Alex Chilton Tab

[Rambo]

Does anyone know how to properly post an ASCII text file without losing the formatting? I'm using a fixed-width font (Courier), but the spaces drop and ruin where I put the chords over the lyrics.


Alex Chilton by The Replacements
Transcribed by Rambo

I only tabbed out the rhythm guitar. The track off the record has both a lead guitar in standard tuning and a rhythm guitar in Open A tuning. The lead guitar only adds the solo and embellishments that you can hear throughout the song. I am not going to tab out the lead; it's been done and is available at www.colormeimpressed.com/tabs/alexchilton.pdf as a scanned copy of several pages from the November 1993 issue of Guitar.

It's been known for several years that this song has been in Open A, yet no one seemed to do the dirty work and write it all down. I based my work on several videos of Paul playing the song available on YouTube, which should make this tab rather accurate.


--Intro--

The Intro and Chorus form the backbone of the song. The big riff is somewhat Stonesy, in that it starts with the "Rolling Stones" chord, the same one that drives the Open-G tunes Start Me Up, Brown Sugar, and Rocks Off to name a few. Alex Chilton's sound is completely different than the Rolling Stones though, but the trick to getting the right sound is the same: You got to play the rhythm correctly. Take time to practice it while listening to the record; it will come to you.

E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2 E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-8--7--5---/7--5---8-8-8-8-----8--7--5---/7--5--8-8-8-8-------------------------|
|-7--9--7---/9--7---7-7-7-7-----7--9--7---/9--7--7-7-7-7-------------------------|
|-9--7--5---/7--5---5-5-5-5-----9--7--5---/7--5--5-5-5-5-------------------------|
|-7--7--5---/7--5---5-5-5-5-----7--7--5---/7--5--5-5-5-5-------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2 E E2 D2 E2 D2
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-8--7--5---/7--5---8-8-8-8-----8--7--5---/7--5\---------------------------------|
|-7--9--7---/9--7---7-7-7-7-----7--9--7---/9--7\---------------------------------|
|-9--7--5---/7--5---5-5-5-5-----9--7--5---/7--5\---------------------------------|
|-7--7--5---/7--5---5-5-5-5-----7--7--5---/7--5\---------------------------------|

B B
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------5----------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------2----------------------------------------------------------|
|-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2------------------------------------|
|-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2------------------------------------|
|-5-4-0-----------------5-4-0----------------------------------------------------|


--Verse--

Paul seems to follow a rough guide and then make up the fills at the end of each line. In all the videos that I watched, I've seen Paul do so many different fills that I assume that he improvises them. I've tried out a few and it seems that as long as you stay in key, you can roll off any number of riffs for the fill.

The pattern seems to be a line with an F# followed by a line without it and an extended B fill in its place.

I've seen him remove the high 3 on the 2nd string often. Sometimes be plays it; sometimes he doesn't--even to the point of switching up its use in the middle of the song. If you don't want to play it, you don't have to. It's really just an extra 3rd, so it doesn't even really change the sound too much, but I'm including it because that's how I've seen it played at times.

A A/G$ F# B (fill)
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------3-3-3-3----------3-3-3-3----------------------------------------------|
|----------0-0-0-0----------0-0-0-0----------------------------------------------|
|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0----------------2-2-2-2-2p0-------------------|
|------------------------------------4-4-4-4-4-4-4-2-2-2-2-2p0-------------------|
|-5-5-5-5----------4-4-4-4-----------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------------------------------|
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x <- Palm mute these notes

A A/G$ B (fill)
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------3-3-3-3----------3-3-3-3----------------------------------------------|
|----------0-0-0-0----------0-0-0-0----------------------------------------------|
|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0--2-2-2-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-2-2---------------------|
|------------------------------------2-2-2-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-2-2---------------------|
|-5-5-5-5----------4-4-4-4-------------------------------------------------------|
x x x x x x x x

A A/G$ F# B (fill)
Aw, if he was from Venus, would he feed us with a spoon?
A A/G$ B (fill)
If he was from Mars, then that be cool


--Pre-chorus--

E6sus4 E D2 E6
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-8-8-8-8-8-7-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-8-7-7-7-7-7-7\-------------------------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7\-------------------------------------|
|-9-9-9-9-9-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-5-9-9-9-9-9-7\-------------------------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-7-7\-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

E6sus4 E D2 E6
Children by the millions sing for Alex Chilton when he comes 'round


--Chorus--

E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2 E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-8--7--5---/7--5---8-8-8-8-----8--7--5---/7--5--8-8-8-8-------------------------|
|-7--9--7---/9--7---7-7-7-7-----7--9--7---/9--7--7-7-7-7-------------------------|
|-9--7--5---/7--5---5-5-5-5-----9--7--5---/7--5--5-5-5-5-------------------------|
|-7--7--5---/7--5---5-5-5-5-----7--7--5---/7--5--5-5-5-5-------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2
I'm in love.
E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2
What's that song?
E E2 D2 E2 D2 D2
I'm in love
E E2 D2
With that song.


--Pre-solo--

I know someone is bound to ask why the Dm7 doesn't have the fifth on the 4th string. It's a good question with a good answer: I haven't seen Paul put it there! You can certainly put your pinky on the 5th fret there to get a fuller sound, but Paul avoided this in the videos I watched.

