Blue Sun Room FILK - FILK
Ballad of serenity -- transcription of solo guitar at end of movie
Thursday, November 10, 2005
This is as close I can come to what Joss played -- as best as I can hear it before the dobro/slide guitar comes in. After that, it's just a guess, but I hope it will help you all learn to play it.
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Ballad of Serenity (explantions in a second document to follow)
As played by Joss Whedon (supposedly) at the end of the movie
(transcribed by Kate Kirk)
N/C
--------
--------
--------
--------
--0-30--
03----3-
h p
1+2 3+4
Am G D(F# bass) Am Em rest
----0--0 -------- ------0- -------- ----
-------- -3--3--3 -3--3--- 3-1-0--- ----
-------- -------- ---2---- ----0--- ----
--2---2- --0---0- --0----- ----2--- ----
0---0--- -------- -------- 0---2--- ----
-------- 3---3--- 2---2--- ----0--- ----
1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1 2 3+4+
C G D(F# bass) A Em rest
-------- 0------- -----0-- -------- --------
1----1-- --3-3--- 3------- 3-2-0--- --------
---0---- -------- ---2---- ----0--- --------
--2---2- --0---0- --0---0- ----2--- --------
3---3--- -------- -------- 0---2--- --------
-------- 3---3--- 2---2--- ----0--- --------
1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+
Am G D(F# bass) Am Em rest
0----0-- 0------- -----0-- -------- ----
---1---1 --3-3--- 3------- 3-1-0--- ----
-------- -------- ---2---- ----0--- ----
--2---2- --0---0- --0---0- ----2--- ----
0---0--- -------- -------- 0---2--- ----
-------- 3---3--- 2---2--- ----0--- ----
1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1 2 3+4+
C G D(F# bass) A Em rest
-------- 0------- -----0-- -------- --------
01---1-- --3-3--- 3------- 3-2-0--- --------
---0---0 -------- ---2---- ----0--- --------
--2---2- --0---0- --0---0- ----2--- --------
3---3--- -------- -------- 0---2--- --------
-------- 2---2--- 3---3--- ----0--- --------
h
1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+
C G D
-----0-- 30---0-- --3----- --3-30-- -----0-- 02-0---0 let ring
1------1 ---1---1 -----01- 0------- --3----3 -----3--
---0---- -------- -------- -------- --2---2- --2---2-
--2---2- --2---2- --0---0- --0---0- 0---0--- 0---0---
3---3--- 3---3--- -------- -------- -------- --------
-------- -------- 3---3--- 3---3--- -------- --------
p p h
1+2+3+4+
Comments
Thursday, 10 November 2005 03:58
of course I will give my own e-mail the best rating
here are the explanatory notes. They would have all been posted together, but I couldn't get it to post.
Notes to tablature of Ballad of Serenity
As played by Joss Whedon (supposedly) at the end of the movie (transcribed by Kate Kirk)
ABOUT MAIN PART -- This song is basically the melody played over an alternating bass. Nonetheless, to me, this song is based upon this classic pattern: (if this is too basic for you, sorry, just ignore)
This first diagram is FINGER NUMBERS!!)
2----2--
---1---1
--------
--t---t-
--------
T---T---
1+2+3+4+
Notice there is nothing on the "and" of 1. Thumb and second finger played together on one, leaving nothing for the "and." Then, in the second half. the Thumb is on 3 and the second finger is on the the "and" That's the only difference notice that the two halves are somewhat symmetrical. (Big T is the ROOT of the chord (i.e., G for G, D for D, A for Am -- these notes are already there somewhere if you just put the chord down, G is on the 6th string, C on the 5th string, A for Am on the 5th string -- and little t is an alternate note also played in the chord.)
YES, I KNOW, TOO SIMPLE -- (sorry)
Some old examples of this pattern that are very clear that you can hear -- Helplessly Hoping by Crosby Stills and Nash, and Dust in the Wind by Kansas
Based on this pattern, then, extra notes, when they fall will fall within this pattern. Also, the 1st and 2d fingers shift from string to string, but the pattern of the fingers continues.
Another little pattern that also happens in this song is:
(This second diagram is also FINGER NUMBERS!!)
-----2--
--1----1
--------
--t---t-
--------
T---T---
1+2+3+4+
Now there is nothing on either the "and" of one or the "and" of two. Notice that the second half of this second pattern is the same as the second half of the first pattern. An old example of this pattern occurs in about every other measure of the original studio version of "Kathy's Song" by Simon and Garfunkel.
