Grateful Dead Music Forum

Does anyone have a good way to either remember or understand the structure of this tune? I can't even figure out which parts to label as the verse, chorus, or bridge.

I suppose the part in F is sort of the verse since it happens the most times including the solos, making the part in G the chorus, meaning the chorus comes before the verse in the tune... ugh... my head is going to explode. I need order and logic!

Its been a while, but I always consider the F part the chorus, and small wheel turn...the bridge, and the rest the verse'

Probably better to call them A, B & C parts ... guess I never worried that much about nomenclature. Wait, I guess there is also the "little bit further than you gone before" part so A,B,C & D... back to A, and ending ( I should say "exiting") on the B part.

Agreed.

including the intro and intro-related breaks, I have it as:

intro
A
intro break
B
intro break
B (half-length)
C
A
intro break
B (Jerry Solo)
intro break
B (Jerry Solo - half length)
D
A2? (C instead of G according to the tab here, but I believe it is wrong)
intro break
B
intro break
B (half-length)
intro break floating away to the next song


so the A section is always followed by a section. That helps.

wow the first 3 posts made good sense and had some logic but that last post rusty... that lost me, if it were to by lyrics over the a,b,c,d it woulda made some sense.. i guess im a bit slow.. but tigers right on theres that one little break besides the 3 main parts and i also believe the tab is wrong where you stated.. ill make you a shitty video sometime soon if ud like

wow the first 3 posts made good sense and had some logic but that last post rusty... that lost me, if it were to by lyrics over the a,b,c,d it woulda made some sense.. i guess im a bit slow.. but tigers right on theres that one little break besides the 3 main parts and i also believe the tab is wrong where you stated.. ill make you a shitty video sometime soon if ud like

sorry bout the double post but over the last little bit furthur its just vocal no playing at all.. so im not sure if u even would label that a "part" as far as the construction of the song goes

Sorry... got busy at work and didn't really finish my post. It makes a lot more sense if you're looking at the lyric sheet that I printed out and labeled all the parts.


A = The Wheel is turning and you can't slow down. always followed by a short instrumental break in C, like the intro. I labeled this as "intro break" above.
B = Won't you try just a little bit harder always sung twice with a short intro break in between, including during the solo, and then followed immediately by either parts C or D except for the very last time.
C = Round Round Robin Run Around
D = Small Wheel turn by the fire and rod


A
B
C
A
B (Solo)
D
A
B


The more I think about this tune the more I understand it, but the harder it is to explain.

A better chart, I think... too much for my tiny brain to read while playing, but more accurate, I think:

INTRO: C9
[a] (THE WHEEL IS TURNING)
C9 BREAK
(WON’T YOU TRY)
C9 BREAK
(WON’T YOU TRY)
[c] (ROUND, ROUND, ROBIN RUN AROUND)
[a] (WHEEL IS TURNING)
C9 BREAK
(Jerry Solo)
C9 BREAK
(Jerry Solo)
[d] (SMALL WHEEL TURN BY THE FIRE AND ROD
Etc then stop, then:
Bound to cover just a little more ground)
[a] (THE WHEEL IS TURNING)
(WON’T YOU TRY)
C9 BREAK
(WON’T YOU TRY)
OUTTRO: C9

Guys, it's a wheel, right? The song feels like it can go forever because of the lack of structure, just like a wheel goes around and around. The song structure is right for the lyrics.

jefkahn wrote:Guys, it's a wheel, right? The song feels like it can go forever because of the lack of structure, just like a wheel goes around and around. The song structure is right for the lyrics.

exactly - I tend to think of this tune as more through-composed than a typical verse/chorus/bridge structure. I like how the song eases in and out like a wheel approaching and then leaving - kind of a doppler effect feel - without the funky change in pitch

I totally love the song... it feels like it's always been playing somehow, the way it just floats in on that C9 and all thist stuff happens and then it floats back out. I just wanted to get it right and this time I was updating my chart for our fill-in Donna (aka my girlfriend Caroline) last night so I thought I'd share it.

Isn't it just a C chord instead of the C9? I play alot of Cmaj7 arpeggios and it sounds good. Doesn't seem like it'd make sense with the C9

dleonard wrote:Isn't it just a C chord instead of the C9? I play alot of Cmaj7 arpeggios and it sounds good. Doesn't seem like it'd make sense with the C9

He might be talking about a Cmaj9 which has the 2nd (or 9) added to the maj7. I like to do half step bends or releases from the root to the 7 (C-B) on this one also full step bends from the root to the 2 (or 9)

Play this lick while holding a standard "C-chord" in open position... the "9" is simply the pinky hammer-on on the B-string/3rd fret... which is part of the "Theme" lick for this tune.

E|-------------------------------------
B|---------------------------3-----1--
G|---------------0--------0----0-----
D|------------------------------------
A|--3--------3-----------------------
E|------------------------------------

A slight derivation:
E|-------------------------------------
B|---------------1----------3-----1--
G|------------------------0----0-----
D|------------------------------------
A|--3--------3-----------------------
E|------------------------------------