Level: 2/3
Tuning: Standard

One of the Dead's most popular songs, "Ripple" first appeared on the 1970 American Beauty album. Often considered their masterpiece, the album also included "Friend Of the Devil," Truckin'" and "Sugar Magnolia," also very memorable Dead tunes. The lyric (one of the Dead's friendliest) was by Robert Hunter, and Garcia wrote the music. The Dead often played "Ripple" to close a first set. The chorus resembles a haiku, and the lyrics quote a few phrases from the 23rd psalm. Allegedly, Hunter wrote the song the same afternoon he wrote "Brokedown Palace" and "To Lay Me Down," while nursing a bottle of retsina. This key-of-G fingerpicking arrangement starts with an instrumental solo which includes a few up-the-neck chord positions (a 3-finger D chord at the 5th fret, and a 4-string G chord, also at the 5th fret). The rest of the tune is played in the first few frets, and the thumb never stops playing alternating bass notes, Travis style.