Jzero

[zvon]

Looking to figure out Jzero off Numbers.

I have some of the basic chords.
Intro--not so much,lol.

Any help on getting chords or a tab for Jzero would be greatly appriciated.
Even just a start on the intro bit would be awsum.

____________________

And, hi, Im Zvon (pronounced Zevon in honor of the late Warren), big Cat fan and this board looks excellent, as does the Majicat site.

And to all who have submitted tabs in the tab section, thank you very much for sharing these.

[SP4313]

Hi Zvon,
I'll get the CD out in the next couple days and see what I can do. Oh, and welcome to the site.

Gino

[zvon]

Thanks Gino.
I have my guitar in lap and am working on it myself for a little bit right now.

The basic rhythm (after the intro) starts F to Bb, I think.

[zvon]

Capo,5th fret works nice

[SP4313]

Okay zvon,
Capo on 1st fret, then try this for the intro:

(Remember, I'm writing this with a capo on the 1st fret, so all chords are played at number of frets off the capo, not the guitar nut).

XXX977 - XXX990 - XXX870 - XXX650 - XXX454 - XXX222 - XXX655

Then strum: E A E A (which is F Bb just like you said)

I'll help you with the chords to the rest of the song if you don't have therm already.
I've gotta go now, but I'll check in later today.

Gino

[zvon]

sp4313 said:

Okay zvon,
Capo on 1st fret, then try this for the intro:

(Remember, I'm writing this with a capo on the 1st fret, so all chords are played at number of frets off the capo, not the guitar nut).

XXX977 - XXX990 - XXX870 - XXX650 - XXX454 - XXX222 - XXX655

Then strum: E A E A (which is F Bb just like you said)

I'll help you with the chords to the rest of the song if you don't have therm already.
I've gotta go now, but I'll check in later today.

Gino

this is awsum.
Playin it now.
thnx,thnx,thnx


I think I can figure the chords from here with the help, but it still would be kool if you posted the chords if they are handy.

This is great-thnx again

[SP4313]

Hi zvon,
I'm really glad I could help you. I didn't figure out the chords to the rest of the song, but I'd be glad to. It took less than 10 minutes to get the intro, so I'll try to get the rest tonight. We're always here to help with tabs or chords to songs so never be afraid to ask, no matter how many songs.

Gino

[zvon]

This is a great start Gino.

With a few pinkys thrown in and D string adds I have the intro down perfect.
Thanx

I have the verse (I, II & III) chords all the way up to the line "under the sea".

this passage:
Well I don't house no past
Never carried a key
My sun doesn't rise from under the sea
There is only one morning
Eternally...dee d'lee d'lee

Im stuck there for now.
What do you have for that chord?
I have found afew chords that seem close but not right.

Thanx in advance for your time and trouble.

[SP4313]

zvon,
Sorry I haven't got to the song tonight, but it's 10pm here and I'm still working. Glad you're having so much fun with the song and have so much of it figured out. I'll give it some time as soon as I can and see if I can help you out where you're stuck.

So what kind of guitar(s) do you play and how long have you been playing?

I have been playing for 35 years, am self taught and play by ear. I have an Ovation that I got for my 15th birthday (in 1975 - yeah, I know, I'm old), an Epiphone Classical (beautiful guitar), a Tatra Classical (made in Czechoslovakia - my beater guitar), and my favorite: a vintage Candelas classical concert guitar made by Pilo Delgado. It is the most beautiful instrument I have ever owned.

If you haven't checked out the tabs on this site you should. There are some really good ones. Also, Kristian (Workahollis) has some videos on U-Tube that are really cool. Right now I'm learning "Katmandu". Although I am learning it by ear off the CD, I also have Jacky's (Germany) tab here on this site, and Kristian's (Italy) video on U-Tube to help me out if I get stuck. This is my favorite thing about this site. . . sharing CS songs with others from around the world.

Gino

[zvon]

sp4313 said:

zvon,
Sorry I haven't got to the song tonight, but it's 10pm here and I'm still working. Glad you're having so much fun with the song and have so much of it figured out. I'll give it some time as soon as I can and see if I can help you out where you're stuck.

So what kind of guitar(s) do you play and how long have you been playing?

