• Song:

    This Charming Man

  • Artist:

    The Smiths

  • Album:

    1984-04-21: Vinyl Party...

This is a correction of John's (j-hauppa@students.uiuc.edu) interpretation of 
"This Charming Man" by the Smiths.  I did not use his tab in the least when 
trying to interpret this song (in fact, I had already figured it out when I 
stumbled onto his), but he should be recognized for submitting an interpretation 
first.  The D and G strings on both the guitar and bass are tuned a quarter step 
up for this song.  If you'll listen to the notes on the G string and  try to match 
them on your bass, you'll be able to figure the tuning out pretty easily.  Andy 
Rourke uses a pic in many Smiths songs, so if you want your version of "This 
Charming Man" to sound closer to the real thing, try playing with one.
The main thing to remember with this piece is that it has a very light, bouncy 
feel.  Your fingers should move very lightly on the strings   in order to pull 
off the multiple grace notes that Rourke employs  throughout.


Riff 1:
G|---------------------------------------------------------1-1-------
D|---------------------------------------------1---------------1-3-1-
A|---1-1-1---1-1---1-1-3---4-4-4---3-3---1-3-1-----------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------4-4-4-------------

  -----------1-1-------------------|
  ---------------1-3-1-------------|
  -------------------------------6-|
  ---4-4-4---------------4-4-4-----|


Riff 2:
G|---------------------------------------------------------1-1-------
D|---------------------------------------------1---------------1-3-1-
A|---1-1-1---1-1---1-1-3---4-4-4---3-3---1-3-1-----------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------4-4-4-------------

  -------------------3-5-----------------------------------------------        
  -----------1-1---1-----------------------3-5-----------------------1-
  -------------------------1-1-1---1-1---1-------4-4-4---3-3---1-3-1---
  ---4-4-4-------------------------------------------------------------

  -----------1-1-------------------------3-5-|
  ---------------1-3-1-----------1-1---1-----|
  -------------------------------------------|
  ---4-4-4---------------4-4-4---------------|


Riff 3:
G|---------------------------------------------------------1-1-------
D|---------------------------------------------1---------------1-3-1-
A|---1-1-1---1-1---1-1-3---4-4-4---3-3---1-3-1-----------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------4-4-4-------------

  ------------------3-5-----------------------------------------------|
  ----------1-1---1-----------------------3-5-----------------------1-|
  ------------------------1-1-1---1-1---1-------4-4-4---3-3---1-3-1---|
  --4-4-4-------------------------------------------------------------|


Riff 4:
G|-----------1-1-------------------------3-5-----------------------
D|---------------1-3-1-----------1-1---1-----------------------3-5-
A|---------------------------------------------1-1-1---1-1---1-----
E|---4-4-4---------------4-4-4-------------------------------------


  -------------------------|
  -----------------------1-|
  ---4-4-4---3-3---1-3-1---|
  -------------------------|


Riff 5:
G|-------------------------------------------------------5-0-8---
D|-------------1-3-5-1-----------------------------1-3-----------
A|---4-3-1-------------------4-3-1-------4-3-1-------------------
E|---------4-------------1---------4-3---------4-----------------

  -------------------------------------|
  ---3---3-3-3-3-1-3---3-3-----1---3---|
  ---------------------------1---1-----|
  -------------------------------------|


Riff 6:
G|-----------------------|
D|-------3-3-3-3-----3---|
A|-----------------------|
E|---1-------------1-----|


Riff 7:
G|-------------------8---|
D|-------3-3-3-3---------|
A|-----------------------|
E|---1-------------1-----|

Riff Order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 7.


This original bassline by Andy Rourke was transcribed from "Singles", by   
the Smiths, by Wes.  Please direct any commentary to  scb00716@mail.wvnet.edu.
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