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Photo credit: Count Me Out.

Tuning

I’ve done this in an open G C tuning: G C C G C C. I tried a number of different tunings (E A D F# B B + capo I was a favourite), and this is the one I think works best. On the record, he’s tuned just slightly below pitch, but it’s easy to figure out if you listen to the ringing top notes (they’re both C) and tune backwards from there.

Since it’s such an open tuning, you can be as sloppy as you need/want to be. If you’re having trouble making the chords, you can omit everything but the notes on the low E (fattest) string.

[UPDATE]: I’ve added a way to play it in regular tuning.

[UPDATE #2]: I’ve noticed a lot of people ending up here searching for “how to tune G C C G C C”. Don’t be scared about breaking your strings and do the following:

• E: up three steps to G
• A: up three steps to C
• D: down two steps to C
• G: keep as is
• B: up one step to C
• e: down four steps to C

Chords

Bon Iver
Skinny Love

Tuning: G C C G C C
*Note: on the record, he's tuned a bit down. Since the top two strings are the same, it's best just to tune based on them.

Am: 204000 -or- 200000
C: 507000 -or- 000000
D: 707000 -or- 700000
C/B: 407000 -or- 400000

- or -

Tuning: E A D G B e (standard)
*Note: This is only an interpretation for standard tuning. Chords are labeled to coincide with the way I named the open-tuned version.

Am: x0201x
C: x3201x
D: x5403x
C/B: x2x01x

Here are a couple of the riffs he uses throughout the song. Since it's in an open tuning, you can let the other strings ring out:

C|-------------------|-------0---------|
C|-------------------|-7-9-7---7-9-7-5-|
G|-7-9-7-5---7-9-7-5-|-----------------|
C|-------------------|-----------------|
C|-------------------|-----------------|
G|-------------------|-----------------|

Intro:
Am C
Am C
A C
D Am C

Verse:

Am              C
Come on skinny love just last the year
Am             C
Pour a little salt we were never here
        Am           C
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
               D                                Am   C
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

Am                 C
I tell my love to wreck it all
Am               C
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
        Am           C
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
             D                   Am
Right in the moment this order's tall

Chorus:

  C
I told you to be patient
  C/B            Am
I told you to be fine
  C
I told you to be balanced

  C/B            Am
I told you to be kind
       C
In the morning I'll be with you
            C/B             Am
But it will be a different "kind"

        C
I'll be holding all the tickets

              C/B            Am
And you'll be owning all the fines

Verse:

Am               C
Come on skinny love what happened here
Am             C
Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere
        Am           C
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
               D                          Am
Sullen load is full; so slow on the split

C

Chorus:

  C
I told you to be patient
  C/B            Am
I told you to be fine
  C
I told you to be balanced

  C/B            Am
I told you to be kind
    C
Now all your love is wasted?

     C/B              Am
Then who the hell was I?
        C
Now I'm breaking at the britches
           C/B             Am
And at the end of all your lines

Bridge:

C
Who will love you?

C/B      Am
Who will fight?

C        C/B      Am
Who will fall far behind?

Outro:

Am C
Am C
Am C
D Am C

Tabbed by Matthew Gruman, matthewgruman.com
Lyrics: http://www.lyricsandsongs.com/song/877591.html

Music Video

Posted on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 8:06 pm in Chords & Tabs, Music, Video.
MLA: Gruman, Matthew. Bon Iver – Skinny Love (Guitar Chords). matthewgruman.com. Matthew Gruman, 7 Jan. 2008. Web. 9 Sep. 2010.

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