I have been playing for 35 years, am self taught and play by ear. I have an Ovation that I got for my 15th birthday (in 1975 - yeah, I know, I'm old), an Epiphone Classical (beautiful guitar), a Tatra Classical (made in Czechoslovakia - my beater guitar), and my favorite: a vintage Candelas classical concert guitar made by Pilo Delgado. It is the most beautiful instrument I have ever owned.

If you haven't checked out the tabs on this site you should. There are some really good ones. Also, Kristian (Workahollis) has some videos on U-Tube that are really cool. Right now I'm learning "Katmandu". Although I am learning it by ear off the CD, I also have Jacky's (Germany) tab here on this site, and Kristian's (Italy) video on U-Tube to help me out if I get stuck. This is my favorite thing about this site. . . sharing CS songs with others from around the world.

Gino

Hey, any help you give anytime you have the time to give it is appreciated

I 1st picked up a guitar many moons ago (Im an old coot myself), also in the 70s. I really couldnt play seriously until the early 90s, when I was taught alot by working local musicians I became friends with. I played well but had a fear of playing in front of an audience, and they began inviting me up to play afew songs during their gigs. This helped me overcome my fear of playing live to strangers.

Id play anything from Cat and the Beatles, Elvis Costello to Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band(or any currently popular song that I had an itch to play, like some BareNakedLadies tunes,etc.).

The DMB stuff really took off because I was the only person in the area playing the stuff. I did a little duo acoustic thing with another guitarist, based on Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds live shows (Luther College was the main source of material). Eventually we were playing our own gigs and it went over well.

I also learned ALOT on chord voiceings, or alternate fingerings, from guitar tabs that were made available online of Matthews songs and the way he played them. I feel I took one giant leap in my ability to play guitar at that time.

Even tho we played about 50-70% Dave Matthews stuff, we would still do other covers as well. We would play Wild World every gig, and sometimes we'd do On The Road To Find Out and/or The Wind.

I did On The Road To Find Out once with a full band on a "throw together a band for a party" gig. It was done kind of ad-lib (we had never practiced it).
I played the rhythm and sang, and the others joined in played along. The simplicity of the song helped, because even if you had never heard it, its easy to jump into it on any instrument.

It really came off great and got a big hand. I really figured the odds that anyone knew the song were not that good, but over the applause I heard one guy yell out: "Harold And Maude baby! Harold And Maude!"
I was like : Wow.

I havent played out for a long long time. I actually stopped playing guitar for afew years recently. Just didnt feel the itch.

But Ive been feelin the itch lately.
And I think this time Im going to try and play at least half (or more) Cat songs, and fill in the rest with other stuff like DMB and afew current songs.

These songs Cat wrote are all beautiful, and maybe even more relevant now (or equally) than they were when they were first given to us, back in the 70s.

And no ones playing them,...though I see Cat himself has been, a little (this also has been part of my inspiration - to see Cat playing again)

The clincher was this interview I saw on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJeoIfsZ5B0&mode=related&search=

When I saw that it confirmed something that I always felt since the first time I ever heard a song by Cat Stevens, took the journey his music gave us, and saw him retire from the music scene to live the life he wrote about in song.

That this is one of the most facsinating men of my time.

And his music should be heard again, for this generation.

Im told there may not be much interest on the local (bar) circut for these songs.
That patrons may not be interested in hearing them.

I think they would, and Ill let you know if they do.

[SP4313]

All very intresting zvon. Please keep us posted on how the songs are received.

I stopped playing guitar for a time too during an extremely difficult period of my life. For 7 years to be exact, so I guess I've really only been playing for 28. Before that time I had performed a lot. The gift in picking up the guitar again was that I had a break from the way I used to play songs. Some of the songs I played I had been playing since I first picked up the guitar, so the chords and picking were usually a simpler version of the original. I decided I was going to take the time to figure out how the songs were really played on the albums and learn them all over again. That's where I'm at now. I have only been doing this for about 3 years.

Since you're learning new songs to perform, make this site one of your first stops for help. We all benefit from learning new material. I'll get the guitar out and see if I can help you out with the "under the sea" part in an hour or so.

Gino

[SP4313]

Okay zvon, here you go...

