How does the GDTRFB intro go?

[ycomp]

Hi,

Could anyone tell me how the intro generally goes in GDTRFB, or at least a few bars (or at least the first few notes...)

I mean not the riff at the beginning but the real sweet sounding intro where it sounds like his guitar is singing the words.

[Billbbill]

You
"I mean not the riff at the beginning but the real sweet sounding intro..."

I might be able to help but you have me confused. Jerry would play subtle variations on one "opening" lick. This site's tab has an intro lick and I have posted a variation in this forum.

[ycomp]

Sorry Bill... my mistake...

I thought I listened to 2 different versions of GDTRFB just to make sure it both had it but you know what... it was the same version. It has been so long since I've listened to my tapes that I can't really remember how prevalent this kind of intro was.

But the one in question I was talking about was from Dick's Pick's 12. I'm can't remember if most '74 GDTRFBs were like this or what...

But on the DP12 one it sounds like he is singing with his guitar "goin where the water tastes like wine" or something similar.

On DP12 it is 0:29 seconds into GDTRFB.

[Billbbill]

OK. I know the intro lick from the early 70's was somewhat different from what I posted. My take is a more 80's on up type. I'll let you know if I find anything on what you're looking for. It doesn't ring any bells but I'll check some versions from that era. You've got me curious.

[ycomp]

cools thanks.

[Billbbill]

Hey ycomp-
I don't have (and in a quick look to Archive.org could not find) the DP 12 version. I did listen to the 6-30-74 version (2 days later) and could only hear the usual licks. Most of the time (and it's true with this verson) if you hear licks while Jerrys singing, it's Bobby.

Jerry plays his intro lick (although during this era they jammed over the verse leading into the lyrics) and a somewhat morphed version of it leading into the A chord from the E but he's not singing during it. It simply ends on an A note at the change. He play's an even more varied lick leading to the C#m.

I may be wrong because I haven't heard the DP 12 version, but I'm guessing you're hearing Bobby.

[ycomp]

Hi Bill,

Yeah it is the standard '74 jerry intro I'd like to know roughly how it begins. It is such a cool laid back intro.

If it is tabbed up on rukind.com let me know, I listened to them and they didn't sound like it.

I listened to the 6/30 just now and started listening from the beginning of '74.

2/22/74 doesn't have it, Jerry just starts singing.

But the next one, 2/24/74 does (what a show BTW). Anyhow, it is a good example of what I am looking for:

http://www.archive.org/download/gd74-02 ... 5_64kb.mp3

5/14/74 (the next) has a really cool take, but is more advanced than the 2/24/74. but just thought you'd like to hear:

http://www.archive.org/download/gd74-05 ... 8_64kb.mp3

wow there are so many great ones in '74.

I just discovered archive.org yesterday and can't believe it. I remember 10 years ago someone posting on rec.music.gdead the "math" why we will never see lossless digital audio downloads of whole shows via the internet. And now I can do it in under 1 hour. But I'm lazy, I just get the mp3s so that's like 10 mins! Incredible

Wonder if I should get an IPod now...

[Billbbill]

Hey ycomp,
Yea the archive is pretty cool. Lotsa stuff to thumb through.

OK. Now I know what you want. First I was pleased, and somewhat surprised, that my take on the intro lick I tabbed out, posted in this forum, is very close to Jerry, even back in '74.
What your looking for is the subsequent lead over the verse where Jerry starts out with the melody for the beginning of the lyric. At least I think thats what you want. Anyway here's the first few notes and then up to the A chord. I'm lazy so the first 8 or 9 notes are Jerry and the rest is me.

` E `````````````````````````````````````````````````````D```````````A
e----------------------------------------------------------
b--12-12-12-12---12>14-12-------------------------12---------
g------------------------14-13---13h14-13-11-13-14--14-13-11-9-11-9-11
d----------------------------------------------------------------------11

Maybe that'll get you started.

Just let it flow.

[ycomp]

Hi Bill, great thanks - exactly what I was looking for.

This will really help me improve my guitar skils. I've been playing just shy of a year now (if you call it playing...) but looks like I'm improving. I just realized the other day that I can put my finger on almost every E on the fretboard instantly, so at least that's a start but I still can't tune a completely untuned guitar by ear yet.

But your tab will surely help my understanding. Thanks man. Plus it sounds really cool

[Billbbill]

Hey ycomp,
Your welcome. Funny about the tuning thing, many people who have been playing for years have trouble tuning by ear. Thank God for tuners!
Every now and then if I'm a little out I'll have some trouble especially with the B string. It must be a frequency thing. Usually I get it right but eventually I'll break out the tuner especially when playing along with a cd or the radio.

A thing or two to consider. If you play what's below...

e-0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21
b-0-1-2-3-4------------------
g-0-1-2-3----------------
d-0-1-2-3-4------------------
a-0-1-2-3-4--------
e-0-1-2-3-4--------------

...you've played every note on the guitar.

Every other note on the fretboard is a repeat of one of the above notes. Not exactly an earth shattering revelation but sometimes when, relatively speaking, you're a beginner the fretboard can look somewhat intimidating.

You can play every "e" on the neck so this should not be news to you although you may not have looked at it in quite this way. It sometimes helps to break it down, and you realize that the fretboard is giving you repetition from which to voice different keys, chords, scales, notes and relationships.

Depending on where you are in your learning curve, get used to playing E maj (ionian E F# G# A B C# Eb) from all different positions on the neck. Get the feel for the repetition and where you can "go" when you want to play a particular lick off a chord formation. Then do the same thing with all the other keys. By the time you get 3 or 4 keys down you won't even have do the rest because the repetion of the patterns will become apparent. You'll then be transposable. I think I coined a word.

If you haven't already, check out ebick's and yesterdays gone home's posts in the think tank. They've got some good stuff.

I don't have a whole lot of theory to offer. I'm self taught and if I can shed any light for others from my blue collar perspective, I'm game.

I have a very good ear. This more than anything else has pushed me along esp. when I felt like I might be getting into a rut. If you can figure something out, it's a tremendous motivation for moving forward.

Good luck.

[ycomp]

Thanks for the detailed post Bill... really appreciate it. Actually I can find most of the other notes on the fretboard too very quickly because of the patterns you mentioned.

I'll be sure to check out those other posts you mentioned.

I just got out of a rut I'd been in for many months where my guitar skill wasn't improving at all because I was just playing the same stuff. All I did was download some dead and started playing along in winamp and I'm moving forward now