Zappa Frank - Big Swifty guitar tab
BIG SWIFTY - Frank Zappa
-----------------------------------------
Tabbed by Howard Wright
H.Wright@astro.cf.ac.uk
This is based mostly on the 'Make a Jazz Noise Here' version, but
it should be pretty similar to other versions - it's usually the rhythm
of the bits that changes, rather than the notes themselves.
It might be an idea to listen to the track from 'Jazz Noise ...' and
follow the tab just so you know where the different sections come in.
There are quite a few time changes - I've tried to indicate some
of them (i.e fast bit, slow bit, etc) but it's best if you get
used to the track a little, then it should be clear how the tab
works.
Main Swifty Tune :
-------------------
(pretty fast !)
E---------------------------------------9-----------------
B-----7h8-8p7-8p7-8--7h8-8p7-8p7-8-8/10---10--8--7--8p7---
G-------------------------------------------------------9-
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------9-----12----------
B-----7h8-8p7-8p7-8--7h8-8p7-8p7-8-8/10---10--------------
G---------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
Repeat the two lines above
Descending riff :
------------------
E----12-10-10-9-10-9-----12-10-10-9-10-9-------------------
B--------------------12------------------12-10-12----------
G-------------------------------------------------/14-12---
D----------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------
repeat above line once
fast descending run on guitar :
E---------------------------------------------------------
B---3-2-0-------0-----------------------------------------
G---------2-0-2---2-0---0---------------------------------
D---------------------4---4-2-0---0-----------------------
A-------------------------------4---4-2-0-----------0-2-3-
E-----------------------------------------3-2h3p2-0-------
E---------------------------7------------------------------------------
B----------------------8-10---10-8-7-8-7-------------------------------
G-----------------7----------------------9-7-6-7-6---------------2-4-5-
D------------5------------------------------------9-7-5-4h5p4-2-------
A-------3------------------------------------------------------------
E--1----------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------7-----9---9-9-9-11-12----12-12-11-9-11-9------
D------------5--------------------------------------------------
A-------3-------------------------------------------------------
E--1------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------8---8-8-8-10-12---12-12-10-8-10-8-
G--9-9-9-11-12----12-12-11-9-11-------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B--8---8-8-8-10-12---12-12-10-8-10------------------------
G---------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
(triplet feel)
E--------------------------------------------------------------
B---8-10-12-12-10-8-8-10-12-12-10-8--------------------------------
G------------------------------------11-10-11-10-8-8-10-11-11-10-8-
D-------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------
B---9-11-13-13-11-9-9-11-13-13-11-9--------------------------------
G-----------------------------------12-11-12-11-9-9-11-12-12-11-9--
D-------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------
B---10/12-10---------------------------------------------------
G------------12------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------12/14--12-------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------
(Now pause for breath !)
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B--10/12-10------------------------------10/12-10-----------------------
G-----------12----------------------12------------12--------------------
D------------------------12-10----------------------------------12-10-8-
A--------------12/14--12--------10-------------------12/14--12----------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B--10/12-10------------------------------10/12-10-----------------------
G-----------12----------------------12------------12--------------------
D------------------------12-10----------------------------------12-10-8-
A--------------12/14--12--------10-------------------12/14--12----------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------
B---9/10--10--9/10/9/10/9------
G---9/10--10--9/10/9/10/9------
D---9/10--10--9/10/9/10/9------
A------------------------------
E------------------------------
************************************
Make a jazz noise HERE !!!
************************************
... and continue making jazz noises over this chord sequence :
C#7#5 C7#5 B7#5 Bb7#5 A7#5 Ab7#5 G7#5 D7#5
Use either of these two chord shapes :
EADGBE EADGBE
3x344x xx3443
G7#5 G7#5
(Just move them up to the 9th position for the C#, then down
one fret at a time )
The sequence goes round and round - it goes down a semitone at a time, then
when you get to G you move back up to D and start going down again ...
A little later on the same evening :
(this is where they stop noodling and the whole brass section plays
this tune together - the pace kind of picks up here too)
E------------------------------------------------------------
B-------10--13-----12-13-12-10-------10----------------------
G-----11--------------------------12----12----11-------------
D---12-------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------
E---------8--12----10-12-10----------------------------------
B------10-------------------13----12-13-12----10-------------
G---11------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E---------12---15----14-12-14-15----14-12-14-15----14-12----
B------13------------------------------------------------15-
G---14------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E--11-12--------------------------------------------------
B----------15--13-12--13----15---------14---13------------
G------------------------14-----------------------14--12--
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
^^^
stick a trill on this last note
if you fancy
E----------------------------------------------------------------
B------12--15------------12--15-------------12--15------------12-
G----12--------11--12--12---------11--12--12--------11--12--12---
D--12----------------12-----------------12----------------12-----
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------
Carmen !
