Song: The Lemon Song
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin II
Bass Player: John Paul Jones
Tabbed by: John Prather (jnprather@aol.com)
~
This song is one i've always told myself i'd learn, and
i've screwed around with bits a pieces of it here and
there, but i've never *really* learned it. When I saw a
request for this song, I suddenly found an excuse to sit
down and try to figure the whole darned thing out. This
is in my opinion an absolute masterpiece of blues bass.
John Paul Jones lets it fly, using all of his signature
licks in this one.
The progression is your standard 12-bar blues in E.
Normally i'd shy away from transcribing a "blues"
bassline (because I think with blues it's more important
to focus on playing a "progression" than it is to play a
specific bassline), but Jones' bass playing on this song
is an absolute goldmine of things to learn. I've really
tried and get this as accurate as I possibly can. With blues in a
hey like E, it's always hard to tell if, for example, the bass
player is playing an A on the fifth fret of the E string or is
playing the A string open. I've tried my best to decipher when
he does each but there has to be a few mistakes. Overall i'd like
to think this is pretty accurate. Also, Jones'
use of ghost notes is tricky, because it's often hard
to tell when a note is a true ghost note or just a quick semi-muted
useage of a normal fretted (or open) note. i'm sure there are
certain notes i've specified as a ghost (x) that are
actually fretted and vice versa. Alot of the open notes
I notated could probably be interpreted as a ghost. Play
it however sounds right to you.
I've spent *ALOT* of time on this song, and I hope it
helps some people out. If you have any comments feel free
to email me, otherwise, GOOD LUCK!
P.S.: There is a minor update to my first Lemon Song transcription.
I saw a transcription of a small portion of this song which was
done by Jones. What I had was 99% accurate, however, all but
one of the ghost notes I had notated were in fact notated as open
string notes by JPJ himself. I have updated this transcription as
such, and I'll try to go through, update it again and convert most of the ghost notes when I have some time. Enjoy!
Intro/Verse Riff (rest 3 measures then):
G|--7---7--7-------------------------------------------------7-----|
D|----x---------------------------------------------------9-----9--|
A|-------------7--7------------------------7---x--7----------------|
E|-------------------4--4--5--5--6--6--7---------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------9------------7-----7--7-------|
D|--------------------------------------------9------9----------9--|
A|---7--7-------------------------7-----7--------------------------|
E|---------x--4--4--5--5--6--7-------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------9--7-----------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------9--0--7--9-----|
A|---7--7------------------------7---7--7--------------------------|
E|---------x--4--4--5--5--6--7-------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------9----------------9------------|
D|----------------------------------------------8--9------9--------|
A|---7--7------------------------7------7--------------------------|
E|---------x--4--4--5--5--6--7-------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---7---------------------------7------7-------5------------------|
A|---------0--4--4--5--5--6--7-------------------------5-----6-----|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------9-----------------------------------|
D|----------6--6--7--7--8--9------9------------6----7----8---------|
A|---7---7---------------------------7-----7-----------------------|
E|--------------------------------------7--------------------------|
G|---------------11------------------------------------------------|
D|---9---9--x-9------9-----------------------5----7--5-------------|
A|----------------------9--------4--5--6--7-----7-------7--5--6----|
E|-------------------------7--5------------------------------------|
0:50 :
G|-------9----9--7-------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------9--x--7--9--5h6--------------5------------------|
A|---7------------------------------7--5--6--7-----7--5-------5----|
E|------------------------------------------------------5-6-7---7--|
G|----------------------------------------------9-----9--7---------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------9-------|
A|---------------------------------x--5--6--7------7---------------|
E|---0---0---4---x--5--x--5--6--7-----------------------------7----|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---7-------------------------7--5---7--5---7--5--------7---------|
E|-------0---4--4--5--5--6--7-------7------7-------7--6-----6------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------7-----------------7-----------------|
A|---------4---4---5--5--6--7-----7-----------4-----5---6----------|
E|---5---5---------------------------5--5--5-----------------------|
G|---------------------------------9-------------------------------|
D|---------6---6---7---7--x--8--9-----------x--6--7--8-------------|
A|---7---7------------------------------7--------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------12/13--11----------------9----11-9---------------5-----|
D|---9--9-------------13-11-9-x-9/11---11------11-9-7--7-x-5---5---|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------x-|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------9---9---9--7----------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------9--7--9--5/6\-------------------------------|
A|---7-----------------------------------------------5----6--------|
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Up Tempo (1:27):
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------6--x-7--x-8--9-------------6--6--7--7---x-8--9----------|
A|---7--7-------------------5---7--7-------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------7--8--9--9--7--x-----------------------|
D|-------x--6---7--7--8--9-------------------9---x--7--6-----------|
A|---7----------------------------------------------------7--------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------7-----|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------5--7--7--5-------------------------|
