------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Howie Day - Sweet (As performed by Howie, on june 23, 2001. With "Optimistic jam" and "Give your self away outro". Tab also explains use of Line 6 Delay Modelers, etc.) Tabbed by rba rba@vanmega.com www.vanmega.com Last revision: April 17th, 2002. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlike the "Sorry, so sorry" tab I previously wrote. This tab of "Sweet" will try to explain how Howie performed it on June 23rd, 2001, at the Metro Cafe in Washington, DC. As far as I'm concerned, his performance of this song was the most intense thing I've ever heard! Seriously. This version of Sweet is much slower than versions past. If you've down- loaded a version of Sweet from Napster/Morpheus/Kazza etc, (most likey) the version you are listening to is much older... and much faster. The version I've tabbed has a differnet musical focus, and may only partially translate (ie: match) the old version of the song. I didn't actually see this show live, so I am working off my CD. I'm fairly knowledgeable about playing guitar and use of the Line 6 Delay Modeler. I am not excessivly familiar with the Boss DD-5 delay pedal, The explainations I offer about setting up vocal delay may need minor corretion or clarification. Remember: Howie never plays the song the same way twice. That's what makes him so good. Start with the peramiters I lay out for you, and go from there. The key to a good cover is honoring the spirit of the song, but offering your own interpretation. This tab document is long, but detailed. I've built it into 4 sections: - section 1: Main Guitar Tab - section 2: 'Optimistic' Jam Guitar Tab - section 3: 'Give Yourself Away' Outro Guitar Tab - section 4: Live Lyrics (as of June 23, 2001) -- SECTION 1: Main Guitar Tab -- There are 3 parts: Part 1 - Verse ("Bittersweet you're too complete...") g d c e -3------2h3p2----(3)-| b -3------3---------1--| g -0------2---------0--| d -0------0---------2--| a -x------0---------3--| e -3-------------------| Part 2 - Pre-Chorus ("You got nowhere to run...") emin g d a7 c e -3----3----2----0----|--3--| b -0----3----3----2----|--0--| g -0----0----2----0----|--0--| d -2----0----0----2----|--2--| a -2----x----0----0----|--3--| e -0----3---(2)--------|-----| Part 3 - Chorus ("You think you're so...") em g d a7 c e -3----3----2h3p2----0----|--3--| b -0----3----3--------2----|--1--| g -0----0----2--------0----|--0--| d -2----0----0--------2----|--2--| a -2----x----0--------0----|--3--| e -0----3------------------|-----| -- SECTION 2: 'Optimistic' Jam Guitar Tab -- Yup, this is the Radiohead cover part. The real version of Optimistic, as performed by Radiohead is done so in the key of D (with drop D tuning). Since Howie is playing Sweet in standard tuning, he's shifted the Optimistic jam to the key of E. Keep in mind Howie's jam is not exactly the same as the way Radiohead performs it. Things might seem a little off at first, but listen to Howie play it, and you'll see it matches. The jam is fairly straight forward. Only play the notes/strings indicated. All other strings should be muted. I find that playing all the notes on the "a" string with my index finger, and playing all notes on the "g" string with my ring finger seems to work, and naturally mute the other strings. You should let your low E string ring out with every strum. Since your only playing a few strings at any given time, adding the low E creates depth. "Flies are buzzing around my head..." e ---------------------------| b ---------------------------| g --9-9--9-7--11-11--11-9----| d ---------------------------| a --7-7--7-5---9--9---9-7----| E --0-0--0-0---0--0---0-0----| "You can try the best you can..." e -------------------------------------| b -------------------------------------| g --16-15--14-13--12-11----9-9-7-/9----| d -------------------------------------| a --14-13--12-11--10--9----7-7-5-/7----| E ---0--0---0--0---0--0----0-0-0--0----| -- SECTION 3: 'Give Yourself Away' Outro Guitar Tab -- As soon as Howie finsihes singing the Optimistic lyric, "The best you can is good enough", the outro begins. The set up is easy: e -------------------------------------| b -------------------------------------| g -------------------------------------| d -------------------------------------| a -------------------------------------| E ----0----0----0----0----0----0----0--| Following suit with the Optimistic jam, Howie just builds a cadence and a bass line by playing the Low E string. Keep in mind this base line is fairly forceful and you should be muting the other 5 strings. Doing this will create a percussion effect (duh!) that will match with the low E bassline. Keep in mind, there's no looping with the delay modeler pedal yet. The next minute or so howie basically builds into the "fuck you" part. His vocals are ad-libbed and fairly mumbled. His vocals are delayed through the use of Boss DD-5 delay pedal. I'm note sure of the settings because I don't use this pedal. I'm going to assume the delay is set to a quarter note