Before You Hit The Ground tab by Jonny Lang

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

transcribed by Paul Smith (thegraffix@hotmail.com)

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----|
B |--------7--|
G |-----------|
D |-----------|
A |-----------|
E |-----------|

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^----|
B |--2^-----3/5--0h2---0---2^----3/5---------5--|
G |---------------------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------|

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---------|
B |-------------------------------------------7---------|
G |-------------------------------------------7---------|
D |-2---2---2---2---......--2---2---2p0-------6---------|
A |-------------------------------------2-----7---------|
E |---------------------------------------3^------------|
                     etc...

And the buzz is good...

Guitar 1     Guitar II
e |--12--|     |--9---|
B |--14--|     |--10--|
G |--12--|     |--9---|
D |------|     |------|
A |------|     |------|
E |------|      |------|
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---|
B |----9p7---9-9--9---9--|    B |--14--|     |--10--|
G |----7-----7-7--7---7--|    G |--12--|     |--9---|
D |----6-----6-6--6---6--|    D |------|     |------|
A |----------7-7--7---7--|    A |------|     |------|
E |----------------------|    E |------|      |------|


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


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

e |--------------------------------------------------|
B |--------------------------------------------------|
G |-----------9--11^13---------9-11^13--11^13^11--9--|
D |------9h11-------------9h11-----------------------|
A |-9h11---------------------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------------------------|

                                     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
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B
|--------------------12-------------12^14--^13^14--^13^14--^13^14--^13^14-|
G
|-----------9--11^13----x-13^11-9-----------------------------------------|
D
|------9h11---------------------------------------------------------------|
A
|-9h11--------------------------------------------------------------------|
E
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|


    bend slowly
e
|-12^15-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B
|-------------12p9--------------------------------------------------------|
G
|-------------------13^11-9---9------11^14--11^13---9--11^12^11--9--------|
D
|-------------------------------11----------------------------------------|
A
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                                    Make this
                                note scream!
e
|----------12-12--------------------14^15^14----12--------------20^22-----|
B
|-------12--------15^17---17^15p12------------------15^17-----------------|
G
|-14^16-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|


e
|-12----------12--------------12------------------------------------------|
B
|----15^17-------15p12-----------15p12------------------------------------|
G
|----------------------14p12-----------14--12^-12^------------16-14-12----|
D
|--------------------------------------------------14--12h14-----------14-|
A
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

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

The outro solo:

e |-------------------3^------------7/5-5--3-------3^---0-----------------|
B |-----3h5----5-x---------5---3/5------------5----2^------3/5------------|
G |--------------x--------------------------------------------------------|
D |--5--------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


e |------0--0----3^---0-----------7-7--5---5p3----------------------------|
B |-0h2----------2^-------3/5---------------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


e |-16^17---15^16---12----------12---14^15^14---12--14^15-----------------|
B |----------------------12h14--------------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|


e |--------12-12--14^15^14--12--12------------14^15^14p12--14----14p12----|
B |--12h14----------------------------14--12--------------------------14--|
G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

                            Fade out...
e |--15^17--15^16---12----------14^15^14--12--12------12------------------|
B |-----------------------/12---------------------15----------------------|
G |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|