By: Robert Pollard Appears on: Of Course You Are The demo version of “Little Pigs” is on Suitcase Four: Captain Kangaroo Won The War with the title “I Can Never Let You Win.” This version lets you clearly hear Robert Pollard’s use of open string drone riffs in the song. For the version recorded for […]
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Free Agents
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: Earth Man Blues “Free Agents” is a classic example of a Guided By Voices song that grew on me the more I heard it. I used to think it was just okay, but I eventually became obsessed with it, especially after seeing the band perform it live in Lancaster […]
I Share A Rhythm
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them! “I Share A Rhythm” originally appeared on Suitcase 3, but was given the full band treatment on It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them! where it really shines. Still, being able to hear Robert Pollard’s original […]
The Bell Gets Out Of The Way
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them! On first listen, “The Bell Gets Out Of The Way” struck me as a very 1950’s style song. The chord progression and vocal melody during the verses sound similar to Sha-Na-Na’s “Those Magic Changes” from Grease in my opinion […]
Cherub And The Great Child Actor
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them! Robert Pollard’s songwriting process can often yield puzzling results. In the case of “Cherub And The Great Child Actor,” he starts off with a simple guitar riff as an intro, uses it again for a first verse, and then […]
Flying Without A License
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them! In “Flying Without A License,” Robert Pollard uses open drone strings in the main guitar riff, which culminates in a single strum of an E chord. Other than that riff, there are just a few other chords that you’ll […]
Dance Of Gurus
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them! Other than the lead guitar solo at the end of the song, “Dance Of Gurus” is relatively simple to play. The hardest part might just be getting the syncopated strumming down in a few of the sections, so I’d […]
The Disconnected Citizen
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: Earth Man Blues It’s always fun when you don’t have to move your hands or even your fingers around too much during a song. In “The Disconnected Citizen,” Robert Pollard included several chords that keep two fingers anchored on the third fret of the second and first strings—I use […]
Cat Beats A Drum
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: Surrender Your Poppy Field The main guitar riff in “Cat Beats A Drum” involves bending a note on the second string while letting the first string ring open. This is played over an open fourth string D note drone. All the music is written here in tablature, so there […]
Be Impeccable
By: Guided By Voices Appears on: Class Clown Spots A UFO “Be Impeccable” features a single electric guitar and Robert Pollard’s vocals. There are no fancy riffs or lead guitar work here, just chords, and we can probably assume he’s the lone guitarist on this track. You need to be logged in to view the […]
