Kansas, "Dust in the Wind" Authentic guitar tablature Transcribed by Joe Levy This finger picking pattern is called Travis picking. You'll be using it to pick whole chords, so once you get used to it, you can forget about the individual notes, and just hit the right chord. There are moments of variation regarding which strings are used, though, so I will write out the full tab, and include asterisks at notable points of variation. Even if you play it exactly, it still won't sound exactly like the album. Kansas uses a doubled G string an octave up, probably on a twelve-string guitar with the high doubles of the low E, A and D string removed so that it sounds almost like a six-string. (This is why many tabs of this song, even by otherwise good transcribers, are incorrect.) If you're motivated to take those strings off of your twelve-string, you can get the same sound. Standard tuning, key of C. [Intro:] C CMaj7 C2 C ||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| ||-1---------1-----|-0---------0-----|-3---------3-----|-1---------1-----| ||-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-| ||-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---| ||-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------| ||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A2 Asus4 Am A2 |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-0---------0-----|-3---------3-----|-1---------1-----|-0---------0-----| |-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-| |-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---| |-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| C2 C CMaj7 C2 |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-3---------3-----|-1---------1-----|-0---------0-----|-3---------3-----| |-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-| |-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---| |-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| Am A2 Asus4 Am G |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| |-1---------1-----|-0---------0-----|-3---------3-----|-1-------1---3---|| |-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2---------|| |-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-----------|| |-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0---2---|| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| I [Verse:] C G * Am * ||-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------| ||-1---------1-----|-3---------3-----|-----------1-----|-1---------1-----| ||-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------0-| ||-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---| ||-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------| ||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| 1. close my eyes 2. Same old song. 3. Don't hang on. G Dm7 * * Am G |-----------------|-1---------1-----|-0---------------|-----------------| |-0---------0-----|-------1---------|-----------1-----|-1-------1---3---| |-------0-------0-|-----2-------2p0-|-------2-------2-|-------2---------| |-----0-------0---|-0-------0-------|-----2-------2---|-----2-----------| |-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0---2---| |-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| 1. only for a moment, and the moment's gone. 2. Just a drop of water in an endless sea. 3. Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It C G * Am * |-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------| |-1---------1-----|-3---------3-----|-----------1-----|-1---------1-----| |-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------0-| |-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---| |-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| 1. All my dreams 2. All we do 3. slips a- way, and G Dm7 * * Am * |-----------------|-1---------1-----|-0---------------|-----------------|| |-0---------0-----|-------1---------|-----------1-----|-1---------1-----|| |-------0-------0-|-----2-------2p0-|-------2-------2-|-------2---------|| |-----0-------0---|-0-------0-------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2p0-|| |-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|| |-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| 1. pass before my eyes, a curiosity. 2. crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see. 3. all your money won't another minute buy. [Chorus:] [For 3rd chorus, repeat top chorus line 3.5 times, jump to End.] D * G * Am Am/G * |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-3---------3-----|-0---------0-----|-1---------1-----|-1---------1-----| |-------2-------0-|-------0---------|-------2-------2-|-------2-------0-| |-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---| |-----------------|-------------2p0-|-0-------0-------|-----------------| |-2-------2-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------| Dust in the wind. [2nd chorus: Jump to bridge at Am] D * G * * Am G |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| |-3---------3-----|-0---------0-----|-0h1-------0-----|-0h1-----3-------|| |-------2-------0-|-------0---------|-------2-------2-|-----------------|| |-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----------------|| |-----------------|-------------2p0-|-0-------0-------|-0-------2-------|| |-2-------2-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|| All we are is dust in the wind. [Chorus 1: Go back to Verse 2.] [Bridge (first half of instrumental) (play twice):] Am(add2) * G/A |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| |-----------0-----|-0---------0-----|-0---------0-----|-0---------0-----|| |-------5-------5-|-------5---------|-------7-------7-|-------7-------7-|| |-----7-------7---|-----7-------7p5-|-----5-------5---|-----5-------5---|| |-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| Fdim5/A F6/A Fdim5/A |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| |-0---------0-----|-0---------0-----|-3---------3-----|-0---------0-----|| |-------5-------5-|-------5-------5-|-------5-------5-|-------5-------5-|| |-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|| |-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| [Repeat intro for second half of instrumental, then go back to Verse 3.] Chorus 3 lyrics: Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind. Dust in the wind. Everything is dust in the wind. [Ending:] Am A2 Asus4 ||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| ||-1---------1-----|-0---------0-----|-3---------3-----|| ||-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|| ||-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|| ||-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|| ||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|| 1. wind. 2. The wind. 3. Ooooh... [Repeat and fade.]