The Weight

[Stranger Danger]

I have a till the 29th to have this prepped and ready to go. All the chords online are in G and the band leader wants to play it in G. Fine, but all the bass tabs I can find are in A. No big deal, just transpose to G. The problem is that as I play along to the song I realize that A sounds right not G. Especially on the hook. Am I crasi?

 

[Valerus]

Are we talking Thrice or The Band?

 

[monroe55]

C'mon dude. The only version of the weight worth playing is the one by Aretha Franklin. Everyone knows this.

 

[JimK]

...gonna need a chick with the pipes for that.

 

[Jim Campbell]

I have a till the 29th to have this prepped and ready to go. All the chords online are in G and the band leader wants to play it in G. Fine, but all the bass tabs I can find are in A. No big deal, just transpose to G. The problem is that as I play along to the song I realize that A sounds right not G. Especially on the hook. Am I crasi?

the band played it in A,and according to the chart it says there are only five chords in it....A, C#-,D,Asus4,E

 

[Day]

We play it in A, It's obviously done in A by the Band, you're not crazy. I'm sure it can be done in G though, the walk down after the hook might be a little strange.

 

[Jim Campbell]

We play it in A, It's obviously done in A by the Band, you're not crazy. I'm sure it can be done in G though, the walk down after the hook might be a little strange.

if it has to be done in G to accommodate a singer you could drop D and keep the line intact

 

[JerBo]

This may or may not be of help, but anyone talking about playing this song should hear this... Just beautiful music.



It's Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show preforming The Band's 'The Weight'

 

[Stranger Danger]

if it has to be done in G to accommodate a singer you could drop D and keep the line intact

So I dont know jack about drop D. Do you mean if I add a drop D tuner to my E string that I can play the entire line as I would in A but it will come out in G?

 

[Jim Campbell]

So I dont know jack about drop D. Do you mean if I add a drop D tuner to my E string that I can play the entire line as I would in A but it will come out in G?

just tune down your E string to D,and the descending phrase will be do-able in G

 

[Stranger Danger]

just tune down your E string to D,and the descending phrase will be do-able in G

Ill try that, thanks.

 

[Day]

This may or may not be of help, but anyone talking about playing this song should hear this... Just beautiful music.



It's Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show preforming The Band's 'The Weight'

Agreed, I stumbled across this not too long ago and was upset I hadn't found it sooner. So well done.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Agreed, I stumbled across this not too long ago and was upset I hadn't found it sooner. So well done.

I saw the ABB do it at Jazz Fest with Susan Tedeschi. Its definitely one of my faves. I just cant seem to make it work in G just yet.

 

[JTE]

Intro in A is A, E/G#, F#min, E7 (or, I, VI with 3rd in the bass, vii, V)
Verse is A, C#min, D (or, I, iii, IV)
Chorus is just A and D. (I and IV)

So, in G it's...
G, D/F#, Emin, D
G, Bmin, C
G and C.

Work out a bass line from there. The Band, Aretha Franklin (with Duane Allman on the super cool slide part and Jerry Jemmott on bass, BTW), The Staple Singers, all do it differently. So, eschew the tabs, and play what fits.

John

 

[Jim Campbell]

Agreed, I stumbled across this not too long ago and was upset I hadn't found it sooner. So well done.

gillian is one of my favorites,and david rawlings seems to have a bottomless well of tasty licks to draw from

 

[FritoBandito]

This may or may not be of help, but anyone talking about playing this song should hear this... Just beautiful music.



It's Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show preforming The Band's 'The Weight'

Nice! Really, really nice!