Tweaking "The Bells Of Rhymney"

[mcd220]

This is one that I tread on, and "Mess with" carefully and gingerly; for I believe (The only exception being that Gene didn't write it) that this song absolutely personifies everything that is so special about this band.

Without question, the "Magnum Opus" from "The Original 5".

For this reason, I've done very little in any kind of re-arranging, etc to this track. It stands alone as something really spectacular.

Many years ago, I started playing with that little turnaround right before the guitar solo:

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"Why so worried, sisters why, say the silver bells and wye".
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This is what I came up with. Try these chords during that passage:

X00232 XX0432 320002 & 020102

The first chord of course, is your standard D.

The second chord is Bm/D. When the guitars change to a Bm here, Chris continues to "Ride" the D, and if you have your "Crosby" play a full barre Bm, with Roger's part accentuating what Chris is doing, it REALLY adds to the "Bluegrass/Raga" element. The trick is keeping the D string OPEN while going to the second chord.

Here is where the twist comes in:

The third chord, I change from a standard G, into a Gmaj7 (Note: It should be a "Broken" voicing like shown, and not a "B minorish" Gmaj7 like the Bm/D I use for the second chord)

Much like the second chord in "Lyin' Eyes" by The Eagles, in other words.

The forth chord is an E7add F# (I'm sure there is another name for it)
Have your Crosby play a stock E major, however. You don't want the 7th to be "Too dominant"

So what's going on here now?

What's happening, is that you now have a high F# on ALL FOUR CHORDS (2nd fret, high E string).

It makes this passage all the more beautiful and poignant; so much so, you'll want to cry. (At least for me it does! :0)

The rest of the song, it's note for note for me; I don't change a thing.

I've had thoughts of arranging it with actual bells starting the tune off, and maybe a Sitar or Tamboura tuned to d droning along, but this might be "Gilding the lily", so to speak.

Immediately following is the guitar solo; THE GUITAR SOLO.

In fact, it's my favourite guitar solo on the face of the Earth.

People are always more impressed if I pull out the intro to "The Spirit Of Radio" by RUSH, but it's ALWAYS TBOR for me.

During that last chord of the solo; the diminished one (What's the name-help me guys!!) The picking goes into full "Scruggs overdrive", and it's MOVIN'.

In fact you can hear; almost feel Roger wrestling with that Rickenbacker. He pulls it off (No pun!), but he's workin' there, to be sure.

Another important point here:

JUST LIKE "TURN!", DAVID CROSBY USES A "DROP D" TUNING. YOU CAN REALLY HERE IT ON THE LEFT CHANNEL, AND SEE IT AT "THE BIG TNT SHOW".

So of course, your fingering on the low E for David's parts are moved up two frets; one step.

This is yet another reason to make Roger's parts interesting, as David has his hands full just playing "Stock" chords, if you will.

In fact, David's part during that 4 chord turnaround arrangement I'm suggesting, should simply be this: D Bm G E

So, with the "Drop D", Crosby should look like this during that turnaround:

000232 024422 555403 222100

Nothing more, nothing less.

ALSO, THE 12 STRING IS UNQUESTIONABLY DOUBLE TRACKED ON THIS SONG; YOU CAN REALLY HEAR IT WHEN ROGER GOES TO THE A CHORDS, LIKE ON "CARDIFF", "MERTHYR", "RHONDA", ETC.

My old keyboardest, John Marino (Who is a gifted prodigy BTW-96 Tears to Stravinsky, and EVERYTHING in between) made an EXCELLENT point once:

"Think about it Chris, when the Ricky 12 was designed and made, it wasn't NECCESSARILY intended to be played like a Banjo".

We've already talked about the "Anomaly" like qualities of the instrument; it's oddities, it's difficulties, etc.

So what remains is this:

PLAYING THE RICKENBACKER 12 STRING GUITAR LIKE ROGER MCGUINN IS A HELL OF ALOT TOUGHER AND HARDER THAN IT LOOKS AND SOUNDS. :0)

Enjoy, and God Bless,

Christian



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[37012player]

Hello Cristian,

I've been following your Byrds posts with facination and admiration. Nice work and I hope you have some more to come too!

I have two questions for you.

On the recording (CD's from the Columbia reissue set) "The Solo" sound a bit flat in places and perhaps too quiet to me. Was it double tracked as it seems to me limited hearing to lack the sparkle and punch as say the TTT solo seems to have. I wonder if Terry Melcher doubted the commercial viability of this and didn't quite put the effort into it also?

My second question, and I'm sure this has been asked many times before, so sorry to the long time forum members. Do you have or know were I might get a transcript (tab) of the solo?

Thanks again for the informative posts.

Simon.

[mcd220]

Hi Simon- VERY interesting points to be sure! I can't say that I'm POSITIVE the "Bells" solo isn't double tracked (I think it is), but let's keep this mind as well:

During the Turn! solo, you have both the B & E strings OPEN, so there will be more sustain and sparkle if you will, than if those notes are "Fretted".

ALSO; remember that during the "Turn!" solo, you STILL HAVE THE OTHER 12 STRING TRACK UNDERNEATH THAT, PLAYING SINGLE TIME LIKE THE REST OF THE SONG.

As far as TAB on the solo; don't know if it's anywhere, and I am NOT GOOD AT ALL in tabbing out "Single note stuff", if you know what I mean.

What I can do, is give you tab for the chordal positions Roger uses during the solo.

You'll have to work out the picking and timing!! :0)

Anyway, here we go:

XX0775 XX0777 (Back and forth, right) then XX0770 XX0000 XX0121212 XX2323 (Diminished) then XX0003 XX0002 XX0000.

Then back into the song. Sometimes Roger will slide the diminished chord up to the reciprocal chord halfway during that chord's "Tenure":

XX4545.

He did this when I saw him in 1986.

Hope that helps!

Christian

[37012player]

Hi Christian,

Hmm yeah I take your point about the open E & B strings really ringing out.

Thanks, I'll have a dabble with the chords.

Simon.

[byrddog]

Chris,
Hey, I've been following your posts as well, and what the heck can I say? This is great stuff! Yes, Bells is indeed one of the BYRD's instrumental and vocal masterpieces...and maybe THE one. Why not add some bells to your take on it?...kind of a single large cathedral bell..a bout four clangs...then bring in the instrumental. I did a fund raiser track for a local Fire Dept...went out to one of their stations and recorded one of the ladder trucks going through it's various horn blasts and siren cycles. Added those live sounds to the beginning of my track with a heavy drum kick then faded into my 9/11 song....finished off with a piper doing amazing grace. My ears hurt for awhile when we recorded those pipes.

[tamborineman]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum so it really excites me to see that other Ric/Byrds lovers have thought about these things, as I have. I love the the hotter than usual tone Roger gets on this one. It's definitly one of their best. I read somewhere that ` Bells` was the inspiration for George's `If I Needed Someone`. Also check out `Chimes of Freedom` another often overlooked gem. Everything I ever heard by bruce springstein reminds me of this song but don't hold it against me. That's right I'm not a springstein fan.

[mcd220]

There is something special about this song to be sure! It contains so much of what is special about this band. I agree, the guitar sound here is stellar. A BIG part of this is of course the fact the the Ricky is double tracked throughout.

Really makes the song come alive!

I think Chris Hillman called it the "Quintessential Byrds song" once.

Christian