Can you help me figure out this song?


NickFerra
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Joined: 09/09/12
Posts: 80
NickFerra
Registered User
Joined: 09/09/12
Posts: 80
07/21/2016 3:22 am
Ok I've been trying to figure out this song "Round here" by the Counting Crows. You are probably thinking "Oh well thats easy! It's just 4 chords and a little lead riff"

The studio version is fairly easy. C, D, E and G

No Big deal ...

BUT... The counting crows are so unique in their live performances. No song is ever the same. They hardly ever play the studio version and every song is different when they play it live. Here is the youtube video below of this performance.

Counting Crows - Round Here [Live at the Sydney Opera House, 10/04/13]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PMxpdPLm-k

This is probably one of their all time best performances of Round Here. It's 10 minutes long and there are parts to the song I can't figure out to save my life.

So below I have the times of the guitar parts that I am aquiring about. I am hoping someone can help me tab them out because my band plays this song and we would really love to add these little lead licks and riffs to the song when we play it live at our shows.

2:35 - 2:41 (When he sings round here in the chorus the guitarist does this little walk down riff that I am having trouble figuring out)

3:35 - 4:30 (Is this riff C, D, E, G? if so, how in the world is he playing it?)

6:00 - 6:15 (a nice little touch to the song that I can't figure out)

7:49 - 8:00 (This is a beautiful lead lick. It adds so much beauty to the song. How is he playing it?)


I am hoping someone can help me tab these riffs out as I would love to learn them for my band

1 more question:
1. Are they playing the C d E and G chord progression through the entire song? or did they change it up after the bridge? If they changed it up after the bridge what is the chord progression they are playing throughout until they come back to the verse?

Thanks for any help
# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
07/22/2016 4:59 pm
Originally Posted by: NickFerra
2:35 - 2:41 (When he sings round here in the chorus the guitarist does this little walk down riff that I am having trouble figuring out)
[/quote]
I only hear an E to D move with the motion from Emin (vi) to G (I). A little thing like that sounds neat when the other instruments are holding down the chord prog.

Emin G
|--------------------------------------------|
|---5---5----5----3--------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|

Originally Posted by: NickFerra
3:35 - 4:30 (Is this riff C, D, E, G? if so, how in the world is he playing it?)
[/QUOTE]
Yes, it back to the main prog. He's either using a slight delay or both guitars are playing the same thing slightly out of sync:

3X
|--------------------------------------------|
|----8-7---7---8-----------------------------|
|--7-----7---7----7--------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
1X
|--7-----------------------------------------|
|-----10--8----------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
2X
|--------------------------------------------|
|----8-7---7---8-----------------------------|
|--7-----7---7----7--------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
2X
|--------------------7--8--10----------------|
|----8-7--8--10--8---------------------------|
|--7-----------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|

Originally Posted by: NickFerra
6:00 - 6:15 (a nice little touch to the song that I can't figure out)

That's similar to the intro line & a lot of the ornamental stuff throughout.

|------------------------------------------|
|----8-7---8-7----8-7----------------------|
|--------7------7--------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------8--7-------------|

But those bottom notes might be the other guitarist.
[QUOTE=NickFerra]
7:49 - 8:00 (This is a beautiful lead lick. It adds so much beauty to the song. How is he playing it?)

Same idea an octave higher.

|----14-15-----------14-15--------------------|
|-15--------15--15----------15--13-12---------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|

[QUOTE=NickFerra]
1. Are they playing the C d E and G chord progression through the entire song?

The chord progression is the same throughout, except for the bridge at 3:10-3:34.

C(IV) / D(V) / Emin(vi) / G(I)

At around 3:10 they play A then D. From then to 3:34 they play:

Amaj (II) / C maj (IV) 3x, then Amaj / C(IV) - D(V). Then they are back to the main prog.

Best of success. Let me know how it goes!
Christopher Schlegel
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Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 2
NickFerra
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Joined: 09/09/12
Posts: 80
NickFerra
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Joined: 09/09/12
Posts: 80
07/23/2016 7:42 am
Oh wow this helps out a lot. Thank you so much! I'm sure my band will be happy lol

That part you couldn't hear is better heard with ear phones. They have it to where it plays on the right side.
Or it can be better heard at 10:20 - 10:28 ....with earphones
Let me know if you can hear it better and can tell what they are playing. It's some kind of wall down riff or whatever

Again thank you man!
I'll post a video of us playing this song when we get it done :)
# 3
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
07/25/2016 7:16 pm
Originally Posted by: NickFerra
That part you couldn't hear is better heard with ear phones. They have it to where it plays on the right side.[/quote]
Oh, I thought you meant the high notes! You mean the low note walk up riff the rhythm guitarist with the Tele does. It's on my left stereo side. He's basically just going up the E minor scale as it matches the chord prog.

Emin G
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--0--2--3----5---7--7-----------------------|

[QUOTE=NickFerra]Or it can be better heard at 10:20 - 10:28 ....with earphones
Let me know if you can hear it better and can tell what they are playing. It's some kind of wall down riff or whatever

That time he ends on a D note.

Emin G
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--0--2--3----5---7--10----------------------|

Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 4

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