Another Chris Thile help

[Angledangle]

I am new here and relatively new to mandolin in general. I have listened, watchec, and searched for how to play The Lighthouses Tale. The fact is I am just not at the figure it out by ear stage in my playing career. Unfortunately the videos are not really helpful either as I am not sure what he is playing. I desperately want to play this at the next local fiddlers meeting with a guitarist and fiddle player but I need to know exactly what Chris is playing. I can strum E , G, D and make it sound like the song but Chris is playing a run and the chop chording for most of the song. Can anyone please help me get this so I can play it next month? Thanks in advance.

[Jim Hudson]

I wouldn't worry too much if you can't play Thile licks yet. He's a profound musical genius whose been playing mandolin since he was in the womb. Being among their many fans, my wife gave me a Nickel Creek song book a few years ago that has "The Lighthouse Tale" included. It is, indeed, a beautiful ballad to be sure. However, I've had a similar experience as you, that is to say, nothing I play out of that songbook sounds remotely like Chris Thile. Indeed, if I did play something accidentally, perhaps in a fit of genius, that sounded like a Thile lead I'd probably faint. Believe me, I've tried. If you already know the chord structure then you're likely going to have to construct your own facsimile that is congruous with your current abilities. The songbook is available but it doesn't have tab or treble clef notations of Thile's leads. I believe there are people, perhaps on this forum, who will do lead transcriptions ... but then you'd have to learn and perform it which is a task that would take me, at least, considerably longer than a month to master. I'd be interested to see what the mando guru's around here come up with.

[Angledangle]

He is quite the genius. Most books actually print the entire song in a form playable by one instrument. I am looking for information more in tune with concert style sheet music in that it solely follows on instrument even though there are 20 others. I think this song is probably the easiest to attack in that he really only plays the same lick over and over which has already been partially tabbed and I can already play. The chop chords are what I really need. I am new to the whole chop chord idea and I have no clue what chords he is fingering and have no ear for the sounds they make either. I am going to have to look for that book though. I have only seen the books for his first two solo albums which are way out of my league. I can butcher some goat rodeo sessions a bit but I wanted to pick one song that was easy to get two other players together on and I could work on my vocals as well as keeping rhythm with my mando. Perhaps I am shooting the moon with this one though. We shall see.

[jefflester]

Here's the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Creek-S.../dp/B00GQZOH5C

For chopping the verse you could try Em 4-5-2-x, G 7-5-2-3, D (add9) 2-2-4-2.

Have you seen this girl's video? Pretty easy to follow along what chords she's playing, though I'm not sure quite what she's doing for the high D (~7th fret 7-0-0-7?). She's doing 4-5-7-x for the Em and then just open G. For the chorus open C, Bm 4-4-5-7, Bb 3-3-5-6, open C, then that high D again. Then at the turn around end of the chorus Em 4-5-7-x, F#m 6-7-9-x, G 7-9-10-x.

[Bob Visentin]

Thile is certainly amazing, but lets not forget he practices ALOT. i heard he practices on the commode! Watch the movie How To Grow A Band. Chris is really compelled.

[Angledangle]

In a house with small kids it would not take long before playing on the toilet became talk of the school and church. It is one of the few rooms with a lock and great acoustics though!

[Angledangle]

Here's the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Creek-S.../dp/B00GQZOH5C

For chopping the verse you could try Em 4-5-2-x, G 7-5-2-3, D (add9) 2-2-4-2.

Have you seen this girl's video? Pretty easy to follow along what chords she's playing, though I'm not sure quite what she's doing for the high D (~7th fret 7-0-0-7?). She's doing 4-5-7-x for the Em and then just open G. For the chorus open C, Bm 4-4-5-7, Bb 3-3-5-6, open C, then that high D again. Then at the turn around end of the chorus Em 4-5-7-x, F#m 6-7-9-x, G 7-9-10-x.

I have seen this video. Cool to know what she is playing but she is doing it solo. I just want to play the mandolin portion. I have a violinist and a great guitar so I just need to fill in the rhythm and the recurring riff as well as a few fancy bits (double stops?) Before the finish. I am totally getting that book asap but my reading skills are still in infant stages having only played guitar and piano by ear my whole life. Thanks for the starting point. It was the darn John Ryans Polk recorded on mandolin that sparked my searching out lessons and now having been totally humbled by goat rodeo sessions I am to this very beautiful song as my attempt at accomplishment. I watched the Tuscany Eva Holbrook video last night and now feel I may in fact have to play on the toilet if I ever hope to play half as good as the rest of the mandolin community. I sure do love this instrument.