Actually, it’s a matter of getting so you can play the little melody against the bass notes and then the pattern(s) just sort of emerge when you try to add frills. Note that the first time through the main part it’s more bare, fewer notes. Then, the second time, more notes -- it is building up. Third time through, after the middle part, it really builds up because a dobro or other type of slide guitar comes in over the middle part. At that point I can't hear it well enough to really tab it out, so I just hit the high points that last time through.
If you can't play D with the F# on the bottom, you need to learn. Play it with your middle finger 2nd fret 6th (top) string, ring finger 2nd fret 3rd (G) string, and pinky finger on the 3rd fret of the 2d string. Really, if you like this style of guitar and you can't do this, you should work on this. Leave your 1st finger free. It will have other interesting things to do, although not on this song. (Also see in the middle part discussion -- how to play G in this song -- also with 2d 3d and 4th fingers only.)
NOTE ABOUT MIDDLE PART. (previously posted on a website, sorry if you saw this before or if it reads repetitively. Also, the tab is slightly different in the second measure of D because I didn’t properly write down what I was playing when I tabbed it out the first time. I have looked at this over and over, but there are probably mistakes anyway!)
First measure of C is simply the first pattern I talked about. For the second measure of C, thumb and second finger played together on one as they normally do in this pattern, and in the space of the "and" of one, the little finger which has been placed on the first string third fret then pulls off to get the E open note. But the RH fingers STILL MOVE IN THE EXACT SAME PATTERN
Now for the G. I'm not sure about the second measure since the dobro/slide lick covers up the end of it and this is not the best recording in th
here are the explanatory notes. They would have all been posted together, but I couldn't get it to post.
Notes to tablature of Ballad of Serenity
As played by Joss Whedon (supposedly) at the end of the movie (transcribed by Kate Kirk)
ABOUT MAIN PART -- This song is basically the melody played over an alternating bass. Nonetheless, to me, this song is based upon this classic pattern: (if this is too basic for you, sorry, just ignore)
This first diagram is FINGER NUMBERS!!)
2----2--
---1---1
--------
--t---t-
--------
T---T---
1+2+3+4+
Notice there is nothing on the "and" of 1. Thumb and second finger played together on one, leaving nothing for the "and." Then, in the second half. the Thumb is on 3 and the second finger is on the the "and" That's the only difference notice that the two halves are somewhat symmetrical. (Big T is the ROOT of the chord (i.e., G for G, D for D, A for Am -- these notes are already there somewhere if you just put the chord down, G is on the 6th string, C on the 5th string, A for Am on the 5th string -- and little t is an alternate note also played in the chord.)
YES, I KNOW, TOO SIMPLE -- (sorry)
Some old examples of this pattern that are very clear that you can hear -- Helplessly Hoping by Crosby Stills and Nash, and Dust in the Wind by Kansas
Based on this pattern, then, extra notes, when they fall will fall within this pattern. Also, the 1st and 2d fingers shift from string to string, but the pattern of the fingers continues.
Another little pattern that also happens in this song is:
(This second diagram is also FINGER NUMBERS!!)
-----2--
--1----1
--------
--t---t-
--------
T---T---
1+2+3+4+
Now there is nothing on either the "and" of one or the "and" of two. Notice that the second half of this second pattern is the same as the second half of the first pattern. An old example of this pattern occurs in about every other measure of the original studio version of "Kathy's Song" by Simon and Garfunkel.
Actually, it’s a matter of getting so you can play the little melody against the bass notes and then the pattern(s) just sort of emerge when you try to add frills. Note that the first time through the main part it’s more bare, fewer notes. Then, the second time, more notes -- it is building up. Third time through, after the middle part, it really builds up because a dobro or other type of slide guitar comes in over the middle part. At that point I can't hear it well enough to really tab it out, so I just hit the high points that last time through.
If you can't play D with the F# on the bottom, you need to learn. Play it with your middle finger 2nd fret 6th (top) string, ring finger 2nd fret 3rd (G) string, and pinky finger on the 3rd fret of the 2d string. Really, if you like this style of guitar and you can't do this, you should work on this. Leave your 1st finger free. It will have other interesting things to do, although not on this song. (Also see in the middle part discussion -- how to play G in this song -- also with 2d 3d and 4th fingers only.)
