Holdsworth Allan - Sphere Of Innocence guitar tab
-= SPHERE OF INNOCENCE =-
Allan Holdsworth, from _Wardenclyffe_Tower_
(Transcription by Elliot Freedman, August 1994)
email: uh090@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
This the second track on the _Wardenclyffe_Tower_ album features
Holdsworth on the electric baritone guitar, Gary Husband on
drums, and Jimmy Johnson on bass. Steve Hunt opens the
soloing on this tune on keyboards and is followed by Holdsworth
in whose solo the long sustaining and vocal qualities of the
baritone instrument are heard.
The baritone instrument used by Holdsworth for both the chordal
track transcribed here and the solo is essentially a long scale
electric guitar; a guitar with a neck that extends two, four, or
more frets below normal. While Holdsworth occaisionally uses
fifths tuning on these long scale instruments (particularily for
performing SynthAxe-enabled such as "Non Brewed Condiment")
standard tuning is generally used -- based not from E, but from
D or even C (here the open strings being C, F, Bb, Eb, G, C).
The longer scale length yields notes (especially closer to the
nut and in the open strings) having richer & deeper tones and
thus the instrument is referred to as a baritone guitar. As an
aside, it seems that these extended range guitars were used
fairly extensively in Nashville studios during the 50s & 60s to
augment electric bass parts in country & western music.
Holdsworth's baritone (& standard) instruments were built by
Monterey-based luthier Bill DeLap. DeLap has employed elements
of the Steinberger headless design and it's unique hardware, has
worked with lighter woods favoured by Holdsworth for the bodies,
and (for presumably sonic reasons and probably in light of
custom mould tooling costs) has used woods in the neck as
opposed to synthetic composite blends. Custom long scale double
ball-end strings spanning 0.42 through 0.008 (at least for the
standard tunings) were provided by the E & O Mari company for
these instruments.
(Aside from the _Wardenclyffe_Tower_ tunes "Sphere Of
Innocence", "Zarabeth", and "Oneiric Moore", the baritone
instrument is probably most awe-inspiringly featured in the
unique ensemble setting of Holdsworth on baritone guitar, Marc
Johnson on acoustic bass, and Italian composer/drummer Andrea
Marcelli on the piece "Moon" from Marcelli's _Oneness_ release.)
"Sphere Of Innocence" features standard tuning running, I
believe, from a C four tones lower than a normal guitar's low E.
While this low tuning -- especially so with the long scale necks
-- affords the piece its deeper sound, it is, of course,
possible to play the piece on a normal electric guitar in normal
tuning albeit in a higher register.
While chords could be revoiced to take advantage of the more
resonant open strings, I have opted not to do so in this
transcription in order make more apparent the basic chordal
shapes of the piece. These shapes hold, for me, the key to the
harmonic flavour of the piece. Here, broadly spaced triadic
intervals and the use of fifths in the lower strings (and indeed
also often between the guitar and the bass where the "rooting"
of the chord is left to the bassist) contribute to a spacious,
sonorous, and strong sound. Furthermore, unlike the harmonies
in tunes such as "Secrets" and "Wardenclyffe Tower" who feature
many chords based on altered scales (#9 Lydian and it's other
modes), the harmonies in "Sphere Of Innocence" are entirely
based on the normal scale and it's modes. In fact, it seems
that Holdsworth, to a great extent in this tune and others, plays
chords where (or brings forth melodies in which) suspended
fourths disguise major or minor tonalities -- thus achieving
that beautiful, open sense of unresolve.
Rhythmically the transcription is written loosely and presumes
that the reader is familiar with the Holdsworth's guitar
gestures and the piece as a whole. The gestures are given names
for reference and to help outline the structure of the piece.
The essential notes played by bassist Jimmy Johnson are,
underneath each chord form, also noted. Right or left hand
hammered fretting and full (or partial barres) are noted
respectively as 'RH', 'LH', and 'b_IV' (e.g. barred fourth
fret).
Those of us without "C neck baritone electric guitars" will be
required to tune down to C, F, Bb, Eb, G, C in order to play the
piece in the register in which it was recorded. If you haven't
the luxury of a transposing vibrato tailpiece you will likely
have to change to heavy gauge strings to maintain any tension.
Tune normally and tranpose the bass part up a fourth should you
wish to play this little number on your Flying V at your group's
upcoming highschool "Battle Of The Bands" gig (!?).
I hope that you enjoy and learn from this transcription as much
as I have through the process of preparing it. Your comments &
critiques are welcomed as is your interest in my own CD of
adventurous, electric jazz!
The Elliot Freedman Group
"Very, very good avant fusion..."
