Drowned (live) – bass tab

Drowned (live) | bass tab
By The Who
>Originally from Quadrophenia (adapted from stage version, namely the 1973 broadcast 12-4-73 
Philadelphia gig, titled "Tales from the Who")
Written by Pete Townshend ©1973 Fabulous Music Ltd.  

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

transcribed by abachman88@yahoo.com     2005-06-05                  Whotabs                
exclusively for thewho.net/whotabs/ (best site on the net)          www.thewho.net/whotabs/

Note: Key of C major (improv breaks in key of D major)
Note: Your speed while playing must be very, very fast. They didn't call him "Thunderfingers"
for nothing.
Note: timing is pretty approximate
Note: listed times are from "Tales From the Who" CD
Note: It is a shame that no official release of a Quadrophenia concert has been released. 
I would suggest trying to obtain a few, Tales from the Who is best quality, but the show 
wasn't quite the most energetic. "Merry Christmas Mr. Who 1973" and "Live at the Charlton 
Football Ground 1974" are two exceptional versions of "Drowned" that stick out and are good 
quality. The recorded version does little for the genius of this song.

               __________________________________

[Guitar starts. After 4 measures drums. After 15.75, bust out]

G|--------------------
D|-\88877665544345----  [slide while hitting the notes 
A|--------------------  as fast as you can in one beat]
E|--------------------

>verse pattern (below) four measures, begin lyrics:

There are men high up there fishing
        G|-------------------|-------------------|
        D|-------3--4-4--5-5-|-------3--4-4--5-5-|
        A|-3--5--------------|-3--5--------------|
        E|-------------------|-------------------|  

Haven't seen quite enough of the world
      G|----------------------------|-----
      D|------------3----4-4----5-5-|-----
      A|-3---5----------------------|-3---  [throw in a cool fill]
      E|----------------------------|-----

I aint seen a sign of my hero, (2 verse patterns)
And I'm still diving down for pearls (one verse, root note, fill)

=====================================================
Here's some tasty verse fills I picked up listening to John:

Fill #1: 0:29

G|--/10----997----------
D|-------------99-------
A|----------------------
E|----------------------
This one can also be played one step down effectively (1:24)

Fill #2

G|--7--7-5------------
D|---------5-5--------
A|-------------5------
E|--------------------


Fill #3: 1:08 - 1:10
        
G|----9^*--777--9^*-7777-|------------------
D|-----------------------|-9-7-9-9----------
A|-----------------------|---------7-9-7/3--
E|-----------------------|------------------
    *mute after bend (real quick, like a chirp)
====================================================
Chorus

  Let me flow into the ocean
G|----------------------------------
D|-5--5-------3--3-------2--2---0---
A|----------------------------------
E|----------------------------------

  Let me get back to the sea
 G|---------------------|------
 D|----------3-----5----|------
 A|--3--5---------------|-3--5-  fill
 E|---------------------|------ 

  Let me be stormy, let me be calm...
G|----------------------------------
D|-5--5-------3--3-------2--2---0---
A|----------------------------------
E|----------------------------------


Let the tide in, and set...me free
G|-----------------------------------------
D|-------------------3------------------3\-
A|------3---------------------3------------
E|-----------------------------------------

[Guitar plays, bust out with slide, begin verse again]

I'm flowing under bridges,
And flying through the sky.
I'm travelling down cold mantle, 
Just a tear in a baby's eye.

>Chorus
Set me free (fill)

>Bridge:

   I am not the actor,   this can't be the scene
G|---------------------|-------------------------
D|-5------------3------|--2-----------------3----
A|---------------------|-------------------------
E|---------------------|-------------------------

 But I am in the water, as far as I can see...
G|---------------------|------------------------------
D|-5------------3------|-2----------------3--3--3/13--
A|---------------------|------------------------------
E|---------------------|------------------------------

=============================================================
Solo section: This is very hard to duplicate like him, it's too fast to transcribe most of 
it. There is no true baseline, just one big solo really, but it still grooves. That's what 
made him great. Move to the D major scale. Here are some repeated patterns and a few fills 
that I like.

Patterns

There's some of this often

G|--------------------------
D|---------5---66--7-7------
A|-5---7--------------------
E|--------------------------

and this
G|-------------------------
D|----55--77--88--9-10-----
A|-55----------------------
E|-------------------------

sometimes this  2:15 (first time)
G|--45-66-77-88-9-10--
D|--------------------    also one string down sounds good
A|--------------------
E|--------------------

this is followed by this ill lick at 2:17
G|-/9----77777757-----
D|---------------7----
A|--------------------
E|--------------------

==============================================================
Interlude (5.15 horns)

G|-----------7-5----|---------------  x4 (or 6)
D|-7--7-5-7---------|-7--7-5-4------
A|------------------|-----------7-5-
E|------------------|---------------

==============================================================
 Go Back to Key of C after
 3:16
G|---------------------|
D|---------------------|
A|-------18--16--13--3-|
E|---------------------|
  throw in other low improv for another measure
  and begin verse pattern

    I'm remembering distant memories
        G|-------------------|-------------------|
        D|-------3--4-4--5-5-|-------3--4-4--5-5-|
        A|-3--5--------------|-3--5--------------|
        E|-------------------|-------------------|  

        Recalling other names
      G|-------------------|-----
      D|------ 3--4-4--5-5-|-----
      A|-3--5--------------|-3--  throw in another cool fill
      E|-------------------|-----

   I'm rippling over the canyons,
   And boiling in the train     [hard fast fill]

>Chorus
Set me free, set me free
I wanna drown, I wanna drown
DROWNED

Let the tide in,
Let the ti--de in.
Let the tide rush over me



==================================
For outro solo, play in key of C, have singer scream "Drowned" a time or two, first time 
after chorus and "I wanna drown" which kicks off the solo and second time after being real 
quiet with the chorus and all three intruments should bust out.

(quiet music, steady drum beat, quick sixteenth note quiet stums dut-dut dut) "I wanna 
drown, I wanna drown, I wanna drown, I wanna drown, whoo-hoo drown, whoo-hoo drown, in cold 
water, in cold water, I wanna drown, drown, DROWNED!" (Complete ass-shredding music 
convulsion sticking to the verse pattern.)

The Who's stage performance isn't a complete all out jam, it's like an episodical series of 
different solos, introduced by the lyrics thrown in here and there.

Tips to play like John (since there aren't any on the net, this tab will give you some):
There really aren't any. His style is completely a unique one in the world of bassists. If 
you listen to any live song by The Who, you might not notice his playing, but if you listen 
to just the bass, it's like a never ending solo, but somehow it still sounds tight. I 
believe this is because of his timing and his knowledge of the root notes to what he should 
be playing if he was a normal bassist. But here: stick to the measures tightly; make fills 
often; know your root note and emphasize the chord notes; use your index, middle >and< ring 
finger on your striking hand; and don't do any wanking fills (above the fifteenth or so fret 
on any string). 

Anyway, have fun. Enjoy this song and try to get some live recordings to hear his stunning 
playing. Feel free to email me with questions or comments. 

The Who: "the greatest f*ckin' rock and roll band on earth"

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#