[Jon S.]

Regarding:

F# B E
I will get by,
F# B A E F#
I will get by,
E A E B F# B F#
I will survive.

The first two lines are easy but what do the folks who are playing single notes (in my case, the other guitarist plays the chords) playing for:

E A E B F# B F#
I will survive.

One of the things about playing this song, as I do, in a band with 2 guitarists but no keyboardist, is that I find for parts of it, I'm better off playing the keyboard licks or some unique combination of Jerry's and the keyboard licks. That's kinda what I think I'm doing for this section, generally, but I'm struggling with that last line. Can someone throw me a line?!

[Tennessee Jedi]

Up high

E|--12--11--------------
B|----------14--12--11--
G|----------------------
D|----------------------
A|----------------------
E|----------------------

Down low


E|--------------
B|--------------
G|--------------
D|--2--1--------
A|--------4--2--
E|--------------

Into the F#

At work with guitar

[caspersvapors]

|------------------------------------------|
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|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|-------0-1/2--------------2-------------|
|--/4------------0-2-3-4--------4-0-2---|

[Tennessee Jedi]

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|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|-------0-1/2--------------2-------------|
|--/4------------0-2-3-4--------4-0-2---|

Me like better than mine

Regarding:


One of the things about playing this song, as I do, in a band with 2 guitarists but no keyboardist, is that I find for parts of it, I'm better off playing the keyboard licks or some unique combination of Jerry's and the keyboard licks. That's kinda what I think I'm doing for this section, generally, but I'm struggling with that last line. Can someone throw me a line?!

Jon - check out this vid by Jdarks ..... at about 5.00 .... he plays the keys part .... I think this is what you meant and not the riff we did ?

[ebick]

|------------------------------------------|
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|------------------------------------------|
|-------0-1/2--------------2-------------|
|--/4------------0-2-3-4--------4-0-2---|

This is what's on the tab site, right...pretty much....I sometimes am left wondering if folks know about these forums but not about the tab site.

[Jon S.]

|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|-------0-1/2--------------2-------------|
|--/4------------0-2-3-4--------4-0-2---|

This is pretty much what I do over the first two line and thanks for sharing it. And yes, I do know about the tabs. But I asked about the third line, specifically, playing over: E A E B F# B F#

The JDarks video I had't yet seen, thanks for the tip.

[tatittle]

I do not hear what you it seems tom me you are talking about as far as Jerry actually playing something. Jerry plays the chords during the singing basically, and puts in melodic fills in the spaces in between lyrics as far as I have seen. I just started learning this song a couple hours ago though.

I did come up with the exact lick posted in tab form on my own just listening to the 9-7-83 tape. Some fiddling has me starting the fill on the low E note, and jumping straight to the A > B run up, which also sounds good and can give some variety.

It sounds like the poster is trying to develop an original line based on his bands instrumentation, which is a great idea I think. Keyboards were such a huge part of the Dead, particularly in accompanyment/rythym. Without them the sparse but harmonious parts Bobby and Jerry play can feel a bit thin.
I wouldnt get into the mindset that if one guitar is playing chords, the other needs to be playing single notes or riffs though. The Dead prove that is a worn out and repetitive paradigm. Often both guitarists are playing licks, or both of them are playing chords. rarely do they play the same position/voicing chord simultaneously though. Chord Inversions (where the root note is not the lowest string played) and intervals used as chords (2 notes that get the essence of a chord, often the 3rd and 5th) are a huge part of Bobby's style and something that seperates the Dead from kids in the parking lot playing acoustics.