Gracias a la Vida (Thanks to Life) - Violeta Parra (1917-1967) arranged by Emmanuel Sowicz (2019) see Notes and Legend below - tab by weed@wussu.com - 27 February 2026 MIDI: http://www.classtab.org/parra_gracias_a_la_vida.mid video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG8AOTdZSpY - Emmanuel Sowicz video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqfmTsu0q54 - Stephanie Jones tuning: D A D G B e key: D minor time: 6/8 tempo: 54-66 bpm Andantino (at a moderate speed) 1 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|-------0-----|-------------|-------0-----|-------------|-------1---5-| B|-----6-----5-|-----3-2-----|-----6-----5-|-----3-2-----|---3-----3===| G|---2-----5---|---3-----3-2-|---2-----5---|---3-----3-2-|-----2===----| D|-0=====------|-0=====------|-0=====------|-0=====------|-3===--------| A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| D|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------------| 1 4 3 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 p > > > > > > (Theme) C5~~~~~~~~~~ F. t t t 6 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|---5-5---556=|=====--------|---3-3-3-----|-------------|-------------| B|-------------|-----5=======|---------6-10|===3=========|---6-6-6===6-| G|-------------|---7-----7---|-6-----------|-------------|---------2---| D|<5>----------|-------8-----|-------------|---3p2-0-----|-------------| A|-------------|-------------|-0===========|---------0---|-------------| D|-------------|-5=-=-=------|-------------|-0=-=-=----3-|-0=====-=-=-=| 3 1 2 3 4 3 \3 1 4/4 \4 4 1 mf cantabile (in a singing stle) 3 2 3 C3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ c3~~~~~ 11 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|-------0-----|---5-5-5-3-5=|===----------|---5-5-5-5-5=|===3=======0-| B|-6-------6---|-------5=====|---6===6=====|-------------|-------6-----| G|---3=======3=|===----3=====|-----5=-=-=3-|-------------|-----3---3---| D|-----0-------|-------------|-3===========|-------------|-------------| A|-------------|-3=====-=-=-=|-------------|-------------|-------------| D|-5=-=-=------|-------------|-------------|<19>===3=====|-5===-=-=-=--| 4 1 4 1 3 3 1 3 4 2 1 3 3 2 > > > > > 1 C1~~~~~~~~~~ C5~~~~~~ 16 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|---3-3-3-3-3=|===1=========|-------------|---------0-1-|-3======/5===| B|-4=====-=-=-=|-------3-----|---6-6-6-6-6=|===----------|-----------2-| G|-5=====-=-=-=|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------0=-=-=| D|-------------|-----3---2h3-|-7=====0=====|-----8===----|-----3-------| A|-------0=====|-1===-=-=-=--|-------------|---5---------|-------0=-=-=| D|-------------|-------------|-------------|-5-----------|---2---------| 3 2 1 2 4 1 4 4 4 1 3 4 2 3 /3 dolce > > > 1 3 1 t t 21 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|-6=====5=====|-------------|---------0h1-|-5=======----|-0---1g0g--------| B|-----2=-=2h3-|---6-6-6-6-6=|===5=====----|---------6===|---------3=====--| G|---0=-=-=----|-------------|-------3===--|-------6---0=|-=---------------| D|-------------|-3===2-0=====|-----0-------|---7h8-------|---3-------2-0---| A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0=-=-=------|---------------4-| D|-0=-=-=-=----|-------------|-5=-=-=------|-------------|-0=-=-=----------| /4 /4 4 4 1 /1 3 4 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 3 4 2 3 2 2 poco meno (a little slower) dim. 26 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|-------0-----|-------------|-------0-----|-------------|-------1---5-| B|-----6-----5-|-----3-2-----|-----6-----5-|-----3-2-----|---3-----3===| G|---2-----5---|---3-----3-2-|---2-----5---|---3-----3-2-|-----2===----| D|-0=====------|-0=====------|-0=====------|-0=====------|-3===--------| A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| D|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------------| 1 4 3 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 4 2 1 2 4 < < < < < < ' espressivo (with expression) t c3 31 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|/9====10==----|---0=====----|-------------|-----5===----|-------------| B|-0--------8===|-------------|-------------|---------2/6-|-5-----3=====| G|--------------|-0-------3/7-|-6===========|-3===--------|-------------| D|----7-7-7-7-8=|====\2=====--|---5-5-5---7-|===0=========|---3-3-3-3-3=| A|-8------------|-------------|-0=======8===|-------0=====|-------------| D|--------------|-------5===--|-------------|-------------|-0===========| 4 4 3 2 3 1 4 3 3 f 2 1 2 1 4 1 4 3 1 C3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ poco meno 36 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|---------0---|-3=====------|-------------|-------------|-------------| B|===----3---6-|-6=====------|-------------|-------------|-------------| G|---5===------|-------3=====|-------------|---2-2-2-2-2=|===0=====0---| D|=====--------|---7-7-7-5-7=|===3=========|-------------|-------0-----| A|-----1=====--|-3===========|-------7=====|-5=====------|-----1-----4-| D|-5===--------|-------------|-3=====------|-------3=====|-2-----------| 4 2 3 3 1 1 3 1 4 2 4 4 \4 2 2 1 4 41 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------0=====| B|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------3=====|-----3-------| G|---0-0-0-0-0=|===----------|-------------|-----0-------|---6---------| D|-------------|---3=========|---3-3-3-3-3=|===2======2h3|-5=======7---| A|-----4===0===|-5=====4=====|-3=====2=====|-1===========|-0=========0-| D|-1===-=-=-=--|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------| 1 3 3 2 4 3 4 1 1 4 3 2 \2 1 \1 2 3 2 < < < < < < t t poco meno t t 46 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|-------------|-0=====------|-------------|-------0=====|-------------| B|-----8===--6-|-------3=====|-------3===--|-----6-------|-----2-----3=| G|---6-----7---|-------------|-----3-------|---6---------|---0-----2---| D|-8=====7=====|---3-3-3-3-3=|===2=====2h3-|-7=======3---|-2-----0=====| A|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0===========|-------------| D|-0===========|-------------|-5=====------|-------------|-0===========| 1 4 3 1 3 1 2 3 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 3 3 2 2 2 4 1 3 dim. poco rall. TF. rall. molto a tempo poco a poco 51 