Alternate Tuning for "If You're Gone"?

[Folkie]

"If You're Gone" has long been on my list of favorite Byrds tunes, despite its relative obscurity. I tried to figure it out once and had some major problems. Does McGuinn have the Ricky set up to an alternate tuning, and, if so, what is that tuning?

Robert

[jimk]

I don't think so. Near as I can tell, to this day, Roger still doesn't utilize any alternate tunings other than Dropped D, perhaps. "If You're Gone" appears to be in the key of G major. But why should that stop you? It might be interesting to devise an alternate tuning to stamp the song with your own aesthetic sense.
JimK

[Folkie]

Jim K.,

Thanks for the response. I was unable to find the chords and tab to "If You're Gone" online. It seems McGuinn embellishes the song with a lot of his signature banjo rolls. Do you know the song well enough to give me a brief transciption?

One more question: I've searched all over for a Byrds tab book. All I was able to locate was a slim volume called "The Best of the Byrds" (Wise Publications), which is currently out of print. Do you know of any books (other than McGuinn's booklet to the DVD "The 12-String Guitar of Roger McGuinn") of this kind?

Robert

[fatcat]

Who's singing? Gene?

[dbailey62]

Who's singing? Gene?

Gene at his best!

[jimk]

Jim K.,

Thanks for the response. I was unable to find the chords and tab to "If You're Gone" online. It seems McGuinn embellishes the song with a lot of his signature banjo rolls. Do you know the song well enough to give me a brief transciption?

One more question: I've searched all over for a Byrds tab book. All I was able to locate was a slim volume called "The Best of the Byrds" (Wise Publications), which is currently out of print. Do you know of any books (other than McGuinn's booklet to the DVD "The 12-String Guitar of Roger McGuinn") of this kind?

Robert

I don't know the song well enough to thoroughly dissect it. But I can say with some certainty that if you are fairly comfortable playing Turn, Turn, Turn, you probably aren't too far away from getting If You're Gone. Again, don't over think it. If you can figure out the basic chord structure, you'll be close enough. I know this is sort of vague, but it's the best I can do right now without you coming to Lawrence for a guitar lesson.
JimK

[Folkie]

Well understood, Jim. I'll try to get the basic chords just by playing along with the CD. And then maybe I can try some of those amazing banjo rolls. By the way, I've found the fingerpicking a lot easier on my acoustic 12 than on the Ricky. It has something to do with the heavier unison strings, I think. When I engage my compressor while playing my 330/12, the metal fingerpicks cause a lot of extraneous noise, and I just can't roll as easily. Any suggestions?

Robert

[jimk]

When I engage my compressor while playing my 330/12, the metal fingerpicks cause a lot of extraneous noise, and I just can't roll as easily. Any suggestions?

Robert

I went from using heavier gauge metal fingerpicks to lighter gauge picks I found in another guitar case. Cleaned up my playing, and maybe enabled me to play a bit faster, definitely smoother. I save the heavier picks for playing my acoustic. Give it a try, and see what happens.

Also, try putting aside your acoustic 12 for a few weeks and concentrate on your Rick. You can always go back to the acoustic 12 later.
JimK

[Folkie]

Jim,

I use a Dunlop metal .0225 pick on my middle finger and a Dunlop metal .015 pick on my ring finger. Are these relatively heavy gauges? What gauges would you recommend?

Robert

[jimk]

I've been using a pair of Dunlop .025 picks and a CF Martin .073 mm plastic flat pick. You know the ones; faux generic tortoise shell looking things sold by the bushel at all music stores.

Your choice of gauges for finger picks sound fine to me. They're lighter gauge than the ones I use. If they work for you, then don't mess with success, I always say.
I hope everything is working out for you.
JimK

[Folkie]

For years with my 330/12 I've used medium gauge faux-tortoise shell flatpicks from Rudy's Music Stop in New York. Rudy's stopped making the picks, and I've just switched to lighter gauge Dunlop .50 mm flatpicks. The Dunlops seem to be a really good match for my Janglebox and to really bring out the chime of the guitar. I tried a REALLY light flatpick and found it was just too flimsy.

Robert

[Zurdo]

hi all, I'm new here but been playing Byrds since the mid 1960's. I used to play Byrds with a customized Spanish 12 string!!
Then I bought my 370-12 in Sept. 1967. Still have it, turns out it is a 1966.

is it the song in the first or second album? the one in 6/8 beat? always one of my favorites.

the verse part:

G to F major (with a G note on the 1st string) to E minor 7

A minor to C major to D sus4

the instrumental part:

D sus4 to C major to G to C to G
E minor to C major to D sus4

Zurdo

[Folkie]

Zurdo,

Thanks so much for the brief transcription. "If You're Gone" is a real gem, oft-neglected except by avid Byrds enthusiasts. I think Roger's playing is beautiful (particularly the banjo rolls), although a bit hard to copy, except in spirit.

Robert

[Zurdo]

Zurdo,
Thanks so much for the brief transcription. "If You're Gone" is a real gem, oft-neglected except by avid Byrds enthusiasts. I think Roger's playing is beautiful (particularly the banjo rolls), although a bit hard to copy, except in spirit. Robert

Robert, you bet, I love that song too, particularly the unison D note vocal chorus in the background, very "haunting". ("unison" because there's two or three vocals singing the same single D note).

I always thought The Byrds were special, a sound I could not get tired of. I know all their albums up to "Notorious Byrd Bros." After that it became too Country & Western for my taste, being a rocker

Also, all their albums were recorded at A=440hz, (the "E" note in a piano), no dropped or alternate tuning to my knowledge, the E flat tuning is something that Roger must have started in the 1990's, maybe for playing comfort ?, I have tried it and don't like it, you lose the "brilliance" of the 12-string Rickenbacker sound, sounds kind of dull.

Have you noticed the similarities between the Trumpet sounds in "Notorious Byrd Brothers" and "Magical Mystery Tour" ?

Zurdo

[Folkie]

Zurdo,

I haven't listened to "Notorious Byrd Brothers" or "Magical Mystery Tour" in years, so I have no opinion on possible similarities. I do hear a little of "Revolver" and "Sgt. Pepper" on "Younger Than Yesterday." In interviews, McGuinn has made it sound like the band gave up psychedelia shortly after "Eight Miles High" came out,
but "Younger Than Yesterday" is full of backwards tape loops and trippy imagery. I think it pales in comparison to earlier Byrds records, although "Have You Seen Her Face," "Rock and Roll Star," "Why," and "My Back Pages" are classic Byrds.

Robert