Back Broke: Guitar TAB

This collection spans Hansard's entire artistic journey, from his work with The Frames through Once and into his solo period, giving guitarists access to the songs that defined his sound at every stage. The TAB transcriptions capture the fingerpicking intricacy and tuning choices that make his arrangements distinctive, allowing players to unlock the specific textures and emotional contours of the originals. For guitarists drawn to folk-influenced rock with genuine lyrical substance, these 18 songs represent some of the most rewarding material available at the intersection of accessibility and artistry.

These songs inhabit a space between intimacy and grandeur, where a fingerpicked guitar can carry the full emotional weight of a story. There's a quality of hard-won reflection in the melodies and lyrical content, paired with guitar work that feels both technically assured and deeply personal. Whether meditative or driving, each song invites the player into Hansard's world of careful observation and unguarded feeling.

Intermediate to advanced guitarists who want to expand their repertoire with contemporary folk-rock material and are comfortable reading TAB with articulation markings and alternate tuning notations. This collection appeals to players interested in fingerstyle guitar, singer-songwriters developing their own acoustic arrangements, and anyone studying how emotional directness and instrumental craftsmanship work together in modern song.

• Pay close attention to tuning specifications and alternate tunings listed in the TAB. Hansard's use of open and dropped tunings is integral to the tonal character of these songs; matching the original tuning will reveal harmonic colors that standard tuning cannot produce.
• Study the fingerpicking patterns given in the notation rather than skipping over them. The specific finger assignments and pick direction matter; they shape the rhythmic feel and allow the melody notes to sit properly against the accompaniment.
• Listen to the original recordings while working through the TAB. Hansard's dynamic control and the way he breathes within phrases are essential to understanding how these songs are meant to be shaped and paced.

Guitarists preparing for recitals or performances in folk and contemporary music settings will find multiple performance-ready pieces here, spanning emotional intensity and stylistic variety. These songs also work well in a teaching context for intermediate students studying fingerstyle technique, open tunings, and the integration of melody and accompaniment. Program selections from this collection alongside other singer-songwriter material to create a cohesive set exploring contemporary songwriting across different regions and approaches.

• Reading TAB notation with fingerstyle articulation and pick direction
• Playing alternate and open tunings (identifying tuning specifications and adapting ear and muscle memory)
• Coordinating complex fingerpicking patterns with clear melodic voice leading
• Interpreting dynamic control and phrasing in acoustic arrangements
• Transposing between tunings and adapting songs to different keys