if you have any knowledge of easy progressions and whatnot this shoudltn be that difficult i dont think, im just not familiar with things like this yet.

ok so im trying to get down this song but all the tabs i seem to be playing are wrong. I dont need you to tab out the entire song because most of it is simple, but i get confused because im only 3 months into guitar.

so here is the link,



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VHwjcrl9C8

between 40 seconds and 44 seconds, he does this thing with Gmajor chord, and i cant figure it out how he gets it to sound like that plase help!

the tabs list it like this

| 3 2
| 3 3
| 0 0
| 0 0
| 2 2
| 3 3

for starters, i cant play that 2nd chord well, its confusing the way i put my fingers, not like any other chord ive played.

its like the beginnign when he goes from D -> Dsus -> D, it has that kind of sound to it, but i cant make out the chords, its just each chord changes a note and so they ring out nicely

there must be 2 or 3 changes i just cant figure it out :/

there is a good youtube of eliot smith actually doing it, i just havnt been able to get it yet. if you can figure it out before i do 50fg for the winner!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxsPYNRGBgQ

this is an even better example, at around 2:15, there is a closeup of the fretting hand. i still cant figure out what hes doing there :/

unfortunately they cut it off right before the end,

i can tell hes playing G, then he takes his finger off the 3rd fret on the high e, and puts it on the 3rd fret on the B string, then right after, he takes his index off the 2nd freet on the 5th string and puts it on the 2nd fret of the b string. then it looks like he goes back to G, then idk


basically thats all i got right now

d -> dsus -> d -> A 3x -> E 3x -> G 2x? -> alter'd G's?

the little riff thing is played on the high e string, at frets 10, 9, 7, 5 and 3 i think

This post was edited by blunderwonder2 on Jun 26 2011 04:34pm

i am goign to find the video camera soon, so i can post up my horrible covers of a few songs, maybe get some pointers. and jsp can watch me progress from beginning guitar player to guitar god lmk

also i had to bump this because it would let me edit

i think i might have the song now im just not sure, its frustrating learning a song with incorrect tabs because then it will screw me up later

i think its very common to do this type of thing tho, where the chord is just slightly changed so that certain notes really ring

heres what i got so far

D -> Dsus -> D -> A 3x -> E 3x

-> this

| 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 3
| 0 0 3 3 2 2 3 0
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
| 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2
| 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

and then it continues

sorry this is confusing for me because im still not advanced enough to know when u can sub in notes.

like it would take me an hour to figure out if im playing say a D chord, can i throw in an F# note on one of the bass strings even though its not a common chord shape.

but then u always see thigns like D/F#, i just dont know when its acceptable, and what are the common changes people make to standard chord shapes. part of this im sure has soemthign to do with what key your playing in, but i have only the tabs anyway

This post was edited by blunderwonder2 on Jun 26 2011 05:44pm

Music is acceptable to whatever youre trying to accomplish. Usually those "bass notes" I.e. your D/F# use a major or minor third thrown in. the case of the F#, its a major third. A minor third would be an F. Played over a major C, it becomes a Mixolydian D.

you almost confused me into a coma with all that. Since I am not even close to there with the theory, proper tabs would be nice but since i am lackign those, i am trying to do my best with the tones. I know theyre all changes with the G chord so ill just keep experimenting till i get it right. its just tough because theres quite a bit of strumming, so even if i find the right combos, if i play it at the wrong speed i might not notice that its correct. i think im almost there though, and even if i miss it exactly its ok, i guess its acceptable to completely skip it sometimes if you sing along people just play the "easy" version

i got more of it now i think i watched a more of the video and i think he actually picks the part im thinking about

he plays the G chord, then 2nd string 3rd fret, 2nd fret, open. then g again i think.

it still sort of does sound to me like he does it with a chord though, if anyone can explain what chord this could be, the prize is still available!

so far what i have is this

D -> Dsus -> D -> A 3x -> E 3x

-> this

| 3 3
| 0 0 3 2 0
| 0 0
| 0 0
| 2 2
| 3 3


there might be some chords to go with those single notes though, i just cant be sure

It's this:

3 3 3 3
x x x x
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 2
3 2 0 x
x x x x

That section at 53 sec is:

2 x x 4 3
4 2 0 x x
2 4 2 0 2
3 4 2 1 0
2 3 2 x x
2 2 0 x x


This post was edited by Superchum on Jun 27 2011 05:11am

i will try this but unless im reading the way you tabbed it wrong, im pretty sure your wrong, look at the 2nd youtube of elliott smith himself doing at 2:15, there is a closeup, and he is definetly playing G major, with no strings muted


did u actually play that out on a guitar? that first part is definetly wrong, the guy in the first video is just a monsters its tough to see what hes doing

D -> Dsus -> D -> A 3x -> E 3x

-> this

| 3 3 0 0 0 0 3 3
| 0 0 3 3 2 2 0 0
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
| 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2
| 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3


im pretty sure this is 90% right, the part im really unsure about is, while im strumming this whole thing, he has his fingers on the frets, i just dont know if hes playing all the strings...

so when he gets to part where he goes from G, to G/(notes on B string), i cant tell if hes playing all 6 strings, or just the higher strings, or maybe hes muting certain strings like you suggested.

but on the B string, he after the G major, he definetly plays this solo

| 3 - 2 - 0

you can hear it, I have just been playign those 3 notes on the B string, instead of strumming chords because im not sure of the chords yet

part of the issue is hes obv playing progression D -> A -> E -> G, there is also an F# chord, and a B

SO, he is in the Key of D

i meant D!

the problem is im a noob at theory, and i dont know what strings hes not playing so as to stay in key

This post was edited by blunderwonder2 on Jun 27 2011 07:13am

Sorry young buck, I don't write tab so I may be writing it upside down and I didn't indicate rhythm, (or even try to) since tab doesn't show rhythm. These are the chord changes on that G he does between 40-44. Your D sus stuff at the start is correct. I was just filling in the blanks. When he does that walk, it may not look like hes muting strings, but he's not playing the top strings and he's probably muting the A string with his index finger. No one really likes the Major second interval, (G+A) on the low registers unless they're seeking lots of low end dissonance which translates into mud.

Low E string 3 3 3 3
A String x x x x
D String 0 0 0 0
G String 0 0 0 2
B String 3 2 0 x
Hig E x x x x

That second fret on the G string is that final note you're guessing at.

This post was edited by Superchum on Jun 27 2011 07:13am

i will check it out again, but ya you wrote it upside down lol...