Terrapin Station Part I: Lady with a fan Intro: Play the first part is really easy, though for some reason, fakes out a lot of peeps trying to figure it out. All you do is Play an F Major chord either a bar Chord or the "five finger" F chord with, which is really the same thing, only you don't fret the low E string. I usually play this chord. It looks like this: Oh by the way, I don't know who invented guitar tab so that the strings are upside down, but I just don't think that way! No matter how hard I try, I just see the bass strings on top and the treble strings on the bottom and that's just the way I am gonna draw it! Although jesse has agreed to convert my Tab to the universal form...Thanks Jesse! :-) E------1------- ------1------ B------1------- ------1------ G------2------- ------2------ D------3------- Or ------3------ A------3------- ------3------ E-------------- ------1------ Oh, here's the second chord! Tip: however way you play the F (bar or the other chord) just lift up the first finger completely and strum the resulting chord for one beat. FMaj7 E------0------- B------0------- G------2------- D------3------- A------3------- E-------------- So the timing looks like this (Remember each bracket represents one measure): [ F ] [ F FMaj7 F Rest] X whatever you feel like! :-P ie. Just vamp on it baby! Dont get confused by the fact that I wrote "F" 3 times in the second measure. It's because you change to the FMaj7 on the "2" and then back again for one quarter note of F then one quarter note rest. Another tip: on the three beat of the first measure play the F syncopated, so you actually play that up beat with an up stroke, fast and sharp. And you kind of quickly mute the strings, but NOT for long, unmute for the very next beat. Very nice effect, listen to the song. It is subtle but fairly obvious. Play this every time around, ie. 3rd up-beat of EVERY first of the two measures Main Body of song: ***Note: For this transcription, in it's entirety, all measures are implied to be 4/4 unless you see another signature immediately before it.*** "Let my inspiration flow....." (God! I fucking love this song!) [ G ] [ G Dm ] [ Dm C ] [ G F ] [ F ] [ C ] [ F ] Then Riff #1 Riff #1 E----------------------1--x--x--x- B----------------------1--5--3--5- G----------------2-5---2--5--4--5- D------2-5--2->3-------3--5--5--5- A--2->3--------------------------- E--------------------------------- The second half of the verse echoes the first only you don't play the riff, you go back to the intro for four measures (ie. twice around). And this starts right AFTER the measure of C, which is the 6th measure. (And yes! Play the syncopation on the 3 of each first measure) Tip: Those two slides on the A and D string are played quickly. Meaning hit and slide right away into the corresponding note to let it sound for the rest of the beat. Tip: The F in the 5th measure (above) is syncopated like the upstroke in the intro, only it is on the up-beat of the one of measure five and not the 3 of measure one. Listen, you'll hear it! :) Tip: The first measure and-a-half above (ie the G chord) play it soft and straight, alternating up and down strums. Then what you will do is going to sound like every chord is strummed fully but succinctly once each. (Dm twice, C, G then F). This is, for the most part true, but try muting the strings after each strum and play one muted "strum" after every regular strum. It is very rhythmic and sounds nice. Garcia does this an awful lot by the way in many songs! (Jeeze, all these tips; am I starting to sound like a waiter or what? LOL) Now repeat this basically until the solo, where you will.....well, solo over these changes. (What the hell did you think you were gonna do huh?! Sheesh! Some people!) I am going to improvise and transcribe a sample, which adheres to the melody pretty closely, which in this tune, Garcia generally did for this solo. If you arent crazy about my ideas, just listen to a live version and come up with your own (well actually you should eventually do this anyway! :-P ) This solo I made purposely simplistic so please feel free to embelish it all you good pickers out there! :-) Solo: E----------------------------------------------12-13-13-15-12-12-13-11>12- B-----------12--12-13-12--------12-12-13-15--15--------------------------- G---------12------------14-12-14------------------------------------------ D-12>13>14---------------------------------------------------------------- A------------------------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------------------ B-15-14>13>12---------12-----------------------12------ G------------14--12>14--14-12>14-12--------------14-12- D----------------------------------14-14-12>14--------- A------------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------15-12-13---------- B----------------------------12--------15-12-13-- G-------------12----10-12->14-------------------- D--10-12>13>14----------------------------------- A------------------------------------------------ E------------------------------------------------ (One cycle or half of solo completes here) Also, I was having some trouble with the length of each line causing all kinds