Hello,
I saw this tab on guitar universe and the guy who did it was not far off the mark.
I know this song and I've amended it accordingly.It is indeed in open "C" tuning
as my friend below says but the fingering is slightly different but still very easy
to play.I saw the moody blues in Glasgow and watched this one being played so
effortlessly by Justin Hayward it would have made you sick.But once you get your
head around the alternate tuning, it's not too difficult at all.In fact, the most difficult
part about it is the actual super fast strumming.Justin's right hand was like a blur.
Due to the different fingering,I've amended some of my friend's notes as well.
enjoy,
George Martin
gbm@totalise.co.uk
QUESTION
Moody Blues
Note: I hunted around the net for some time for this. There is many a
mention of a fabled Guitar magazine tab but not to be seen. So the starting
point for this was the oft mentioned Open C tuning and one of the very
complicated looking chord files that exists. I ended up deciding that the
chords were really wrong and over-complicated and in fact it boils down to
something quite simple to play.
Open C tuning.
Alternate tunings are actually good news for a beginner, because often they
are used because they sound good and are easy to play. I am always
suspicious when a good tune looks fiendishly difficult in chords because
someone has to stand on stage and strum. This is a great example of how a
song simplifies out.
To get open "C" tuning from standard tuning:
E-----E(STANDARD)
B----C(UP 1 SEMI-TONE)
G----G(STANDARD)
D----C(DOWN 1 FULL TONE)
A----G(DOWN 1 FULL TONE)
E----C(DOWN 2 FULL TONES)
The +1 is not really a threat to the B string. The bottom strings may be a
bit twangy. The solution is to restring your guitar - so put up with it!
Play each shape around 4 strums, there is a tiny hint in the spacing but I went for
easy reading rather than timing.
I had some indicision about what the chords were - there are a lot of overtones,
harmonies and mellotrons around.
The gentle bit in the middle is very simple indeed on open tuning.
I haven't given deailed chord names, I have ignored the "drone" strings in
my naming.
[Intro] [Part 1] [Main Riff]
C B G F EbF Eb D Csus4 C Eb Db
e-12-10--7-5--3-5--3-2-|-3-5-3-2--3-5-3-2--1-0--1--0-|--2-1-010---
C-12-11--7-5--3-5--3-2-|-3-5-3-2--3-5-3-2--0-0--0--0-|--3-0-000---
G-12-10--7-5--3-5--3-2-|-3-5-3-2--3-5-3-2--2-0--2--0-|--2-2-020---
C--0--0---0-0--0-0--0-0-|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-- 0-0--0--0-|--0-0-000---
G--0--0---0-0--0-0--0-0-|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-- 0-0--0--0-|--0-0-000---
C--0---0-0--0-0--0-0-|-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0--0-- 0-0--0--0-|--0-0-000---
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/moody_blues/question_tab.html ]
[Part 2]
C - - F F
e-0-------1-3-5--5---3--1--0-1-3-5--5---3--1---0--------------------
C-0-------0-0-5--5---0--0--0-0-0-5--5---0--0---0--------------------
G-0-------0-0-5--5---0--0--0-0-0-5--5---0--0---0--------------------
C-0-------2-4-5--5---4--2--0-2-4-5--5---4--2---0--------------------
G-0-------0-0-0--0---0--0--0-0-0-0--0---0--0---0-------------------
C-0-------0-0-0--0---0--0--0-0-0-0--0---0--0---0--------------------
[Part 3]
F G
e-0--1-----0---7--0-1-0-|7-0---0--|-0--1-3-5--0-|-7--0--------------
C-0--0-----0---7--0-0-0-|7-0---0--|-0--0-0-5--0-|-7--0--------------
G-0--0-----0---7--0-0-0-|7-0---0--|-0--0-0-5--0-|-7--0--------------
C-0--2-----0---7--0-2-0-|7-0---0--|-0--2-4-5--0-|-7--0--------------
G-0--0-----0---0--0-0-0-|0-0---0--|-0--0-0-0--0-|-0--0--------------
C-0--0-----0---0--0-0-0-|0-0---0--|-0--0-0-0--0-|-0--0--------------
[Part 4] C F G C F G
e-7-------0---1--0-7-0-|0-1---3--|-5--7-0-5--0-|-7--0-|-
C-7-------0---0--0-7-0-|0-0---0--|-5--7-0-5--0-|-7--0-|-
G-7-------0---0--0-7-0-|0-0---0--|-5--7-0-5--0-|-7--0-|-
C-7-------0---2--0-7-0-|0-2---4--|-5--7-0-5--0-|-7--0-|-
G-0-------0---0--0-0-0-|0-0---0--|-0--0-0-0--0-|-0--0-|-
C-0-------0---0--0-0-0-|0-0---0--|-0--0-0-0--0-|-0--0-|-
[Intro]
[Part 1]
[Main Riff]
Why do we never get an answer when we're knocking at the door?
There's a thousand million questions about hate and death and war.
'Cause when we stop and look around us, there is nothing that we need
In a world of persecution that is burning in its greed.
[Part 1]
Ah,--------------------
[Main Riff]
Ah, ah, ah.
Why do we never get an answer when we're knocking at the door?
Because the truth is hard to swallow, That's what the war of love is for!
[Part 2]
It's not the way that you say it when you do those things to me,
It's more the way that you mean it when you tell me what will be.
[Part 2]
And when you stop and think about it, you won't believe it's true,
That all the love you've been giving has all been meant for you.
[Part 3]
I'm looking for someone to change my life,
I'm looking for a miracle in my life
And if you could see what it's done to me
To lose the love I knew you'd safely lead me through.
[Part 2]
Between the silence of the mountains and the crashing of the sea,
There lies a land I once lived in and she's waiting there for me.
But in the grey of the morning, my mind becomes confused,
Between the dead and the sleeping and the road that I must choose.
[Part 4]
I'm looking for someone to change my life,
I'm looking for a miracle in my life
And if you could see what it's done to me
To lose the love I knew you'd safely lead me to
the land that I once knew
To learn as we grow old the secrets of our soul.
[Part 2]
It's not the way that you say it when you do those things to me,
It's more the way you really mean it when you tell me what will be.
Back to [Intro] repeat first loud section to fade