Guitar Player Magazine
Email: uh090@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
----------------
-= SPHERE OF INNOCENCE =-
Allan Holdsworth, from _Wardenclyffe_Tower_
(Transcription by Elliot Freedman, August 1994)
email: uh090@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
-=Intro=-
x x x x
x---7 x---12 x---9 x---5
6 11 8 4
x-----9 RH x-----14 RH x----11 RH x----7 RH
6 11 7 4
4 9 5 2
G# C# A F#
-=Head Chords=- (-=Pivot Chord=-)
b_IV
12 7 9 4
x x x x
x------13 8 x------11 x----------4
x----16 x x----14 x
14 11 12 7
x 9 x 5
E C# D A
-=Lead Up=-
x x x
7--------7 x-9-(9)---9
x x x
x-----9 11 10
x--11------11 x 13
9 13 11
C# C# G#
-=Climb=-
b_VII
x x 10 x
9------9 10------10 x x------12
7------(7) x x-------8 13
x------9 11------11 9 x
7------7 9 x 12
x x x 10
E F# A B D
(-=Top Chord=-) -=Climax=-
b_IX b_VII
12 14 16 9 x
x x x x 7
13 16 x---17 x---9 7
11 14 15 x 7
9 10 11 12 x
x x x 10 3
F# C C# D G
-=Aftermath=-
b_V
0 2 (2)--2 4------4 5 x---7
x---------0 (0) (0) x x x
1-------1 x---3 4 6 x 9
x---2 x x x x---9 LH x
x-----2 4 6 6 7 9
0 (0) (0) 4 5 7
E B G# A G
(-=Pause=-)
b_XIV
x---14
14
x------19
9
14
15
G
-=Bridge=-
b_VI b_IV
x----9 6 x----9 4 x-----6
x x--------6 7-------7 4 x
11------11 x 6 x 8
x x x x x
11 x---9 8 7 5
9 x-----7 x 5 x
C# B Bb A D
-=Lead Up=-
x x x
7--------7 x-9-(9)---9
x x x
x-----9 11 10
x--11------11 x 13
9 13 11
C# C# G#
-=Climb=-
b_VII
x x 10 x
9------9 10------10 x x------12
7------(7) x x-------8 13
x------9 11------11 9 x
7------7 9 x 12
x x x 10
E F# A B D F#
(-=Top Chord=-) -=Climax=-
b_IX b_VII
12 14 16 9 x
x x x x 7
13 16 x---17 x---9 7
11 14 15 x 7
9 10 11 12 x
x x x 10 3
A C C# D G
-=Aftermath=- (-=Gliss?=-)
b_V
0 2 (2)--2 4--------4 5 7
x---------0 (0) (0) x x x
1-------1 x---3 4 6 x 9
x---2 x x x x---9 LH x
x-----2 4 6 6 7 9
0 (0) (0) 4 5 7
E B G# A B
-=Head Chords=- (-=Mod. Pivot Chord=-)
b_V
12 7 9 5
x x x x
x------13 8 x------11 x----------5
x----16 x x----14 x
14 11 12 8
x 9 x 6
E C# D Bb
-=A Different Path=-
b_IX
x------10 8 x----------------11--11
x x-------11 9----9---9---9-----------9
12 x 9----9---9
x x x------------13
14 11 11
12 9 9
A C# C# B
(-=Expressively=-) -=Modulated Intro Chords=-
b_VI b_I b_VI b_II
x--9 x x 2
x x---4 x---9 2
6-----6 3 8 x
10------10 LH x------6 RH x------11 RH x
8 3 8 4
6 1 6 2
Bb F F Gb
-=Modulated Head Chords=-
b_VI
13 8 10 6
x x x x
x--------14 9 x 6------6
x-----17 x x-------15 x
15 12 13 9
x 10 x 7
C D Bb B
-=Lead Up=-
x x x
7--------7 x-9-(9)---9
x x x
x-----9 11 10
x--11------11 x 13
9 13 11
C# C# G#
-=Climb=-
b_VII
x x 10 x
9------9 10------10 x x------12
7------(7) x x-------8 13
x------9 11------11 9 x
7------7 9 x 12
x x x 10
E F# A B D
(-=Alternate Top Chord=-)
9
x
10
8
6
x
Eb
-=Keyboard Solo=-
-=Guitar Solo=-
-=Modulated Head Chords=-
b_VI
13 8 10 6
x x x x
x--------14 9 x 6------6
x-----17 x x-------15 x
15 12 13 9
x 10 x 7
F D Eb B
-=Lead Up=-
x x x
7--------7 x-9-(9)---9
x x x
x-----9 11 10
x--11------11 x 13
9 13 11
F# C# G#
-=Climb=-
b_VII
x x 10 x
9------9 10------10 x x------12
7------(7) x x-------8 13
x------9 11------11 9 x
7------7 9 x 12
x x x 10
E F# A B D
(-=Top Chord=-) -=Climax=-
b_IX b_VII
12 14 16 9 x
x x x x 7
13 16 x---17 x---9 7
11 14 15 x 7
9 10 11 12 x
x x x 10 3
F# C Bb D G
-=Aftermath=-
b_V
0 2 (2)--2 4------4 5 x---7
x---------0 (0) (0) x x x
1-------1 x---3 4 6 x 9
x---2 x x x x---9 LH x
x-----2 4 6 6 7 9
0 (0) (0) 4 5 7
E B G# A B
(-=Pause=-)
b_XIV
x---14
14---------20 RH
x------19--x
9
14
15
G
-=Bridge-based Outro=-
b_VI b_VI b_IV
x----9 6 x----9 4
x x--------6 7 4
11------11 x 6 x
x x x x
11 x---9 8 7
9 x-----7 6 5
C# B Bb A
-=Outro=-
b_III b_II
x------6 x-------6 2
4 4 x
3 3 3
x x x-------6
5 4 2
3 x 0
G F# E
----------------
As to the makeup of the solo sections, I haven't transcribed
them but note that they are preceeded by restful Lydian chords
and that they are crafted of materials heard earlier in the tune
-- the pedal points spaced liberally for maximum buildup of
tension -- so that the intro and head themes can be charged
triumphantly through.
As far as the rest of the group's performance on this tune, what
I particularily enjoy is Gary Husband's intricate cymbal work
and almost melodic use of the tom-toms (bringing to mind his
work on the _I.O.U._ album) fills, Jimmy Johnson's joint
articulation of important themes (using different but related
runs when quicker gestures are repeated, placing some bass notes
up an octave, and varying his rooting of passages), and the way
that Steve Hunt confidently takes his time soloing before
Holdsworth himself roars through his obviously own changes.
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