You Can Discover - John Martyn

by gffWillie 8. January 2010 16:34

Hello again

 

You Can Discover was released on the Sunday' Child album and apart from anything else, is a classic example of John Martyn's original guitar sound, achieved largely with the help of unorthodox and extravagant de-tuning.

If you look at the John Martyn - Live at the BBC DVD you see him play solo January 17th 1975 on the Old Grey Whistle Test. He plays One Day Without You in standard tuning (but a few tones de-tuned), then re-tunes for You Can Discover in AGAEGC (6th to 1st).

Playing Notes
Points to note are:
  • This is a very low tuning of the 6th and 4th strings. The 6th is sounded only occasionally as a drone.
  • In the chord positions shown, most of the strings are in tune most of the time, so you can choose either a clean or strummy sound.
  • Hammer on/pull off on 4th string is difficult to notate but will become clear with viewing the DVD).
Tablature
You Can Discover - John Martyn
Intro
C------------------------|----0--------------0----|----0--------------0----|----
G------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|----
E-----------------0------|-12------------12-------|-10------------10-------|----
A--0--0----h2p0------0---|------------0-----------|------------0-----------|----
G--2-----t--------------t|-10----t-10------------t|-9------t-9-----------t-|----
A------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|----
<----repeat 4 times-----> <-----repeat once---------> <-----repeat once--------->
Verse
C-------------(0)--|----------------|------------------------------|------------
G-------------(0)--|----------------|-repeat intro bar 1 two times-|------------
E-----7------8-8---|-7-7-----8-7----|------------------------------|------------
A-----5------7-7---|-5-5-----7-5----|------------------------------|------------
G--0-----t-0------t|-0---t-0------t-|------------------------------|------------
A------------------|----------------|------------------------------|------------
<-----------------------------------repeat ------------------------->
       Sometimes              ……… flowing with the rain
Chorus
C----0------------0---|----0----------0---|-------------------------------------
G---------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------
E-12----------12------|-12----------12----|-------------------------------------
A----------0----------|----------0------t-|-------------------------------------
G-10---t-10--------t--|-10---t-10---------|-------------------------------------
A---------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------
 You can discover the lover in me
Chorus
C--------0-----------0-----|---0-----------0---|--------------------------------
G--------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
E-----10----------10-------|10---------10------|--------------------------------
A--------------0-----------|---------0---------|--------------------------------
G-----9----t-9---------t---|-9---t-9---------t-|--------------------------------
A--------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
  and I can discover the    lover in you
Verse
C---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------
G---------------------------------------------------|--repeat intro bar 1-------
E---7--7----------8----8---7----7---------8----7----|------as required----------
A---5--5----------7----7---5----5---------7----5----|---------------------------
G-0--------t--0-----------t-------t---0------------t|---------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------
   Together we can rock and roll until the cows come  home
Video

(Originally recorded and posted on YouTube April 2008)

Willie

Comments

1/15/2010 8:49:42 AM #

Ian

Great stuff Willie. Whilst I had seen your tutorial video I hadnt seen the tab before now, but great it confirms what I'm doing. This is one of my favourite JM tunes/songs and his guitra sounds great here using this tuning. Many thanks.
-Ian

Ian

1/15/2010 3:53:26 PM #

gffWillie

Glad you like it Ian. I agree the tuning gives this song a unique sound and its very satisfying to play. By the way I will post the link to your site in a bit. Good luck with that and hope you find the time to develop it.

Willie

gffWillie United Kingdom

2/24/2011 8:40:25 AM #

LeDude

Hi Willie, thanks for this one, too. Couple of notes for players:
- On "Sunday's Child", it's played a full note higher, so Capo II on the above tuning, but better go for BABF#AD
- On "In Session" (John Peel 7.1.75) it's half a note higher still, so Capo III (though that loses a lot of resonance), but better in CBbCGBbEb, which is actually not so much detuning, tuning the A-string half a tone up

LeDude Belgium

2/24/2011 8:54:14 AM #

LeDude

Actually, when tuned higher, the resonance is better with a capo; I found even BABF#AD + capo I better than either BABF#AD or CBbCGBbEb...

LeDude Belgium

2/24/2011 11:10:35 PM #

gffWillie

Thanks for the extra info LeDude. Yes different pitch/capo combinations do sometimes seem to enhance the tone. Easy Blues for example is sometimes played in E but with the strings de-tuned a tone and the capo on the 2nd fret.

gffWillie United Kingdom

1/27/2012 6:15:29 AM #

kevin molloy

Just want to say thanx a million man, you've helped me a lot with your vids and this site seems to be the best place to find John Martyn tabs. He is really after blowing me away and really made me want try a bit harder with my playing, and luckily this site was ready and waiting with all I needed... cheers again dude Smile  

kevin molloy Ireland

2/7/2012 11:20:43 PM #

gffWillie

@kevin molloy
Cheers Kevin. Just let me know if I can be of any further help to a fellow JM fan.
Willie

gffWillie United Kingdom

4/16/2012 8:07:28 AM #

alan6

Hi guys, just a question, how can you do to find theses tunes ?

alan6 France

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