Knockin’ On Heaven’s Chords

Various ideas on how to play through the chords:

G – D – | C – - – ||

The powertab file isn’t meant to be played from beginning to end. It’s arranged for printing in a single page.

NB: Similarity to any songs, living or dead, may not be coincidental.

Theme From Asturias

Here’s a Power Tab file for Asturias. It’s only the first section. And I’ve moved it into open position, where it’s easier to play.

Leaving Dee

Leaving the chord of D major, one finger at a time.

Play the D major with your 1st, 3rd and 2nd fingers.
2nd finger leaves the top-string, to play on the 5th string.
1st finger leaves next
Then the 3rd finger slides down a fret to play the A7, final bar.

The TAB should make things clear:

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-------2---------|-------0---------|
|-----3-----------|-----3-----------|
|---2-------------|---2-------------|
|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-------0---------|-------0-----0---|
|-----3-----------|-----2-------2---|
|---0-------------|---0---------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2---------------|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|

And here’s the MIDI file for Leaving Dee.

Turnaround Waltz

Every Breath You Take by The Police uses the same chord sequence as Stand By Me — but not all the way through. And the chords are modified by adding the major second.

It’s often played in the key of A (or Aflat), using some stretchy chords. But I’ve seen Sting play it in G using open chords.

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|---------0-------|
|-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2---2-|
|---0---0-----0---|---0---0-----0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  Gadd2

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------0---------|-------0---------|
|-----4---4---4---|-----4---4---4---|
|---2-------2---2-|---2-------2---2-|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|
  Em add 2
 

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----0-----------|
|-----3---1-------|---------3-------|
|---0---0---0---0-|---2---2---2---2-|
|-------------2---|-0-----------0---|
|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
  C                 D

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------0---------|-------0---------|
|-----2---2---2---|-----2---2---2---|
|---0-------0---0-|---0-------0---0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  G add 2

Another way through the chords is to pick the bass note, then strum a block of notes. EG: Using the same chords, but in a slightly longer sequence.

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-------------|-------------|
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
|-------------|-------------|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-------------|-------------|
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
|-------------|-------------|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----3---1---|-----3---1---|-----3-------|-----3-------|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|---------2---|---------2---|
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-0-----------|-0-----------|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

Here’s a MIDI file for Turnaround Waltz.

There are bonus points for anyone who spots where the lead riffs where taken from. The middle part gives it away, I think. So, okay… only ONE bonus point, then.

Unfortunately — in spite of the source of the riffs — the result is Easy Listening. Oh well.

Stand By for a Turnaround

There are three chords which are very important in music. And they’re easy to find on the guitar.

Suppose we are to play in the key of G.
Locate G on the 3rd fret 6th string.
The note on the 3rd fret 5th string is C
And two frets up from that is D

And so G, C, D will be the root notes of the three chord trick.

We can arrange the chords very simply:
| G – - – | G – - – | C – - – | D – - – |

A common trick is to substitute an Eminor for the second G. The result is called a turnaround .
| G – - – | Em – - – | C – - – | D – - – |

The chords don’t have to be played one per bar. And it’s common to add G to the end of the sequence. This can be tricky for beginners if they don’t keep track of whether they are at the beginning or end of the sequence!

| G – - – | G – - – | Em – - – | Em – - – | C – - – | D – - – | G – - – | G – - – |

Ben E King’s Stand By Me is entirely a repeat of that sequence. The recording I have is in the key of A. But the F#minor that is then required can be a little tricky for beginners. To play along to the record, you could use a capo at the second fret and then just play the open chord shapes for the chords given here.

Alternatively, here’s a MIDI file — Stand By for a Turnaround. The bass line is close to the Ben E King classic. But the guitar part is totally different.

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  G5                G5

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-2---------------|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
  Em7               Em7

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-0---------------|
|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
  Cadd2             D5

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  G5

I find that a percussive strum on the 2nd beat helps to get the feel of the Ben E King version. I generally use:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
*   x /   / /

Where,
* is a bass note
x is a percussive strum (mute the strings with the right hand as you strum. Difficult to put into words, but it can be done. The aim is to find a substitute for the scrapping sound in the original).
/ is a regular strum

Two String Romance

Based on the famous, but anonymous, Romance for classical guitar. I’ve simplified it by having the guitar play only on the top two strings. (E and B). The melody is on the E-string. And the open B-string is played between the melody notes — as a drone.

The TAB file includes some fretted notes on the B-string, to match what’s played on the MIDI File. If you find that too difficult, practice with open notes on the B-string all the way through. Then try the fretted notes when you have learnt the melody.

Single string study in Am

Here’s another single string study. There are some heavy metal riffs based on this kind of idea (eg: Yngwie Malmsteen), but they require higher tempos. The MIDI files here are all at 85bpm, but you can change that with Anvil. (See blogroll). Start slow and work your way up to as fast as you can go! Malmsteen would manage 140-150 no problem.

MIDI for first variation — playing triplets. This will teach you the position changes. Those changes are the same in all three variations.
Second Variation — 16th notes. At the same tempo, so harder to play because there are four notes per beat rather than three.
Final Variation — a 2 bar phrase is used through the chords. Only a little harder than the second variaiton, but only until you get the phrase under your fingers.

ABC exercise

The fretboard isn’t set out as obviously as the piano keyboard. It takes a little more effort to learn the names of all the notes. And you should start as early as possible.

The open strings are (low to high) EADGBE

The note A can be played on each string. This ABC Exercise plays the phrase ABC on each string. You could play a longer phrase, building up to the whole A minor scale.

Notice where the octave is (second example on the TAB file). On the lower strings, the octave is two strings and two frets across. On the D and G strings, the shape is a fret longer. This is a very important shape, and knowing it will help you learn where all the notes are.

Obviously, this exercise can be adapted to different phrases. ABC is a very easy phrase, since the left hand does the same in each position.

Metal ‘Waltz’

Originally called 3-4 Study, because it’s obviously not a waltz! Some parts could be played by a beginner, especially the gtr1 intro riff (pinched from “Desert Song” — MCR) and gtr1 riff3 is very easy (except you have to come in at beat 2). But overall, the song is pushing into intermediate.

Full speed MIDI (130 BPM), Slower MIDI (105 BPM), 80 Beats per minute.

I’m still looking for a good freeware sequencer on the net. Mine came with a magazine. Until I find one, I’ll give slower versions of my MIDIs.

2-1-2-4 Study

Here’s the TAB file for 2-1-2-4 Study, so called because that’s the main pattern played with the left hand fingers. The intro riff is very much for beginners. Each riff after that is a more challenging variation of the same pattern.

Here’s the MIDI file for 2-1-2-4 study, and a slower version at 80 BPM