of new and exciting abominations in the tab when I went to upload this to my other computer, so even though there are 3 different tab boxes above, play it seamelessly as if the three were one long tab. For the second half of the solo, improvise something similar to the first half, only after the playing of the top part of the above solo, skip the bottom-most (third) part and go to the following: E--------------------12--(pause)------------------12- B--13>12----12>13-15--------------13>12--12>14-15---- G--------14----------------------------14------------ D---------------------------------------------------- A---------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------- Oh and those "greater than" signs are "hammer on's" (if the # ascends) or "pull off's" (if the number descends). while a line followed by a "greater than" is a "hit and slide". Thats just my notation, I have NO IDEA if it is correct tab nomenclature, sorry :) Now back into the verse: Get quiet after the solo, the whole band should come down, not only lower than the solo, but lower even than the last verses. After the last verse you play the last riff of the solo a couple of times. You can either play it like this again, ala "seventies" and "early eighties" Jerry like so......here it is reprinted again so you don't get confused. E----------------12(pause)---------------12- B-13>12--12>13-15---------13>12--12>14-15--- G------14----------------------14----------- D------------------------------------------- A------------------------------------------- E------------------------------------------- Or you can play it an octave below, ala "late eighties", "early nineties" Jerry, like so.... E--------------(pause)-------------- B-----------5-------------------5--- G--5>4-4>5-7-----------5>4-4>5-7---- D-----7-------------------7--------- A----------------------------------- E----------------------------------- After a couple of times around, you will kind of.....fall apart here and gravitate into the modal jam. I am not going to tab out a jam here, but you will be improvising in the mode of F Lydian, which is Just a C-Major scale played from "F to F" instead of from "C to C" Now try to get a little lost here. Just stay in C major. By lost I mean that you can blurr the lines somewhat, between the modes in C Major. Sometimes you might have a kind of "Dorian" feel, at others you might almost be playing "Phrygian" like. Just keep all the notes in C Major, wherever you have your tonal center. If I get the chance to upload an MP3 of this (HINT HINT HINT) I will talk and play through a segment of this jam for you kind folks! :-) Also, you may prefer not to jam this out. In the early years of playing Terrapin, Jerry often played and repeated that signature lick above, several times and then he went right into the change. Either way, whether coming out of the modal jam or just harping on the riff, you will eventually wind up at the following: E----------------12-------------------------------12------------- B-13>12--12>13-15----15-13-12-----13>12---12>14-15----15-13-12--- G------14--------------------14--------14---------------------14- D---------------------------------------------------------------- A---------------------------------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------------------------------- Notice that this is really the same riff as the one coming out of the solo as well as the same one going into the modal jam, with a few additional grace notes at the end of each phrase? Good! I knew you would Grasshopper! Repeat the above until you are ready to go into the change. Basically garcia usually cued this with a nod, or a look about half way through whatever iteration he wanted to be the last one before the next change. Oh and for this transitional part, omit the last 4 notes of the above (those new grace notes) at the end of the final iteration, otherwise your timing will not be correct for the off tempo change. (By the last 4 grace notes, I mean the high D, C#, B A). that little (V), below, is my way of saying vibrato. (Which you should actually be using a lot of by the way) just play those two notes below the (v) moving both fingers ever so slighly, but rapidly up and down to create vibrato. Garcia was great at this. (V) E--------------13-12---------------------------------------------------------- B------12-13-15-----12-13-15-12-13-15-12-12-13-15-12-13-15-12-13>12--12-13>12- G-12>14------------------------------------------------------------14--------- D-------------------------------------12-------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I II E----------------12-13-15>17-15--15- -18p17p15------------------- B-12-13-15-13-15---------------17--- ---------17p16p15----------- G----------------------------------- -----------------17p16p15--- D----------------------------------- -------------------------17- A----------------------------------- ---------------------------- E----------------------------------- ---------------------------- III E-------------------------------------- B------17>16--16>15--------13-----11--- G-------------------------------------- D-16>17-----16-----15-13>14--14>12----- A-------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------- Okay