About Today - The National
Version 4 of 6
- About Today (Chords) (v2)Rating: 4.88 / 5.00
- About Today (Tabs) (v1)Rating: 4.38 / 5.00
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- About Today (Tabs) (v3)Rating: 4.91 / 5.00
- About Today (Tabs) (v5)Rating: 4.9 / 5.00
===================== ARTIST: THE NATIONAL SONG: ABOUT TODAY ALBUM: Cherry Tree EP ===================== Standard tuning, no capo. I think this is exactly how it's played, other versions have missing notes and some details here and there. This is the original track from the Cherry Tree EP which has only one guitar, there are wonderful live versions with a second guitar (Aaron or Dessner) playing an octave higher but the studio track is the best to learn the song has there's not so much instrumentation going on as the live versions. The main thing is the picking pattern on the right hand, the thumb is used a lot on each bar, that's what was more difficult to pick-up when I first started learning it. Once you get into the groove the pattern is basically repeated with some string skipping and "walking" melody lines thrown in. There's just two different parts that repeat throughout. Formatting of the tab is not super tidy (I put the first notes with no initial spacing, etc),sorry, not used to fiddling with tabbing software. Don't be lazy and skip notes, stick to it as it's the details that make the song so beautiful :-) If you'd like a video tutorial, I uploaded a video to Youtube: http://youtu.be/nBiJk7imXTA Enjoy... [PART 1:] (repeats 5 times) |-3----------- |------------- |-----------2- |-3-------3--- |------------- |------------- -------------- -1------------ -------------- -3---3-------- -------------- -------------- -----|0------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -----|3------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -------------- ------1------- --2----------- 3-----3---3--- -------------- -------------- ----------| ----------| ----------| ----------| ----------| ----------| |0------------ |----------1-- |------2------ |----2-----2-- |0------------ |------------- -------------- ---1---------1 ---------2---- 2------2-----2 ---0---------- -------------- -----|0------- -----|-------- -----|------2- ---2-|----2--- -----|0------- -----|-------- -------------- --1-----1----- -------------- --2-2-------2- --------0----- -------------- ----------| ----1-----| 2---------| ----2---2-| ----------| ----------| |------------- |0-------0---- |------0------ |----0---0---0 |------------- |3------------ -------------- -0-------0---- -------0------ -----0---0---0 -------------- -3------------ -----|-------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ----------| ----------| ----------| ----------| ----------| ----------| [PART 2:] |------------- |1-------0---- |------0------ |----2---2---2 |3------------ |------------- -------------- ---1-------0-- ---------0---- -------2---2-- ---3---------- -------------- -----|-------- -----|1------- -----|------0- -2---|----2--- -----|3------- -----|-------- -------------- 0-------1----- -------------- 2---2-------2- --------3----- -------------- ----------| --0-------| 0---------| --2---2---| ----------| ----------| (some times th |0------------ |--------0---- |------0------ |----2---2---2 |------------- |0------------ e open high E -------------- ---0-------0-- ---------0---- -------2---2-- -------------- ---0---------- is played alte -----|-------- -----|0------- -----|------0- -2---|----2--- -----|-------- -----|0------- rnating here t -------------- 0-------0----- -------------- 2---2-------2- -------------- --------0----- oo, as in the end, see below) ----------| --0-------| 0---------| --2---2---| ----------| ----------| |1------------ |--------1---- |------2------ |3---3---3-3-- |------------- |------------- -3------------ ---------1---- -------2------ -3---3---3-3-- -------------- -------------- -----|1------- -----|-------- -----|------2- -----|3---3--- -----|-------- -----|-------- ------0------- 1------------- ------------2- 3-3---3---3--- -------------- -------------- ----------| 1---------| ----------| 3-3-------| ----------| ----------| |------------- |0------------ |--------0---- |------0------ |----0---0---0 |3------------ ---3---------- -------------- -----------0-- ---------0---- -------0---0-- ---3---------- -----|--1----- -----|-------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -0---|------0- -----|--3----- ----------0--- -------------- --0----------- 0------------- --0---0------- ----------3--- ----------| ----------| ----0-----| --0-------| 0---0---0-| ----------| Back to part 1, and repeat... The end of the song is PART 2 repeated two times. Also please note that he plays a slight variation on the E minor chord where it alternates the open E string (see below) |------------- |1-------0---- |------0------ |----2---2---2 |3------------ |------------- -------------- ---1-------0-- ---------0---- -------2---2-- ---3---------- -------------- -----|-------- -----|1------- -----|------0- -2---|----2--- -----|3------- -----|-------- -------------- 0-------1----- -------------- 2---2-------2- --------3----- -------------- ----------| --0-------| 0---------| --2---2---| ----------| ----------| |0------------ |--------0---- |------0------ |----2---2---2 |------------- |0------------ -------------- ---0-------0-- ---------0---- -------2---2-- -------------- ---0---------- -----|0------- -----|-------- -----|------0- -2---|----2--- -----|-------- -----|0------- -------------- 0-------0----- -------------- 2---2-------2- -------------- --------0----- ----------| --0-------| 0---------| --2---2---| ----------| ----------| |1------------ |--------1---- |------2------ |3---3---3-3-- |------------- |------------- -3------------ ---------1---- -------2------ -3---3---3-3-- -------------- -------------- -----|1------- -----|-------- -----|------2- -----|3---3--- -----|-------- -----|-------- ------0------- 1------------- ------------2- 3-3---3---3--- -------------- -------------- ----------| 1---------| ----------| 3-3-------| ----------| ----------| |------------- |0------------ |--------0---- |------0------ |----0---0---0 |3------------ ---3---------- -------------- -----------0-- ---------0---- -------0---0-- ---3---------- -----|--1----- -----|-------- -----|-------- -----|-------- -0---|------0- -----|--3----- ----------0--- -------------- --0----------- 0------------- --0---0------- ----------3--- ----------| ----------| ----0-----| --0-------| 0---0---0-| ----------|