The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
Andy Rourke often tuned his bass up a whole step (Gb B E A, low to high). This website
is a good resource but doesn't give any sources:
http://www.smithsonguitar.com/2012/01/andy-rourkes-gear.html.
Besides this general info, there is some evidence that Andy Rourke played The Queen Is
Dead in an unusual tuning.
1) This video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2FMeoU0hmk&t=1m15s. It's blink and you
miss it, but at about 1:19, you see Andy Rourke's bass on the left. His right hand is not
moving over the fretboard at all. If you try to play The Queen Is Dead in standard
tuning you have to move all over the place.
2) The recording: at about 2:04 to about 2:06, there's a little bass lick that consists
of a few fretted notes, a quick slide up, and then a low B (the root of the song). There
is not enough time to do the slide up and get back to B unless you have an open B
string available.
At any rate, here is how to play The Queen Is Dead with your bass tuned Gb B E A:
Intro Riff
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------0---0-----|
B |-----------------------10--10--------4-------4-------------------|
Gb|-1---1-1---1-1-0-3-3/--------10\-2-----2---2---0-1-1---------3-4-|
Verse (Farewell...)
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-------------5-----7-----5-----7-7-------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------|
Gb|---------------------------0-3-4---------------------------0-3-4-|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-----------------------------------------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----0-5-4-3-----3-----3-4-5-0-------------|
Gb|-------------------------------------------3-----------3---2---0-|
Break
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------6-6-|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-----7-7-|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----0-----|
Gb|---------------------------------|
Verse (Charles, don't you ever crave?)
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |---------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7---------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------|
Gb|---------------------------0-3-4-|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-----------------------------------------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----0-5-4-3---------3---3-5-0-------------|
Gb|---------------------------------------------3---------3---2---0-|
Intro Riff
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------0---0-----|
B |-----5-------5---------10--10--------4-------4-------------------|
Gb|-1-----1---1---1-3-3/--------10\-2-----2---2---0-1-1---------3-4-|
Verse (Checked all the registered...)
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-------------5-----7-----5-----7-7-------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------|
Gb|---------------------------0-3-4---------------------------0-3-4-|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7---0-2-0---------------------------------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------3-----3-----3-4-5-0-------------|
Gb|-------------------------------------------3-----------3---2---0-|
Verse (Has the world changed...)
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-------------------------------------------------------------6-6-|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-------------5-----7-----5-----7-----7-7-|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----0-----|
Gb|---------------------------0-3-4---------------------------------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-----------------------------------------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----0-5-4-3-----3---3---3-5-0-------------|
Gb|---------------------------------------------3---------3---2---0-|
Intro Riff
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------0---0-----|
B |-----5-------5---------10--10--------4-------4-------------------|
Gb|-1-----1---1---1-3-3/--------10\-2-----2---2---0-1-1---------3-4-|
Verse (So I broke into the palace...)
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-------------------------------------------------------------6-6-|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-------------5-----7-----5-----7-----7-7-|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----0-----|
Gb|---------------------------0-3-4---------------------------------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7---7-0-----------------------------4---4/|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---------4-3-----3-----3---5-----5-----5-5/|
Gb|-------------------------------------------3---3-----------------|
Verse (We can go for a walk...)
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------6-6---------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7-----7-7-----5-----7-----5-----7---------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----0-----0-----0-0---0-0---0-0-----------|
Gb|-----------------------------------------------------------0-3-4-|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----5-----7-----5-----7---7-0-----------------------------------|
B |-0-----0-0---0-0---0-0---------4-3-----3-----3-4-5---0-----------|
Gb|-------------------------------------------3-----------3---2---0-|
Intro Riff
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------------------------0---0-----|
B |-----5-------5---------10--10--------4-------4-------------------|
Gb|-1-----1---1---1-3-3/--------10\-2-----2---2---0-1-1---------3-4-|
Chug along until the end...
