Lesson
notes by Jeff Fiorentino
This is part 3 in our online Surf Style
Guitar series here at JFRocks.com.. This track was actually
remnant from a surf documentary project I worked on called "Mad Surf"..
This is a Tribal Surf piece and as with all surf music it's all about the
vibe and reverb settings. Different vibes in surf get different reverb
settings. Some get cavernous reverb such as many of the tracks I did
for the JFRocks Surf guitar lesson product "Pray
for Surf", and others like this are all about the classic Spring
Reverb sound..
As with most tribal surf tracks our example here uses deep rich tones and a
deep rich tuning. Our tuning is 1/2 step flat but we de-tune the 6th
string to match the 5th string but 1 octave below it. Keep that in
mind as you go through the tabs as they are tabbed for this flat dropped A
tuning..
The original piece I wrote had no solo, it was for film use and was supposed
to be background filler for what's called "B roll".. In layman's terms
that means a guy surfing with no dialogue.. That said, for our lesson
I went in and added a solo over the existing rhythm. To keep JFRocks
fans happy and in honor of Van Halen hitting the road again I did a VH style
solo using techniques from early VH that fit with the chord pattern..
In fact the first part of the solo is taken from VH's "Big Trouble" from the
Gene Simmons demo days back in 1976.
On the video lesson I'll walk you through the track of course, but we're
also going to talk a little about the scales in play here, which are very
traditional to Surf music, and also the arrangement and feel changes that
occur as the song progresses.
As always please listen to the song example a few times BEFORE diving into
the tabs and video lesson. It's a really fun song to play, and I hope
everyone enjoys it, especially since it was never originally intended to be
a guitar lesson here on JFRocks.com.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
County Line Surf Rider (Hem ba da Hem)
TAB Transcription
Transcribed by:
Erica Reese with a little input from
Jeff Fioretino
Lesson notes by: Jeff Fiorentino
Song Opener
 
Reverb is wired in FX Loop
(Vocal spoken with loose guitar riff)
E_____________________________________________________________________________________________
B_____________________________________________________________________________________________
G_____________________________________________________________________________________________
D_____________________________________________________________________________________________
A_____________________________________________________________________________________________
A__1---12__12_12__--_7_7__7--8_8_8_8--3__3_3___1---12__12_12__--_7_7__7--8_8_8_8--3~-0__>into
intro kick in__
Intro Kick in
This is still the lead up to the main song kick in.. It's a
variation on the verse and chorus riffing of the main song, which is a bit
more involved than this riff, so we're still keeping things intro mellow
here..
Reverb is wired in FX Loop
Am
F
Bbm
Bm B
E___________________________________________________________
B___________________________________________________________
G___________________________________________________________
D________________________________________________0_1~_______
A__0_0__7_8~________2_3~___1_1_3_4__1_1_3_4__2_2____________
A______________8_8___________________________________________
Am
F
Bbm
Bm B
E_______________________________________________________________________
B_______________________________________________________________________
G_______________________________________________________________________
D________________________________________________0_1~___________________
A__0_0__7_8~________2_3~___1_1_3_4__1_1_3_4__2_2________________________
A______________8_8_______________________________________--random
hand slide--____
*Transition Riff
Am
E_________________________________________________________________
B_________________________________________________________________
G_________________________________________________________________
D_________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
A__0__0_0_7-8___0_0__0_0_2-3_2-3____0__0_0_7-8___0_0__0_0_2-3_2-3____
E_________________________________________________________________
B_________________________________________________________________
G_________________________________________________________________
D_________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
A__0__0_0_7-8___0_0__0_0_2-3_2-3____0__0_0_7-8___0_0__0_0_2-3_2-3____
*Chorus Riff
Am
Em F
C
Am
Em F
C
E____________________________________________________________________________
B____________________________________________________________________________
G____________________________________________________________________________
D____________________________________________________________________________
A____________________________________________________________________________
A__3---12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3__3--1__3--12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3__3--1___
Am
Em F
C
Am
Em F
Em C
E____________________________________________________________________________
B____________________________________________________________________________
G____________________________________________________________________________
D____________________________________________________________________________
A____________________________________________________________________________
A__3--12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3__3--1__3--12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8_7__3______
*Transition Riff
Am
E_________________________________________________________________
B_________________________________________________________________
G_________________________________________________________________
D_________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
A__0__0_0_7-8___0_0__0_0_2-3_2-3____0__0_0_7-8___0_0__0_0_2-3_2-3____
**With vibrato effect - use
delay to create the repeats if you don't have a vibrato amp.
