5-----0--0--0--0-|
B:-0-----------5----------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
G:-1-----5----------------|-------------1--1--1--1-|
D:-2----------------------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
A:-2----------------------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
E:-0----------------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum   *****NATURAL HARMONICS*****


Note #8:
--------
E:-0----------(4--p0-h2---|p0)---------------------|
B:-0----------------------|------------------------|
G:-1----------------------|------------------------|
D:-2----------------------|-------2-----h4---------|
A:-2----------------------|----------------2--h4---|
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #9:
--------
E:-0----------------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
B:-0----------------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
G:-1-----------------2----|-p1----------1--1--1--1-|
D:-2----------------------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
A:-2----------(2)---------|-------------2--2--2--2-|
E:-0----(0)---------------|-------------0--0--0--0-|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #10:
--------
E:-0-----------------0----|------------------------|
B:-0--------------0-------|------------------------|
G:-1-----------1----------|------------------------|
D:-2--------2-------------|-------2-----h4---------|
A:-2-----2----------------|----------------2--h4---|
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


Note #11:
--------
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
B:-0----------------------|------------------------|
G:-1----------------------|------------------------|
D:-2----------------------|-------2---h4-----------|
A:-2----------------------|----------------2--h4---|
E:-0----------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  
 strum


And, now, the song chords:
-------------------------

A                          C#m7
___________________________________

F#m                                          E*1
________________________________________________

A                                  C#m7
________________________________________

F#m                                  E*2
_______________________________________________

A                                        C#m7
______________________________________________
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/d/dave_matthews_band/ill_back_you_up_tab_ver_3.html ]
F#m                                   E*3
______________________________________________________

A           C#m7
______________________________

F#m           E*4
_____________________________

A                                C#m7
____________________________________ 

F#m                                       E*5
__________________________________________________________

A                         G
_________________________________________________________

F#m                                  E      
________________________________________________________

A                         G
_______________________________________________________

F#m                      E*6
____________________ I'll  back you up

A                      C#m7 
____________________________

F#m                              E*7
______________________________________________________

A                              C#m7
__________________________________

F#m                                  E*8
____________________________________________________

A            C#m7
______________________________

F#m           E*9
_____________________________

A                                C#m7
____________________________________ 

F#m                                      E*10
___________________________________ around my head

A                         G
__________________________________________________

F#m                                  
_________________________________________________

A                         G
________________________________________________

F#m                     E*6
___________________ I'll back you up

A  C#m7  F#m  E  A  C#m7  F#m  E
[solo (see below)]

A            C#m7
        beeeeeeeee 

F#m           E
________________________________

A                                C#m7
____________________________________

F#m                                 E*11
_____________________________  around my head

A                        G
_________________________________________________________

F#m                                  E
________________________________________________________

A                        G
_______________________________________________________

F#m                     E (single strum)
___________________ I'll back you up



The Solo!
---------

The Legend:
() soft notes
^  bend
~  vibrato
h  hammer on
p  pull off
!  optional note (played so fast it could be left out)
_  tie


The carets and periods along the bottom are timing markers.

This should all be correct (if it isn't, then it sounds pretty close!)

E:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
B:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
G:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
D:-2----(2--2--2-----2)---|----2--4-----6-----6^---|-4--h6~~~~~-------------|
A:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .

E:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
B:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
G:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
D:-------2--4--6__6^_6----|4!h6---4-----4----------|----4--6--7--9-----9----|
A:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .

E:------------------------|------------------------|-------------------12---|
B:------------------------|----------12-9-----9-h10|-10-------10------------|
G:----------------------11|-9-----9----------------|------------------------|
D:-------------------9----|------------------------|------------------------|
A:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .

E:----12-------12---------|----14----14/16!---12---|-------------14-16----17|
B:-------------------10---|-10---------------------|------------------------|
G:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
D:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
A:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .

E:-------------17\16-16---|-------14----14---------|-12----\7---------------|
B:------------------------|------------------------|-------------9-----p7---|
G:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
D:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
A:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E:------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .

E:------------------------|
B:------------------------|
G:-9-----p6---------------|
D:-------------9-----p7---|
A:------------------------|
E:------------------------|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  


Whew!  There are a bunch more chords that I could have put a note on, but 
I figured I'd leave the fun for you :)

Enjoy!

Direct questions and comments to rpatters@cco.caltech.edu

--Ryan Patterson