CLASSICAL GAS
By Mason Williams
Am G Em Am
E----------------------------------|
B-1-----1--0-------0---------------|
G-2--2-----0-------0--2--0--2------| Play twice
D---------------------------2------|
A-0-------------------------0------|
E----------3----2--0---------------|
G Am G C Am Em
E--------------------0----0---------------|
B-----0-----1-----3--1------1--3----1--0--|
G---0-----0-----0-------0---2-------------|
D---------------------------------2-------|
A-------0-----2------3--------------------|
E-3---------------------------------------|
Am G Em Am
E--------------------------------------|
B-1-----1--0---------0-----------0-----|
G----2------------------2--0--2-----2--| Play 4 times
D--------------------------------------|
A-0---------------------------------0--|
E----------3--2--0---0-----------------|
Am G Am G C Am Em F Am
E-------------------------0--------------------------|
B-----0-----0-1-----1-3-----3-1-3-0-1-0--------------|
G---2-----0-------2---------------------2-0-2-2-0-2--| & - To Coda (2nd time)
D-2-------------------------------2-----3------------|
A---------------0-----2---3---0-------------0-----0--|
E-------3--------------------------------------------|
Am G Am G C F D7 G E7
E-------------------------0-----1-----2-----3-----4---5---7----|
B-----0-----0-1-----1-3-----1-----1-----1-----3-0---5---5---5--|
G---2-----0-------2-----------0-----2-----2--------------------|
D-2------------------------------------------------------------|
A---------------0-----2----------------------------------------|
E-------3------------------------------------------------------|
E-8-7-5---5-----5---5---8-7-5---5-----------8-7-5---5-----8-5---5--|
B-------8---7-----7---5-------8---7---8-7-8-------8---7-------8----|
G------------------------------------------------------------------|
D-------------0---------------------0-------------------0----------|
A-0---------------------0-------------------0----------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------------|
Strum: G C F Bb A7sus4
/ / / / / / / /
Dm9
E----------0--|
B-------3--3--|
G-----2----2--|
D---3------3--|
A-0-----------|
E-------------|
Part II
(This is what is written for the music that I have. I noticed in playing
around with it that playing straight off the Db and Eb also sounds good.)
Db Eb
E-1-1-----1-2-2-1--1-1-----1-2-2-1-----1--4-4-4---4-5-5-4--4-4-4---|
B------------------------------------2----------7----------------7-|
G-----1-3--------------1-3---------1-------------------------------|
D------------------------------------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-4-5-5-4---4-|
B---------5---|
G-------------|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|
Strum: G C F Bb A7sus4
/ / / / / / / /
Dm9
E---------0-----------|
B-------3---3-------3-|
G-----2-------2---2---|
D---3-----------3-----|
A-0-------------------|
E---------------------|
This next section is strumming around an A-minor at the first position and
either lifting the first finger off to form Asus2 (002200) or adding the 4th
finger on the second string third fret to form Asus4 (002230). These are
all eighth notes with no rests, but the chord change comes on the 4th note
of each measure (the 'and' of the second beat) like:
Strum: Asus2 Am Asus4 Am Asus2 Am Asus4 Am
| |
| | etc.
| |
v v
|/ / / / / / / /|/ / / / / / / /|/ / / / / / / /|/ / / / / / / /|
Asus2 Am Asus4 Am Asus2 Am Asus2
|/ / / / / / / /|/ / / / / / / /|/ / / / / / / /|/ /
(1/4 notes)
E---------0-0-0-1-0-------0-------0-----------0---0-0-0-1-0-------0--------|
B---0-1-3-----------3-3-3---3-1-3---1---0-0-3---3-----------3-3-3---3------|
G-2-----------------------------------2------------------------------------|
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Am G Am
E-----0-----------0---0-0-0-1-0-------0-------0----------------------------|
B-1-3---3---0-0-3---3-----------3-3-3---3-1-3---1---0-----0-------0---0-1--|
G---------2---------------------------------------2---------2-0-2---2------|
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------------------0---0--|
E-----------------------------------------------------3-2-0-----------3----|
G C F D G
E---0-1-2-3-4-5-6-|
B-3---------------|
G-----------------|
D-------0---------|
A-2-3-0---2-------|
E-----------0-0-0-|
E-8-7-5---5-----5---5---8-7-5---5-----------8-7-5---5-----8-5---5--|
B-------8---7-----7---5-------8---7---8-7-8-------8---7-------8----|
G------------------------------------------------------------------|
D-------------0---------------------0-------------------0----------|
A-0---------------------0-------------------0----------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------------|
Strum: G C F Bb A7sus4
/ / / / / / / /
Dm9
E----------0--|
B-------3--3--|
G-----2----2--| D.S al Coda &
D---3------3--|
A-0-----------|
E-------------|
Coda:
Am G Am G C F D G
E----------0-1-2-3-4-5-6-|
B---0-1--3---------------|
G-2----------------------|
D--------------0---------|
A-0---0--2-3-0---2-------|
E---3--------------0-0-0-|
Strum: Am D G C F Bb
Dm9 D A
E---------0----------------------0-----------------------------------|
B-------3---3-------3----------3---3-------3----------2--------------|
G-----2-------2---2---2------2-------0---2---0--------2--------------|
D---3-----------3----------4-----------4--------------2--------------|
A-0----------------------0----------------------------0--------------|
E--------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRO:
3/4 time rubato, that is, played slowly 'with feeling'. Actually,
everyone wants to play it just like Mason does on the record...
* * *
/ \ / \ / \
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|
B|1-------1---|--0---------|--0---------|--2---------|
G|----2-------|-0----------|-0--2-0-----|-2----------|
D|------------|------------|------------|------------|
A|0-----------|------------|------------|0-----------|
E|------------|3-------2---|0-----------|------------|
* * *
h h / \ / \ h / \
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|
B|--01--0-1---|--0---------|--0-------0-|--2---------|
G|-2--2-------|-0----------|-0--2-0-02--|-2----------|
D|------------|------------|------------|------------|
A|0-----------|------------|------------|0-----------|
E|------------|3-------2---|0-----------|------------|
** ** **
/ \ / \ / \ Switches to 4/4 time here.
E|------------|0---------------|------------|
B|--0---1---3-|------3-1---3---|--1-0-------|
G|-0---2---0--|----0-----------|------------| dramatic pause...
D|------------|----------------|2-----------|
A|----0---2---|3-------0-------|------------|
E|3-----------|----------------|------------|
* - arpeggio (The sheet music would denote this as three notes together
with a squiggly line. You are supposed to know that the notes are
not played together.)
** - triplet (fill in the space that two notes usually take up with
three evenly spaced notes.)
h - hammer on the next note.
THE MAIN PART:
Up-tempo 4/4 time. The signature riff makes this song and the sheet
music doesn't give a clue about how to play it.
Thumb and two fingers are probably needed at a minimum. In the first
bar, the thumb plays the A and D string notes. In the next two bars,
the thumb plays the E string notes, and in the fourth bar, it plays
the A and D string notes.
For the first measure, finger a normal Am chord. I find it works
well in the third measure to alternate the 2-0-2 on the G string
between the index and middle finger (play the B string notes with
your middle finger, the first G string note with your index, the
second G string note with you middle finger again, and the next G
string note with your index finger again. (just a suggestion).
*
/ \
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|010-1-----1---0-|----------------|0---------0-----|----------------|
G|------2---------|----0-----0-----|--2-0-2-------2-|----2-----2-----|
D|----------2---0-|--0-----0-----0-|----------------|--2-----2-----2-|
A|0-------0---0---|----------------|----------------|0-----0-----0---|
E|----------------|3-----2-----0---|0-------0---0---|----------------|
Repeat 4 times.