folks this is more of a VERY STRONG admonishment than a tip! So please PAY ATTENTION! Now first, I am NOT going to take any credit here, because Garcia invented this cool shit, not me. But that said, you should know that I just gave you GOLD here! I decided to add in some slightly simplified examples of what Garcia did a lot of in his soloing. So LEARN these tricks and apply them in other "dead song" solo's! Notice that each section is slightly seperated. I did this for a reason. For those of you who want to go the extra mile (God help you) I divided it into Roman numeral I, II and III. However, again, play the three parts seamlessly I. Nothing unusual here, just play it straight. II. This is a series of "Garcia-esque" Pull off's that everybody playing this stuff should know! Here's what ya do: See all those notes in II? they are all one measure! That's right...just one! So in order to play it right you have to play each of the three strings three note pulloff's quickly so they each take up one beat. Oh and the last note in II is held for an eternity (hehehe well compared to the pulloffs anyway) of one full beat (one quarter note). So I guess those pullofs are all...I think....16th note triplates(?). In any event, you hit the "high" note on the corresponding string and pull off to the next two lower notes, descending with NO REST at all, not even to go to the next pull off's. I am not sure if I a explaining this very well but basically you are playing nine notes, (but picking only 3) all very quickly, in rapid succession, same exact tempo, and resting on the 10th note. In that way you get that "falling off a cliff" kind of rapid, trippy descending that Garcia made famous. If you need to think of it musicaly just try to get the idea that each three notes (on each string) are played WITHIN one beat. Practice this! It is a GREAT tool to add to your Garcia bag! :-) III. This is a bluesy kind of riff that you can hear a lot of soulful players do, NONE better than Jerry! Practice this too! It is also a very good "bag-O-Tricks" addition to your Jerry vocabulary. What you do is this. You hit the G-string and slide up one fret (have your middle finger on the D string and your ring finger on the B string and KEEP them there throughout most of this riff, even if you aren't picing the note or freting it. THen the next note struck is the same fret on the B string, and you quickly slide back one fret. then you pick the D string corresponding to the same fret as you just slid into the B string. I like to pluck these with my fingers (thumb and pointer) but you can use quick pick action if you like. Then immediately hit the B string in the same fret and slide back one fret one again, then strike the D string in the same fret (See why you have to keep your fingers in this fretted position. Okay, you are still in this same quick riff. Now you use the same middle finger for the D-string again, but your finger position changes a tad. You go two frets back, hit that D-string note and slide up one . Now this time, dont use your ring finger, but use your pointer finger to fret the note on the B string, one fret behind the middle finger. So in this case you are playing the 14th fret with your middle finger (you slid from 13, remember?) and the 13th fret (no slide) of the B-string with your first "fretting" finger, ie your pointer. Now hit the note on the D-string once more and slide back teo frets, and then, still having your finger on the d-string so the note continues to ring, you play the B-string (11th fret first finger). Okay I just re-read that fiasco and I Profusely apologize! I have like NO IDEA how to explain that to make it read simpler! I swear I tried! Take heart though and KEEP working on it. Because I promise you that if you can get through it, and I know you can, despite my inarticulate ramblings as your stumbling block, you will see that it isn't nearly as complicated as I made it sound. Also you have it tabbed out above, so hopefully that will help while you are reading my alleged explanation! That last note, above takes you right into "Since the end is never told........" [FMaj7] [FMaj7] [C9] [C9] [FMaj7] [FMaj7] [ E ] [ E ] [Jaws riff..LOL] [Same] Note: play this voicing of FMaj7 not the same one as in the intro. Tabbed Chords: FMaj7 C9 E (Jaws Riff) :-) E---O--------3-----O---------x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x-- B---1--------3-----O---------x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x-- G---2--------3-----1---------x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x-- D---2--------2-----2---------2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2-- A---X--------3-----2---------2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2-- E---1--------X-----O---------O--1--O--1--O--1--O--1--O--1--O--1--O-- For that "Jaws riff", just keep your fingering exactly the same as your open E Major, only you will lift your 1st finger (pointer). Important: DONT play the D string because taking your 1st finger off this string turns the chord into an E-minor. So you will play it like a power chord. Oh and you are playing eigth notes throughout. It