Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

This is my next installment on how to "More Byrds your Byrds"!

If anybody thinks any of the previous posts I made on this subject is just a bunch of hot air, please disregard! )

Like alot of their songs, "Turn!" features a double tracked 12 String Rickenbacker.

During the intro; the sort of "Bluegrassy" picking excercise, the cycle is ended each time by a two strike "Chord slash"; in this case Bm to A.

ON THE RECORD (CD), this intro is double tracked, and ONE of the Ricky 12's; Roger is playing just the single note run on the "D" string, accompanied of course by the fingers plucking out the open "B" & "E" strings, and during the overdubbed "Bm to A chord slash" (Pardon my non- technical terms here), he just walks back dowm the "D" string, while still plucking out the open B & E strings.

When you see Roger do this now, when he goes to the Bm A strikes, those open B & E strings ringing out are now muted, or "Washed away" if you will.

This of course, is because he is one person, and doesn't have 4 arms!!

Some time ago, I developed a way to do this intro by yourself, have it sound full, AND keep those open B & E strings ringing throughout the ENTIRE intro and outro.

When you begin the song, instead of going for the Bm to A chord slashes, try this voicing for the two chords instead:

NOTE: Read this as TAB: X54000 to X02000.

Ok, so the first chord looks like a Cmaj7 slid up one step (Two frets), and the second chord is sort of an A7sus2; or kind of a "Broken A", if you will.

What's happening is that you are now using Chris' root notes here as your bottom roots. There are enough notes in the "New" first & second chords to continue to suggest a Bm to A (Chris hits a "D" during Crosby's Bm, which of course is a minor 3rd)

The big thing here now is this: Whether your plucking those B & E strings, or swiping that new chord slash, now the B AND E STRINGS ARE OPEN AND RINGING DURING THE ENTIRE PASSAGE.

This is ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE if you don't have a Crosby & Hillman with you, and your playing the part alone.

Then hook up Steve's toy, which will lean you more toward a double tracked sound anyway, and the whole thing gives off sort of an "Illusion" of a double tracked Ricky-12.

Do bear in mind that on the record, during Roger's double time solo, there is STILL one 12 string track under that, playing the single time "Banjo rolls" that of course permeate the entirety of the song.

Someone once pointed out to me; "Hey is Chris playing an 8 string Bass on "Turn!".

Of course, no. What your hearing is Crosby's Gretcshe with a "Drop D" tuning (Rare for "Rock" music at the time anyway).

In fact, if you listen close, Chris & David are not quite on metre with each other at points here; of course, we all know how records were made in the '60's. QUICKLY!!

80 takes notwithstanding.

Try it, I think you'll enjoy it.


Christian


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Chris: I am enjoying your analysis of The Byrds. This sort of thing is an archeological dig for music. There is nothing quite like visiting the same frets as those who have made music history.

Thanks so much Peter; it's fun stuff to be sure!

Chris

It's interesting, all right. And I gave it a try albeit on my 6 string acoustic.

Just as an aside, this isn't the way Roger teaches it on his guitar instruction video. He uses a five string Bm7 chord spelled X04432 to A spelled X02220.

Those "banjo rolls" actually occur during the double time solo. During the verses, he reverts to a picking style reminiscent of a standard alternating bass finger picking pattern popular with folk guitarists of the '60s and '70s and still used by older musicians such as Tom Paxton, and Bill Staines.

I just wanted to clarify a couple of minor points. Thanks for posting your analysis, Chris.

JimK

No problem at all Jim! Indeed, my method is NOT "Correct".

Doesn't claim to be.

What it is, is a way to "Simulate" the double tracked 12 string, by playing it yourself, and keeping those E & B strings open.

On the instructional video, the voicing you refer to is what Crosby plays, and ONE of the 12 string tracks that Roger plays.

The Bm to A is an overdub. The FIRST 12 string track merely plays a single F# to E note on the D string, while Roger is still plucking out the B & E strings.

Thanks so much for the good words! Christian

Chris,

How did you know that the Bm to A chord slash was overdubbed? Can you hear that by just listening closely or was that documented somewhere? I tried to listen closely but I could not really tell for sure. Are the chords also overdubbed in the intro before he starts the D string walk down? I learned this song from his DVD and of course he is not double tracking it on the DVD.

Jim

Hi Jim- In addition to compression, the Ricky 12 was double tracked ALOT. This is confirmed over at sugarmegs, when you can hear Roger overdubbing a second 12 string track onto MTM.

The sound really "Pops" when he begins to lay this part down onto the existing track.

Kind of what a tinge of chorus, and/or delay, plus the Janglebox will do for you know on one guitar.

"Mr. Tambourine Man"; somewhere near take 1, sounds VERY DRY. (Remember too; not much except reverb, compression, the Maestro fuzz tone, etc) in those days.

And apologies are offered in advance if this sounds patronising at all; I know we have some real cracker jack players here at "The Source", but that third sound that is developed from overtones is amazing.

Just double tracking the Ricky makes it actually sound like 3 guitars really.

WITHOUT QUESTION, "The Bells Of Rhymney" is double tracked; you can tell by that orchestral sound, and again, after listening over at Sugarmegs, it really opened my eyes as to what's going on with Roger's guitar.

A song that DOES NOT sound double tracked, is "The Times They Are A Changin"; the 12 string sounding a bit lean and thin here.

Also, watch the old Shindigs, TNT, Show etc, and Only Crosby is hitting a full "Bm to A" on the "Turn" intro.

Roger's instructional video; an AWESOME tool, but don't look at it as gospel. Rog has changed a few things over the years, and one thing I've noticed, is that on the "Turn!" instructional video, he hits a few F# passing notes in non-usual places that I'm not hearing on the original recording. (Not talking about the normal F# parts in the walkdown)

In fact, I think he started doing this fairly early, because if you watch "Mr. Tambourine Man" lip synched on Ed Sullivan, he's grabbing that F# passing note that I've NEVER heard anywhere on the original recording.

On the record, (Turn!) that chord slash; is not just a Gretcshe, you can tell. The Ricky 12 joins here as well on an overdub.

And of course; the banjo rolled solo; there is STILL the REGULAR 12 string track underneath that.

This was the whole reasoning behind my "New" voicing; the B & E strings are not muted during the intro on the record, like the way Roger does it now.

Makes sense though obviously, because he's alone, with nobody else to do the part!! :0)

What I described in my first post, is NOT exactly what's on the record. It's merely a way to make the intro sound that much more hypnotic with only one person playing it.

Best, Christian

Wow, excellent posts, Christian. I can't wait to try this out. Thanks!