High Head Blues

Song : High Head Blues

Authors : The Black Crowes

Person who had nothing better to do but transcribing a song : Wim Heylen (wheylen@zorro.ruca.ua.ac.be)

I transcribed the song for two guitars. To play it, invite a friend to play the other part,

turn off the speaker with the guitarpart you're playing, or just play both guitars at the

same time (which is in fact, quite difficult).

The bars you see are not really bars in the strict 4/4-measure meaning. They just indicate

small pieces of music that belong together. Just listen to the record and you'll know what

I mean.

The most difficult feature of the song is probably the rhythm. It was in fact rather

impossible to write the exact rhythm down. Again, listening to the record is a good solution.

Here we go:

e:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

B:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

G:------5-----------5--|------5-----------5--|------5-----------5--|

D:---4-----5-----4-----|---4-----5-----4-----|---4-----5-----4-----|

A:5-----------5--------|5-----------5--------|5-----------5--------|

E:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

e:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

B:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

G:second-guitar-doesn't-play-anything-yet...-|---------------------|

D:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

A:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

E:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

e:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|

B:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|

G:------5-----------5--|------5-----------5--|------5-----------5--------|

D:---4-----5-----4-----|---4-----5-----4-----|---4-----5-----4-----------|

A:5-----------5--------|5-----------5--------|5-----------5--------------|

E:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|

e:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|

B:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------6-6-6-|

G:---------------------|bass begins...-------|---------------------5-5-5-|

D:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------4-4-4-|

A:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------5-5-5-|

E:---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|

e:---------------------------|--------------------|

B:---------------------------|--------------------|

G:------5-----------5--------|------3-------2---3-|

D:---4-----5-----4-----------|---2-----5---1---2--|

A:5-----------5--------------|3-----------2---3---|

E:---------------------------|--------------------|

e:---------------------------|--------------------|

B:---------------------6-6-6-|--------------------|

G:---------------------5-5-5-|--------------------|

D:---------------------4-4-4-|--------------------|

A:---------------------5-5-5-|--------------------|

E:---------------------------|--------------------|

FIRST VERSE : I have tried to write down the first and second guitar in a relative way.

This means that, when a note from the first guitar stands right on top of a note of the

second guitar, that these notes should be played simultaneously. The easy way : listen to

the song, turn your speakers down one at a time to hear each guitar separately (you must

have stereo, off course).

e:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G:-------5-------5---------------5-------5---------------5-------5-----------|

D:---4-5---5---4-------------4-5---5---4-------------4-5---5---4------------2|

A:-5---------5-------------5---------5-------------5---------5------------3--|

E:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Sometimes... (lyrics are with the Amorica-CD)

e:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B:-6-6-6----------------------------6-6-6-------------------6-6-6------------|

G:-5-5-5--------------5-------------5-5-5-----5-------------5-5-5----3-------|

D:-4-4-4------------5---5-4---------4-4-4---5---5-4---------4-4-4--3---3-2---|

A:-5-5-5--------------------5-------5-5-5-----------5-------5-5-5----------3-|

E:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G:---3-------3--------------5-------5--------------5-------5--------------5--|

D:-3---3---2------------4-5---5---4------------4-5---5---4------------4-5---5|

A:-------3------------5---------5------------5---------5------------5--------|

E:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B:------4-4-4------------------6-6-6------------------6-6-6------------------|

G:------3-3-3----5-------------5-5-5----5-------------5-5-5----5-------------|

D:------2-2-2--5---5-4---------4-4-4--5---5-4---------4-4-4--5---5-4---------|

A:------3-3-3----------5-------5-5-5----------5-------5-5-5----------5-------|

E:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

repeat this entire part, for the second half of verse 1

e:---------------------------------|

B:---------------------------------|

G:-----5--------------3-----2---3--|

D:---4------------2-3---3--1---2---|

A:-5------------3---------2---3----|

E:---------------------------------|

e:---------------------------------|

B:6-6-6----------------------------|

G:5-5-5----3----------------2---3--|

D:4-4-4--3---3-2-----------1---2---|

A:5-5-5----------3----3-2-2---3----|

E:---------------------------------|

chorus : chords

e:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G:------5--------------------------------------------------------------------|

D:--4-5---5-4---C-C-C-C-C/D-D-F-F-F-F/G-G--------------3---F-F-F-F/G---------|

A:5------------------------------------------3---3---3---5-------------------|

E:-----------------------------------------5---5---5-----------------0-1-0-1-|

A charmed life it is....

e:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

B:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G:------5-------Second guitar plays the same as the first guitar-------------|

D:--4-5---5-4----------------------------------------------------------------|

A:5--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

E:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e:------------------------------------------------------------|

B:-----------------------------------6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6|

G:--------------------3------2---3---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5|

D:----G-G-F--------2h3-3-2--1---2----4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4|

A:----------0-1-2-3--------2---3-----5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5|

E:0-1---------------------------------------------------------|

e:------------------------------------------------------------|

B:------------------------------------------------------------|

G:------------------------------------------------------------|

D:------------------------------------------------------------|

A:------------------------------------------------------------|

E:------------------------------------------------------------|

That's about it as far as licks are concerned. The structure of the song is as follows :

VERSE 1 (twice the lick transcribed above)

VERSE 2 (once the lick transcribed above; half as long as the first verse)

SOLO, accompanied by the following chords :

 

I have not transcribed the solo. If you can play a bit of sologuitar, you should be able to

improvise one that sounds just like it quite easily. Just keep in mind what chords the other

guitar is playing.

I have not actually transcribed the second verse, or chorus, but if you can play the riffs

above, you can play the entire song, all you have to do is a bit of puzzling it all together.

Any suggestions, additions or complaints are welcome. Have fun.

Wim Heylen

Ristenstraat 14

2270 Herenthout

Belgium

wheylen@zorro.ruca.ua.ac.be