"CORPUS CHRISTI CAROL"
"Corpus Christi Carol" Tab
This transcription was posted to the mailing list by Jake Leach after I said I wasn't mad keen on tabbing out "Corpus Christi Carol". I have left it unedited, as this post is pure mad-Jake. If you see him, tell him we miss him! ;)
Oh, and note that, as a song played with a capo, Jake has chosen the othodox approach to tabbing fretted notes where a capo is involved -- pretend the capo is the nut, and count from there. That's as opposed to what I did in "Hallelujah", which was to tab as though the capo wasn't there.
(In both cases, the capo is behind the 5th fret. Jake thus re-labels fret 5 as fret 0 and works from there. I leave fret 5 as fret 5 and carry on regardless. That's all.)
> Date: Thu, 7 Nov 1996 21:31:27 -0500 (EST)
> From: Jacob Leighton Leach
ok, just when you guys are beginning to think i'm fulla shit for
saying i'd transcribe this bugger...it's posted, baby, as promised.
to play this tune, you will need:
--a guitar
--patience
--fingers
--a capo
--a midget
--an electric razor
--1/2 cup fresh raisins
the capo needs to be placed behind the FIFTH FRET (if you don't have
one, use a pencil and a coupla strong rubber bands, or else your big
sister's hair-barrette, like i did for my first capo--just make sure you wait
'til she takes it off first). for this tab i have numbered all of the frets
as if we were counting from the nut and not from the capo, for a few
reasons. first, it makes everything way easier to understand. secondly, if you
are not a castrato, a three-year old girl, or jeff buckley himself, you might
want to consider playing without the capo so you can reach all the notes as
you sing.
a few things to remember:
1. this is not a james brown tune, so don't go chunky-funky with the
chords. play each note of a chord individually (classical-style--they should
still overlap enough to make a chord instead of an arpeggio), and ALWAYS
downstroke the chords with your pick or your fingies.
2. give each chord or single note a simple triple count as you play
it--1(23), 2(23), 3(23), etc. this should establish just the right
pace for your playing, and it will come in handy later on in the song (you'll
see).
3. yeah, there are some funny-looking chords and some inconsistencies
in the way things are tabbed here. that's part of the song. i tried as
much as possible to duplicate the way jeff plays it on the recording, and
that means using different chord inversions where he does, and throwing in
extra notes for the same reason. i was shooting for accuracy, clarity,
and economy of motion at the same time. lots of things change from
verse to verse, so read all the way through and PAY ATTENTION. notes on the
asterisks (or as we like to call them in indiana, "astericks") will
follow each section.
here we go, peops...
THE INTRO:
5 Oooooh... Oooooh...
E------------3--2--------------------3--2--0------------------
B---------5--------5--3--1-----------0--------3--2------------
G------4-----------------4--2--0-----0-----------2--2---------
D---2--------------------2--------4--2-----------2-----5--4---
A-------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------
*
*(yeah, this is the same Am chord you arpeggiated at the beginning,
but a different inversion. that's how he plays it.)
remember, each note and chord gets a gentle 1(23) count...
VERSE THE FIRST:
5 He bear her... He bear her to an orchard ground...
E---3--2--0-----2-----3--2---------------
B---1--------3--1-----1-----5--3---------
G---0--------2--2--2--0-----5--0---------
D---2-----------2-----------0--4--4------
A------------------------------------5---
E----------------------------------------
nothing strange so far, except a few out-of the way chord
shapes...
REFRAIN:
5 Loo lee... The falcon hath borne...
E---3--3--------3-----5-----3--3---
B---1--3--5--3--3--3--2-----5--3---
G---0--4--5--4--5--4--2-----4--4---
D---------4-----5--4--2--4--2------
A---------------3--2--0-----X------
E---------------------------0------
*
*these last two chords may also be played like this, for simplicity's
sake:
5
E----------
B---8------
G---9--7---
D---9--9---
A---7------
E---0------
if you listen closely you'll notice that the low E string is actually
pronounced in the middle of the chord you strike on the other four
strings. it's a two-guitar thing. we'll talk about that later. for
now, the
SECOND VERSE:
5 And in this... That was... In this hold... And it was laid...
E-3--2--0-----------3--2--------------3--2--0--------3--3--2--------
B-1--------3--1-----1-----5--3--------1--------3--1-----1-----5--3--
G-0--------2--4--2--0-----5--0--------0--------2--4-----0-----5--0--
D-2-----------2-----------0--4--4-----2-----------2-----------4--4--4---
A----------------------------------5-----------------------------------5
E---------------------------------------------------------------------
SECOND REFRAIN:
5 Loo lee... The falcon hath borne...
E---3-----2-----3-----5-----3------
B---1--3--3--3--3--3--2-----5--3---
G---0--4--5--4--5--4--2-----4--4---
D---------4-----5--4--2--4--2------
A---------------3--2--0-----X------
E---------------------------0------
now for the tricky part. we're going to work in the SECOND GUITAR.
