Another "The Todd Chord" orgy (see footnote for a more complete explanation.) The Todd album makes extensive use of this favorite voicing: Spark Of Life, #1 LCD, feature it heavily, and this song has almost nothing else!. I think his use of the device is always appropriate, and is a huge factor in stamping his music with his very personal stylistic signature, especially during this phase of his songwriting career. What do you think this song is about? I have a inkling that it has something to do with reincarnation, but it's a bit vague (probably on purpose.) I've notated this transcription in the key of B instead of the original key of C. This allows me the use of the open low E and A strings as bass notes; it also puts it in a more comfortable key to sing. If you want to play along with the record, just move everything up a fret higher and use a capo at the first fret. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't You Ever Learn? Composer: Todd Rundgren (*1 - intro) (*2 - verse) F#/B C#/B Don't you ever listen? D/G Don't you ever learn? G/C D/C The hand may find you B7 It's time to take a turn B/E F#/E B/E You think this life is something strange A E/A You're ready for another change A/D E/D Dmaj7 F#/B C#/B But don't you ever... learn? A/D E/D A/D F#/B C#/B Don't you ever... learn? (interlude - similar to intro. see *1) Don't you ever listen? Don't you ever learn? The world is on fire Your body doesn't burn Kill yourself before receiving Something out of all this breathing Don't you ever learn? Don't you ever learn? --------------------------------------------------------------------- (*1 - intro and middle section. This wants to be played finger-style rather than with a pick. Note the time signature change between 4/4 and 3/4.) 4/4 3/4 E--|- - - 6 4 - - - |- - - - - 4 2 - |- - - 6 4 - - - |- - - - - 4 | B--|- 4 4 - - - - - |- 8 - 6 - - - - |- 4 4 - - - - - |- 8 - 6 - - | G--|4 - - - - - - - |8 - 6 - 4 - - - |4 - - - - - - - |8 - 6 - 4 - | [$] D--|- - - - 4 - - - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - 4 - - - |- - - - - - | A--|3 - - - - - - - |6 - 4 - 2 - - - |4 - - - - - - - |6 - 4 - 2 - | E--|- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - | 4/4 3/4 E--|- - - 1211- - - |- - - - - 109 - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - 10| B--|- 9 11- - - - - |- 14- 12- - - - |- 14- 12- - - - |- 14- 12- - | G--|11- - - - - - - |14- 12- 10- - - |14- 12- 10- - - |14- 12- 10- | D--|- - - - 9 - - - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - | A--|9 - - - - - - - |12- 10- 9 - - - |12- 10- 9 - - - |12- 10- 9 - | E--|- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - |- - - - - - | Repeat the above sequence twice; then start sequence a third time, but at [$] jump to this measure: 2/4 E--|- - - - | B--|- 9 117 | G--|11- - - | D--|- - - - | A--|9 - - - | E--|- - - - | (*2: Don't you ever listen? Don't you ever learn?...) F#/B C#/B D/G G/C D/C B7 x x x x _xo___ x x x ||111| ||111| |||||| 3|11111 3|1|||| 2|11111 72|||3| 72||||| |||111 |||2|| |||||| |||||| ||4||| |||||| 2|||3| ||3||| |||||| ||3|4| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ||444| B/E F#/E A E/A A/D E/D Dmaj7 x x x xo xo x x x x x 7|11111 7|1|||| |||||| |||111 5|11111 5|1|||| 5|1|||| |||2|| |||||| 5||||11 5||||2| |||2|| |||||| |||2|| ||3||| |||||| |||2|| ||3||| ||3||| |||||| ||3|4| |||||| |||||| ||4||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ||444| ||444| --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Todd Chord If I had to pick one musical device to represent all of Todd's music, it would be this, his most frequently used chord voicing. It's more traditionally know as a Polychord, but I call it "The Todd Chord". Imagine sitting at a piano keyboard. You are preparing to play a C major 7 chord. With your left index finger, play the root of the chord, a nice, deep C note. Your first instinct may be to play a C triad (C, E, and G) with your right hand... resist that urge! Instead, play a G triad (G, B, D) along with your C bass note. That's it - THE Todd chord! It can properly called a Cmaj9 chord, but I notate it as G/C (pronounced "G over C") Sweet, isn't it? That's because you're playing the 5, major 7, and 9 of the chord, all very colorful tones. Here's Todd's other favorite voicing of a major 7: play your big C bass note with your left hand, and with your right, play a D triad (D, F#, and A.) You are now playing what is, in effect, a C6/9#11 (that is, a C major 6 cord with added 9 and sharp 11 notes.) I notate it and think of it as D/C. If you are familiar with the concept of modes, this chord strongly implies a lydian mode. Now try alternating these two chords: play and hold your big deep C with the left hand, and play first a G triad then a D triad with your right. You have now played the first chord to Don't You Ever Listen (in the key of C, like the record.)] --------------------------------------------------------------------- About my tab style: This message should be displayed in a mono-spaced font (e.g. courier,) or the chord diagrams and tablatures will look unaligned. The letter to the left of the slash in chord names like "A/D" refers to a triad, and the letter to the right refers to the bass note only. The number directly to the left of the chord diagram is the position on the guitar neck (or closest fret). "x" along the top means mute or deaden that string, "o" means let it ring open. The horizontal dashes in the tablature diagram correspond to 8th notes. The time signature (4/4 and 3/4) is indicated just above the bar line. If you see any mistakes, or have any corrections or alternate ways of playing any of my tabs, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at lsprague@channel1.com Last revised 2:53pm Saturday, December 13, 1997 -- ...Lin Sprague... lsprague@channel1.com