Dramamine by Modest Mouse
The Moon & Antarctica
Tabbed by Kyle Rex
I decided to make a comprehensive tab so those that wish to play this song
don't have to go through all the different tabs in here in order to get it
right. I tried to get all the little variations in melody that the other
tabs missed, and more of the background guitar work. I also added some fun
variations to play at the end of the tab. I think my tab is the closest to
correct. Enjoy.
Key:
<> - Harmonic
b - Bend
~ - Vibrato
x2 - Play twice
/ - Slide up
\ - Slide down
Lyrics (as sung by Isaac Brock)
Traveling, swallowing dramamine
Feeling spaced, breathing out Listerine
I'd said what I'd said that I'd tell you
And that you'd killed the better part of me
If you could just milk it for everything
I've said what I'd said and you know what I mean
But I still can't focus on anything
We kiss on the mouth but still cough down our sleeves
Traveling, swallowing dramamine
Look at your face like you're killed in a dream
And you think you've figured out everything
I think I know my geometry pretty damn well
You say what you need so you'll get more
If you could just milk it for everything
I've said what I said and you know what I mean
But I can't still focus on anything
GUITAR 1 (Bassline)
Guitar 1 plays a bass line that runs through the majority of the song, it
establishes the basic 1-2-3 1-2-3 pattern of the song (Changes in the song
usually happen on the "1" notes of the bass line):
0:00 - 0:08 is when you can hear it clearly
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|---0---------------------|
D|-2---2---4-----2-----4---|
A|-------5---5-3---3-----5-|
E|-------------------3-----|
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
(If you are playing on acoustic it sounds more like the album when palm
muted)
It plays continuously and doesn't change until
3:25 - 3:29
e|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|---0---0---0---0------------|
D|-----------------4----------|
A|-------------------5--------|
E|----------------------------|
1 1 1 1 2 3 (rhythm)
3:29 - 4:00
Here it does the standard bass line but with a rest for the last three
notes, and then the standard bass line and a variation in place of the
last three notes.
e|---------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------|
G|---0------------------------0----------------------|
D|-2---2---4-----2----------2---2---4-----2---2/5-5-5|
A|-------5---5-3---3--------------5---5-3---3--------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|
From 4:00 to 4:15 he just repeats that last variation (note that you can
play the last two 5s as open on the G-string):
e|----------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------|
G|---0-------------------------0----------------------|
D|-2---2---4-----2---2/5-5-5-2---2---4-----2---2/5-5-5|
A|-------5---5-3---3---------------5---5-3---3--------|
E|----------------------------------------------------|
4:15 - 5:03 he plays the bass line from the beginning
5:03 - 5:10
Play this twice. That's the end of Guitar 1.
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|-2-2-2-------------------|
A|-------5-5-5-3-----------|
E|-------------------------|
GUITAR 2 (Vibratos, Squeels, Power Chords)
Vibrato guitar (Guitar 2) comes in. If you don't have a cut away guitar it
sounds fine if you play b12~ d12~ g12~ g12~, although those are not the
notes played in the song. Most of the notes are vibrato, though he
occasionally plays notes as harmonics or mutes. Listen to he song if you
want to know exactly how he plays it.
0:08 - 0:35
e|-19~---------12~---12~--|
B|-------12~--------------|
G|------------------------|
D|------------------------|
A|------------------------|
E|------------------------|
1:03 - 1:05
e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-7-------------|
D|-----7---5-----|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|
1:11 - 1:41 & 2:10 - 2:36
Repeat
e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|-9---7---9--------|
D|-9---7---9--------|
A|-7---5---7--------|
E|------------------|
123 123 123 123(bass)
2:38 - 3:04
Sorry it's all jumbled, it's a simple three chord progression of power
chords with the bass notes on the A string going A7 A5 A10 A10.
e|----------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-9-99--7-77--12121212121212-9-99--7777--1212121212121212--|
D|-9-99--7-77--12121212121212-9-99--7777--1212121212121212--|
A|-7-77--5-55--10101010101010-7-77--5555--1010101010101010--|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
3:06 - 3:12
e|---------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------|
G|-9b9---7b7---12b12---12b12---9b9---7b7---12--|
D|-9b9---7b7---12b12---12b12---9b9---7b7---12--|
A|-7b7---5b5---10b10---10b10---7b7---5b5---10--|
E|---------------------------------------------|
Gentle, almost inaudible harmonics until 3:52
3:52 - 3:55
e|---------------------------|
B|----------<5>-<5>----------|
G|-<5>-<5>-------------------|
D|-------------------<5>-<5>-|
A|---------------------------|
E|---------------------------|
And then there are some more light harmonics until 4:16. I can't hear them
well enough to figure out what notes they are, and they don't seem to have
a specific pattern.
4:12
19 on the high e is played softly
4:16 - 4:27 & 4:40 - 5:01
Same notes as the intro (0:08-0:35), just with more harmonics and palm
mutes on the occasional note. Harmonics on the fifth fret at 5:08 on D
string and then G string, and that's the end of Guitar 2.
GUITAR 3 (Melody, Backing, Solo)
Guitar 3 plays harmonics for the part in parenthesis, the part that sounds
kind of like a piano. It does not play the notes that are not in
parenthesis, I just leave those in to show the rhythm.