A|-----------4---x-5---x-6--7----------------x--7--6--5--4--5------|
E|---5---5---------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------7--9--9--7-------------------------|
D|-----------6---6-7---x-8--9----------------x-9---x--7--6--7------|
A|---7---7---------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---9---7---------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------9---7---5---7-------------x--4--x--5--x--5--6--7-------|
E|--------------------------5--7---5-------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------6--x-7--x-7--8--8--8----|
D|-----------6--6--7--7--7--8--8--8--9--9--------------------------|
A|---7---7---------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---9---9---7-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------x--9---x--7--5h6-----------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------7---7---5-----------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------x--7--5---3h4--0----|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------5--x--5--6--x--6--7--7----|
A|---------------------------------7--7--------------------------7-|
E|----0---0---4--x--5--x--5--6--7----------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----7---7---5-----------------------------------------------5h6--|
A|----------------x---7---x--5-3h4-----------4--x--5--x--6--7------|
E|----------------------------------5--5--5------------------------|
G|---------------------------------7--9--9--x-7--------------------|
D|------------6--x--7--x--8--x--9----------------9--x--6--7--8-----|
A|----7---7--------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------8---x-9---x-10-11-----------6--x--7--x--8--9---------|
D|----9---9----------------------9--7--7--------------------7------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------9--7--x-6--6--5---x--------------------------------------|
D|----9------------------------9--9--7--7--7--8--9-----------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------7-------------|
G|---------------------------------9---7---------------------------|
D|------------6---x--7---x--8---9---------9-----6--6---7---9-------|
A|----7---7----------------------------------7---------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----9------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------9------6---7---8------------------------------------------|
A|----------7------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------0---4---4---5---5---6---7------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------7--7---x--5------------------|
A|-------------4---4---5---5---6---7---------------x-7--x--4-5-6---|
E|-----5---5-------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------9--x-9-----9----7----9----------|
D|-------------6---6---7--7--8--9----------7----8----9-------------|
A|-----7---7-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----9---9---7---x-----------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------9---x---7--5------------4-x-5-x-5---6--6-----|
E|----------------------------------7---5--5-----------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------6--6---x-7--7---8--8--9-----------------------------|
A|-----7---7-------------------------------------------4--5--6-----|
E|--------------------------------------7--7--7--7--7--------------|
Slower Tempo (2:30):
G|-----------------------------------------------------9--7--------|
D|-------------6---6--6--7--7--8--9--------------------------9-----|
A|-----7---7-------------------------x--7---x--7-------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------9--8--7------------------------------|
D|-------x--6--6--7--7--8--9-----------9--x--7--6---------------5/-|
A|----7-------------------------------------------7--8--5--6--7----|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------5--6--7---------------------------------|
A|----0---4---x-5--x-6--7-------------------4---5---6--------------|
E|------------------------------------5----------------------------|
G|-----------------------------9-----------------------------------|
D|--------x--6--6--7--7--8--9-----------6----7----8----------------|
A|----7----------------------------7-------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----9-----------------------------------------------------------|
D|---9---9--9--9--9--x--9---------------------------7---7----5---7-|
A|-------------------------9----9-------------x--4----5---5h7--7---|
E|----------------------------7---7--6--5--5-----------------------|
"Now take it down a little..." (2:56):
G|---------9-9--9--7-----------------------------------------------|
D|-------x-----------9--7--9-5h6------------5----------------------|
A|---7----------------------------7--5-6-7----7--5--------5--------|
E|-------------------------------------------------5h6-7-----5-----|
G|-------------------------------9---7-----------------7-----------|
D|---------6---7--8--9-------------------0--7--8--9----------------|
A|---7-----------------9----7--------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------7-----------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------9--8--7--------------------------|
D|-------0--6--6--7---7--8--9--0-----------0--9--0-7--6------------|
A|---7--------------------------------------------------7-0----7---|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------7---6-|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------0--5--6--7-----------------7---------|
A|---0---0--4--x--5--0--6--7-------------7---7----0--4------5--6---|
E|-----------------------------------------5---5-------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------9----------|
D|-------0--6--6-6-7--7--7--8--8--8--9--------------0-6---7--0--8--|
A|---7---------------------------------7--5-0-7--7-----------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------11--------------------------------------------------|
D|---9---9--9------9-------9-----9---7------------4-5-6-7----------|
A|--------------------0--9----9---------0-4-5-6-7---------4-4-5-6--|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------9---7-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------9--7--5--------------------------------------------|
A|---7--------------------7--5-----7-7--5------------------5--6----|
E|------------------------------7---------7--5--3--5----/7---------|
N.H.