A sus4/E
E___10______________________________________________________________
B___10______________________________________________________________
G___ 9______________________________________________________________
D___________________________________________________________________
A____________3--4~~-0____(3
count comes in here and leads us to the main song kick in)______
A___________________________________________________________________
Main Song Kick in
We open with the Verse Riff, which is similar to our intro riff but more
involved with notes from the scale of our key used to link the sections of the
riff together.. You'll need to be quick because of the Drop A tuning..
The "F" that's normally on the 1st fret 6th string that we would hit with a
standard tuning is now on the 8th fret 6th string thanks to our tuning.
Reverb is wired in FX Loop
Verse Riff
Am
F
Bbm
Bm B
E__________________________________________________________________
B__________________________________________________________________
G__________________________________________________________________
D____________________________________________________________0_1~__
A__0_0__7_8~__0x_5_3______2_3~__0x_5_3__1_1_3_3_4_4_3_3__2_2_______
A_____________________8_8___________________________________________
Am
F
Bbm
Bm Dm D#
E______________________________________________________________________
B______________________________________________________________________
G_____________________________________________________________ 7__8~___
D______________________________________________________________________
A__0_0__7_8~__0x_5_3______2_3~__0x_5_3__1_1_3_3_4_4_3_3__2_2__5__6~___
A_____________________8_8______________________________________________
Bridge Riff
/// = Trem or speed picking.
Am
Em
F
C
Bm
Dm
D#
E________________________________________________________________
B________________________________________________________________
G______________________________________________________7__8~_____
D________________________________________________________________
A__2---12/////_--_7/////___8/////_--_3/////__2///////__5///_5__6~_____
A________________________________________________________________
*Chorus Riff
Am
Em F
C
Am
Em F
C
E____________________________________________________________________________
B____________________________________________________________________________
G____________________________________________________________________________
D____________________________________________________________________________
A____________________________________________________________________________
A__3---12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3__3--1__3--12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3__3--1__
Am
Em F
C
Am
E___________________________________________________________________________________
B___________________________________________________________________________________
G___________________________________________________________________________________
D___________________________________________________________________________________
A___________________________________________________________________________________
A__3--12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3__3--1__3--12_12//--11//--10//--etc.
trem pick down chromatically_0_
**With vibrato effect - use delay to create the
repeats if you don't have a vibrato amp.
C#5
E__________________________________
B___9______________________________
G___6______________________________
D__________________________________
A____________(Into the solo from
here)______
A__________________________________
SOLO
Like I said in the introduction notes on this page the original version of this
track had no solo. I added this for JFRocks purposes. The chord
pattern changes slightly for the first part of the solo from what has been done
in the song thus far, then moves into the bridge and chorus chord patterns..
The chord names are written above the solo tabs as always so you know what
you're soloing over. I went with EVH because this is JFRocks.com and also
as it happens the chord patterns used in Surf music work well with the VH guitar
style, and I thought it would be cool to have a rippin' solo come out of
nowhere, and the spin of the classic Script Logo Phase 90 works great with the
general vibe of tribal surf music..
Take it slow, this is not only a great surf guitar lesson but a great Van Halen
101 in the key of A minor. For the first part of the solo I ripped off a
variation of Ed's "Big Trouble" solo, but the majority of this solo is just all
improv VH style kept in the vein of the tribal surf theme.. You can take
this same solo and lose the Phase 90 and just do it with a clean surf heavy
reverb tone and it'll not only work fine, but sound great as well..
