I Can Tell
Saosin
Arranged for acoustic by Tim Martin
standard tuning
note: I'm pretty proud of this acoustic version I figured out. I wanted a version I
could sing to for intentional acoustic romanticism, so here it is. Its in the same key
as the recordings. Use a capo and just play the same shapes if it's too high or too low
for you. Many an unsuspecting female has succumbed to the sheer beauty and sonic wonder
accompanying a skillful performance of this, even though I have to sing it at the full
octave below what Anthony or Cove belts out. Oral pleasure is sure to follow. Just
kidding. But not really. If you feel like complaining or criticizing this because
you're not very good at guitar or if you'd like to chat about this sort of thing in any
way at all, I'm dashtim7@hotmail.com. More acoustic versions of Saosin songs sure to
follow like it or not.
Intro (in expanded measure to show 16th notes)
Technique here is fast alternate sweep picking
4/4 Count:
One and two and three and four and one and two and three and four and
Am Cmaj
|--------0---------------3-------|--------0---------------3-------|
|----1-----1---3---3---1---1---1-|----1-----1---3---3---1---1---1-|
|------2-----2---2---2-2-----2---|------0-----0---0—--0-0-----2---|
|--2-------------2-----2---------|--2-------------2-----2---------|
|0-------------------------------|3-------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Fmaj7 G5
|--------1-----1---1-----0-------|--------3-----0-----------------|
|----1-----1---------1-----1---1-|----3-----3-------3---3-3-1-0-1-|
|--2---2-----2---2-----2-----2---|------0-----0---0---0-----------|
|3-------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|3-------------------------------|
Verse
"Betray!..." ..."I'm following..."
Am Cmaj Fmaj7 G5
|0---------------|0---------------|0---------------|3---------------|
|1---------------|1---------------|1---------------|3---------------|
|2---------------|0---------------|2---------------|0---------------|
|2---------------|2---------------|3---------------|0---------------|
|0---------------|3---------------|----------------|x---------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|3---------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/s/saosin/i_can_tell_tab_ver_3.html ]
"Orion glows..." ..."I once believed..."
Am Cmaj Fmaj7 G5
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
Prechorus:
"If only I... "You'd be..."
F G F G
|0---------------|x---------------|----------------|----------------|
|1---------------|3---------------|----------------|----------------|
|0---------------|0---------------|----------------|----------------|
|3---------------|0---------------|----------------|----------------|
|x---------------|x---------------|----------------|----------------|
|1---------------|3---------------|----------------|----------------|
Chorus: (here you can use the same chord suspensions as in the intro, while strumming
this time, in order to capture the song's sweet intro/chorus guitar melody)
"If you keep as-king me I'll melt away in the summer air"
Am Cmaj
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
"It won't hurt half..." "...beg for you to stop..."
Fmaj7 G5
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Bridge: same progression as intro/verse/chorus. Get creative. If you're capable of
playing the intro at speed, you're good enough to figure out
something cool for yourself here. Here's how you can play the riff in an open position,
so integrate it while picking or strumming the chords.
|--------3---------------3-------|
|0-1-0-1---1-0-1-0-1-0-1---1-0-1-|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
prechorus
Chorus
Outro: In my opinion, there's no good way to make the outro work on acoustic without
rewriting the song. It is very dissonant, stepping out of key and creating a lot of
tension for the end. If you want to play it that way, get it from a different tab. I
always end it with the chorus or maybe the intro.
dashtim7@hotmail.com
