Question for guitarists who have played Tom Sawyer

[JARG]

Do you play the "Hemisphere chord" anywhere in the song?

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Do you play the "Hemisphere chord" anywhere in the song?

 

At the end as the song is riding out, yeah. The 7/4 section that alternates between E and F#. In the studio version and earlier live versions (like ESL) Alex is playing those two chords on the three low strings, but in later live versions I've heard him ring the whole chords out as the song is ending, and that F# is the Hemispheres chord.

 

What do I win?

[JARG]

Do you play the "Hemisphere chord" anywhere in the song?

 

At the end as the song is riding out, yeah. The 7/4 section that alternates between E and F#. In the studio version and earlier live versions (like ESL) Alex is playing those two chords on the three low strings, but in later live versions I've heard him ring the whole chords out as the song is ending, and that F# is the Hemispheres chord.

 

What do I win?

 

You win my undying admiration (but you already had that). I was just watching a later live vid and saw that Alex is playing the chord as part of the ride out. I learned the song from the studio version so never played the Hemispheres chord when we did it.

[Maverick]

Welp, I guess I'll be using it now.

 

:lol:

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Do you play the "Hemisphere chord" anywhere in the song?

 

At the end as the song is riding out, yeah. The 7/4 section that alternates between E and F#. In the studio version and earlier live versions (like ESL) Alex is playing those two chords on the three low strings, but in later live versions I've heard him ring the whole chords out as the song is ending, and that F# is the Hemispheres chord.

 

What do I win?

 

You win my undying admiration (but you already had that). I was just watching a later live vid and saw that Alex is playing the chord as part of the ride out. I learned the song from the studio version so never played the Hemispheres chord when we did it.

 

I like what that chord adds to the rideout. A little pizazz.

 

Welp, I guess I'll be using it now.

 

:lol:

 

You kinda have to. In fact, anytime you have the opportunity to sneak that chord into a song -- any song -- you should do it. Covering a Billie Eilish tune? Hemispheres that shit up.

[dream & vapour]

Firstly: Is it acceptable to play an F#11 chord (aka, the Hemispheres intro chord) during the outro of Tom Sawyer? Absolutely! Do your own thang.

 

Did Alex typically play an F#11 chord (2,4,4,3,0,0) during the outro? No. He typically played a simple F# power chord (2,4,4,x,x,x). But, finger your fretboard to play a F#sus4 (2,4,4,4,0,x), and let that whole thing ring out occasionally. Heck, you could even ring out an F#7sus4 (2,4,4,4,0,0). Maybe you won't like the aural taste of that open E when you're supposed to be stepping out of E into F#. Maybe you'll savor it.

 

Another possible fretboard excursion would be playing--as a substitute for the E power chord--an E6sus4 (0,2,2,4,2,5). Or follow me into the realm of the exotic and esoteric and throw in an E5add14 (0,7,9,9,0,11).

 

P.S. I should qualify my assertion about Alex typically not playing the F#11 during the outro (before I catch flak). When I was but a wee lad, this was true. But later, he seemed to use it by default. One need only watch the Snakes & Arrows or Time Machine performances, and there's The Alex Lifeson Chord^®.

Edited June 4, 2021 by dream & vapour

[Mr Freeze]

Can it really be called the Lifeson chord though?.......Alex was screwing around in the studio one day with a F# bar chord and mistakenly

forgot to press his index finger down on the high E and B string

......"damn!..that sounds gnarly!...I'm gonna use that"������

Edited June 3, 2021 by Mr Freeze

[Fridge]

I started doing it by accident one day then realised Alex was playing it live...

[Maverick]

Or follow me into the realm of the exotic and esoteric and throw in an E5add14 (0,7,9,9,0,11).

 

 

 

Now you're just making shit up. :lol:

[Weatherman]

Dunno about the Tom Sawyer outro...

... but I love to play Red Barchetta with that extra outro that they started adding in the 80s.

It's not on the original recording, but it contributes a lot to the song.

[Relayer2112]

Has anyone seen Alex's instructional videos from around 2006/2007? I believe he has videos for TSOR, Limelight and Tom Sawyer. I love how he admits he doesn't know the names of a lot of the chords he is using.

[dream & vapour]

Has anyone seen Alex's instructional videos from around 2006/2007? I believe he has videos for TSOR, Limelight and Tom Sawyer. I love how he admits he doesn't know the names of a lot of the chords he is using.

I know these videos of which you write. The iVideosongs videos. They're clearly popular on YouTube, as the Limelight (for instance) video has over one million views. It would have been quite nice to have such tools at my disposal when I was learning guitar. These kids got it made today. (Well, the ones who learn to play an actual instrument.)

 

It's his video for Tom Sawyer in which he forthrightly states he doesn't know the name of a chord. It's the second chord played in the song, an E7sus4. Back in the day, when I'd be hanging out with friends--or at the local mom & pop guitar store--sharing how to play the song, I might get asked the question, "What chord is that?" And my response would be, "Beats the hell outta me, but that's what it is!"

 

The vast majority of guitarists probably have no idea what the name of a beyond-the-mundane chord they're playing might be. And unless you're a session guitarist who's expected to quickly read changes on a chart you've just been handed, it's not critical. After one has played guitar long enough, you develop that sense of, "If I put my fingers like this, it should sound good. And if I'm lucky, it'll sound exquisite." After all, in music, creativity trumps knowledge of structural orthodoxy.

[Mr Freeze]

Not my quote........."Not learning music theory is like driving a car without a map. You can bump into some amazing places, but you' ll spend more time finding them.....end quote.

 

Alex did take classical guitar lessons for about a year.....but other commitments got in the way ;)

 

Doubt any of the greats in rock guitar knew music theory,in the traditional sense .let alone read music....Jazz cats too.They all

had the rare gift of relative pitch.ie "play by ear".....they let their fingers follow what they heard in their head to improvise over a chord progression,knowing what notes sound good and where they are on the fretboard is a intuitive talent ........."what note is that at the 7th fret again?" :)

[dream & vapour]

Since this is the place where the cool cats who rightly dig the F#11 chord--strange, beautiful music, as that Satriani fellow might say--hang out, here's another way (or two) you can pull that sensation into the Tom Sawyer outro. But using the E11 chord, rather than (or in addition to) the F#11 chord.

 

Play the simple arpeggiation of the F# power chord (2,4,4), then strum a DMb5 (x,5,6,7,7,x), then back to the F# arpeggio, then let this beauty ring out . . . an E11 (0,5,6,7,5,5). You may want to mute that low E. Other variants you may want to sample might be (x,7,6,7,5,5), (x,x,0,1,0,2--which would be a D6b5 maybe) and (x,x,0,1,3,2--another version of DMb5). These, and other exciting destinations, can be found right on your fretboard.

 

Have fun, and protect those ears!