"SO REAL"

"So Real" Chord Chart

OK, we're in standard tuning land again for this song, for both chords and tab. Once again, I am aiming for the simplest possible configuration of chords to enable you to belt out a version of this song, rather than a more complex arrangement that "sounds more like Jeff". If you wanna sound like Jeff, try the tab below and let me know how it works for you. However, there are a few bits where slightly out-of-it chords make an appearance; so be it. (I will also flag a couple of variations you can try to get a more sophisticated thang happening, just for the hell of it.)


Intro kind of moves from Dm to Bb back to Dm.  Then:

Emb5            Em                      D/A/G/C/B7
Love, let me sleep tonight on your couch
Emb5                           Em        
And remember the smell of the fabric of your simple 
            D/A/G/C/B7
 city dress

 C             Am7
Oh... That was so real (repeat)

 Emb5                      Em                       D/A/G/C/B7
We walked around 'til the moon got full like a plate.
Emb5                                   Em                D/A/G/C/B7
The wind blew an invocation and I fell asleep at the gate
Emb5                                              Em 
... And I never stepped - on - the - cracks - 'cause
                                             D/A/G/C/B7
    - I - thought - I'd - hurt - my - mother 
Emb5                                       Em 
... And I couldn't awake from the nightmare  
                                         D/A/G/C/B7
    That sucked me in and pulled me under,     pulled me under

    
C              Am7
Oh... That was so real
 
Emb5         Em
I love you
                          D/A/G/C/B7
But I'm afraid to love you

 C             Am7
Oh... That was so real

E/Fm/G   G              Bm    Gm
           Oh, that was so real (repeat)

Notes:
1. This chord chart is barely adequate to make sense of the song, particularly in the chorus (Am7 is not really on the money but I'm trying to keep it simple). I'll add some variations on the chorus chords that you can play near the open position (C6 and Am6); if you want more cleverness than that, try the tab below.
2. See just below for the simplified Emb5 which you can try if you don't wanna do the tab thing.

E  |---|---|---|---|        |---|---|---|---|       |---|-4-|---|---|
B  O---|---|---|---|        |-1-|---|---|---|       |-1-|---|---|---|
G  O---|---|---|---|        |---|-3-|---|---|       |---|-3-|---|---|
D  |---|-3-|---|---|        |---|-2-|---|---|       |---|-2-|---|---|
A  |-2-|---|---|---|        |---|---|-4-|---|       O---|---|---|---|
E  O---|---|---|---|        |---|---|---|---|       |---|---|---|---|
   1    2    3    4          1    2    3    4        1    2    3   4
          Emb5                   C6                        Am6

Try these out if the tabbed stuff is a little daunting. Meanwhile, Brett McClen, from Mildura (country Australia) sent me the chords he plays in the chorus. I tried 'em. I liked 'em. While I still think that I've got Jeff's arrangement pretty much in the bag in the tab (well, hmmm, see comments below), I think Brett's voicings are nice. Here they are:

E   |---|---|---|---|       |---|---|---|---|
B   0---|---|---|---|       |---|---|-3-|---|
G   |---|-2-|---|---|       |---|-2-|---|---|
D   |---|---|-4-|---|       |---|---|-1-|---|
A   |---|---|-3-|---|       0---|---|---|---|
E   |-1-|---|---|---|       X---|---|---|---|
      8   9   10              5   6   7   8
      C somethingth            Am somethingth

"So Real" Tab

Quite a few people (John Pollock, Paul Leddy, Nate) have contributed to the earlier efforts to tab this song. In this case, I owe particular debts to some of these earlier tabs for parts of this song I was having trouble with.

My version of the intro uses JP's as a starting point, and is pretty similar. John mentioned the difficulty of tabbing a droning string -- I've tried, but yes, it's hard. Anyway, I think there's enough here to be getting on with.

The rest of the song....well, look and see and tell me what you think. I've added the live intro that JB did pretty regularly, and changed a few bits as a result of viewing some live footage. I think it's improved as a result.

(Remember, ^ means hammer-on or pull-off, > means slide.)