G|-------9--9--7---------------------------12-9--------------------|
D|----------------9--7--0--5h6------(5)---------12--9-7-8--9-------|
A|---7--------------------------7----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------9--7--------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------9--7-0-5--7-------|
A|---7--------5--5------------------7---7--------------------------|
E|-------------------7--5--3--5--7---------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------4-5-6-7-------------------------5-6-7-9-|
A|---0-------4----5--6--7-----------0--4--4--5-5-6--6-7--7---------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------9---9--7-------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------9-7-x--5--6-------------x-6--7--8--9------7----|
A|---7---------------------------7--5--6--7---------------x-7------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------11-----------------------9-----------------------------|
D|---9--9-------9--------9----9--7-7----7----------------5---7-----|
A|-----------------9----9--9--------------7---4--5--6--7---7-------|
E|--------------------7---------------------5----------------------|
G|--------9--7-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------9--7--5--------------------------------------------|
A|---7-------------------7--5----------------------------0--2------|
E|-----------------------------7---5--3--2--1--0-1--2--3-----------|
G|-----------------------------------9---9--7--7--7----------------|
D|-----------0--6--0--7---7--8h9---------------------9--7----------|
A|---7---7------------------------7------------------------7-------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------7--9----------------------------|
D|---------6--6--7--7--8--8--9--9----------------------------------|
A|---7--7-------------------------------7--7--5--5--5--------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------7--7-5-0-3-4-|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------5--6--7-------------------------------|
A|-----------4---4--5---6--7----------7-----------0--4--5--6-------|
E|---5--5--5-----------------------------5--0-5--------------------|
G|------------------------7--8--9--12-9---9-9-12-9----9--9---------|
D|------x--6--6--7--8--9---------------12----------12------12-9----|
A|---7----------------------------------------------------------12-|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------9---7-------|
D|---9--------------7--8--9------------------------5----------9----|
A|------9-------9-----------9--6-------------5-6-7---7----------5--|
E|---------7----------------------7--x-5-6-7-----------------------|
G|-------------9---------------------------------------------------|
D|------9/11-------------9\----------------------------------------|
A|---7------------10/11-----10/11---------7--x-5-------------------|
E|----------------------------------7--9----------7--5--3h4--------|
G|-----------------------------------------------7-----9-----------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------7--7--5--------------------------7--7---------------------|
E|---0------------7--5--2--3--4--0--0--5---------------------------|
G|----------------------------------9--------9---------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------7-8-------------|
A|---7-----7--7--5-------------x-7-----x-7------7------------------|
E|-------7-----------7--5--0----------------------------0----------|
G|--------------------------------------------------7--6-----------|
D|-----------------------4--5--6--7-------------7---------9--7--x--|
A|--------x--4--5--6---7-------------4--7-----7---7----------------|
E|----5------------------------------------5-----------------------|
G|-------------9--9--7---------------------------------------------|
D|----9-----------------9--7--6h7--6h7--6-7-6----------------------|
A|-------7--7----------------------------------7--5-x-7------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------4--4-5--0--|
G|----------------------11-------------------7-----11--9-----------|
D|-------------9/11h13-----13--11\9--7--9h11----11--------11-----9-|
A|-------9h11------------------------------------------------9h11--|
E|----7------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------9---7----------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------9---7--5h6---------------------------------------|
A|----7-------------------------7--5-------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------7--5--3--2--0--0--4--7-------|
G|-----------9--7----------------------------7--9------------------|
D|-----------------9--7-------------6--7--9------------------------|
A|----7------------------7---7---7---------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------9--9--9--9--9--9--7------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------9---------4-4-4-4-5-5-5-5-6-6-6-6-|
A|----7----------------------------7-7-7-7-------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------5/6----------------------------------------------|
D|-----7--5-------------7--5--7--5-------------------------5-------|
A|------------7--------------------7--0--0--0--4--5--6-0-7--7-5--6-|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------9--7-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------9--7--5h6-------------5-----7-5---------------------|
A|----7------------------7--5--6--7---7-5-----5-5-6-7-5-5-6-7------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------5-5-6-|
G|-------------------11--------------------------------------------|
D|----------------9------9----------------------2------------------|
A|-------------9------------9----9----------2h4---4-2-----4--------|
E|----7---7--------------------7---7--6--5------------5-5----------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------6--6--7--7--8--8--9--9-------------------------------|
A|----7---7--------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------/7---------------------|
Up Tempo (5:36):
G|--------------------------------------------------------7--------|
D|----------6--x--7--x--8--9------------6--6-7--x--8--9------------|
A|----7--7------------------------7--7-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------7-----------------------------------|
G|----9---9--------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------x--9--x--7--5h6-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------7--7--5---------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------0--7--0--5--3--4---------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------5--7--7--5-------------------------|
A|------------4--x--5--x--6--7--------------x--7--x--5--4--5-------|
E|----5---5--------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------7--9--9--7----------------------------|
D|----------6--x-7--x--8--9--------------0--9--x--7--6--7----------|
A|----7--7---------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------8--8-9--9-10--11--------------6--x-7-x--7--8--8-------|
D|----9---9--------------------x--9--7--7--------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----9--9--7--7--7-6--6--5--5-5--x--------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------9--9--8-8--8--7--7--8--9------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----7--7--5------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------0-7--x-5--3h4--0--0--4--x--5--x--5--6--7------------|
G|---------------------------7--9--9--9--7-------------------------|
D|----------6--x-7--x--8--9-----------------x-9--x-7--5h6----------|
A|----7--7------------------------------------------------7--------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------4--x-5--x-6--7--7-----------------|
A|----------4--x--5--x--6--7--7---------------------4--5-----------|
E|----5--5---------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------7---9---9---7--------------------------|
D|--------6--x--7--x--8--9-----------------x--9---7--6--7----------|
A|----7------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----9---7--------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------9--8--7---5------------------------7-----------------|
E|--------------------------7--6--5--------------------------------|
Whew!
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