Before You Hit The Ground tab by Jonny Lang

Tabs

Song: Before You Hit The Ground
Artist: Jonny Lang
Album: Wander This World

transcribed by Paul Smith ([email protected])

Jonny Lang usually plays a Telecaster Thinline through a Fender Vibroking...

Notation:
^ - bend    x/y - Slide from x to y
x - Muted note    p - pulloff
h - hammer-on    ~ - Let ring

* NOTE a note with only a bend sign ^ by it indicates a 1/4 step bend

This is a little riff he opens the song with, and is hardly audible unless
you turn up the volume.

All notes heavily muted

e |--7-6-5----|
BB |--------7--|
G+G |-----------|
D MajorD |-----------|
A augmentedA |-----------|
E MajorE |-----------|

Here's the main riff; Jonny playes some variations on this, but this is
pretty much it.

Played 4x in the intro

e |--3^--0-----------0-----3^--0------7-5-3^----|
BB |--2^-----3/5--0h2---0---2^----3/5---------5--|
G+G |---------------------------------------------|
D MajorD |---------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA |---------------------------------------------|
E MajorE |---------------------------------------------|

This is a rhythm guitar that does a lot of fills throughout the song.
Clean tone, and a lot of syncopated muted strums in between notes.
Be funky with it.
                       Let ring
e |-------------------------------------------7---------|
BB |-------------------------------------------7---------|
G+G |-------------------------------------------7---------|
D MajorD |-2---2---2---2---......--2---2---2p0-------6---------|
A augmentedA |-------------------------------------2-----7---------|
E MajorE |---------------------------------------3^------------|
           etc...

And the buzz is good...

Guitar 1   Guitar II
e |--12--|   |--9---|
BB |--14--|   |--10--|
G+G |--12--|   |--9---|
D MajorD |------|   |------|
A augmentedA |------|   |------|
E MajorE |------|   |------|
Strum these chords accordingly

He plays this during every verse except for the first:

    ~      Guitar 1   Guitar II
e |----9p7---9-9--9---9--|  e |--12--|   |--9---|
BB |----9p7---9-9--9---9--|  BB |--14--|   |--10--|
G+G |----7-----7-7--7---7--|  G+G |--12--|   |--9---|
D MajorD |----6-----6-6--6---6--|  D MajorD |------|   |------|
A augmentedA |----------7-7--7---7--|  A augmentedA |------|   |------|
E MajorE |----------------------|  E MajorE |------|   |------|

  So you better look up or you're gonna be gone...Before you hit the ground
e |-------2------------------------------------3-----2------------------|
BB |-------2------------------------------------3-----2------------------|
G+G |-------2------------------------------------3-----2------------------|
D MajorD |-------1------------------------------------2-----1------------------|
A augmentedA |-------2------------------------------------3-----2------------------|
E MajorE |---------------------------------------------------------------------|


The solo is a masterpiece done by Lang. His use of musical tension deserves
much credit.

e |--------------------------------------------------|
BB |--------------------------------------------------|
G+G |-----------9--11^13---------9-11^13--11^13^11--9--|
D MajorD |------9h11-------------9h11-----------------------|
A augmentedA |-9h11---------------------------------------------|
E MajorE |--------------------------------------------------|

                   Hold this bend and let it dip a little
           but not all the way back down to the
           12th fret. Listen to the song to get it
e
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB
|--------------------12-------------12^14--^13^14--^13^14--^13^14--^13^14-|
G+G
|-----------9--11^13----x-13^11-9-----------------------------------------|
D MajorD
|------9h11---------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA
|-9h11--------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|


  bend slowly
e
|-12^15-------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB
|-------------12p9--------------------------------------------------------|
G+G
|-------------------13^11-9---9------11^14--11^13---9--11^12^11--9--------|
D MajorD
|-------------------------------11----------------------------------------|
A augmentedA
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                  Make this
                note scream!
e
|----------12-12--------------------14^15^14----12--------------20^22-----|
BB
|-------12--------15^17---17^15p12------------------15^17-----------------|
G+G
|-14^16-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|


e
|-12----------12--------------12------------------------------------------|
BB
|----15^17-------15p12-----------15p12------------------------------------|
G+G
|----------------------14p12-----------14--12^-12^------------16-14-12----|
D MajorD
|--------------------------------------------------14--12h14-----------14-|
A augmentedA
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

It quiets down after the solo for a few measures, and here are the fills
for that rhythm guitar:
              Strum these
e |-------------------------------------|  |-----12-------------|
BB |------------------------/7---6---5---|  |------14------------|
G+G |------------------------/6---5---4---|  |-------15-----------|
D MajorD |------------------------/7---6---5---|  |--------------------|
A augmentedA |-------------------------------------|  |--------------------|
E MajorE |-0-----------------------------------|  |--------------------|
  ~            ~        ~

The outro solo:

e |-------------------3^------------7/5-5--3-------3^---0-----------------|
BB |-----3h5----5-x---------5---3/5------------5----2^------3/5------------|
G+G |--------------x--------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD |--5--------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


e |------0--0----3^---0-----------7-7--5---5p3----------------------------|
BB |-0h2----------2^-------3/5---------------------------------------------|
G+G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


e |-16^17---15^16---12----------12---14^15^14---12--14^15-----------------|
BB |----------------------12h14--------------------------------------------|
G+G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


e |--------12-12--14^15^14--12--12------------14^15^14p12--14----14p12----|
BB |--12h14----------------------------14--12--------------------------14--|
G+G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

              Fade out...
e |--15^17--15^16---12----------14^15^14--12--12------12------------------|
BB |-----------------------/12---------------------15----------------------|
G+G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|