E______________________________________________________
B___(vocal - OH YEAH!!)_______________________________________
G__<begin with whammy bar depressed and slowly bring up<<<w.b0w.b>then
back down slightly>___
D______________________________________________________
A______________________________________________________
A______________________________________________________
Am
F
G
B
E________________________________________3__________3______________________
B______________________________________3__________3__________3_____4~~____
G__9~__12_9~---___________4_5^slow bend 1/2_______5^1/2_______5^1/2___3_4_________
D________________0x_2--5_5__________________________________________________
A__________________________________________________________________________
A__________________________________________________________________________
*This line slides in from the
line above
Em
G
C
Bm
E________12_______12______12____________________________________________________________________
B__4---15____15^1_____15^1____15_12__________________________________12___________________15^1/4__
G_________________________________15_14_12~---random hand slide
down then back up---____15_14_12~_14_15_16_______
D_______________________________________________________________________________________________
A_______________________________________________________________________________________________
A_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Am
C
Bm
E_______17_____________12semi-a.h_____________________________________________________
B__20^1____20^1-----___x_______15_13_12-13-12___12___________________________________
G___________________x_rake__________________14___14^1>release_14-12-14-w.b14^1>release_14_____
D__________________________________________________________________________________
A__________________________________________________________________________________
A__________________________________________________________________________________
Bb
E__________________________________________________________
B___12-13_12-13-12__12_______________________________________
G__x rake_________14___14^1>release_14-12___12___________________
D__________________________________14____14_13_12~~---_____
A__________________________________________________________
A__________________________________________________________
Am - (Chorus riff
converted to chords is played)
E____17-18-17___17______________________________________________________
B___x_______20___20_18_17-18-17__17_____________________________________
G__x_rake______________________19__19^1>release_19-17-19-w.b19^1>release_19_______
D______________________________________________________________________
A______________________________________________________________________
E______________________________________________________________________
E__________________________________________________________
B____________________________5a.h____________________________
G__7^1 a.h *hold bend then release it slowly>_7_____7a.h_6a.h_5a.h__________________
D__________________________________________7a.h_6a.h_5~
a.h ----__
A__________________________________________________________
E__________________________________________________________
*The final 5th fret 3rd string
harmonic rings out as the verse riffing comes back in..
Bm
Bb
Bm
E__0____ 0_0_0____ 0_0_0____0_0_0____ 0_0______________________________________________________
B__3--5__5_5_5--3__3_3_3--5__5_5_5--3__3_0__0____0_0_0____
0_0_0____ 0_0_0_______________________
G________________________________________2--4__4_4_4--2__2_2_2--4__4_4_2-0>w.b
dive>>_____5h~~~~~__
D_____________________________________________________________________________________________
A_____________________________________________________________________________________________
E_____________________________________________________________________________________________
**From here
the song goes into another round of verse and bridge riffing, followed by a
stand-alone vocal, then the guitar comes
in for the outro chorus. See outro chorus below.. It's pretty
similar to the other chorus but doubled and with a different ending part..
Outro Chorus
Slightly different from the other chorus
riffing so watch the tabs closely.
Reverb is wired in FX Loop
*Guitar enters after the
stand-alone vocal with the chorus riffing as tabbed below..
E____________________________________________________________________________________
B____________________________________________________________________________________
G____________________________________________________________________________________
D____________________________________________________________________________________
A____________________________________________________________________________________
A__3_3_3_3---12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3_3_3_3___3---12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3_3_3_3_
E______________________________________________________________________________
B______________________________________________________________________________
G______________________________________________________________________________
D______________________________________________________________________________
A______________________________________________________________________________
A__3---12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3_3_3_3___3---12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__3_3_3_3__
*Final Ending Chorus
variation..
Am
Em F
Em C
E_________________________________________
B_________________________________________
G_________________________________________
D_________________________________________
A_________________________________________
A__3--12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__7_7__3_3__
Am
Em F
Em C
Am
E___________________________________________
B___________________________________________
G___________________________________________
D___________________________________________
A___________________________________________
A__3--12__12_12_--_7__7__8__8_8__7_7__3_3__0__
End
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