is very dissonnant obviously and leads right into the next riff. Oh and all down strums on Jaws riff. Okay I guess this is the intro to the second part, "Terrapin Station....." / / / / / / / / [ E ] [ E ] [ E ] E E E--0-----------0---------------0-------------0------------0-- B--0-----------0---------------0-------------0------------0-- G--1-----------1---------------1-------------1------1-2-4-1-- D--2--O-2-4-2--2--2-0-2-4>2-0--2--2-0>2-0----2--2-4-------2-- A--2-----------2---------------2----------2--2------------2-- E--O-----------0---------------0-------------0------------E-- Now the first three times you play the E chord it plays for one full measure each, followed by the corresponding riffs. The last two E chords are strummed S-l-o-w-l-y once each as half notes. Next chords, start the vocals. Strum these the same lazy way, each strum taking up half of a measure (two quarter notes, one half note, whatever you wanna call it) So you hit the chord, then it rings out over the next beat. Play whatever voicings of the chords you like, but Jerry usually played them as open chords or 1st and second position bar chords (ie bass notes of chord on the E or the A strings). "Inspiration............." The slashes are your strums on the one and the three of each measure, but don't play them staccato, play smoothly. / / / / / / / / / / / / [ A A ] [A7 A7] [D D] [DMaj7] [ E E ] [ E E ] E-------- B-------- G-------- D-------- A------O- E-0>2>4-- (this riff is optional starting on the 3 of the last E measure) / / / / / / / / / / / [A A] 2/4[ A ] 2/4[ E ] [A A] [E E] [C#m G] 2/4[ D ] E------------ B------------ G------7-6--- D---4-7------ A--5--------- E------------ / / / / (Or just play 4/4[ D D ] 4/4[ DMaj7] instead of the 2/4[ D ] and the riff) "....Statements just seem vain at last..." (The words don't equate to the tempo, they only indicate where to pick up the chords) / / / / / / / [ E E ] 2/4[ A ] [ D D ] [Ebmin7b5] Ebmin7b5 DMaj7 E------x----- ---2----- -------5----- B------7----- ---2----- -------7----- G------6----- ---2----- -------6----- D------7----- or ---1----- -------7----- A------6----- ---x----- -------5----- E------x----- ---x----- ------------- "...Some Rise........." Play ALMOST the same chords and riff as you played in the intro to Terrapin, starting with the E major. However, it is slightly different. See below: "...Some Rise........." (Again, no correspondence with tempo) / / / / / / / [ E ] [ E ] E E A (hit E & A-Major chord once & play this simple example riff) E--0---------------0------------0-----------0--5------------------------------12---------- B--0---------------0------------0-----------0--5-----10-12ub10--10-12-10-12b14--14ub12-10- G--1---------------1------------1-----1-2-4-1--6-9>11--------11----------------------11--- D--2--2-0-2-4>2-0--2-2-0>2-0----2-2-4-------2--7------------------------------------------ A--2---------------2---------2--2-----------2--7------------------------------------------ E--0---------------0------------0-----------0--5------------------------------------------ ***** my b means hit the note and bend up to the next note ***** my ub means unbend, so bend the string FIRST, hit the bent string and let it sound as you unbend it. Again, no idea if this is actual tab but what can I tell ya? :) "......Counting start by candlelight..." (Dynamically, drop down a notch in volume as well as intensity for this part. Play softly) / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 2/4[ E ] [ A A ] [ E E ] [ C#m C#m ] [ D D ] [ E E ] [ E E ] [ A A ] / / / / / / / / / 2/4[ A ] 2/4[ E ] [ A A ] [ E E ] [C#m G ] 2/4[ D ] E------------ B------------ G------7-6--- D---4-7------ A--5--------- E------------ (Or just play 4/4[ D D ] 4/4[ DMaj7] instead of the 2/4[ D ] and the riff) **Yeah I know 2 measures of 2/4 is one measure of 4/4, it just kind of "felt" more right this way! "......Crickets and cicadas sing.." / / / / / / / [ E E ] 2/4[ A ] [ D D ] [Ebmin7b5] "...A Rare and different tune, terrapin Station......." / / / / / / [ E E ] [ E E ] [ D A ] (Come down heavy on the D and the A, accenting them kind of like clean power chords) "....In the Shadows of the moon.......) [ Bm A ] [ E E ] [ D A ] (Again, D & A like clean power chords) "And I know we'll be there soon...." [ A D ] [ E ] "......Terrapin, I can't figure out.........." Note: Same as Intro up until the break in the tab. At that point you just play two measures of E to a crescendo which goes to the end leads/jam / / / / / / / / / / [ E ] [ E ] [ E ] [ E ] [ E ] E---0---------------0-------------------0-------------- ---0------0-- B---0---------------0-------------------0-------------- ---0------0-- G---1---------------1-------------------1-------------- ---1------1-- D---2----O-2-4-2----2----2-0-2-4>2-0----2----2-0>2-0--- ---2------2-- A---2---------------2-------------------2------------2- ---2------2-- E---O---------------0-------------------0-------------- ---0------0-- (Riff A) / / [ D ] [ Am ] [ Am ] E------- -------------------------------------5--------5----------- B---7--- ----------------5--------------------5--------5----------- G---7--- -5-7-9ub7-5-7----7-5-7-5-4--5-4------5--------5----------- D---7--- -------------------------------7-5---7--------7----------- A---5--- -------------------------------------7--------7----------- E------- ---------------------------------------------------------- Remember: