Drive My Car

[admin]

Intro to Drive My Car

|-------------------|--------------------|
|--------------6--5-|-7--7-5---5--7-(7)-|
|---5-7b8r5-------5-|-7--7-5---5--7-(7)-|
|-7----------7------|--------5-----------|
|-------------------|--------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|

Here is my take on the intro to Drive My Car. This is played at the fifth fret with the majority of the work done with the index and middle finger. The only real departure from this is the single note at the sixth fret on the B string played with the second finger.

So starting out on the 7th fret of the D string with the third finger followed by the 5th fret of the G string with the first finger, Next bend (b)up a half tone on the 7th fret with the third finger, release it (7b8r) and then play the 5th fret of the G string with the first finger. This forms a quick riff that in reality plays the frets 8,7,5 together. Drop down to the initial position at the 7th fret of D and then up to the 6th fret of the B string with the second finger. Then follow the sequence of barring G and B strings at the 5th and 7th frets as shown above letting the last 7th fret notes ring out in brackets (7).

Listening to the recording will make this information easier to follow.

My view is that this is Paul McCartney as it is his favourite type of bending riff in the key D at the fifth fret. He used similar riffs in Taxman, Another Girl, Ticket To Ride and so on. I am not saying that George didn't play this or couldn't have, just that it seems typically McCartney to me.

There are any number of tabs for Drive My Car on the internet and I invite you to try them all. Some have the riff played with slides instead of bends which I find is somewhat of a departure from McCartney's style.

I have also tried this riff through a Fender Bassman, Fender Twin Reverb and a Voc AC30 and found the Bassman tonality to be closest when using an Epiphone Casino.

Perhaps a final general point with regard to Drive My Car. McCartney's bass lines in the verse are very close to those played on the guitar. Not only does this make for a interesting interaction, but also reflects the likelihood that he wrote and perhaps played the lead guitar riffs for this song as well.

I can't finish this brief comment without giving Ringo some credit for the cool cowbell and the drum beat in the last line of each verse before "Baby you can drive my car." It really makes the listener take notice and certainly adds his signature.

[stuart]

Thank you very much, Peter! This is the best tab of the intro I've ever seen. The first time I played it, it felt right. All those tabs you mentioned online seem off to me, so that's why I mentioned in the Nowhere Man thread that I'd like to see a Drive My Car analysis. This is great

How about the part that says "and I can show you a better time"... the part that comes right after that is my favorite... I think it's a bass lick mirrored on guitar, played on the 7th and 9th frets of the 5th and 6th strings.

Thanks again for doing this.

[admin]

Stuart: A nice touch at this part of the song, I agree.

|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-----------7-9-7---|
|-5--5--7s9-------9-|

ter-time

A key is the quick slide from the 7th to 9th fret on the E string followed by the immediate playing of the 7th fret note on the A string and then the rapid pull off in the 9 7 notes on the A string before the last note of the riff on the 9th fret of the E string. The last three notes, for all practical purposes, become a triplet.

[Scastles]

Peter, your tab was to perfection. I had played it close to this way but you added a little something to it with the '7br85'...fills it in, so to speak

[admin]

Thanks Stan, as always there are numerous interpretations. It is fun, however, to try to get it as close as possible to the original recording.

If I have learned anything about the Beatles, it is that most of their guitar riffs and chords are straightforward. In situations where it seems too difficult and one can't play along with the record, that is often a clue to a capoed song or some alternate tunings or studio trickery.

[Scastles]

Peter, you are so right! As very talented as the guys were there is a a lot of 'production' effort which went into a number of tracks. Some speed variables, dubovers, here and there, (as they were noted for) makes the song(s) change entirely. As far as trying to duplicate thier playing completely, some songs are much easier than others, where G. Martin didn't add his only little magic to complete the tune. Some are more straightforward than others.

[britye]

Wow!! Cool Peter, Plugged my Casino into my litte Vox pathfinder mini-stack cranked the volume and upped the treb. dropped bass down hit the boost button and viola!! Thanks that was fun!