wild California demo

[tuigirl]

Nancy has this demo on her bootleg page (buckinghamnicks.net) and it's so pretty! I know it's only the instrumental version of Try for the Sun....but it's great.It would be fun to play along with and I think some of the chords are A, D and E, then D, E and A..but the chorus has me stumped a bit. Seteca or ChiliD, any chance you could help me out on this one? Thanks:D

[bjk3047]

Going strictly by the demo itself:

Verse - Ab Db Eb Db Eb Ab, repeat
Chorus - Db Eb Ab repeat 3x
Just like you said, where are you stumped?
In the key you had it in, just take out the flat on every chord I have down.

The chords aren't bad at all. The picking...well...you're on your own.
-Brian

[seteca]

Hi Mich,

Sorry I didn't reply to this earlier, for some reason I assumed that it was a request for the "wild california" demo, rather than how to play it, so I didn't click on it till now! Next time write the word "guitar" in your subject line and I'll be sure to jump in head first!!lol!!:]

Anyway, I haven't tried out Brian's chords above, but I'm sure they're right.:)

As for the actual picking of the song, Merle Travis would be proud of Lindsey...it's a fantastic piece of music. Merle's theory was that if you always hold down a whole chord shape and are constantly picking, then even if you "mess up" a string with your picking hand it will still sound good and fit in with the song. This song is an epitome of that theory, which is why it sounds so beautifully multi-layered, and yet it is, of course, only one guitar.

There are two ways I've found to play it, and both require some rather difficult left hand finger aerobatics, and I'm not sure which of the two is the way LB plays it. It might be neither, in which case he's using a totally non-standard tuning making it easier to play.

In standard tuning, a capo is placed on the 4th fret, and the verse consists of Travis picking E, A, B and E chords, with some slides and slight chord position changes added in here and there for the melody. The verse ends by picking the higher half of an E chord, with some slides played simultaneously. The chorus is picked out as A, B, E, again
with some slides for the melody.

Another method is to use Drop D tuning and put the capo on the 6th fret. Then re-arrange all the chords above accordingly. This makes some parts slightly easier to play, especially the middle "solo" section, but involves playing a note on the 15th fret of the D string which sounds far too bass-heavy.

"Try For The Sun" is half a step higher in pitch, so just place the capo on the 5th, (or 7th if you're using Drop D), and play everything the same as above.

It's really difficult to explain exactly how to play a piece like this using words only, so if you want to know I'll have to tab it out. Let me know.:)

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[CarneVaca]

If I may, let me simplify it even further:

Place the capo on the first fret. Then finger the chords as open G, C and D.

G = Ab
C = Db (also known as C#)
D = Eb

Question on another song:

Someone's Gotta Change Your Mind starts out with F and Bb.

Does it then go to Dm and Am? Are there any other chords?

[tuigirl]

Thanks everyone for the input...PHEW Seteca!!!!.....I'm just exhausted even reading your explanation, let alone trying to attempt it.. I think I'll just stick to the chords, thanks for the tab offer though :) Wonder if Linds will do any instrumentals between songs in concert, I'd love to hear this and Stephanie... but I guess it's all wishful thinking (sigh):(

[bjk3047]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
If I may, let me simplify it even further:

Place the capo on the first fret. Then finger the chords as open G, C and D.

G = Ab
C = Db (also known as C#)
D = Eb

Question on another song:

Someone's Gotta Change Your Mind starts out with F and Bb.

Does it then go to Dm and Am? Are there any other chords?
On the chorus, if you're talking about that quick change, it would be:
Dm Dm Dm C x 3 Dm Dm C F____ C
Dm Dm Dm C x 3 Dm Dm C Bb____ C F

Hope that helps.
-Brian

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by bjk3047
On the chorus, if you're talking about that quick change, it would be:
Dm Dm Dm C x 3 Dm Dm C F____ C
Dm Dm Dm C x 3 Dm Dm C Bb____ C F

Hope that helps.
-Brian

Thanks, Brian, I'll try it out tonight.

[tuigirl]

I am quickly coming to the conclusion that this is ****** impossible to play along with...it's SO FAST!!!!!!!!!:mad:

[seteca]

Originally posted by tuigirl
I am quickly coming to the conclusion that this is ****** impossible to play along with...it's SO FAST!!!!!!!!!:mad:

lol!

Are you trying to pick out the song? Or do you mean its too fast for chords?? :confused:

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[tuigirl]

Yep Seteca..just the chords. My wee fingers can't change 'em quick enough :laugh: I've totally given up trying, so now I just sit back, listen and enjoy (hehheee).Peacekeepers better though and fun to play with.

[seteca]

Originally posted by tuigirl
Yep Seteca..just the chords. My wee fingers can't change 'em quick enough :laugh: I've totally given up trying, so now I just sit back, listen and enjoy (hehheee).Peacekeepers better though and fun to play with.

Hey Mich, just play the song at your own pace, without the CD playing in the background. Whenever you've got the guitar in your hands just have a go at it, everytime. Eventually you'll become so familiar with the chord positions and the ways your fingers have to move for chord changes that you'll start doing it without even thinking about it. Then the song will be a piece of cake!:)

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey: