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HOW SOON IS NOW - The Smiths
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Tabbed by: Jonathan Murray 23.03.2007
Email: jmurray911@gmail.com
Tuning: Standard tuning but with capo on 2nd fret. All tab is relative to the
capo position, so the F# chord is tabbed as an E chord in the open position.
Alternatively, you could tune the whole guitar up two semitones. I suspect
that Johnny Marr may have done this, since so many of The Smiths songs use a
raised tuning. I would personally opt for a capo to save the neck on my guitar!
Either way, the chord SHAPES are:
Verse
-----
E Esus4 G D A6
Chorus
------
Aadd9 Cmaj7 G Dmaj7 Bsus4 Dadd9 E
In the tab I have written the actual pitch.
This tab covers the main verse and chorus guitar parts. This arrangement will
allow you to play the song on an acoustic and get the main harmonic and melodic hooks
the song. The extra lead parts such as the weeping slide part and reverbed overdubs aren't
to play, but I haven't included them here.
INTRO
The actual guitar sound is created using the tremolo unit on a Fender Twin Reverb
A tremolo pedal will also help you get the right sound.
Live, it sounds like he also uses a delay with hold function to sample this riff and
it going while he plays the main verse chords.
The rhythm is strummed using 16th beats and syncopation which would be very hard to
The feel is like this:
^ ^ ^
1234561234561234 Or 12312312 - if that helps...
When you get the rhythm right the chords below spring to life, and the song is actually
easy to play!
F# F#sus4
Repeated throughout using echo sample.
e|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|B|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|G|--1---1---1---1---1---1---2---1---|D|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|A|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|E|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
VERSE
The verse is strummed using 16th beats. I have used 8th beats here.
F# F#sus4 F# F#sus4e|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|B|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|G|--1---1---1---1---1---1---2---1---|--1---1---1---1---1---1---2---1---|D|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|A|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|E|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
F# A E E B6e|--0---0---0---0---0---0---3---2---|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|B|--0---0---0---0---0---0---3---3---|--3---3---3---3---3---2---2---2---|G|--1---1---1---1---1---1---0---2---|--2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|D|--2---2---2---2---2---2---0---0---|--0---0---0---0---0---2---2---2---|A|--2---2---2---2---2---2-----------|----------------------0---0---0---|E|--0---0---0---0---0---0-----------|----------------------------------|
On the live recording I think he plays the A and the E an octave higher
using the following shapes, but these are harder to play on an acoustic.
(Remember to add on 2 frets to your actual neck position for the capo!)
F# A E E B6e|--0---0---0---0---0---0-------10--|--10--10--10--10--10--2---2---2---|B|--0---0---0---0---0---0---12--10--|--10--10--10--10--10--2---2---2---|G|--1---1---1---1---1---1---12--11--|--11--11--11--11--11--2---2---2---|D|--2---2---2---2---2---2---12--12--|--12--12--12--12--12--2---2---2---|A|--2---2---2---2---2---2-------0---|--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|E|--0---0---0---0---0---0-----------|----------------------------------|
CHORUS
The chorus makes use of open strings to get a fabulous harmonic sound.
The use of major seventh chords is also quintessential Marr guitar!
To my ears, they make the song. This is just brilliant!
Repeat X2
Badd9 Dmaj7 A5 Emaj7 C#m7 Eadd9 F#e|---------------------|--3---3--3------2--2--|---0---0--0-----0--0--|--0------------|B|--0---0--0-----0--0--|--3---3--3------2--2--|---0---0--0-----0--0--|--0------------|G|--4---4--4-----0--0--|--0---0--0------2--2--|---4---4--4-----7--7--|--1------------|D|--2---2--2-----2--2--|--0---0--0------0--0--|---4---4--4-----7--7--|--2------------|A|--0---0--0-----3--3--|--x---x--x------------|---2---2--2-----5--5--|--2------------|E|---------------------|--3---3--3------------|----------------------|--0------------|
I hope this helps you play the song. If you have any suggestions for improvements, or if
have made any mistakes, please do let me know!
Jonathan Murray
jmurray911@gmail.com
