Morphine tabs

[James Mobius]

I know there are some out there, for those unfamilar, Morphine's bassist, the late Mark Sandman, played a bass of his own invention, the 2 string slide bass, with a number of tunings. I built one for myself recently and have begun teaching myself his tunes in earnest. I know there are tabs out there already, but the first few I looked at seemed inaccurate, so I'm working on some of my own.

here's a page on my site where I am posting them
Mobiusbandwidth.com Morphine tablature transcriptions

And here's the thread about the bass I built to play this music. the Bat Bass - TalkBass Forums I normally play 6 string bass and Stick, before anyone calls me a primitivist. In any case, as Mark said each string has all the notes!

The reason for just 2 strings is it makes using the slide more do-able, especially in lower registers, and the reason for slide at all since I play fretless, is the awesome tone which can't be achieved by other means. try it at home!

 

[DONZI97]

Awesome man, awesome.

 

[James Mobius]

dunno if that last comment was directed at me, if it was thanks! -but I transcribed another song today, and reformatted so there's now a page with a list of song tabs you can click, each tab has it's own page, since they get rather long, don't want people to wear out the scroll wheels on their mice because of me!

transcripts are now here:
Mobiusbandwidth.com Morphine tablature transcriptions

 

[DONZI97]

Yes, directed at you. I got turned on to Morphine about a year ago, and I've been on the look for a cheap bass to convert to slide.

Thanks for putting in the time to do this.

 

[Lesfunk]

I saw the thread title and thought you were talking about opiates

 

[James Mobius]

Yes, directed at you. I got turned on to Morphine about a year ago, and I've been on the look for a cheap bass to convert to slide.

Thanks for putting in the time to do this.

you are most welcome, you don't have to go to the lengths I went to, just do what Mark did, pick up a cheap 4 string and convert it. raise the nut, and the pickups and saddles if need be.
let me know how it goes!

 

[James Mobius]

I saw the thread title and thought you were talking about opiates

lol, hadn't thought of that. "tabs", that does sound pretty drug related as well, not to mention "morphine". I have never done any drugs, I don't really think in those terms, but I can still laugh about it, I grew up on Cheech and Chong records. (long long ago...)

 

[DONZI97]

you are most welcome, you don't have to go to the lengths I went to, just do what Mark did, pick up a cheap 4 string and convert it. raise the nut, and the pickups and saddles if need be.
let me know how it goes!

Yeah, the only thing that keeps me back is I worry about the string tension issues that other guys that convert 34" scales have. If 32's were more popular, I would have found one probably, but i still might try it with a 34". In fact, I just spotted a Ibanez TR something or another for 75 on my local Cl, could be a good candidate......

 

[James Mobius]

Yeah, the only thing that keeps me back is I worry about the string tension issues that other guys that convert 34" scales have. If 32's were more popular, I would have found one probably, but i still might try it with a 34". In fact, I just spotted a Ibanez TR something or another for 75 on my local Cl, could be a good candidate......

$75!? jump on it! don't worry about the scales and string tension. I am using a medium light D and G, flatwound, no problems so far tuning the G string up to an A, and tuning the D as low as A is still ok, as long as you have high enough action. (ripping out frets helps with clearance to avoid buzzing off the neck.)

I just finished my 3rd full tab transcript for my site, for the song Whisper, another deceptively simple sounding tune, if you really listen, he shifts things around in interesting ways.

 

[James Mobius]

Yeah, the only thing that keeps me back is I worry about the string tension issues that other guys that convert 34" scales have. If 32's were more popular, I would have found one probably, but i still might try it with a 34". In fact, I just spotted a Ibanez TR something or another for 75 on my local Cl, could be a good candidate......

I have to thank you for suggesting Craigslist, or mentioning it, I try not to think about it, lol, but I thought, let's have a look, and after drooling over several bargains on things I can actually live without, I did actually score a pretty nice little guitar amp for my 12 year old student, for $40! woo! fortunately for her mum, it has a headphone jack! also met a very cool musician who sold it to me. yay Craigslist. now I have to go back to pretending it doesn't exist, that and ebay.

 

[James Mobius]

New transcription "In pursuit of Lilah" a one minute long middle-eastern sounding bass melody, effectively solo ( a little violin ambiance in the background). I wasn't planning on making this my next transcription, it just kind of happened. the tune was in my head for days. Mobiusbandwidth.com Morphine tablature transcriptions

 

[digitalmoney]

Awesome looking forward to more transcriptions!
I saw Morphine in 1997 H.O.R.D.E. tour in Sommerset and Alpine Valley.
At Alpine Valley on a side stage I saw Morphine play with Les Claypool
That was mind blowing They'd play a Morphine track with a Primus sound
Then a Primus song with a Morphine sound.
Crazy 2 bass, sax and drummer.

