LABAMBA 
Traditional as performed by LOS LOBOS 1987
(arranged and adapted by RITCHIE VALENS 1958)


This version is off the various artists soundtrack "Labamba" for the 
motion picture Lamba.  One of my favourite songs.  It features the
entire song minus the classical ending part.


Transcription by Toutou S. Manivong

email:  nirvana@fl.net.au
               or
      stmanivo@socs.uts.edu.au


NOTES:
Heres a basic run down, firstly, guitar 1 starts off playing 
the introduction Riff A, after which guitar 2 simply strums the 
chords until the chorus where guitar 1 plays Riff B.  During 
the solo, guitar 2 strums the chords and guitar 1 plays the 
solo riff.  For the final chorus, guitar 1 plays riff C
repetitively and guitar 2 continues strumming the chords.
Although the song contains no "real" verses, I've broken it 
down into verses to make easier reading. 

(Riffs are found at the bottom of the page)

Please email me regarding any suggestions or corrections. 
Thank you.



 Now that we may dispense with the pleasantries, Heres the song !!!

  -----------------------------------------------------------------


- INTRODUCTION - (guitar 1 plays riff A)



- VERSE 1 - (guitar 2 strums the chords)


               C    F  G7                 C 
Para bailar la bamba,      Para bailar la bamba,
 
   F   G7              C     F  G7             C      F            
se necesita un poca de gracia,     una poca de gracia para mi para

G7             C  F  G7         C         F     G7 
tiy ariba y ariba,     ay ariba ariba por ti se re 

          C       F     G7
por ti se re, por ti se re




- VERSE 2 - (guitar 2 strums the chords C F and G7)


          C       F  G7              C  
yo no soy marinero,    yo no soy marinero

    F   G7           C        F   G7
soy capitan, soy capitan, soy capitan



- CHORUS - (guitar 1 plays riff B)
           (guitar 2 strums the chords)

C  F   G7
bamba, bamba

C  F   G7
bamba, bamba

C  F   G7
bamba, bamba

   C F G7
bamba




- VERSE 3 - (guitar 2 strums the chords)


               C     F  G7                C
Para bailar la bamba,      Para bailar la bamba,
 
   F   G7              C     F  G7            C      F               
se necesita un poca de gracia,    una poca de gracia para mi para

G7            C    F  G7 
tiy ariba y ariba 



- GUITAR SOLO -

NOTES: (p)  pull off
       (h)  hammer on
        /   slide up
           slide down
       (tr) tremolo picking

guitar 2 continues strumming C F G7 repetitively throughout the solo.

  (tremolo on the open g-string)
  (play this for 2 bars)
E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
B |----------------------------|-------0--0(h)2--0------0----|
G |-------(tr)-0---------------|-0--2----------------2-----2-|
D |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
A |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|


E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
B |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
G |--0--2--0-----0--------0----|-----------------------------|
D |-----------3-----2--3-------|-2--3--0--2-----0------------|
A |----------------------------|-------------3-----2--3--0---|
E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|


E |----------------------------|-----------------------0--1--|
B |----------------------------|--------------0--1--3--------|
G |----------------------------|--------0--2-----------------|
D |-------------------------0--|--2--3-----------------------|
A |-2-----0--------0--2--3-----|-----------------------------|
E |----3-----1--3--------------|-----------------------------|

					      (tremolo for 1 bar)
E |-----0--1-----0--1----------|----------(tr)-3-------------|
B |--3--------3----------------|-----------------------------|
G |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
A |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|

(as soon as you come out of the
 tremolo from previous bar, slide
 up to the 12 fret then back
 without picking)

E |--------3/123--------------|-5--3(h)5(p)3--1(h)3(p)1(p)0-|
B |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
G |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
A |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|

E |-1-----0--------0-----------|-----------------------------|
B |----3-----1--3-----1--3-----|--0(h)1(p)0-----0------------|
G |----------------------------|-------------2-----2---------|
D |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
A |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|

