The National – Fake Empire (Guitar Tab)

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Song: Fake Empire Artist: The National Tabber: Jonathan Doyle References: 2 - Live show on the Q - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf0o5W2suTc 3 - How to with the Q - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmj5I8ME1m0 4 - Description of 4 against 3 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyrhythm Notes: The most difficult thing about this song for me was the rhythm. I spent an hour playing the first chord progression with the rhythm on the wikipedia link. Basically within the same time scale your thumb plays 3 (bass) notes while your fingers play 4 (treble) notes. I will reproduce the wikipedia graph here: 4 against 3 polyrhythm ||-----------------------||-----------------------||

4-beat rhythm ||X| | |X| | |X| | |X| | ||X| | |X| | |X| | |X| | ||  (treble)
              ||-----------------------||-----------------------||

3-beat rhythm ||X| | | |X| | | |X| | | ||X| | | |X| | | |X| | | ||  (bass)
              ||-----------------------||-----------------------||

All chords are played with one iteration of this rhythm. To sound like the studio recording you can omit the first treble note in the 4-beat rhythm. Tab: I have tabbed two guitar parts as per reference 1

              I                II              III         (Roman numerals indicate
       (Intro / Verse)      (Chorus)         (Bridge)       the chord pattern. Used  
     e|----------------|----------------|----------------|  in lyrics/song
 G1  B|---5--5--5--5---|---5--5--3--3---|---1--1--0--0---|  structure below)
  &  G|---5--5--5--5---|---5--5--4--4---|---2--2--0--0---|
 G2  D|------3---------|------3---------|----------------|
     A|---3------------|---0------------|------0---------|
     E|---------3--3---|---------3--3---|---1-----3--3---|
          C  F  G  G       Am F  G  G       F  Am G  G     (used root to write the  
                                                            timing with the lyrics)  

            IV                 V               VI
         (Bridge2)         (Bridge3)       (Jam/Horns) 
     e|---12-10-8--7---|---8--12-7--7---|----------------|
     B|---13-12-10-8---|---10-10-8--8---|----------------|
 G1  G|----------------|----------------|----------------|
     D|---10----7--9---|------7--5--5---|----------------|
     A|------10--------|---8------------|--/3------------|
     E|----------------|----------------|----------------|

     e|----------------|---------3--3---|----------------|
     B|---17-15-13-12--|---1--1--3--3---|----------------|
 G2  G|---17-16-14-12--|---2--2--0--0---|----------------|
     D|----------------|---3--2--0--0---|----------------|
     A|---17----12-----|------0--2--2---|----------------|
     E|------15----10--|---1-----3--3---|--/8------------|
                         (light distortion and strumming)

Lyrics: http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858655995/ Using progression from reference 1 and 2. Listen to the song for your the arrangement you prefer. [Intro 1] (x2) [Verse 1] (x2) C F Stay out super late tonight G G Picking apples, making pies C F G G Put a little something in our lemonade and take it with us [Chorus 2] (x2) Am F G G We're half awake in a fake empire Am F G G We're half awake in a fake empire [Verse 1] (x2) C F Tiptoe through our shiny city G G With our diamond slippers on C F G G Do our gay ballet on ice, bluebirds on our shoulders [Chorus 2] (x2) Am F G G We're half awake in a fake empire Am F G G We're half awake in a fake empire [Bridge 3] (x2) [Bridge 4] (x2) [Verse 1] (x3) C F Turn the light, out say goodnight G G No thinking for a little while C F G G Let's not try to figure out everything at once C F G G It's hard to keep track of you falling through the sky [Chorus 2] (x2) Am F G G We're half awake in a fake empire Am F G G We're half awake in a fake empire [Bridge/End] III x 1, V x 1, VI until end fade out / horn solo (one guitar can do G2 VI or III, or any combination you wish) Final Notes: If you wish to play the song solo you can cut the bridge short or just play III in place of IV. If you want to play completely in open you can play just I, II, and III as follows. (The fingering can be a bit tricky, I will indicate how I play it in the column below the chord with the number corresponding to the left hand finger. The capitol letter “O” represents open)

              I                II               IV         
       (Intro / Verse)      (Chorus)         (Bridge)        
     e|---0--0--0--0---|---0--0---------|----------------| 
 G1  B|---1--1--1--1---|---1--1--3--3---|---1--1--0--0---| 
  &  G|----------------|---------4--4---|---2--2--0--0---|
 G2  D|----------------|----------------|----------------|
     A|---3------------|---0------------|------0---------|
     E|------1--3--3---|------1--3--3---|---1-----3--3---|
          C  F  G  G       Am F  G  G       F  Am G  G

O O O O O O 2 2 2 2 O O 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 O O 4 1 4 4 O 1 1 1 1 O 3 3 Drop-D Variation: (contributed by jesseschonenberg) This sounds more like the recording, but isn't how Aaron and Bryce play it live (in video)

              I                II              III         (Roman numerals indicate
       (Intro / Verse)      (Chorus)         (Bridge)       the chord pattern. Used  
     e|----------------|----------------|----------------|  in lyrics/song
 G1  B|---5--5--5--5---|---5--5--3--3---|---1--1--0--0---|  structure below)
  &  G|---5--5--5--5---|---5--5--4--4---|---2--2--0--0---|
 G2  D|----------------|----------------|----------------|
     A|---3------------|---0------------|------0---------|
     D|------3--5--5---|------3--5--5---|---3-----5--5---|
          C  F  G  G       Am F  G  G       F  Am G  G     (used root to write the  
                                                            timing with the lyrics)

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