 

[bethanaya]

You are awesome, sir! I may just have to try this with my fretless. That's a pretty sweet bat bass too!

I know there are some out there, for those unfamilar, Morphine's bassist, the late Mark Sandman, played a bass of his own invention, the 2 string slide bass, with a number of tunings. I built one for myself recently and have begun teaching myself his tunes in earnest. I know there are tabs out there already, but the first few I looked at seemed inaccurate, so I'm working on some of my own.

here's a page on my site where I am posting them
Mobiusbandwidth.com Morphine tablature transcriptions

And here's the thread about the bass I built to play this music. the Bat Bass - TalkBass Forums I normally play 6 string bass and Stick, before anyone calls me a primitivist. In any case, as Mark said each string has all the notes!

The reason for just 2 strings is it makes using the slide more do-able, especially in lower registers, and the reason for slide at all since I play fretless, is the awesome tone which can't be achieved by other means. try it at home!

 

[James Mobius]

Awesome looking forward to more transcriptions!
I saw Morphine in 1997 H.O.R.D.E. tour in Sommerset and Alpine Valley.
At Alpine Valley on a side stage I saw Morphine play with Les Claypool
That was mind blowing They'd play a Morphine track with a Primus sound
Then a Primus song with a Morphine sound.
Crazy 2 bass, sax and drummer.

bloody hell I hope there is a recording of that somewhere! there is a clip on youtube of Les playing Honey white with the members of Morphine.

 

[James Mobius]

You are awesome, sir! I may just have to try this with my fretless. That's a pretty sweet bat bass too!

thanks, you can definitely play Mark's stuff on Fretless and get close to the sound, I just posted a new tab of Wishing Well, very jazzy tune. pretty challenging to play and sing at once!

 

[thedovewarlord]

MÖBIUS what an awesome job you're doing, this site is amazing. I'm planning to modify (some day) my old Charvel P copy from the 80's to Sandmand's spec Knowing that you were successful is encouraging. Providing TAB is a bonus. I love just about everything he created. Dug up and collected just about every available recording he was involved with, recommend the At Your Service

Have you ever listened to AKACOD, check them out, after Sandman passed away, Morphine naturally broke up, but saxophonist Dana Colley continued on with the "low rock" tradition formed several post-morphine projects, eventually he hooked up with another very talented 2 string bassist Monique Ortiz and drummer Larry Dersch and some of their stuff is amazing. I like her voice, especially on the tune "Three Chairs". Thanks again for putting the effort into such a great site.

 

[James Mobius]

thank you Dove, once in a while I hack out another transcription, once you know what tuning a Morphine song is in, it's not that tough to figure out how to play it. I have been practicing and am planning to do some more videos soon, also been writing on the 2 string for my own band, as I mentioned to Dana about a week ago, saw him at a screening of Cure for pain, the Mark Sandman story, now available on dvd from Gatling films, with a bonus disc of previously unreleased music. Dana continues to perform Morphine tunes with the bands first drummer, generally, sometimes other guys, Monique moved to Texas. I still remember the first time I saw her in the window of the Middle East restaurant, with a drummer and a cellist who was dressed in some white choir boy frock. she's pretty cool, keepin' the 2 string alive. when I feel like I'm competent enough I plan to approach Dana about sitting in on a tune at some point. that'd be a dream come true and an honour. I keep missing his gigs because I rehearse wednesday nights, he said "that's what stage is for". (rehearsing). not with my fusion trio tho!
still have to get rid of that buzz/hum too tho @_@...

 

[wingmanborge]

Thank you for keeping the torch lit. Have had a two string for 5 years and because of the tread and your page i am back to playing it again. Morphine is one of my alltime favorite bands and the soundtrack to much of my life.

 

[thedovewarlord]

Möbius, I can only offer best wishes and encouragement in approaching Dana on a sit in. I'd bet a set of strings (just 2) that your proficiency is there, you certainly have the heart and sincerity. What is more Sandman than that?

She had a way of making people feel good to be around her, as it should be

Just remember that and all will be golden.

 

[James Mobius]

sorry I've been away from this site awhile, been terribly busy, and as you may have heard, things here in Boston are never boring...
well things have progressed a bit. I spent all day in the studio with Dana Colley and co, he’s working on a new disc of music with the Ever expanding elastic waste band, some other projects are in the works as well which I’m helping with. don't really want to go into any detail before anything is finalised. This is me holding Mark Sandman’s 2 string slide bass. I played it, which was a pretty moving experience, I have to tell ya. if I look a little wistful, well I guess I was. I was torn between feeling like I did not want to put it down, and like, no one has any right to touch it. hard to explain. there is a lot of energy in that bass.