The Smiths - Still ill

Still Ill by the Smiths No Capo, Standard Tuning Tabbed by James Howard's I played in a Smiths cover band called Still Ill for a couple years, and I didn't like to switch guitars or tunings live, and I don't like capos because of their tendencies to grip too tightly and push the open strings sharp. So, I transcribed it in standard tuning and played it that way. Not for the faint of heart. Get your pinky game on point This is my arrangement, which is very close to Marr's versions on a note to note basis. However, it is notated the way I play it which contains some of my own interpretations. You can watch a video of me playing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGSI2VHGtGU Note: In the bridge you may not see just from the tab, but all that note hopping is just string skipping and double stop arpeggios on chords that I hold in place. In the bridge, those chords are C#m/G# E (maj7) Amaj9 B5 e|--x----------------------------| B|--4------5-(4)-----------------| G|--4------4----------4-------4--| D|--6------6----------6-------4--| A|--6------7----------4-------x--| E|--x-----------------5-------7--| the tab is notated with the counted timing appearing above the tablature staves, in order for the fret markers to properly line up, sometimes you'll see a hammer or pull with just the destination note. EX ~p5 This means that the last note you played on that string should be held This song, like most Smiths songs, has a kind of weird structure, but once you get it you won't forget it. I'll list the structure at the end. We played it kinda like the rank version, with one pattern of the riff before the vocals came in. [Intro] (Percussive strums on B, Accented, then short pickup played at the end of the last measure) | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|--------------4-----4----| B|-----------------5-------| G|-------------------------| D|-------------------------| A|-------------------------| E|-------------------------| [Verse 1] this is the riff that repeats for the verse. This counts as 1 time of playing the verse as far as the song structure goes) || 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|| -------------7----------|-----------------------|-----------------------|---9----------11--------| B||O-------5--------------5-|---5~~~~~5h*7~~~p5-----|---7--------7----------|------------------------| G|| -6-----------------6----|------6--------------6/|8--------8-----------8/|9--------9/11-------11--| D|| ------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------------| A||O------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------------| E|| ------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------| | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|-------------7----------|-----------------------|-----------------------|----------------------- || B|-------5--------------5-|---5~~~~~5h*7~~~p5-----|--7--------7-----------|--9--------------------O|| G|-6--------6--------6----|-------6-------------6/|8--------8-----------8/|9-----------8---------- || D|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|--------/9------------- || A|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------O|| x3 E|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|----------------------- || [Bridge] || 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|| -------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------------- || B||O--------4----------------|---5-----4-------------|-----------------------|-------------------------O|| G|| --4-----------4----------|---4-----4-----4-------|------4-----4----------|---4-----4----------[6~~] || D|| --6-----------------6----|---6-----6-----------6-|------6-----6----------|---4-----4--------------- || x2 A||O-----6---------------(x6)|7----------------------|---4--------------4----|-------------------------O|| E|| -------------------------|-----------------------|5--------------------5-|7------------------------ || the part in brackets is only in the 2nd ending going into the Verse [Verse 2] (the 1st time, you just extend the note you anticipated at the end of the 2nd repetition of the br.) || 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|| -------------7----------|-----------------------|-----------------------|---9----------11--------| B||O-------5--------------5-|---5~~~~~5h*7~~~p5-----|---7--------7----------|------------------------| G||(-6)----------------6----|------6--------------6/|8--------8-----------8/|9--------9/11-------11--| D|| ------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------------| A||O------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------------| E|| ------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------| | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|-------------7----------|-----------------------|-----------------------|----------------------- || B|-------5--------------5-|---5~~~~~5h*7~~~p5-----|--7--------7-----------|--9--------------------O|| G|-6--------6--------6----|-------6-------------6/|8--------8-----------8/|9-----------8---------- || D|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|--------/9------------- || A|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------O|| x2 E|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|----------------------- || [Bridge] 1.____ 2. [] || 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|| -------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------[4~~] || B||O--------4----------------|---5-----4-------------|-----------------------|--------------------[5~~]O|| G|| --4-----------4----------|---4-----4-----4-------|------4-----4----------|---4-----4----------[4~~] || D|| --6-----------------6----|---6-----6-----------6-|------6-----6----------|---4-----4--------------- || x2 A||O-----6---------------(x6)|7----------------------|---4--------------4----|-------------------------O|| E|| -------------------------|-----------------------|5--------------------5-|7------------------------ || the part in brackets is only in the 2nd ending going into the Chorus [Chorus] (This is the part I played probably the most differently from Marr, technically it begins on the and of 4 in the previous measure), which rings over the bar line It's basically made of this new chord and arpeggio line on the high strings, followed by one repetition of the bridge riff, repeat that whole thing twice. (chord and arpeggio line) | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|| [~4]-4--------4--------4-|---5--------5--------5/|7--7--------7--------7-|---7-------11----11----| B||O[~5]----5--------5-----5-|------5--------5-----5/|7-----7--------7-----7-|---7--7-----7-----7----| G|| [~4]-------4--------4--4-|---------6--------6--6/|8--------8--------8--8-|---8-----8--8-----7----| D|| -------------------------|---------------------7/|9--------------------9-|---9--------9-----9----| E|| -------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| E|| -------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| (pattern from bridge) 1.____ | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|-------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------4~~ || B|--------4----------------|---5-----4-------------|-----------------------|---------------------5~~O|| G|--4-----------4----------|---4-----4-----4-------|------4-----4----------|---4-----4-----------4~~ || D|--6-----------------6----|---6-----6-----------6-|------6-----6----------|---4-----4-------------- || x2 A|-----6---------------(x6)|7----------------------|---4--------------4----|------------------------O|| E|-------------------------|-----------------------|5--------------------5-|7----------------------- || (1st Ending) 2nd Ending 2.___ ||1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e||------------------------| B||------------------------| G||---4-----4----------/6~~| ************************************ | x Dead note | (n) Ghost note | ~ Vibrato | / Slide up ************************************