NOTE ABOUT MIDDLE PART. (previously posted on a website, sorry if you saw this before or if it reads repetitively. Also, the tab is slightly different in the second measure of D because I didn’t properly write down what I was playing when I tabbed it out the first time. I have looked at this over and over, but there are probably mistakes anyway!)
First measure of C is simply the first pattern I talked about. For the second measure of C, thumb and second finger played together on one as they normally do in this pattern, and in the space of the "and" of one, the little finger which has been placed on the first string third fret then pulls off to get the E open note. But the RH fingers STILL MOVE IN THE EXACT SAME PATTERN
Now for the G. I'm not sure about the second measure since the dobro/slide lick covers up the end of it and this is not the best recording in th
Thursday, 10 November 2005 05:41
Wow. Wish I understood that and played guitar. :)
Bugger. Looks like a lot of work though! Cool.
Bugger. Looks like a lot of work though! Cool.
ANONYMOUS
Friday, 18 November 2005 00:28
Shiny. This is too awesome. Thank you so much for tabbing this out.
ANONYMOUS
Friday, 18 November 2005 04:07
hey, anon, no prob. From the minute I heard it in the theatre I know it was for me -- it;s just the style I love and love to play, and there it was. So I'm reaally excited about it. In fact, I think I will go play it now. Just came home from a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert, and I'm pumped about playing for sure
Kate
Kate
ANONYMOUS
Friday, 18 November 2005 06:11
Oh, and just one question. What did you tab this from? I don't imagine you were sitting there at the theater with a pocket guitar... did you record the end credits, or were you able to find an MP3 rip somewhere online? I vaguely remember the way this goes and can figure out most of it just by playing, but I'm wondering if there's an audio template I could model after...
ANONYMOUS
Saturday, 19 November 2005 00:13
anon, someone sent it to me in an email after I had been looking for it since the day I saw the movie, the Saturday of the first weekend. I think it was maybe about a week later that my husband gave me the soundtrack and I went . . . DAMN! not on there! Because really I liked the TV music much more than the movie music -- they didn';t need that big orchestra, IMHO, but anyway, I asked around and no one had it and then someone sent it to me by email. I have no idea where they got it. And it sounds terrible, so bad some of it was pretty hard to hear after the slide guitar came in . . . so I think it must have been a handheld recorder in the theatre or something. It sounds really watery. It's an MP3. My recording of myself playing it is MUCH better quality even with my hesitations and fluffs and I'd only been playing it, like 48 hours. Except I don't play it totally exactly the same, so it's not good for learning.
ANONYMOUS
Saturday, 19 November 2005 00:13
anon, someone sent it to me in an email after I had been looking for it since the day I saw the movie, the Saturday of the first weekend. I think it was maybe about a week later that my husband gave me the soundtrack and I went . . . DAMN! not on there! Because really I liked the TV music much more than the movie music -- they didn';t need that big orchestra, IMHO, but anyway, I asked around and no one had it and then someone sent it to me by email. I have no idea where they got it. And it sounds terrible, so bad some of it was pretty hard to hear after the slide guitar came in . . . so I think it must have been a handheld recorder in the theatre or something. It sounds really watery. It's an MP3. My recording of myself playing it is MUCH better quality even with my hesitations and fluffs and I'd only been playing it, like 48 hours. Except I don't play it totally exactly the same, so it's not good for learning.
Saturday, 19 November 2005 00:15
ah, now I see, it disappeared for a moment. . .must be magic.
So who the heck are you, Anon? I mean, do you have an e-mail?
So who the heck are you, Anon? I mean, do you have an e-mail?
ANONYMOUS
Saturday, 19 November 2005 01:35
well someone over on Browncoats just alerted me that there is a boo boo in this tab.
go here
http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/index.html?fuseaction=forum.viewtopic&t=25406
because browncoats actually lets you edit your old posts. I was able to fix it, I can't do it here.
What it is, is in the fourth line (not counting the intro), I reversed what the two bass notes should have been for the D and the G chords, Actually, it;s pretty obvious, but I missed it
remember paste into Courier 12
C G D(F# bass) A Em rest
-------- 0------- -----0-- -------- --------
01---1-- --3-3--- 3------- 3-2-0--- --------
---0---0 -------- ---2---- ----0--- --------
--2---2- --0---0- --0---0- ----2--- --------
3---3--- -------- -------- 0---2--- --------
-------- 3---3--- 2---2--- ----0--- --------
h
1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+
As I said to the WONDERFUL person that caught my mistake, I am SUCH a lousy proofreader. English or music, either language. And I'm sure I'd be bad in Chinese as well, but of course, I don't know any Chinese . . .
