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- #----------------------------------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. #
- #------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
- From: marc@owlnet.rice.edu (Marc Bennett Hirsh)
- Subject: "If I Needed Someone" (The Beatles)
-
- George Harrison's finest unsung moment. A very underrated song that is a
- brilliant example of pop perfection, circa 1965. They don't make 'em like this
- any more. To play it, use a capo at the 7th fret. Of course, to make it sound
- right, you'll need a 12-string (preferably Rickenbacker, of course), but I've
- found that I can achieve a passably similar effect by either turning on the
- chorus just enough that I hear two separate sounds or setting my delay pedal
- long enough to hear two separate sounds. Either way, ya gotta jangle, or it
- won't sound right.
-
- I think John Lennon may be playing first position chords throughout, so I'll
- write the chord names above the TAB and I'll draw the shapes at the end. I
- can't tell exactly what the rhythm is for this part, but as long as it's not
- overdone, it should be fine.
-
- (Even though the capo is at the 7th fret, I'm writing this as if it were the
- nut - i. e. `0' in the tab will correspond to the 7th fret. Just add 7 to
- everything if it gets too confusing.)
-
- "If I Needed Someone" (George Harrison)
- Performed by the Beatles
- >From the album _Rubber_Soul_
- Transcribed without permission but I'll take the heat anyway by Marc Hirsh
-
- Notation:
- s - sixteenth note
- e - eighth note
- q - quarter note
- h - half note
- w - whole note
- . - play note for one and a half times the value before it (just like a dot in
- standard notation)
- ^ - ties two note lengths together
- NOTE LENGTHS IN CAPITAL LETTERS MEAN REST FOR THAT VALUE OF TIME!
- / - slide up
- \ - slide down
- h - hammer-on
- p - pull-off
-
- Let ring!
-
- A7
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-----------------|------------------ X2 (band enters 2nd time)
- D-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-----------------|------------------
- E-----------------|------------------
-
- A7 G/A
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-------0---2---3-|---2---0---------|-------0---2---0-|---2---3---2---0-
- B---3-------------|-----------3---3-|---3-------------|---------------3-
- G-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-
- D-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0-2-
- A-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-
- E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
- If I needed someone to love, you're the one that I'd be thinking of
-
- (G/A) (G/A) A7
- (w) (w) e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B-(3)--|-(3)-----|---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------------|------------------
- D-(2)--|-(2)-----|-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-(3)--|-(3)-----|-----------------|------------------
- E------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- If I needed someone
-
- A7 G/A
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-------0---2---3-|---2---0---------|-------0---2---0-|---2---3---2---0-
- B---3-------------|-----------3---3-|---3-------------|---------------3-
- G-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-
- D-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0-2-
- A-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-
- E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
- If I had some more time to spend, then I guess I'd be with you, my friend
-
- (G/A) (G/A) A7
- (w) (w) e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B-(3)--|-(3)-----|---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------------|------------------
- D-(2)--|-(2)-----|-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-(3)--|-(3)-----|-----------------|------------------
- E------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- If I needed someone
-
- Em F#7 Bm
- w w w w
- E-0--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-0-------------
- B-1--------------|-0------------|-0---------------|-0-------------
- G-2--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-0-------------
- D-2--------------|-1------------|-1---------------|-2-------------
- A-0--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-2-------------
- E----------------|--------------|-----------------|-0-------------
- Had you come some other day then it might not have been like this
-
- Em F#7 Bm E
- w w w e e e e e e e e
- E-0--------------|-2------------|-0---------------|-----------0-----
- B-1--------------|-0------------|-0---------------|---2---3---------
- G-2--------------|-2------------|-0---------------|---------------2-
- D-2--------------|-1------------|-2---------------|-----------------
- A-0--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-0---0---0---0---
- E----------------|--------------|-0---------------|-----------------
- But you see now I'm too much in love
-
- A7 G/A
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-------0---2---3-|---2---0---------|-------0---2---0-|---2---3---2---0-
- B---3-------------|-----------3---3-|---3-------------|---------------3-
- G-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-
- D-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0-2-
- A-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-
- E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
- Carve your number on my wall and maybe you will get a call from me
-
- (G/A) (G/A) A7
- (w) (w) e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B-(3)--|-(3)-----|---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------------|------------------
- D-(2)--|-(2)-----|-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-(3)--|-(3)-----|-----------------|------------------
- E------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- If I needed someone
-
- (guitar solo)
- A7
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e q. e e e e e e e e e e e e e q.
- E---5---3---2---0-|---2---3---2--|---5---3---2---0-|---2---3---2-
- B-----------------|--------------|-----------------|-------------
- G-----------------|--------------|-----------------|-------------
- D-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0----|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---
- A-----------------|--------------|-----------------|-------------
- E-----------------|--------------|-----------------|-------------
- Aaah...