actually, a second guitar has been playing at a lower volume and tone
setting since the end of the first verse, "beefing up" the chords in
places. that means you've been doing the work of two guitars--YOU'RE A
HINDU GUITAR GOD! GIVE YOURSELF A HAND (YOU SEEM TO HAVE SEVERAL EXTRA)!
anyway, remember the 1(23) count i told you to keep? this is where
it's going to make things a lot easier; we're going to have the second
guitar play three notes to every one of the primary guitarist's. i will set
the guitar #2 directly under guitar #1 so you can see a direct
relationship (the arpeggios are dizzying when you listen to them on the disc). part
#2, by the way, DOES NOT INVOLVE A CAPO--the numbers are the actual
frets where the string is to be depressed.
THIRD VERSE (first guitar):
5 And on this bed there lyeth... His wound is bleeding day and...
E---3-----2-----0-----------------------3-----2-----0-----------------
B---1-----------------3-----1-----------1-----------------3-----1-----
G---0-----------------2-----4-----2-----0-----------------2-----2-----2-----
D---2-----------------------2-----------2-----------------------0-----
A---------------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------
(1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3)
2nd...
E---------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------------------
G---------2-----------2-----------------------2-----------0---------0-----0-
D-------3-----------3-----------5-----3-----3-----------3---------3-----3---
A---0-3---------0-5-----------7-----5---0-3-----------2---------2-----
E---------------------------5-----5-----------------3-----------------3-----
*
5 By his side there standeth... And she weepeth both night...
E---3-----2-----0-----------------3-----------2---------------
B---1-----------------3-----1-----------1^3---3-----5-----7---
G---0-----------------2-----2-----------2-----4-----5-----7---
D---2-----------------------2-----------0-----0---------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------
**
(1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3)
2nd...
E-------------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------
G---------2-----------2---------------------------------------
D-------3-----------3-----------5-----3-----------------------
A---0-3---------0-3-----------7-----5-------------------------
E---------------------------5-----5-----3-----3---------------
*or, if you prefer: D-------5-----3---
A---0-7---0-5-----
**you will notice another guitar playing these two-tone chords:
G---1---3---5---7
D---2---4---5---7
with a wee bit more vibrato, to fatten the first guitar part; you
might
want your second guitar to play them, if he/she can do it without
interfering
with that last couple of notes on the low E string...
now back to a single capoed guitar...
FINAL REFRAIN:
5 Loo lee... The falcon hath borne...
E---------2-----3-----3-5-2---3-2--3------
B---5--3--1--3--3--3--2-----5------5--3---
G---5--4--2--4--5--4--2------------4--4---
D---5-----0-----5--4--2------------2------
A---3-----------3--2--0------------X------
E----------------------------------O------
*
*this 5-note melodic passage does not follow the 1(23) beat-per-note
count; instead it follows the vocal part, shadowing the words "...my
maiden
away."
FINAL VERSE:
5 By his bed... "Corpus Christi" written...
E---3--2--0-----2-----3--2---------------
B---1--------3--3-----1-----5--3---------
G---0--------2--4--2--0-----5--0---------
D---2-----------2-----------0--4--4------
A------------------------------------5---
E----------------------------------------
look carefully at the last verse--a last-minute variation.
now we go back to two guitars, one without a capo. the timing is
simple, but the way the guitar parts are woven together is meant to
make you swimmy, so watch out and don't miss your cue...
INSTRUMENTAL ENDING:
5 Wooooo..
E---------------3--------------------------------------------------7--
B---1--3--5--7--0---------------------------5--7--8---10--------8-----
G---0--0--5--7--0--2--4--5--7---------------6--7--9---11-----7--------
D---2--4--5--7--2--4--5--7--9---------------7--9--10--12--9-----------
A---3--5--7--9--------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd
E---------5--7--------------------------12--13------------------------7----
B---6--8--------------------12--13--15-----------------------------8--
G---------------------------------------------------------------7-----
D------------------------------------------------------------9--------
A---------------------------------------------------------10----------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------
*
*all these notes are actually pinched harmonics (john g or
michael--did i get the name of this right?), which means you'll actually be hearing a
tone two octaves higher than the fingering indicates. if you don't know how
to pull this off, a) ask me or b) just move each fingering up twelve
frets to at least get a higher sound.
i'm pretty sure i'll have to correct this last second guitar
part, because my guitar's a mile-and-a-half walk from here, it's raining a
monsoon, and i'm having to do this part from memory. at least you get the idea.
i'll fix it tommorrow.
well, how ya like them apples? if you have questions, comments,
clarifications, corrections, hatemail, whatever, hit me with it.
wear yourself out...
jake
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