Help with a transcribing project.....

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Music Junkie
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Mon Mar 21, 2011 11:06 pm

I am working on an acoustic version of an old Thin Lizzy favorite of mine called "Borderline". I have attached a clip for reference:



Question One: At about 0:29 there is a bass run coming out of an Em and running to a Cadd9. Is this bass run - D/E/F/G/A?
Question Two: Does the song sound like it could have Drop D tuning in order to get that bass run starting at D?

Any comments on this would be greatly appreciated. I am truly UN-GIFTED at this stuff. Unlike Chris with his great start on So Far Away..... B)

Thanks!

MJ


sws626
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Tue Mar 22, 2011 1:45 am

Hi MJ,

I'm listening to this for the first time and would have to listen more carefully to tell you whether I thought those were the notes played. But I'm pretty sure that, in this recording, the run you highlight is played by the bass and not by the guitar. If the run is starting on a D, then it would be hard to get exactly the same sound from a solo acoustic guitar and you may want to tune down. Or you could transpose it to a different key so that the run starts on an E.

EDIT: Listening now more closely, I think this run is E, F#, G, A, B, C.

-Stuart


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Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:07 am

sws626 wrote:
Hi MJ,

I'm listening to this for the first time and would have to listen more carefully to tell you whether I thought those were the notes played. But I'm pretty sure that, in this recording, the run you highlight is played by the bass and not by the guitar. If the run is starting on a D, then it would be hard to get exactly the same sound from a solo acoustic guitar and you may want to tune down. Or you could transpose it to a different key so that the run starts on an E.

EDIT: Listening now more closely, I think this run is E, F#, G, A, B, C.

-Stuart
Stuart: Thanks for responding. I get so frustrated sometimes that I need to take a break... :laugh: I will try out this run and see. I always get so single minded and try to fit a song into standard tuning that I miss the boat on altered tunings and how they can make things a bit easier. I knew the bass run was done by the bassist (Phil Lynot - great musician with a tragic life - another one). I found a couple of clips on YT of others doing acoustic covers and tried to watch what they were doing, but it eluded me last night.... B)





After watching these this morning and reading your thoughts, I think it is E, F#, G, A, B, C.

You are most kind for piping in. I tell myself I am eventually going to get to a point where I can do this completely by myself, but I have not made that a reality yet... :laugh: I have to admit that I am getting better. I did get the other chords right, and see that the time signature is 6/8 (at least that is what I am feeling).

Cheers, and thanks again!

J


sws626
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Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:35 pm

MJ,

No problem. This is still very much a learning process for me as well. I'm not so good with absolute pitch, but it does sound to me like the run is whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, which would fit with E, F#, G, A, B, C, seems to be what the guys in the videos are playing, and fits with the key of the song (which I take to be Em?). I saw on some tab site a recommendation to tune everything down 1/2 step, which may be throwing off your ear if that's what was done on the original recording.

-Stuart

p.s. I never really listened to Thin Lizzy when they were together, but have been catching up recently through later work of Gary Moore. This is an interesting song and I'm looking forward to hearing what you do with it.


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Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:34 pm

Stuart:

You certainly have a better grip on it than I do..... :P The fact that you are hearing the whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step is beyond my capabilities. If someone misses a note in a song I can point to it, but I can't really tell if it is off by a half step, whole step, etc. Really want to get there, but I get overwhelmed and freak out. Kinda like a deer in headlights.... :woohoo: :woohoo:

I'll try tuning down a half step tonight and see if it rings a bit more clear as well.

I was not a huge fan of Thin Lizzy growing up, other than a few of there more well known rock hits like "Boys Are Back In Town" and "Jailbreak". Having read an article on Phil Lynott, my interest was piqued though. Quite a talented fellow. Then i listened to a few of there albums and found several more songs that were more to my liking. This song in particular. Another one would be "Got to Give It Up" if you are so inclined to listen. "Sarah" is also decent.

Thanks again for your help. I am always so impressed by the vast reservoir of knowledge that we have here and the willingness to help out. You certainly don't find it on the other sites out there (at least the ones I have been to). Ask a question about transcribing and you get "Sound it out for yourself, that is how you learn." How the heck do you sound it out for yourself if you can't sound it out, or maybe you get stuck on a certain part?????? Sometimes you just need a helping han to get over the roadblock..... B) B)

J


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