E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
B |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
G |--0(h)2(p)0-----0--------0--|-----------------------------|
D |-------------3-----2--3-----|---2--3----------------------|
A |----------------------------|---------2(h)3(p)2(p)0-------|
E |----------------------------|------------------------3----|

   (tremolo for 1 bar)              (tremolo for 1 bar)
E |----------------------------|--0--1--(tr)-3---------------|
B |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
G |-------------(tr)-0---------|-----------------------------|
D |---0--2--3------------------|-----------------------------|
A |----------------------------|-----------------------------|
E |----------------------------|-----------------------------|


E |----------------------------|------------------------------|
B |----------------------------|-----------1--0---------------|
G |----------------------------|--0--0--2--2--0-------0--2--2-|
D |----------------------------|--2--0--3----------0--0--3--3-|
A |------0--2--7--------------|----------------2--2----------|
E |---3--------8--------------|----------------3-------------|


E |----------------------------||
B |---------------------1--0---||
G |---0--0-----0--0--2--2--0---||
D |---2--0--2--2--0--3---------||
A |---------3------------------||
E |----------------------------||


	         		* END SOLO*



- VERSE 4 - (exactly the same as verse 1)

               C     F  G7                C 
Para bailar la bamba,      Para bailar la bamba,
 
   F   G7              C     F  G7             C      F            
se necesita un poca de gracia,     una poca de gracia para mi para

G7           C    F  G7           C       F     G7 
tiy ariba y ariba,     ay ariba ariba por ti se re 

          C       F     G7
por ti se re, por ti se re




- ENDING CHORUS - (guitar 1 plays riff C repetitively)
                  (guitar 2 strums chords)


C  F G7
bamba,  bamba

C  F G7
bamba, bamba

C  F G7
bamba, bamba

C  F G7
bamba, bamba




* END OF SONG* (classical piece kicks in here)






			************   RIFFS  *************


- RIFF A - (introduction)


E |----------------------------|----------------------------|
B |----------------------1--0--|----------------------------|
G |-------------0--0--2--2--0--|-------0---2--2--0---0------|
D |-------------2--0--3--------|----0--0---3--3--2---0------|
A |----0--2--3-----------------|-2--2-----------------------|
E |-3--------------------------|-3--------------------------|


E |----------------------------||
B |-------------------1---0----||
G |-------0--0--2--2--2---0----||
D |---2---2--0--3--3-----------||
A |---3------------------------||
E |----------------------------||




- RIFF B - (chorus)


      bam - ba     bamba

E |----------------------------|----------------------------|
B |----------------0-----------|----------------------------|
G |---------2------0-----------|----------------------------|
D |---2-----3------------------|------0---3--3--2----0------|
A |---3------------------------|---2------------------------|
E |----------------------------|3---------------------------|


      bam - ba     bamba

E |----------------------------|----------------------------|
B |----------------0-----------|----------------------------|
G |---------2------0-----------|----------------------------|
D |---2-----3------------------|------0---3--3--2----0------|
A |---3------------------------|---2------------------------|
E |----------------------------|3---------------------------|


      bam - ba     bamba                             bam -

E |----------------------------|----------------------------|
B |----------------0-----------|----------------------------|
G |---------2------0-----------|----------------------------|
D |---2-----3------------------|------0---3--3--2----0------|
A |---3------------------------|---2------------------------|
E |----------------------------|3---------------------------|

      ba

E |----------------------------||
B |----------------------------||
G |----------------2---0-------||
D |------2--0--3---------------||
A |---3------------------------||
E |----------------------------||




- RIFF C - (used in ending chorus, play repetitively)


      bam - ba     bamba

E |----------------------------|----------------------------||
B |----------------0-----------|----------------------------||
G |---------2------0-----------|----------------------------||
D |---2-----3------------------|------0---3--3--2--0--------||
A |---3------------------------|---2------------------------||
E |----------------------------|3---------------------------||