-
- G/A A7
- w q. q. q e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-----0-----------|-0-----3-|-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B-----3-----------|-3--1----|---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-----0-----------|-0-------|-----------------|------------------
- D-----2-----------|---------|-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-----------------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- E-----------------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- Aaah...
-
- A7 G/A
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-------0---2---3-|---2---0---------|-------0---2---0-|---2---3---2---0-
- B---3-------------|-----------3---3-|---3-------------|---------------3-
- G-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-
- D-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0-2-
- A-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-
- E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
- If I needed someone to love, you're the one that I'd be thinking of
-
- (G/A) (G/A) A7
- (w) (w) e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B-(3)--|-(3)-----|---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------------|------------------
- D-(2)--|-(2)-----|-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-(3)--|-(3)-----|-----------------|------------------
- E------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- If I needed someone
-
- A7 G/A
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-------0---2---3-|---2---0---------|-------0---2---0-|---2---3---2---0-
- B---3-------------|-----------3---3-|---3-------------|---------------3-
- G-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-
- D-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0-2-
- A-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-
- E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
- If I had some more time to spend, then I guess I'd be with you, my friend
-
- (G/A) (G/A) A7
- (w) (w) e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B-(3)--|-(3)-----|---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------------|------------------
- D-(2)--|-(2)-----|-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-(3)--|-(3)-----|-----------------|------------------
- E------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- If I needed someone
-
- Em F#7 Bm
- w w w w
- E-0--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-0-------------
- B-1--------------|-0------------|-0---------------|-0-------------
- G-2--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-0-------------
- D-2--------------|-1------------|-1---------------|-2-------------
- A-0--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-2-------------
- E----------------|--------------|-----------------|-0-------------
- Had you come some other day then it might not have been like this
-
- Em F#7 Bm E
- w w w e e e e e e e e
- E-0--------------|-2------------|-0---------------|-----------0-----
- B-1--------------|-0------------|-0---------------|---2---3---------
- G-2--------------|-2------------|-0---------------|---------------2-
- D-2--------------|-1------------|-2---------------|-----------------
- A-0--------------|-2------------|-2---------------|-0---0---0---0---
- E----------------|--------------|-0---------------|-----------------
- But you see now I'm too much in love
-
- A7 G/A
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-------0---2---3-|---2---0---------|-------0---2---0-|---2---3---2---0-
- B---3-------------|-----------3---3-|---3-------------|---------------3-
- G-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------0-
- D-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---0-2-
- A-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-
- E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
- Carve your number on my wall and maybe you will get a call from me
-
- (G/A) (G/A) A7
- (w) (w) e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e
- E-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----
- B-(3)--|-(3)-----|---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-
- G-(0)--|-(0)-----|-----------------|------------------
- D-(2)--|-(2)-----|-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---
- A-(3)--|-(3)-----|-----------------|------------------
- E------|---------|-----------------|------------------
- If I needed someone
-
- A7 A
- e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e w
- E-----------0-----|----3---2---0-----|------||
- B---3---1-------1-|h3--------------3-|-3----||
- G-----------------|------------------|-2----||
- D-0---0---0---0---|(0)---0---0---0---|-0----||
- A-----------------|------------------|------||
- E-----------------|------------------|------||
-
- ===============================================================================
- John Lennon's chords: (all played 1st position - WITHOUT A CAPO)
- A7 G/A Em F#7 Bm E A
- E-0--------3--------0-------0-------2------0------0------
- B-2--------0--------0-------2-------3------0------2------
- G-0--------0--------0-------3-------4------1------2------
- D-2--------0--------2-------4-------4------2------2------
- A-0--------0--------2----------------------2------0------
- E-------------------0----------------------0-------------
-
- Rhythmically, this should be okay. I transcribed this mostly on my own (I got
- chord changes and forms and lyrics from a book, but all of the embellishments
- such as capo placement and music beyond standard chording was my own doing), so
- there are going to be some things that aren't quite right. For instance,
- obviously, if both guitars stand still during the G/A chord, things are going
- to be pretty boring, so there is a rhythm pattern beyond what I have, I just
- haven't pegged it down precisely. Slight arpeggiations seem to work fine here.
-
- I recently listened to this album again and was blown away by this song. A
- true masterpiece, especially the solo. I wish that I could transcribe the
- incredible vocal harmonies; alas, there's no way. Still, this should be
- plenty. Happy playing!
- --
- Marc Hirsh (marc@owlnet.rice.edu)
-
- \ /
- ^ --""Why pay to be bored? Baby, this is free!" (Too Much Joy)
- V
-
-