Dm7 C2 Dm7 E
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-4----------3----------4--------7-----------------------------------------------|
|-3----------5----------3--------7-----------------------------------------------|
|------------3-------------------7-----------------------------------------------|
|-5----------3----------5--------7-----------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Dm7 C2
I never travel far
Dm7 E
Without a little Big Star


--Solo--

For the rhythm guitar, play the chorus underneath the solo, which is available at www.colormeimpressed.com/tabs/alexchilton.pdf for an accurate description.

--Ending-

B B
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------5---------------------5------------------------------------|
|---------------------2---------------------2------------------------------------|
|-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2------------------------------------|
|-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2------------------------------------|
|-5-4-0-----------------5-4-0----------------------------------------------------|

B B (hold)
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------5----------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------2-------2--------------------------------------------------|
|-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------2--------------------------------------------------|
|-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------2--------------------------------------------------|
|-5-4-0-----------------5-4-0----------------------------------------------------|

[FreeRider]

wow, nice job....i think it's funny too that some folks have thrown out there that "oh, it's in open A" but yet they never elaborate or give any chord shapes for the song. thanks for the tab, i'll try it out.

[Robert Picard]

Now I really do wish I had learned how to play guitar.
Might have to get my kid a guitar and get her to learn this for me as it is one of my favorites.

[bhelm]

it's never too late to learn robert!!!

[johnjones]

Mar 20, 2009 22:06:51 GMT -5 Robert Picard said:

Now I really do wish I had learned how to play guitar.
Might have to get my kid a guitar and get her to learn this for me as it is one of my favorites.

Search your local papers for lessons as there some good competitive rates out there..make 'em fight for your money!

[johnjones]

Now I can play this damned song properly,have been pluggin away at it all wrong.

[FreeRider]

nice work, Rambo. yet, the opening Stones-like chord still doesn't sound right to me. does it sound better if you remove the ring finger from the 9th fret and start the song off like that? and then the next chord shape would be with the ring finger back on the 9th fret, this time, removing the middle finger from the 8th fret?

or am i confused because there are two guitars parts going at the same time on the song?

[Rambo]

I based most of the tab off a video that was on YouTube--it's not anymore--but I downloaded it before it went down. If anyone can find it again, it would help out. At the end of the video, it said "Performed live at the BROWN THEATER. Louisville, Kentucky. May 15, 2004."

The Rolling Stones-like chord is correct; the key is to get the rhythm down, and tabs have a horrible time describing the rhythm of a lot of songs.



As the picture shows, Paul's playing the Rolling Stones-like chord with the root note on the 7th fret. His pinky is just hanging there; mine does the same thing when I'm playing it.

I admit that the song doesn't sound perfect without the right rhythm, but I'm very sure that those are the chords that Paul played in the video I have.

I play the first chord (the Rolling Stones-like one) with my ring finger on the 9th and my middle on the 8th. I play the second and third with my ring finger on the 9th and then the 7th. I play the last one in intro/chorus with my pinky on the 10th and my ring on the 9th.

There are two guitar parts in the original, so some confusion arises from this. However, if anyone has any criticisms of the tab, I'm open to hear them so that the best tab possible is out there.

[FreeRider]

ahhh, excellent research, Rambo.....and no, not a criticism in the bad sense of the term on my part. just wanting to help you get it right cuz it's righteous and you did a lot of work on this.

it's like trying to figure out what the hell that opening chord is to "Hard Day's Night"! Even George Martin remarked that he had no idea what chord John was playing.

[bhelm]

Mar 29, 2009 9:13:53 GMT -5 Rambo said:

I based most of the tab off a video that was on YouTube--it's not anymore--but I downloaded it before it went down. If anyone can find it again, it would help out. At the end of the video, it said "Performed live at the BROWN THEATER. Louisville, Kentucky. May 15, 2004."

The Rolling Stones-like chord is correct; the key is to get the rhythm down, and tabs have a horrible time describing the rhythm of a lot of songs.



As the picture shows, Paul's playing the Rolling Stones-like chord with the root note on the 7th fret. His pinky is just hanging there; mine does the same thing when I'm playing it.

I admit that the song doesn't sound perfect without the right rhythm, but I'm very sure that those are the chords that Paul played in the video I have.

I play the first chord (the Rolling Stones-like one) with my ring finger on the 9th and my middle on the 8th. I play the second and third with my ring finger on the 9th and then the 7th. I play the last one in intro/chorus with my pinky on the 10th and my ring on the 9th.

There are two guitar parts in the original, so some confusion arises from this. However, if anyone has any criticisms of the tab, I'm open to hear them so that the best tab possible is out there.

i posted this video. sadly, my account got deleted by those bastards and all the videos i posted were taken down. i made a new one though, so if or when i find time i will repost it.

[stevenixon]

Hey Rambo, can you e-mail me that video if you're still out there?

[Rambo]

No need to email it to you; I checked YouTube and there was at least one copy floating around:

[stevenixon]

Hi Guys, I had a friend of mine break this song down with me, if you had trouble figuring out the chords, it's in open A. Once you know that what he's doing here makes a lot more sense. The progressions sound amazing. What else would you expect.

Steve

[bhelm]

i think the "5 4 0" in the tab is on the A string