*Long introduction to live version: E--2-----------2---0-------0--------------0-------2-------0----- B----2---3---3---3---2---2---3---3--5---3---3---3---3---3---3--- G------2---0-------------------0------3-------3-------3-------3- D----------------------4---------------------------------------- A--------------------------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------------------------- E-3-----2-----------2---0-------0-----3-5-6-------6-----6-6---- B---3-----2---3---3---3---2---2---3---------3---3---5-------3-- G-----3-----2---0-------------------0---------3-------3-------3 D---------------------------4---------------------------------- A-------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------- E----3-----3-2-----------2---0-------0-----3-5-6-------6----->8- B--3---3-------2---3---3---3---2---2---3---------3---3---3>5---- G--------3-------2---0-------------------3---------3-----------5 D--------------------------------4------------------------------ A--------------------------------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------------------------------- *Introduction: E -----------------------------------------|-------------------------|- B --->13---13---13-------------------------|-------------------------|- G --->14---14---14---14--14-------------14-|---(15, muted)-----------|- D -----0----0----0---15--15---14---12---12-|-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|- A --------------------0---0---12---12---12-|-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-|- E -----------------------------------------|-------------------------|- E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|- B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|- G --------------12--------------14-|---------------------------------------|- D --12--12--12--12--12--12--12--12-|-12--12--12--12------------------------|- A --12--12--12--12--12--12--12--12-|-12--12--12--12--12-----------12-------|- E ---------------------------------|-------------13--13--12^13/13/13--13/13|- There are slight hints of other strings resonating or being softly struck....do your best. *Verse: E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------|- B -----11--11--11--11--11--11--11--|-12--12--12--12--12--12--12--12--|- G ------9---9---9---9---9---9---9--|--9---9---9---9---9---9---9---9--|- D ------9---9---9---9---9---9---9--|--9---9---9---9---9---9---9---9--|- A ---------------------------------|---------------------------------|- E --0------------------------------|--0------------------------------|- then (without tabbing the rhythm which I'll leave you to provide) but it's kinda like waltz time (3/4) for the first 3 bars, then sort of 7/4 in the last one. (Alternatively, 3/4 for 4 bars then 4/4 for the last. Be as pedantic about this as you choose.) E -----------|---------|----3--|---8-----7---|- B -------12--|-----7---|----3--|---8-----7---|- G -------11--|-----6---|----0--|---0-----0---|- D -------12--|-----7---|----0--|---X-----X---|- A -----------|---------|-------|---7-----6---|- E ----10-----|---5-----|----3--|---8-----7---|- *Chorus chords: E ---------------------|----0-------------|- B -------10------------|----5-------------|- G -------9--(8 times)--|----5--(8 times)--|- D -------7-------------|----4-------------|- A -------X-------------|----0-------------|- E -------8-------------|----5-------------|- The above is what Jeff plays on videos I have seen. Below is how I originally tabbed it by ear. Either way sounds pretty much on the money: only the first chord is different, and they are both C6ths, I think. E -------5-------------|----0-------------|- B -------5-------------|----5-------------|- G -------5--(8 times)--|----5--(8 times)--|- D -------5-------------|----4-------------|- A -------3-------------|----0-------------|- E -------X-------------|----5-------------|- *Distorted bit: (I'm not seriously tabbing this...but a guitar can bang away doing the left hand bit, while a highly distorted bass guitar can bend around the 5\7 frets -- or between those notes, at least -- as best it can. If that doesn't work, try screaming through a cheap loudhailer. I dunno...) E --------------------------------------------------------------- B --------------------------------------------------------------- G -----7---------------------------------------------------------- D -----0------------------------5\7--------------------------------- A --------------------------------------------------------------- E --------------------------------------------------------------- *Final progression: This was tricky to tab. I've watched video footage of him doing this live ... I can't swear that those first 3 chords are played as I've tabbed them, but the rest I'm pretty confident of. And as for the first 3, well, this way'll do until I figure out what's REALLY happening! E----------------|----------|------------------------------- B----------3---7-|------8-7-|--3---5---(3---5)-------------- G---4-6-7--2---6-|--7-9-7-7-|--3---5---(3---5)-------------- D---2-4-5--0---0-|--0-0-0-0-|--0---0---(0---0)-------------- A---2-4-5--0---0-|--0-0-0-0-|--0---0---(0---0)-------------- E----------3---7-|--7-7-7-7-|--3---5---(3---5)-------------- The timing of the progression changes every 2nd time, so keep your ears peeled (mainly re those last two chords, in parentheses). Then finish up on a sweet sounding D chord, like: E ---------X------------------------------------------------------ B ---------3------------------------------------------------------ G ---------2------------------------------------------------------ D ---------0------------------------------------------------------ A ---------X------------------------------------------------------ E ---------X------------------------------------------------------ And we're done. Have fun...

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