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Number Two Pencil - The Radiators
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Tabbed by: Kent
Here's an epic Rads song. The tab is a serious approximation. They've changed
how they've played it throughout the years, so I offer just a small amount of the
possible variations. I'm listening to a show from 2005 for this version. It
doesn't matter much what voicings you play the chords in. If I write it out
explicitly, it's just a suggestion. There are two guitars, and the Rads play so
dirty, can't really tell anyway. Enjoy.
That signature opening bass riff:
G|---------------------|
D|---------3--3--5-3---|
A|------5------------5-|
E|-3-------------------| X whatever, until the rest of the band feels like playing
SECTION 1.)
First jam is obviously to:
G G G G
C C G G
D C G G
Then at least one guitar plays this riff. Other helps out a little, maybe in
another octave, or just messes around.
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------3b----------------|
D|---3-5----5---3-5---3-5b-|
A|-5----------5-----5------|
E|-------------------------| a bunch of times
Then play it up an octave
e|-------6b----------------|
B|---6-8----8---6-8---6-8b-|
G|-7----------7-----7------|
D|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------| and repeat this
The last time it's:
e|-------6b---------------------------8v-------------------------------------|
B|---6-8----8---6-8---6-8/10v----8-10-----10v---8v---------------------------|
G|-7----------7-----7----------9---------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
SECTION 2.)
Then you got this riff for verses and a bunch more jamming. You have to listen
to the song for the rhythm. Sometimes there's the slide up, as indicated, but
sometimes the A is quickly strummed while muted. At the end of the verses, the
C chord has a syncopated strumming pattern.
e|----(5)-----(5)-------------------------(5)-----(5)------------------------|
B|-4/5-5-x-4/5-5-x-5b------------------4/5-5-x-4/5-5-x-5b--------------------|
G|-5/6-6-x-5/6-6-x-5b------------------5/6-6-x-5/6-6-x-5b--------------------|
D|----(7)-----(7)-(5)---------------------(7)-----(7)-(5)--------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
repeat
(when you come back to this part, after a bridge, they arpeggiate it a little)
this is the only semi-tricky riff in the song I guess, only because of its
speed. the lead throws in this quick lick in between the rhythm's.
(you can still pull off both if you're playing alone)
e|--------------------10p7--7------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------10-10p7-7------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------9-9p7-5b------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
"All wigged out, I'm a raver and a rover
I can't help it, I can't help it when she bends over
You do my thing, I'll do yours
I can't help it, I can't help it when she opens the door"
Bridge. This is an approximation. It's a pretty sloppy part.
e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|-1------------7/9-|
D|-2------5-7-9-7/9-|
A|-2------5-7-9-5/7-|
E|-0------3-5-7-----| 3x. On the last one, hold the E chord for a measure.
The second guitar could be doing something like this for the bridge:
e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|--------------7h9-|
D|----------7-9-----|
A|-7------10--------|
E|------------------| or an octave up
"She drops her number two pencil
Goes to pick it up, then she bends over"
This riff is played by the lead before heading back into the verse riff and
soloing:
e|-----8\------------8\-------------8\-------------8\------------------------|
B|-----8\-5b---------8\-5b----------8\-5b----------8\-5b---------------------|
G|--------5b------------5b-7b!---------5b-------------5b-7b!-----------------|
D|-----------7v---------------------------7v---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-5\------------5\-------------5\------------5\-----------------------------|
that last note there could be whatever best leads into the solo
Back to the verse after soloing
"All wigged out, I'm a raver and a rover
I can't help it, I can't help it when she bends over
You do my thing, I'll do yours
I can't help it, I can't help it when she opens the door"
Bridge
"She drops her number two pencil
Goes to pick it up, then she bends over"
Then verse chords to:
"I can't help it!"
over and over
Then you got this transition riff:
e|-----------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------|
G|----------7h9v-----------------9-7--7----|
D|-------7-9------------------------10-----|
A|-7---10--------------------7---------10v-|
E|-----------------------------------------| 2 times
sounds like the other guitar is an octave higher
SECTION 3.)
Then the harmony is kind of weird. Just 2-3 chords for all the next parts, but
the rhythm keeps changing slightly. Starts out jamming to:
e|--------------------|
B|-----10--9--10-10p9-|
G|-9---9---9--9--9--9-|
D|-9---11--9--11-11p9-|
A|-7------------------|
E|--------------------| repeat
changes a bit:
e|----------------------|
B|-----12--10--12-10/12-|
G|-9---10--9---11--9/11-|
D|-9---13--11--13-11/13-|
A|-7--------------------|
E|----------------------|
gets a little bit louder now
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-9--------10-------9--------10-------9-----10------------------------------|
G|-9--------9--------9--------9--------9-----9-------------------------------|
D|-9--------11-------9--------11-------9-----11------------------------------|
A|-7--------12-------7--------12-------7-----12------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
1 e & u 2 e & u 3 e & u 4 e & u
This is next, for awhile:
e|--------------------------------------------------------7-5-----------------|
B|---9---10-------------------------------9---10----------7-5-----------------|
G|--9---9----6-times--------8-9-10-11----9---9---12-times-8-6--------8-9-10-11|
D|-9--11-------------9-11-12------------9--11-------------9-7-9-11-12---------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------9-7-----------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------7-5-----------------|
and this whole thing itself gets repeated basically until the end, with lyrics,
or just jamming. the B and A chords can be played as arpeggios of
(x-14-13-11-10-x) and (x-12-11-9-10-x) respectively. the ascending riff (like
most of the rest of the song, can be played an octave up)
"I was searchin' with a big old search light
Through the riot of the day and the night
Sometimes I wonder just what I been through
And how could I find someone like you
Under the covers with a little old red radio
I hear a song about a place I long to go
On lover's island neath a sky so new and blue
And could I come to find someone like you"
Yamming.
"I was stranded in a long lost driveway
When a smile came floating through the gate
Then I saw you, you were out in the day light too
And now I come to love someone like you"
The outro is basically just a descending E major scale without the second, however
you want to pull it off. For example:
e|-----------------------------0---------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------0---------------------------------------------|
G|-9---8---6-------------------1---------------------------------------------|
D|-x---x---x---9---7---6-------2---------------------------------------------|
A|-7---6---4---x---x---x-------2---------------------------------------------|
E|-------------7---5---4-------0---------------------------------------------|
Now you can play Number Two Pencil, by The Radiators, with your friends.
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| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| br Bend release
| pbr Pre-bend release
| brb Bend release bend
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