My "ub" means unbend after hitting string bent to higher # Okay, just above is the first riff out of "Terrapin Station" and into "Terrapin"....Yeah I know according to the CD at least, Terrpain station (vocals) is different from Terrapin (Instrumental part) ..whatever.. Anyway above play that D chord and then start the riff. The two A minor measures after the riff are played like this: (Think beginning of the Dead version of "Gimme some lovin" for the timing of the above two A minor measures. Measure I: [ Down-up-down-up-down-rest ] **The rest is a 3 eigth note rest! Or if you like an eigth note rest then Measure II: [ Same as I] a quarter note rest. the alternating up and down strums above are rapid eigth notes, two to each quarter note, until the third quarter note where there is only one, followed by the above rest. (5 + 3 = 8) Then immediately into the chord pattern below : The chords are played as quarter note triplates, with alternating up and down strums. Start EVERY chord with a down strum, sit's like this: Am Am Am G G G C C C Em Em Em Em Down-up-down down-up-down down-up-down down-up-down-down The Em being the exception with an extra "down" strum, Follow this by repeating Riff A! If you are counting you can look at it like this "And-a-one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a-four-and-Riff A" (The last "and" is another quarter note on E minor) ..uh I think.. Just listen to it :-) Oh, And use these voicings for the above chords: Am G C Em D E----5---------3---------8--------7---------------- B----5---------3---------8--------8---------7------ G----5---------4---------9--------9---------7------ D----7---------5--------10--------9---------7------ A----7---------5--------10--------7---------5------ E-------------------------------------------------- Then go to Riff B: Riff B: E Edim7 D7 E---------------------------------------------------------------------- B---------------------------------------9-----8-----7------------------ G-----5---4---------2----0------5-------9-----6-----6------------------ D----7-----5-------4------2-------7-----9-----8-----7------------------ A---7-------7-----5--------3---7--------7-----7-----5------------------ E---------------------------------------------------------------------- Those last three chords are power chords, descending. You will hear it. Off this riff you go to the next riff: [ D ] [ D ] [ Am ] [ Am ] E------------------------------------------------------------5-------5-- B----7--------------7---------------5------------------------5-------5-- G----7----------7---7--5-7-9ub7-5-7---7-5-7-5-4-5-4----------5-------5-- D----7---------7----7-------------------------------7-5-7----7-------7-- A----5----5-7>9-----5----------------------------------------7-------7-- E----------------------------------------------------------------------- Play those two D chords as a full measure, then a riff then another full measure of D. Then you again, play the 2 A minor measures just like the above weirdness (remember the Gimme some loving intro" part? :-) And then back into the "chord melody", the next riff and around and around and around, kind of a "Grateful Dead Loop". Listen to the end of the song, live and you will see how to work these riffs in. Now I am NOT going to tab out all of the varyiations of these parts that Jerry played over the changes. They aren't hard, and are usually derived, in part at least, off of whatever riff they are substituted for in the given passage. Just think variations and octaves. Jerry often played riffs in the jam at the end of this tune an octave above and/or an octave below. Start out really simple, and after several times around, begin to make your variations on this theme more and more complex, also building to a crescendo. Later on, There are a couple of really rapid chromatic movements off the riffs, (especially after the Bass riff culminating on D) starting on the low D of the A string and climbing rapidly all the way up the ladder to the E string, to be topped off by one of the above riffs or one of the myriad of it's variations. Give the late eighties versions and early nineties versions a good listen and cop some of these riffs. Soon enough you will be improvising your own variations around them! You will eventually, gradually fall apart and evolve into a D-Myxolydian modal jam (G major scales played from D to D). A word about effects. Play most of the song clean, little or no effects. During the "Lady with a fan" solo, I often use a touch of delay. The modal jam in the middle (the F-Lydian part), play whatever effects you like, Mutron, octave, delay, light distortion, whatever. For the end Terrapin jam, start with a moderate to heavy distortion (depending on what era you like) and then later in the end jam, come in with a fairly heavy octave divider lead. Vary your pickups and tones a good deal also. Again, use whatever other effects you like, but remember, tastefully. Well there it is! Enjoy it, and Love ya all! PAUL!!