• From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Topic: Surfin USA

The basic tab to this is correct but to get the Beach Boys live sound don't use open chords. Set your amp for a cheap strat sound; cut coils and no gain, really thin and nasty.


Now go down to 5th fret, cover it with your first finger and use your middle finger to stab the A string and the D string. Get a good rockin beat and you're cooking. When you get to the Gs I find 9th fret stabs sound right which makes the first one C# and the second G# but I need to practice this.


Great cheat song to get beginners rockin without huge finger skills, also can be redressed as 'Sweet Little Sixteen' the Chuch Berry song it derives from.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Surfin USA

I think you'll find most rock and roll songs are easier to play barred than they are using open chord forms.  The natural transition between barred E and A shapes matches perfectly with the I IV V chord progressions almost all rock songs use.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Surfin USA

This song performed by the beach boys, should be a straight copy of or problably better a cover of chuck berry's sweet little sixteen.

Talking about chuck, the well known beatlessong "come together" is a copy of "you can't catch me" by chuck berry, even better: The beatles hit "back in the ussr" is also from a berry song, named "back to the USA"

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Surfin USA

Well, there ain't nothing new in the world, especially in rock and roll.


I IV V chord progressions make up about %90 of them, so I don't really think it's fair to say they copied it.  You might as well say that everyone stole Son House's act.  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website