Here is most of Jeff Beck's live version of the Beatles' "a day in the life".
My guitar was tuned to open G (DGDGBD) the first time I listened to the song
and I found that it worked well enough. More than that, this tuning allows
you to at least approach the wide-spectrum, thick, distorted harmonics that
Beck uses to mimic the orchestral qualities of the original song. If you
can boost the lows and highs, without adding much distortion as a result,
do it. Use a moderate amount of reverb, plenty of sustain, some distortion,
delay, and the DigiTech Whammy is a must for the orchestral transition
parts--I've been using either the 3rd Up/4th Up or 4th Up/5th Up Harmony
settings, but I'm new to this Whammy stuff. I would find it hard to
believe that Jeff uses a Floyd-Rose on this particular song. If you have
a DigiTech Whammy, check it out and let me know what you think--any advice
at all would be much appreciated. I use a BigMuffPI for distortion, which
also provides just enough sustain to work. toyL569@cs.com enjoy.
One last thing, and I gotta say this out of respect for Beck--for anyone
who is unfamiliar with Jeff Beck's music, and especially his performances,
now is probably the best time to hear his stuff...his shows are among the
best and his studio stuff gets better and better.
I show only some of the bends, hammerons, slides etc because they're so
numerous and are evident enough from knowing how to play to begin with...
d-------------------------------------------------------------
B----2---4---2-4----------------------------------------------
G--3---3---3-----3--------------------------------------------
D--------------------------4-8-9-8-6-4-6-1-8-8----------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------
d-------------------------------------------------------------
B----2---4---2-4----------------------------------------------
G--3---3---3-----3--------------------------------------------
D-------------------------4-8-9-8-6-4--------4-8-9-8-6-464----
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------
d--19slide----------------------------------------------------
B--19-down-----2---4---2-4------------------------------------
G--19--------3---3---3-----3--------4-8-9-8-6-4-6-1-88--------
D--19---------------------------------------------------------
G--19---------------------------------------------------------
D--X----------------------------------------------------------
d-------------------------------------------------------------
B----2---4---2-4------4-2-------------------------------------
G--3---3---3-----3--------3-----------------------------------
D---------------------------4-------4-8-9-8-6-4-6-8787878-----
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-(1:01)------------------------------------------------------
d-----------------11----13----11-13---------------------------
B--------------11----11----11-------11------------------------
G------11-----------------------------------------------------
D--13---------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------
d-------9------------11-------------11-13----11-13-----11-----
B----11---11-9-7-9------11-------11-------11-------11---11-9--
G-11---------------8----------11----------------------------11
D-------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-(1:26)------------------------------------------------------
d---------9---------------------------------------------------
B------11----11---9------9--11-10-11-10-11-10-11-10-11-10-11--
G---11---------------11---------------------------------------
D-theyhadtocountthemall---------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-(1:40)------------------------------------------------------
d-------------------------------------------------------------
B--10-11--16---19--------19-----------------------------------
G-the-AL-BERT-HALL----19----19--1516151615161516151615161516--
D-------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------
d------------------then-distort-------8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-----
B-------------------dive-echoe--------8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-----
G-----------------& harmonic bends----8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-----
D--8989898989--------whammy?----------8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-----
G-------------------------------------8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-----
D-(1:59)-----------------------------(2:24 2d guitar comes in-
not shown)
d-11-11-11-11-11----------------------------------------------
B-11-11-11-11-11--14-13-11--------------------------------13--
G-11-11-11-11-11--14-13-11--13-15-13---13-1515-1313-1515--13--
D-11-11-11-11-11--14-13-11-----------13-------------1515--13--
G-11-11-11-11-11-(pull-off----------------------------15--13--
D-(2:31)-----------2:35)----(^begin-whammy)---------------slide
2:38 down
d---------------------------------------------------15--------
B---131515131513--13--------131515131513--1315------15--------
G-13131515131513151315----1513151513151315131515----15--------
D-13------------15--15----15------------15----15--------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------
D-(2:47)------------------------------------------------------
d-------------------------------------------------------------
B-1315-13151315-13151313B----------------131515151513--13
G-1315-13151315-13151313B-1515-1313------131515151513--13-----
D---------------13--------1515-1313------13151515151315131515-
G-------------------------1515-1313------slup--------15--1515-
D-(2:57)---------------------------------------------------
d-----------------------------------------------------------
B-131515-13-1513----13------16ring-16-1413----13141618ring--
G-131515-13-1513----13----------------sldn15----------------
D-131515-13-1513-15-13--------------------------------------
G-ham------------15-slide-----------------------------------
D-(3:09)-------------down-----------------------------------
d------------------------8----12----------------------------
B-18-20-18-16-20B18-16---8----12----------------------------
G------------------------8----12----------------------------
D------------------------8----12----------79-13-11-97-97----
G------------------------8----12------9-11-----------9--11--
D-----------------------3:27-sldn-------?????fast????????---
d-----------------------------------------------------------
B-8--6-4--6-1---2---4---2-4---------------------------------
G-8--6-4--6-1-3---3---3-----3-------------------------------
D-8--6-4--6-1----------------------4-8-9-8-6-4-6-1-88ring---
G-8--6-4--6-1-----------------------------------------------
D-(3:44)----------------------------------------------------
d---11--13--11-13-------11----------------9-----------------
B-11--11--11-----11-------11-9----------11-11-9--9-11101110-
G-----------------------------11------11-------11-----------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------
D-(4:03)----------------------------------------------------
d-----------------------------------------------------------
B-111011101110111011-15-19B-------19B----101110111011-------
G------------------------------19B---19B--------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
d-----------------------------------------8------------
B-111211121112----then whammy, distort,---8------------
G------------------harmonic bends,--------8------------
D-----------------pure attitude-----------8------------
G-----------------------------------------8------------
D----------------------------------------(4:56)--------
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