delay. As this vocal build progresses the baseline should as well. Nothing changes, it's still just the low E, but anger that builds in his voice should be felt in the playing. It builds... and builds... and build... and creshendos. Then... **take a 4 beat pause from playing and singing, let everything just ring** If you're going to perform outro like Howie did on june 23, as you take this pause take 2 full steps back from the mic. Conjour up the memory of every girlfriend or boyfriend that's done you wrong, and begin screaming, "GIVE YOURSELF AWAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!" The outro now begins to take shape. The new chord progression is: c d emin e ----0----2----0----| b ----1----3----0----| g ----0----2----0----| d ----2----0----2----| a ----3----0----2----| E ---------2----0----| Fairly straightforward stuff. I will sometimes make some minor variations, just to keep things interesting. eg: c d emin e ----0----0h5--3----| b ----1----3----0----| g ----0----0----0----| d ----2----4----2----| a ----3----5----2----| E --------------0----| Once the vocals are finished, Howie begins to close the song, by building a small guitar loop with his Line 6 Delay Modeler Pedal Line 6 settings: effect dial turned to "loop sampler", every dial set to 0, except mix, which is turned to FULL. As far as I can tell there is no echo or delay on the guitar. If there was any delay it would be managed seperately through the DD-5 pedal. Again, he sets up the base line from the begining of the outro: e -------------------------------------| b -------------------------------------| g -------------------------------------| d -------------------------------------| a -------------------------------------| E ----0----0----0----0----0----0----0--| The loop is set at 8 beats, or two bars worth of howie playing the bassline. Unlike some of his other songs this loop is short. Next Howie adds the high fill. This is played on the high e string. Here's a basic pattern: e |---12-12-12-12-12--10--- Once that's looped, Howie the plays the same pattern again, but with different notes, creating harmony. e |---5--5--5--5--5---3--- [note this high fill part I'm tabbing from memory, I may be slightly off from the Metro Cafe performance, but I know it will work] Finally, Howie's last build is the drums. This a simplistic beat, with emphasis on the bass drum part. Less is more. Also, remember to make your 'bass drum' sounds use the palm of a closed, but not clenched, fist on the front of the guitar body (towards the bottom). The "snare drum" sound is made with the open slap of your hand (towards the top). Once your drums are playing back hit the stop record button (middle knob). Let the loop ride for a bit. Grin. When you're ready to end your performance stop the loop. At the end of the Metro Cafe performance there's a "techno-whirl" kind of sound. This is most likely done by turning the line 6 "delay" and "repeat" knobs to full, hitting the low E sting once and then turning the "delay" knob counter clockwise slowly. -- SECTION 4: Live Lyrics (as of June 23, 2001) -- Note: I've tried to write out the lyrics as heard on June 23rd, thus, they're going to seem a bit abstract and less structured. Anyways, here's what I hear: SWEET bittersweet you're too complete ask me why you're over there and you're shy to stare you catch her eyes when you do she looks at you with silent signs and i know, yeah, that you glow like the sky oh no oh no and you're bittersweet your too complete ask me why you're over there and you're shy to stare you catch her eyes when you do she looks at you with silent signs and i know, yeah, that you glow like the sky you got nowhere to run but you got someplace to be yeah you've got nowhere to run but you've got someplace to be dance with me dance with me you think you're so (fuck yeah) sweet (no no no) you know you're so sweet (no no no) and it's friday night, your joke's alright you come with me you're falling close and you're too hard to see when you do she looks at you silent sign and i'll know, that you'll glow like the sky you've got nowhere to run but you've got someplace to be you've got nowhere to run but you've got someplace to be dance with me dance with me you think you're so fuckin' sweet (no no no) yeah you're so low ??? (no no no) [optimistic jam] Flies are buzzing around my head Vultures circling the dead Picking up every last crumb The big fish eat the little ones The big fish eat the little ones Not my problem give me some You can try the best you can you try the best you can The best you can is good enough You can try the best you can you try the best you can The best you can is good enough [outro] ohh no ??? in your heart ??? ??? I'm barely holdin' on... ??? ??? ??? I'm barely holdin' on... ??? just give yourself away yeah yeah yeah oh yeah just give yourself away FUCK YOU yeah yeah yeah oh yeah -------------------------------------------------------- Questions, Comments, Corrections - rba@vanmega.com --------------------------------------------------------