A Sad Song


TAB: A Sad Song (My Masterpiece No. 1)

Original Composition by Chief Noda, summer 1998

A Sad Song (MP3)


This is a fingerstyle tune that I recently wrote. The original title was "You're the Best Thing That happened in My Life, and I Wish I Told You That", but it's a kind of long and I haven't come up with a better one yet. Recent events suggest that I should call it "Judith" but that's another story....

Anyway, as the title suggests, this is a melanchoric tune, to be played rather slowly (72 - 96 bpm) with feelings. I play Part A twice, and then Part B once, go back to Part A once. I haven't done Intro and Ending. I usually let the final F#7 chord ring as the ending. There is a distinct melody in Part A which is difficult to write out in TAB. I'm afraid you'll just have to figure out

What's neat (I think) is the way the key changes. It starts out with B minor, and then goes to A minor (note that measure 8 ends with E7 and measure 16 with F#7). Part B is in key of E major but ends with F#7 so it can go back to B minor smoothly. Very clever, if I may say so myself. In Part B, the notes with "@" are played with artificial harmonics. If you don't feel like it, you can certainly play them plucked. Oh, guitar is in standard tuning :-)

Enjoy,

Chief

Part A
  Bm      A         G                 Bm      A         G
1 |   |   |   |   2 |   |   |   |   3 |   |   |   |   4 |   |   |   |
|-----2-------0---|-----------------|-----2-------0-2-|-0---------------|
|-------3-2-----2-|-0-------------0-|-------3-2-3-----|---------------0-|
|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-----------------|-----0-------0---|
|---4-------2-----|---0-------0-----|---4-------------|---0---0---0-----|
|-2-------0-------|-----------------|-2-------0-------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|

  Bm      A         G       D         Dm      Em        E7
5 |   |   |   |   6 |   |   |   |   7 |   |   |   |   8 |   |   |   |
|-----2-------0---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3-2-----2-|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|*----------------|-----0-2-----2---|-2---2-0---------|-1-----1-------1-|
|*--4-------2-----|---0-------0---0-|---0---------2---|-----0-------0---|
|-2-------0-------|-----------------|-----------2---2-|---2-------2-----|
|-----------------|-3-------2-------|-1-------0-------|---------0-------|

  Am      G         F                 Am      G         F
9 |   |   |   |   10|   |   |   |   11|   |   |   |   12|   |   |   |
|-----0-----------|-----------------|-----0---------0-|-----------------|
|-------1-0-------|-------0-------0-|-------1-0-1-3---|-3-----------0---|
|-------------0---|-2---2-------2---|-----------------|-----2---------2-|
|---2-------0---0-|---3-------3-----|---2-------------|---3---3---3-----|
|-0---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|

  Am      G         F       Em        C       C7        F#7
13|   |   |   |   14|   |   |   |   15|   |   |   |   16|   |   |   |
|-----0-----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------1-0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------------0---|-2---2-0-------0-|-0-------0-------|-------3---3-----|
|---2-------0---0-|---3---------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2---2-------|
|-0---------------|-----------2-----|---3---3---1---1-|---1-------------|
|---------3-------|-1-------0-------|-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|


Part B
  B                 BonA              BonG#             BonG
17|   |   |   |   18|   |   |   |   19|   |   |   |   20|   |   |   |
|-----0---------0-|-----0---------0-|-----0---------0-|-------0-----0---|
|-------4-----4---|-------4-----4---|-------4-----4---|-----4---------4-|
|---4-------4-----|---4-------4-----|---4-------4-----|---4------4------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2-------2-------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-4-------4-------|-3------3--------|

  B                 BonA              BonG#             BonG
21|   |   |   |   22|   |   |   |   23|   |   |   |   24|   |   |   |
|-----0---------0-|-----0---------0-|-----0---------0-|-------0-----0---|
|-------4-----4---|-------4-----4---|-------4-----4---|-----4---------4-|
|---4-------4-----|---4-------4-----|---4-------4-----|---4------4------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2-------2-------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-4-------4-------|-3------3--------|

  B                 BonA              BonG#             BonG
25|   |   |   |   26|   |   |   |   27|   |   |   |   28|   |   |   |
|---0@------0@----|---0@------0@----|---0@------0@----|---0@------0@----|
|-----4@------4@--|-----4@------4@--|-----4@------4@--|-----4@------4@--|
|-------4@------4@|-------4@------4@|-------4@------4@|-------4@------4@|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------*|
|-2-------2-------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-4-------4-------|-3-------3-------|

  G#m               C#9onG#           C#7onG#           F#7
29|   |   |   |   30|   |   |   |   31|   |   |   |   32|   |   |   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---4@------------|---4@----4@------|---2@------2@----|---2@------2@----|
|-----4@----------|-----4@----4@----|-----4@------4@--|-----3@------3@--|
|-------4@--------|-------3@----3@--|-------3@------3@|-------2@------2@|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-4---------------|-4-------4-------|-4-------4-------|-2-------2-------|
Go back to part A