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Tab Question

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(@reltserw_eoj)
Active Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

First off id like to say hey to every1 here on GN, seems like a pretty nice forum/site. I've been playing guitar (acoustic-electric ibanez AE series) for a little over a month now, and i think im gettin the basics down pretty well. I got a few chords in my arsenal, and can play a few simple "plucked" (sorry im at a loss for terminology at the moment, if any1 would like to help me out here too haha) songs, a little choppy at times but im thinkin they'll come with practice. Anyway I was workin on a tab, Adam's Song - by Blink 182...

I was fine for most the song but then i came to this riff:
Riff 3:
E----------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------------
G---55555555--77777777-------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------77777777--33333333--------------
A---33333333--55555555-------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------55555555--11111111--------------

this is probably a huge newbie question, but how do you play those? Do you strum the 3 strings including the middle (just open that is) or are you supposed to skip over the middle string? haha thanks a lot for any help


   
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(@fretsource)
Prominent Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 973
 

Sound only the notes shown, not the in-between open string. You can strum the three strings but to avoid sounding the unwanted one, you can damp it with the same finger that's holding the low 3 note. Just lay it across that string without pressing down on it.

Edit: Excuse my manners - Welcome to the forum :)


   
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(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

reltserw_eoj

First, Welcome to GuitarNoise, it is a fun site. :D

Those are octaves. They are the same note just one octave apart. You want to mute the inbetween string by letting your index finger lightly drape over the string which will keep it from sounding. Then you stoke or pick across all 3 strings. Octaves were made especially famous by the great Jazz player Wes Montgomery. You can hear him playing octaves around 2:40 into this video. They have a beautiful "hollow" sound to them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQRc959Sx1E&mode=related&search=

Wes used his thumb with all downstrokes to play. This is probably the best way to play octaves, with all downstrokes.

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@fretsource)
Prominent Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 973
 

You want to mute the inbetween string by letting your index finger lightly drape over the string which will keep it from sounding.

"DRAPE" - That's the word I was looking for :lol:


   
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(@reltserw_eoj)
Active Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

haha wow that makes so much sense, that makes life about 1000x easier. im glad i got you guys around cuz its the little things like that you dont find in an instruction book (well mine at least ;) ) thanks a lot i really appreciate the answers.

P.S. Thats some pretty intense old school video 8) might take a little more practice to play that well


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

Surprising what you learn sometimes.....I'd never have thought of playing octaves like that! It got me thinking.....at the start, you're playing two A notes an octave apart - basically, an A powerchord witout the fifth! So it'd be pretty easy to add, say, the fourth and fifth on the D string and get a nice little riff going - I must try experimenting later!

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@greybeard)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5840
 

Welcome Joe Wrestler.

I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

Grey,

You've been doing to many Jumbles in the paper!

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

Surprising what you learn sometimes.....I'd never have thought of playing octaves like that! It got me thinking.....at the start, you're playing two A notes an octave apart - basically, an A powerchord witout the fifth! So it'd be pretty easy to add, say, the fourth and fifth on the D string and get a nice little riff going - I must try experimenting later!

Vic

Oh yeah, you can do a lot with octaves, they will give your solos a very full tone. Wes Montgomery could play octaves very fast and often played the melody line with octaves only. So he made this technique very famous.

But Rockers use octaves too. Hendrix used octaves for the riff in Manic Depression. And the main riff to the Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin was played with a F# ocatave at the 2nd fret.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWB8jhxDmGI&mode=related&search=

But Jimmy Page did not play both notes at once. He played this octave like this:


e-------------------------------------
b-------------------------------------
g-------------------------------------
d------------4-------------------4----
a-------------------------------------
e--2-2---2-2---2-------2-2---2-2---2--

This is actually a little difficult to play well. Great effect though.

And many modern groups use octaves today like Staind.

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@rahul)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2736
 

Welcome Joe Wrestler.

Wow, that was smart :!:

Welcome to GN, Joe.

Practise playing as other members have adviced. With some effort, you will be able to mute the strings in between and play the rest. Its worth it.

Good luck and enjoy.


   
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(@reltserw_eoj)
Active Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

haha wow u guys know ur stuff (even got the user name unscrambled :P) lol looks like i got a little bit of experimenting on my hands... dont worry im sure ill be back with another beginner question anytime now :wink:


   
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(@blueline)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1704
 

!esionratiuG ot emocleW .enileulB si eman yM .eoJ iH

Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

!eoJ ,won gnihtemos detrats ev'uoY.

:D :D :D

ciV

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@ignar-hillstrom)
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Joined: 21 years ago
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Yaeh I am srue no amomnut of nosnnese wlil cnoufse gerbyerad. :P


   
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(@kevin72790)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 837
 

Yaeh I am srue no amomnut of nosnnese wlil cnoufse gerbyerad. :P
lol...so esay to raed wehn the mdlide ltertes are the olny oens taht are sbelcramd.


   
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