Pink Floyd. Brain Damage.

Hello all, after Floyd's appearance at Live 8 have been looking for tracks that are playable by solo guitar either acoustic or electric that would be good on this forum. Here's one from Dark Side of the Moon that's really nice on either sort of guitar.

BEGINNERS DON'T BE PUT OFF BY THE LENGTH OF THIS POST!

This song can be played as simply, or as complicated, as your ability allows. You can even just strum the whole thing if you want. But it is a good exercise in picking out strings from a chord, so worth the effort of trying it properly.

Gilmour plays this with his middle finger and pick. He strums the chord on the first beat of the bar through the verses following up with picking as I have put in the tab. Its important to get timing right here. He doesn't play anything on the second beat, just lets the chord ring. So you are looking to recreate that, its not hard with practice.

Verses
All based round a normal D chord. Form this as you normally do, then do an upstrum on the first beat with your middle finger (or with the pick if you prefer) then pick the strings as I have indicated below. You want to get a feel of "One (ring) Three and Four where you're picking on the three and four.

You then switch to a G7 chord, but all this really means is you put your index finger on the high E string first fret – you aren't playing the low E or A strings at all (hence G7 with D in the bass – you maintain the D as bass throughout the verse apart from the A7). Simple. Then you return to the D again and play it as described. When you get to the D* all you do is slide your D shape down 2 frets to xx0454.

The A7 is played x02223 so its normal A shape with your pinky added to the high E string 3rd fret.

Here's a tab for the whole first verse. The second verse follows the same pattern
D
||--2--------2-|-2--------2-|
||--3----3-----|-3----3-----|
||--2------2---|-2------2---|
||--0----------|-0----------|
||-------------|------------|
||-------------|------------|
the lunatic is on the
G7/d
|-1--------1--|-1--------1--|
|-0----0------|-0----0------|
|-0------0----|-0------0----|
|-0-----------|-0-----------|
|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|
grass………
D
||--2--------2-|-2--------2-|
||--3----3-----|-3----3-----|
||--2------2---|-2------2---|
||--0----------|-0----------|
||-------------|------------|
||-------------|------------|
the lunatic is on the
G7/d
|-1--------1--|-1--------1--|
|-0----0------|-0----0------|
|-0------0----|-0------0----|
|-0-----------|-0-----------|
|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|
grass………
D
||--2--------2-|-2--------2-|
||--3----3-----|-3----3-----|
||--2------2---|-2------2---|
||--0----------|-0----------|
||-------------|------------|
||-------------|------------|
remembering games, and
D*
|-4--------4----|-4--------4-----|
|-5----5--------|-5----5---------|
|-4------4------|-4------4-------|
|-0----------0--|-0--------------|
|---------------|----------------|
|---------------|----------------|
daisy chains and laughs

|-^3-------------|-3---------------|
|-^2--------2----|-2----------2----|
|-^2----2-2------|-2----2-(2)------|
|-^2-------------|-2---------------|
|-^0--0----------|-0--0------------|
|----------------|-----------------|
got to keep the loonies on the
D Dsus2
||--2--------2-|-0--------0-|
||--3----3-----|-3----3-----|
||--2------2---|-2------2---|
||--0----------|-0----------|
||-------------|------------|
||-------------|------------|
path….

You then repeat this section totally for the second verse “the lunatics are in my hall” etc. When you get to the end, play your Dsus2 section as above, then play a D7 like this
Followed by an ascending bass line on the low E string to get you back to a G chord -
D7 Dsus2 bass ascends
|-^2--2----2-0-|-(0)----0-(0)-2-----|
|-^1--1--1-----|-----2--------------|
|-^2--2--------|--------------------|
|-^0-----------|--------------------|
|--------------|--------------------|
|--------------|----------------0-2-|


OK now here's where the arrangement changes somewhat from what Floyd do. At this point,the whole band enters and makes quite a racket for the chorus. Gilmour continues to pick his way through the chords, but I find that the song starts to lose colour at that point (unless you have 2 guitars going, more on that later). So I tend to strum the chorus in D D DUD for each chord, twice (as they are all held for 2 bars. I won't bother tabbing the chorus, just strum your way through it –
G G
And if the dam breaks open
A A
many years too soon
C C
And if there is no room upon the
G
Hill,
G G
And if your head explodes with
A A
dark forbodings too
C C
I'll see you on The dark side
G A7
of the moon.
.


From the A7 go straight back into your verse pattern and off you go again.

OK on verse 3 theres a slight change. Play the chords in the same “style” as the first verses, but note the changes –
D G7 (d bass)
The lunatic is in my head
D G7 (d bass)
The lunatic is in my head
D D*
You raise the blade,you make the change
A7 D
You rearrange me till I'm sane
D D*
You lock the door and throw away the key
A7 D D7 ascending bass to G
There's someone in my head but it's not me


Here's all the lyrics.

Brain Damage
By Pink Floyd
"Dark Side of the Moon"

Intro
D chord for the first eight bars
V1
The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path.
V2
The lunatic is in the hall
The lunatics are in my hall
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
And every day the paperboy brings more
chorus
And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forbodings too
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

V3
The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade,you make the change
You rearrange me till I'm sane
You lock the door and throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me

Chorus 2
And if the cloud bursts thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

TWO GUITARS
If you have a friend who plays or you want to do this in a band setting, the following fills can be played. I have tried to indicate where the fills go but have a listen to the CD and you'll work it out I am sure.
Fill 1 - Gtr II
~~
e|--------14b15==(15)r(14)-|-14----||

Hope someone enjoys all this work ha ha

All the best

Matt