Lifeless Dead
Here is the transcription to Lifeless Dead. The one that
you have is really bad.
Yoda
dill@tslight.com
Lifeless Dead
By Mad Season
from the Album Above
Transcription by Yoda (an accurate one)
dill@tslight.com
Due to the posting of a highly irregular and inaccurate
transcription, I have found it necessary to post better.
The song is in standard guitar tuning.
Intro Riff (Riff A)
1E -|---------------------------------|--------------------
2B -|---------------------------------|----Repeat----------
3G -|---------------------------------|--------------------
4D -|7-7-5----------------------------|----Riff-5X---------
5A -|------6-sl-down--0-3-4-5-5-0---0-|--------------------
6E -|---------------------------------|--------------------
This intro riff is the main riff/theme for the entire song.
The "sl down" means that after plucking the 6th fret on the
5th string you are to slide down the neck to about the 2nd
fret. The slide does not start right after plucking the
string, wait about one beat then slide down. Omit the last
note of the phrase in Riff A (the open A string) right before
the first verse vocals start (only this time).
Verse Riff (Riff B)
1E --------------------------------------------------------------
2B --------------------------------------------------------------
3G --------------------------------------------------------------
4D -5-7-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7-------------5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7--------
5A -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-7--
6E --------------------------------------------------------------
Palm Mute ----> ----> ------> ------> -----> ----> ---->RPM
Lifeless Dead that unclean bed
1E --------------------------------------------------------------
2B --------------------------------------------------------------
3G --------------------------------------------------------------
4D -5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7-------------5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7----------
5A -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-7----
6E --------------------------------------------------------------
Palm Mute ----> ----> ----> ---> (Release Palm Mute RPM)
Till or when her hunger's fed
1E --------------------------------------------------------------
2B --------------------------------------------------------------
3G --------------------------------------------------------------
4D -5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7-------------5-7-5-------5-7-5-7-5--------
5A -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-7----
6E --------------------------------------------------------------
Continue RPM ^Palm Mute^ RPM P.M. RPM
How he'd wished that they would wed
1E --------------------------------------------------------------
2B --------------------------------------------------------------
3G --------------------------------------------------------------
4D -5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7-------------5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7----------
5A -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-7----
6E --------------------------------------------------------------
RPM P.M P.M. RPM --------> ---------->
"I promise on our love" she said
1E --------------------------------------------------------------
2B --------------------------------------------------------------
3G --------------------------------------------------------------
4D -5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7-------------5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7----------
5A -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-7----
6E --------------------------------------------------------------
RPM P.M P.M. RPM --------> ---------->
Promises were never kept
1E --------------------------------------------------------------
2B --------------------------------------------------------------
3G --------------------------------------------------------------
4D -5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7-------------5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7----------
5A -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-7----
6E --------------------------------------------------------------
RPM P.M P.M. RPM --------> ---------->
Alone on dirty floor he slept
1E ---------|-Chorus------|-Verse 2--|-Chorus-----|---------------
2B ---------|-------------|----------|------------|---------------
3G ---------|-Repeat---4X-|-Repeat---|-Repeat--4X-|---------------
4D ---------|-------------|----------|------------|---------------
5A -3-3-2-0-|-Riff A------|-Riff B---|-Riff A-----|---------------
6E ---------|-------------|----------|------------|---------------
For the Verse Riff there is Palm Muting involved. This is when
you use the palm of your picking hand to slightly muffle the
strings as you pick them. It gives a muted, muffled, but
distinguished sound. The Verse Riff is mixed with Palm Muted
and non Palm Muted sections. When the Palm Mute is released,
I have notated it as RPM for Release Palm Mute. I also abbreviate
Palm Mute with P.M. The basic theory behind this song is that
anytime you are playing the open A string pedal tone alone, it is
to be Palm Muted.
Also, at the end of each staff where you play the 0,8,7 on the
5th or A string, the 7th fret part is held and then slid down
as previously described in the Intro/Riff A section.
The second verse is shorter than the first verse. Only play
the first four tab/staff sections for the second verse. Also
for the part in Riff B where the 5-7-5 part is slightly changed
from the standard way in the first verse, it is normal style in
the second verse.
Bridge Riff (Riff C)
G F# D C# B
1E -|--------------------|----------|-------
2B -|--------------------|--Repeat--|-------
3G -|-12---11-----7----6-|----------|--4----
4D -|-12---11-----7----6-|----3X----|--4----
5A -|-10---09-----5----4-|----------|--2----
6E -|--------------------|----------|-------
He said, she said
For the Bridge it is a four power chord progression, listen
to the song for the exact strumming rhythm. You are to change
chords on each syllable change of Layne's vocal line. Do this
for every chord change except the last one (the B chord), here
you change to it before Layne changes syllables. At the end
of the fourth time it resolves to the B power chord.
Solo Intro/Background Riff (Riff D)
1E -|---------------------------------|--------|--------------
2B -|---------------------------------|-Repeat-|--------------
3G -|---------------------------------|--------|--------------
4D -|---------------------------------|--3X----|--------------
5A -|7-7-5----------------------------|--------|--------------
6E -|------6-sl-down--0-3-4-5-5-0---0-|--------|--------------
This is the exact same thing as the main Intro Riff (Riff A)
transposed down a fourth to the lower strings. Instead of
starting it on the 4th D string, move it down to the 5th or A
string and play the same thing.
Solo Outro/Background Riff (Riff E)
1E ----------------------------------------------------------
2B ----------------------------------------------------------
3G ----------------------------------------------------------
4D ----------------------------------------------------------
5A -5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7-------------5-7-5-7-----5-7-5-7------
6E -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-8-7
Repeat Riff 8X to end
The Solo Outro/Background Riff is the same riff as the verse
riff (Riff B) except it is transposed down a fourth like the
Solo Intro/Background Riff (Riff D). Instead of playing it
on the fourth and fifth strings, it is played down on the
fifth and sixth strings.
Final Song Notes
----------------
This is a great song because of the simplicity in the writing
and the riffs. The song sounds full because Mike McCready
uses a 12 string guitar throughout. This gives the riff lines
(when accompanied by the bass) a 3 octave harmony. Although
the riffs are very simple, they play around with the rhythm
by using syncopation in the guitar parts and even Layne gets
into it at the end with his vocal syncopations as well. Keep
in mind that all of the open A string (and open E string later)
pedal notes are not always heard. This means that you are not
to play them with the same volume/intensity all of the time.