Kate
go here
http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/index.html?fuseaction=forum.viewtopic&t=25406
because browncoats actually lets you edit your old posts. I was able to fix it, I can't do it here.
What it is, is in the fourth line (not counting the intro), I reversed what the two bass notes should have been for the D and the G chords, Actually, it;s pretty obvious, but I missed it
remember paste into Courier 12
C G D(F# bass) A Em rest
-------- 0------- -----0-- -------- --------
01---1-- --3-3--- 3------- 3-2-0--- --------
---0---0 -------- ---2---- ----0--- --------
--2---2- --0---0- --0---0- ----2--- --------
3---3--- -------- -------- 0---2--- --------
-------- 3---3--- 2---2--- ----0--- --------
h
1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+ 1+2+3+4+
As I said to the WONDERFUL person that caught my mistake, I am SUCH a lousy proofreader. English or music, either language. And I'm sure I'd be bad in Chinese as well, but of course, I don't know any Chinese . . .
Kate
ANONYMOUS
Saturday, 19 November 2005 06:18
Such a tiny mistake; I can't believe people can pick up on such little stuff. I'm still working my way through the tab and figuring out the song a step at a time.
I've been playing guitar on and off for a couple years; I was actually inspired by Joss Whedon when I read about his work in the Buffy musical and when I saw Christian Kane's "LA Song" performance on Angel. (if you haven't heard/seen it, definitely check it out)
I'm a recent Firefly fan--my sister passed her DVDs on to me and listed off the Buffy/Angel characters that star in Firefly. It's great seeing these minor Buffy bad guys come to life in the Firefly verse.
But yeah, if you could send me those MP3s that'd be awesome. My email is muskido at gmail dot com. Thanks tons.
I've been playing guitar on and off for a couple years; I was actually inspired by Joss Whedon when I read about his work in the Buffy musical and when I saw Christian Kane's "LA Song" performance on Angel. (if you haven't heard/seen it, definitely check it out)
I'm a recent Firefly fan--my sister passed her DVDs on to me and listed off the Buffy/Angel characters that star in Firefly. It's great seeing these minor Buffy bad guys come to life in the Firefly verse.
But yeah, if you could send me those MP3s that'd be awesome. My email is muskido at gmail dot com. Thanks tons.
ANONYMOUS
Wednesday, 04 January 2006 00:11
The key this song is played in on the opening title of the tv series is actually F. Also, the Am should just be A, or so it seems to my ear when I'm playing along with the show. To make it easier I just play these chords (with the Am's changed to A's) with my capo on fret 3.
ANONYMOUS
Wednesday, 04 January 2006 11:51
yes, thanks to anonymous on Jan 3, but this is not a transcription of the TV series theme -- this is a transcription of the version at the very end of the end credits of the movie "Serenity," which is in Am/C [instead of D(Dm)/F (in a dropped D tuning) as the TV show is (but then in the TV show theme the guitar is detuned a whole step more, which makes the entire TV show theme actually played in a "dropped C tuning")}
Also, you will note that this version sometimes has an A and sometimes an Am, while (if you listen to the TV show theme) the equivalent "D" is actually not really a D or a Dm, it has no third, so you can't tell if it is D or Dm. That's one of the things that gives it the droning tone. But this version, to give it the indeterminate can't decide if it's major or minor sound instead alternates between actually playing a an Am and then playing an A
Go ahead and rent the movie and listen to this version. It's really great. You have to sit through all the credits though.
Kate
Also, you will note that this version sometimes has an A and sometimes an Am, while (if you listen to the TV show theme) the equivalent "D" is actually not really a D or a Dm, it has no third, so you can't tell if it is D or Dm. That's one of the things that gives it the droning tone. But this version, to give it the indeterminate can't decide if it's major or minor sound instead alternates between actually playing a an Am and then playing an A
Go ahead and rent the movie and listen to this version. It's really great. You have to sit through all the credits though.
Kate
ANONYMOUS
Sunday, 08 January 2006 23:27
any chance that someone transcribed the other songs they play at end credits of the movie? i just got the dvd and watched it like 6 times it's so awesome
EUGE
Saturday, 25 February 2006 08:36
anyone know any drum solos? great reaver beats
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