Opinions of this chord voicing for EJ's 'Manhattan'

[curiousgeorge]

It's at exactly 0:25 in this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL8aeeSTthQ

It's the little sliding chord riff transcribed with this voicing:

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk137/eco-shred/ejlick.jpg

I don't know why, but it doesn't sound quite right when I play it, like there's a note off, or the voicing should be different. Does it sound right to you when you compare it to the sound of the riff in the video?

[JonR]

It's at exactly 0:25 in this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL8aeeSTthQ

It's the little sliding chord riff transcribed with this voicing:

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk137/eco-shred/ejlick.jpg

I don't know why, but it doesn't sound quite right when I play it, like there's a note off, or the voicing should be different. Does it sound right to you when you compare it to the sound of the riff in the video?Firstly, I don't think the lower harmony line is there. I don't hear a G#, still less an A# (8th fret 4th string) anywhere there - not from the guitar at least.
G# and A#s do appear on the Transcribe software display, but they're harmonics of the bass notes at that point, F# and G# moving up to the B chord root.

Secondly the second line goes up to fret 7 on the middle string, or has a little bend from fret 6. At least there's a definite D natural in the middle there (not the C# on the tab).
Personally I think it sounds wrong and maybe a mistake; it jars against the sweet B major tonality (D#m - F#/C# - B6). It could be a deliberate blue note, but it's so subtle, almost not there, that I think he could have just overshot the slide on that 3rd string.
IOW, I think the tab you have is better than what he actually played! (and may be what he intended).

Also, it's much easier here:

---------------------
---------------------
-11/13\11------------
--9/11\9-------------
---------------------
---------------------

- although judging from the video he did play it down between 4th and 7th frets, even tho his previous phrase was higher up the neck.

[curiousgeorge]

Hi Jon, thanks for the reply. I've been playing it with this voicing and it sounds pretty close:

---------------------
--------7------------
---------------------
--------9------------
---------------------
---------------------

The next section is pretty tough on the left hand. Check out this one:

------------2---------
--------6---------4---
--------6---------4---
-----------------------
--------2-------------
----------------------

Ouch! :p

[bluesking]

------------2---------
--------6---------4---
--------6---------4---
-----------------------
--------2-------------
----------------------


Its a really nice tune. I didn't think I liked Eric Johnson till I heard this. Might have to dig up some more to listen to.

Anyway, how about this:


----------------------
--------6---7-----4---
--------6---------4---
-----------------------
----------------------
--------7-------------

[curiousgeorge]

Its a really nice tune. I didn't think I liked Eric Johnson till I heard this. Might have to dig up some more to listen to.

Anyway, how about this:


----------------------
--------6---7-----4---
--------6---------4---
-----------------------
----------------------
--------7-------------


Hmmm, I dunno. I tried it and it doesn't have the same 'chime' you get when you play the F# on the high E with the C# and F on the B and G strings IMHO. While we're at it, how about this next riff:

-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------10---8------------------------
-------------11-------------------------------
--8--9--11----------- 9-----------------------
----------------------------------------------

2 problems...First is that I can't pick a suitable/comfortable fingering. If you start off using fingers 1-2-4, you have to use your pinky to roll into the 11th fret note on the D string, and then use your ring to fret the note on the 10th fret of the G string. Kinda uncomfortable and awkward to play it like that, but it's also a bit awkward with the 1-2-3 combo. The second problem is that the final dyad sounds a bit weird. The F# on the A string sounds somehow out of place. Thanks for all suggestions so far guys!

[elmariachi]

I always played it like this

|------------------|
|--7/9\ 7---------|
|------------------|
|--9/11\9---------|
|------------------|
|------------------|

Pretty positive that's how eric plays it too. He's very obsessive about maintaining the voicings he uses for the purpose of tone.

[curiousgeorge]

I always played it like this

|------------------|
|--7/9\ 7---------|
|------------------|
|--9/11\9---------|
|------------------|
|------------------|

Pretty positive that's how eric plays it too. He's very obsessive about maintaining the voicings he uses for the purpose of tone.

It doesn't look like he used that voicing in the vid I posted.

[elmariachi]

It doesn't look like he used that voicing in the vid I posted.

If you look close you can see that his fingers have the shape of index on the B string and middle on the D with the same kind of stretch stretch you'd find in a C chord. Plus if you listen to the record its definitely those notes being played. It's also in the tab book for that particular G3.

[curiousgeorge]

If you look close you can see that his fingers have the shape of index on the B string and middle on the D with the same kind of stretch stretch you'd find in a C chord. Plus if you listen to the record its definitely those notes being played. It's also in the tab book for that particular G3.

We can't be watching the same vid if you can see that kind of detail. It's pretty blurry. Could be either one....Tab books aren't always correct either. He's been known to change his fingerings quite a bit.

[elmariachi]

We can't be watching the same vid if you can see that kind of detail. It's pretty blurry. Could be either one....Tab books aren't always correct either. He's been known to change his fingerings quite a bit.

Agreed its blurry but i can still make out the basic shape and when thats combined with all the other information e.g fret position, the notes actually being played etc. i think you can be pretty sure!

[JonR]

The next section is pretty tough on the left hand. Check out this one:

------------2---------
--------6---------4---
--------6---------4---
-----------------------
--------2-------------
----------------------

Ouch! :pGet outa here! Where does he play that?

[curiousgeorge]

Get outa here! Where does he play that?

0:45 in the video, but he's using a different, easier to play voicing than the tablature I have. You can see he's barred at the 6th or 7th fret with his index. I've been playing this and it sounds pretty close:

finger
--------------------------------------------
-----------6/7------7----------------------- 1/3
-----------6--------6------------------------ 1
----------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
------7-------------7--------------------------- 2

This tab is from an old Guitar Techniques magazine with Guthrie Govan coaching on the song, and he plays through the whole song using the tab given. I have a feeling they just reprinted a somewhat sketchy Hal Leonard tab or something. If there is a more reliable transcription out there, please let me know. :)

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