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|---1-1-1-1-1=|===0=====0---|-5=======----|-0---1g0g--------|-------0-----| B|===----------|-------3---6=|===------6---|---------3=====--|-----6-----5-| G|-------------|-----0=-=----|-------------|-----------------|---2-----5---| D|-------------|-------------|-------------|---3-------2-0---|-0=====------| A|-4=====3=====|-2=-=-=------|-3-----4=====|---------------4-|-------------| D|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0=-=-=-=--------|-------0=====| 1 1 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 2 1 2 3 2 2 dim. rall. F. 56 | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . e|-------------|-------0-----|-------------|-------1-----|-------------|| B|-----3-2-----|-----6-----5-|-----3-2-----|---3-----3===|-------------|| G|---3-----3-2-|---------5---|---3-----3-2-|-----2===----|-------------|| D|-0=====------|---2---------|-------------|-3===--------|<5>----------|| A|-------------|-0=====------|-0=====------|----------<5>|-------------|| E|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------0=====|-------------|-------------|| 3 4 2 1 2 4 (quasi niente) > > > > > (fading to silence) Notes and Legend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This was written by Violeta in 1966, the year before she took her own life. Violeta Parra's original recording - https://youtu.be/w67-hlaUSIs Mercedes Sosa's classic recording - https://youtu.be/cIrGQD84F1g Joan Baez recording - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz_7h2Ytq1k Joan Baez & Mercedes Sosa recording - https://youtu.be/rMuTXcf3-6A Another performance by Emmanuel Sowicz - https://youtu.be/lKdQkGGSy64 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The grace notes in measure 55 don't seem to be played by Emmanuel Sowicz, but are easily heard in the Stephanie Jones video. The suggested total time for the piece is 2min 20 sec. The volume expressions in measures 6 & 31 refer to the melody - the accompanying notes are played softer. left hand fingering (LHF) below tab 1 - index finger (forefinger) 2 - middle finger 3 - ring finger (annular) 4 - little finger (pinky) ===== - length of note, note held, duration =-=-= - let the note ring, don't cut it short / - (below the tab) slide the finger up to the next note \ - (below the tab) slide the finger down to the next note / - (between the notes)- side the note up without replaying it ' - slight pause, breath mark < < < - crescendo - becoming louder > > > - decrescendo - becoming quieter bpm - beats per minute (dotted quarter notes) C1 - barre on the 1st fret c3 - part barre on the 3rd fret C3 - barre on the 5th fret C5 - barre on the 5th fret dim. - diminuendo - diminishing, becoming gradually softer f - forte F. - Fermata - pause, notes (or rests) held for longer than their value TF. - Triangular Fermata - short pause g - grace note (ornament) - extra note played just before the main note - following note is usually played as a hammer-on, pull-off or slide h - hammer-on mf - mezzo-forte - moderately loud (the melody) molto - much, greatly p - (below the tab) piano - soft, quietly p - (between the notes) pull-off poco - little, a little (poco a poco - little by little, gradually) rall. - rallentando - slowing down and becoming quieter t - tenuto - note held for at least it's full length, played firmly tempo - speed (a tempo - return to the earlier tempo) <5> - natural open (double octave) harmonic on the 5th fret <19> - natural open harmonic on the 19th fret (played with the right hand) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto Me dio dos luceros, que cuando los abro Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco Y en el alto cielo, su fondo estrellado Y en las multitudes, el hombre que yo amo Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto Me ha dado el oido, que en todo su ancho Graba noche y dias, grillos y canarios Martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos Y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario Con el, las palabras que pienso y declaro Madre, amigo, hermano, y luz alumbrando La ruta del alma del que estoy amando Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados Con ellos, anduve ciudades y charcos Playas y desiertos, montanas y llanos Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto Me dio el corazon, que agita su marco Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano Cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo Cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto Asi yo distingo dicha de quebranto Los dos materiales que forman mi canto Y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto Y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto Gracias a la vida..." "Thank you to life, that has given me so much: it gave me two bright stars, and when I open them I can perfectly distinguish white from black and in the high heavens, their starry depths and among the multitudes, the man I love. Thank you to life, that has given me so much: it has given me my hearing, that in all its breadth records night and day, crickets and canaries, hammers, turbines, howls, and torrential rains, and the tender voice of my beloved. Thank you to life, that has given me so much: it has given me sound, and the letters of the alphabet, and with these the words that I think and declare: mother, friend, brother, and light illuminating the path of the soul that I am loving. Thank you to life, that has given me so much: it has given me the stride of my tired feet - with them I have traversed cities and puddles, beaches and deserts, mountains and plains, your street, your house, and your doorstep. Thank you to life, that has given me so much: it gave me my heart, that shakes in its frame when I look at the fruits of the human brain, when I look at good, so distinct from evil, when I look into the depths of your clear eyes. Thank you to life, that has given me so much: it has given me laughter and it has given me tears - that's how I can tell joy from agony, the two materials that form my song, and your song, which is the same song and everyone's song, which is my own song. Thank you to life..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ the latest version of this tab can be found at http://www.classtab.org if you find any mistakes or have any queries please let me know - thanks!