0:14 - 0:16 & 0:30 - 0:31
e|-19~---------12~---------12~-----------|
B|-------12~------(12)--------(12)-------|
G|------------(12)---(12)-(12)----(12)---|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
0:36 - 1:10
Main Melody
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/modest_mouse/dramamine_tab_ver_9.html ]
e|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
G|-9-7-9/12-9-7----------------|-9-7-9/12-9-7---9-7-0--7-5-0--| x2
D|----------------9-7---7-9----|------------------------------|
A|--------------------10----10-|------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
Riff 1 Riff 2 Riff 1 Riff 3
e|---------------------|
B|---------------------|
G|---------------------|
D|-9-7---7----9\5------|
A|-----7---10----------|
E|---------------------|
Riff 4
e|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
G|-9-7-9/12-9-7----------------|-9-7-9/12-9-7---9-7-0--7-5-0--|
D|----------------9-7---7-9----|------------------------------|
A|--------------------10----10-|------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
Riff 1 Riff 2 Riff 1 Riff 3
e|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
G|-9-7-9/12-9-7----------------|-9-7-9/12-9-7---12~-----------|
D|----------------9-7---7-9----|------------------------------|
A|--------------------10----10-|------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
Riff 1 Riff 2 Riff 1 End note
1:20 - 1:21
e|---------------------|
B|---------------------|
G|---------------------|
D|----9-------9--------|
A|-10---10-10---10-----|
E|---------------------|
1:27 - 1:38
Riffs in this order: 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 (same as main melody after riff 4
without the end note)
1:42 - 2:10
Repeat main melody (0:36 - 1:10)
2:22 - 2:30
Riffs 1 2 1 3
2:42 - 3:05
You can hear him bending power chords in the background of the main guitar
if you listen carefully. This is the only part of the tab I am unsure of,
so feel free to leave suggestions in the comments:
The parenthesis part is only played at the beginning.
e|---------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------|
G|-9b---7b---12b---(12b)---9b---7b---12b-------|
D|-9b---7b---12b---(12b)---9b---7b---12b---5---|
A|-7b---5b---10b---(10b)---7b---5b---10b---5---|
E|-----------------------------------------3---|
Solo
3:13 - 3:28
e|------------------------------------------|
B|-12-10--8-7-8--7--------------------------|
G|-----------------7--7-5-4-5--7-5-4--5p4---|
D|----------------------------------------5-|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|-12-10--8-7-8--7--------------------------|
D|-----------------7--7-5-4-5--4-5-7--5p4---|
A|----------------------------------------5-|
E|------------------------------------------|
3:29 - 3:44
e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-16-14----16-14----12-12----12-12----16-14----16-14----12-12----|
D|-------14-------14-------14-------14-------14-------14-------14-| x2
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|
3:44 - 3:51
e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-16----------14----12-12----12-12----16-14----16-14----12-12----|
D|----------------14-------14-------14-------14-------14-------14-|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|
4:27 - 4:45
Riffs 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 4 (Main melody up to riff 4)
4:47 - 4:55
e|---------------------------|
B|---------------------------|
G|-9-7-0--7-5-0--------------|
D|--------------9-7---7------|
A|------------------7---10--7|
E|---------------------------|
Riff 3 Riff 4 Variation
4:55 - 4:59
Play Riff 3 and then Riff 4 (the original Riff 4 not the variation)
5:03 & 5:06
D|-9\5-|
5:20 - 5:40
The ending noise is not a guitar, but you can make a noise like it doing
this:
e|-10/14-|
B|-7/11--|
G|-------|
END TAB
END TAB
END TAB
END TAB
END TAB
END TAB
Here are some fun variations I made to give it a different sound while
playing live.
GUITAR 1
I made this simple fingerpicking variation of the bass riff. Play the
normal bass riff twice at the beginning of the song and then begin playing
this:
e|-------------------------|
B|-0-----------------------|
G|---0---------0-----0-----|
D|-2---2---4-----2-----4---|
A|-------5---5-3---3-----5-|
E|-------------------3-----|
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
(Do not palm mute for the fingerpicking)
GUITAR 2
3:06 - 3:13
I figured Guitar 2 could do this before the solo instead of just copying
what Guitar 3 is doing at that part. Strum once on time with each bass
note. Heavy palm mute:
Em D G Em D G
e|-000-222-333333-000-222-3-----|
B|-000-333-333333-000-333-3-----|
G|-000-222-000000-000-222-0-----|
D|-222-000-000000-222-000-0-----|
A|------------------------------|
E|------------------------------|
GUITAR 3
Variation on solo I made inspired by the way Modest Mouse plays it live
sometimes (look up Dramamine Bumbershoot 2009 on youtube).
3:29 - 3:44
e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-16-14----16-14----12-12----12-12----|
D|-------14-------14-------14-------14-|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-16-14----16-14----12h14p12h14----12h14p12h14-------------|
D|-------14-------14----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1
(Hammer fast so it fits in with the timing)
e|-------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------15-|
G|-16-14----16-14----12-12----12-12----|
D|-------14-------14-------14----------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-16-14----16-14----12h14p12h14----12h14p12h14-------------|
D|-------14-------14----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|
That is my tab! I hope you have as much fun playing this as I have had.
Please rate and comment. Thank you.
P.S. Yes, I do think I know my geometry. Pretty damn well.
