Man this is one of those classics that has more credit given to people that didn't do it than almost anything else out there.  There are many versions of this song that a few different performers have done.  Below is a great lesson (I think) on the main theme of this little ditty. 

You will need to use your fingers to play this.  As I always say I'm not a formal music school so play it however it's most comfortable for you to do it.  The tab below covers the main theme of this song and on the video lesson I will slow things down a little for you and give you some tips. 

This is great practice and its also a good learning tool for the acoustic.  There are many little chord forms here and little 2 or 3 note sections of chords that are fun to use on acoustic guitar in jams and places like that. 

Try to notice when I do this on the video that a lot of the chord forms are just held down.  Don't let the fancy looking tab fool you.  Don't try to over complicate things.  Sure there are sections of this piece that are more complex than others but for the most part its pretty straight forward which is part of the reason this piece is often given to guitar students to take home and practice.

Intro portion.  Slow and easy

    Am                    G                                   Em                                      A

E_______________________________________________________________
B_1______1__________0__________________0________________________
G_____2__________0__________________0_____2__0_________2________
D____________________________________________________2__________
A_0_______________________________________________0_____________
E_____________3___________2____0________________________________



 

    Am                                   G                                   Em                                                    A

E______________________________________________________________________
B______0-1____0-1___________0_______________0_____________0_____________
G____2_____2____________0_______________0_____2__0___0-2____________2___
D________________________________________________________________2______
A_0____________________________________________________________0________
E____________________3___________2___0__________________________________



 

     G                    G/A      G/B                  C              Am

E____________________________0___________________________________
B_______________________3__________3_1_______3__________1____0___
G______0_______0_____0___________0___2___________________________
D____0_______0____________________________________2______________
A__________0______2__________3___________________________________
E_3______________________________________________________________

 

Pick up the pace a little bit below.

Main theme

Line 1:
 

     Am                                               G                G/F#           Em                      Asus2                        A

E____________________________________________________________________________
B_0-1-0_1________1_____0______________________________0____________0__________
G________2_____________________0________0_______________2_0_2___________2____
D__________________2_________0________0________0_____________________________
A_0_________0________________________________________________________________
E_________________________3________2________0________0_________0_____0_______



 

Line 2:

E___________________________________________________
B___________________________________________________
G_____2______2______________________________________
D___2______2______2____and it repeats from the beginning._
A_0______0______0___________________________________
E___________________________________________________

 

Pre-chorus and chorus theme are tabbed below. 

Pre-Chorus

This comes out of the main theme tabbed above.  On the 4th time around skip line 2 of tab and go straight into what is tabbed below. 

This whole part has a climbing effect.  Its point is to climb up to the chorus.  For the most part here we are just holding chord forms and picking the notes out from those chords indicated in the tab.  DO NOT over complicate this. 

 

    Asus2          G              Am                     G/B                                         C              Am D        Am G

        F             A/E                  Asus2                G             Am                  G/B  

E______________________________________________________________________
B_____________________________0________0_1________1_______3____________
G__2_____0_2__2__0_____2____2________0__________2_______0______0_______
D__________2______________2____________________________________________
A______________________0_____________________0______2_______2__________
E__1_______0______________________3____________________________________



 

   C/G             F             D7                     G                    E

E_0_______1_______2__________3_________4____5-0____7_______
B___1_______1________1_________0_________0______0____0_____
G_____0_______2________2_________0_________________________
D_________________0________________________________________
A__________________________________________________________
E_3________1_________________3_________0___________________

 

Chorus main theme

Same feel as the main theme has but in a higher fret position.

Chorus chords are basically, Am to D then Am to Em.   The chorus does go on beyond what I have tabbed but again we don't do full songs here this is simply a lesson on the style.  What I give you of the chorus below should be plenty enough to give you the idea of what is going on here.
 

E_8_7______________________________________________
B_____10__8_____10_____7______10_7_____10__5_______
G_________9_____11_____7_________7_________5_______
D___________________________________0______________
A_0__________0______0______0__________________0____
E__________________________________________________

*Notes in italic at the end of the line below are optional fill note if you want to use them.