• Song:

    Life Is A Long Song

  • Artist:

    Jethro Tull

  • Album:

    The Best of Jethro Tull...

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##

>(the anti-Elvis) writes:
>>   Has anyone tried arranging the mandolin part of Jethro Tull's
>>"Christmas Song" for guitar?  
>
>While Jethro Tull has come up -- I'd love to see a TAB for Dun Ringill,
>Summer Sands or Life's a Long Song. 

   The chords to Life's a Long Song aren't that hard, but actually playing
the part is.  As far as I can tell, the beginning chords are D-shaped
barre chords (fret numbers in parentheses):
 
A (VII)                              G (V)
When you've fallen awake and you     take stock of the new day.
And you hear your voice croak as you choke on what you need to say.

   Now I THINK what's happening is Ian messes around with sus chords a
lot.  I haven't tried this because I can't play this nearly fast enough,
but I think it's something like:

E|-9---9--10--9--7--9--7--9--9--9-----|
B|-10---------------------------------|
G|-9----------------------------------|
D|-7----------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
  
   You get the idea.  I haven't actually tried this in quite a while -
I need to go home and listen to it at half-speed on my 4-track.
Anyway, has anyone fingured out as easier way to play this, or at
least easier ways to play these chords?

       A (VII)             Asus4	   Asus2
      _ _ _ _ _		 _ _ _ _ _       _ _ _ _ _
7fr  |_|_*_|_|_|    7fr	|_|_*_|_|_| 7fr	|_|_*_|_|_*
     |_|_|_|_|_|        |_|_|_|_|_|	|_|_|_|_|_|
     |_|_|_*_|_*	|_|_|_*_|_|	|_|_|_*_|_|
     |_|_|_|_*_|	|_|_|_|_*_*	|_|_|_|_*_|
         1 2 4 3	    1 2 4 4 (!)     1 2 4 1


   I don't remember what the chords to the rest of the song are, but
I remember a 3rd fret C chord, a 3rd fret G chord, and maybe a 5th
fret A chord in there.  They were pretty basic chords.  Just play around
with em.  If I come up with anything new I'll be sure to post it.
-- 
Brian Michalowski | "Without music, life would   | "I'm sure I'd feel much 
bam@wam.umd.edu   |  be a mistake." -- Nietzsche |  worse if I wasn't under
"Music was his life; it was not his livelihood." |  such heavy sedation."
        -- Harry Chapin, "Mr. Tanner"            |  -- from _Spinal Tap_
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