---------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B---15-14-13-13--13-12-11-10---10-9-8-6-8p6p5-6--8--6--5--
G---------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B--/15--14--13-13-13-12-11--10---10-8-6--5-6p5---5-6-5----
G----------------------------------------------7--------7-
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------7-----------------
B--------7---10--7---------7-8-10-10-10-10---10-8------------
G----7-9-----------9-7---9-----------------------------------
D--7-------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E-----------7----------------7-7-7-7-9-7-------------------
B-------7-8---8-7-----7-8-10-------------------------------
G-----9-----------9----------------------------------------
D---9------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
1812 Overture bit :
---------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B----------8---------8------------------8---------8---------
G-----8-10---10-8-10----8---8------8-10---10-8-10----8---8-
D---8----------------------------8--------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G-----10-12-10----------10---------10-------8-10-8----------------------
D--10----------10----10----10----10-------8--------8----8--------------
A-----------------11----------11---------------------10---------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------
B--------------------
G--8--------8--------
D----8----8----------
A------10------------
E--------------------
Repeat the last three lines once - as you get to the last few notes,
start playing in the wrong key - and add a few odd notes at the end
too !
(That's what they do !)
Now it goes back to that chord sequence :
C#7#5 C7#5 B7#5 etc etc
Go through this a few times ....
After quite a bit more noodling, and the sampled voices
section (with water noises) it comes back to the swifty tune
but a slightly different version :
Swifty tune version 2:
-----------------------
(fairly slow)
E----------------------------------------9-----------------
B---7-8-8-7-8-7-8-7-8-8-7-8-8-7-8-7-8/10-----10-8-7-8-7----
G-------------------------------------------------------9--
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------9----12--12/-
B--7-8--8p7-8-8--7-8-8p7-8-8p7-8-8p7-8-8p7-8-10-12---10-------
G----------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
(now a lot faster !)
E---------------------------------------9-----------------
B-----7h8-8p7-8p7-8--7h8-8p7-8p7-8-8/10---10--8--7--8p7---
G-------------------------------------------------------9-
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------9-----12----------
B-----7h8-8p7-8p7-8--7h8-8p7-8p7-8-8/10---10--------------
G---------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
(slow again)
E--12-10-10-9-10-9----12-10-10-9-10-9------------------12/14-12-
B------------------12------------------12-10-12-----------------
G------------------------------------------------/14-12--------
D------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------
E----12-10-10-9-10-9-----12-10-10-9-10-9-------------------
B--------------------12------------------12-10-12----------
G-------------------------------------------------/14-12---
D----------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------
E---------7----------------------------------------------
B---8-10----10-8-7-8--7----------------------------------
G-------------------------9-7-9-7-6-4-6-4h6p4------------
D------------------------------------------------7-------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------8--------8-------
G---4--------------------------------5---------5----------
D-----7-5-4-5-4h5p4-----4----4---3----------3-------------
A--------------------7----7-----------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
(faster)
E----------------------5-7-5---------------------------------
B--------8-------8-7-8-------8-7-8-7-5------------------------
G-----5-------5------------------------7-6-7-6-4--------------
D--3-------3-------------------------------------7-5-7-5-4----
A----------------------------------------------------------7--
E------------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------5--6--7--6--5-----5--6--7--6--5------
G-----------4--6--7-----------------7-----------------7---
D--4--5--7------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B---5-----------------------------------------------------
G------4------7------4------------------------------------
D----------7-----7-----7-5-4-3-2-1-2-3-0-1-2--------------
A----------------------------------------------4--5--6----
E---------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------9/11--9------------------------
D------------7---7----9-9----------11/9p7---7-----7------
A---------7---------9------------------------------------
E---7--7-------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
B---10/12--10---------------------------------------------
G--------------12-----------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A------------------12/14---12-----------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
'Farewell to swifty' motif :
-----------------------------
E--11-12-12-11-12-11-12--11-12-12-11-12-12-11-12-11-12/14--17--
B---------------------------------------------------------
G---------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
E---14--12--11---11/12---11/7-----------------------------
B---------------------------------------------------------
G---------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------
I don't think there are any mistakes here - but if you find anything
you're not sure about, let me know.
.... now practice !!!
Howard