Intro: XXX977 - XXX990 - XXX870 - XXX650 - XXX454 - XXX222 - XXX655

E A E A E A E A

Well I aint (E) got nothing (A) - (B) but it don't (E) worry (F#) me (B)

I came (B#) to this life (G) like a free (A) walking (B) tree (B#)

No need (D) to be tied (G) no (A) need (D) to (B#) be (B)

They call (B#) me Jzero (E) A E A E A E A


verse 2

Well I ain't (E) got nothing (A) and to nothing (E) I (F#) belong (B)

You won't find (B#) me right (G) yet you won't (A) find me (B#) wrong (D)

If you think (D) about (B#) me (G) don't (A) think (D) to (B#) long (B)

Just call (B#) me Jzero (E) A E A


Verse 3

Well I Don't (E) house no past (A) never carried (E) a (F#) key (B)

My sun (B#) dosen't rise (G) from under (F) the sea (E)

There is only (Bsus - X24452) one morn (B) ing (C)

E (G) ternally (Am) . . . dee (G) d'lee d'lee . . . (Bsus)


This should get you over the hump. I'll finish writing out the rest of the song and send it to Christine to post up under my guitar tabs. Again, always glad to do this.

(If you looked at this earlier, a correction was made on July 22)

Gino

[zvon]

OOOOooo
awsum. Thnx Gino
*Zvon runs for guitar

[zvon]

That did get me over the hump, thank you Gino.

Still, there are some complicated changes in there that will be hard to cover on just acoustic guitar(s).

I think what I may do is creating a backing track with some of those more intricate instumental parts covered that way.
My other option would be dumming down the changes so they translate well to a solo or duo acoustic performance, which I dont want to do.

I figured Id be using backing tracks anyway and have a musician friend creating afew for me (Peace Train, Wild World) to test run and Ill see what he can do with Jzero.

Most of the songs I will be playing are the more well known Cat songs, but there's afew, like Jzero, that are more personal favorites that I just want to play for myself and also share thru performing.

Looking foward to your complete tab and eventually Ill post a tab of Jzero here myself, because Ive made afew small changes that you might want to add to your tab.

Again, thanks for your time my friend.

[zvon]

The backing track is not coming along well (as in my brother has not begun to work on it,lol).

Figured out some of those more complicated parts in translation to acoustic, but I dont play the parts well, or clean enough for my liking. Ill just keep practicing them and hope I improve.

Have the intro and verse's down real well, but those weak links are a problem. Also the lyrical parts that shift from Jzero to the Polygons : I would ideally like someone else to sing the Polygon lyric so theres a distinction between characters, and that will depend on who I get to accompany me, if thats a possibility.
If I dont get the backing track I may have to drop this from the list, and that would be a bummer.
In any case, I expect to be working on the project through the winter to have it polished by spring,cuz its not coming together as quickly as I would have liked and my area is more a seasonal place gig wise. I hope to test it out in afew bars during the winter,see how it goes.

Im gonna work on recording of a simple acoustical version just for my enjoyment for now, with hopes that I can get this off the ground and still include Jzero in a set.

[SP4313]

Hi zvon,
Good to hear from you again. If the transitional parts don't come easy after some time, work on altering the chords into something easier to play. Then play it into the ground and see if the "new" acoustic version dosen't grow on you. I would do this before giving up on the song altogether.

Keep us posted on your progress my friend.

Gino

[zvon]

sp4313 said:

Hi zvon,
Good to hear from you again. If the transitional parts don't come easy after some time, work on altering the chords into something easier to play. Then play it into the ground and see if the "new" acoustic version dosen't grow on you. I would do this before giving up on the song altogether.

Keep us posted on your progress my friend.

Gino

Thnx for these words of encouragment.
I think I needed them.
I will do this.

I was getting frustated.
I forgot how sometimes you must put in alot
before you get desired results.
I will forge on.

[zvon]

SP,

Is it possible that you might have your tab complete?

I have the way I play it down, but but don't have a program to help me tab it, and even if I did, I dont know the name of many of the notes Im playing at certain times. But they sound right.

My brother wants to start on the backing track and he said he needs to know what the actual notes are.
He plays keyboards and has a real nice set up that can reproduce everything from orchestration to percussion.

If you have anything as far as chord names / notes go Id really appreciate it.
Thanks

[SP4313]

Hi zvon,

No I haven't finished it yet. I've been working on a couple other songs but since you need it I'll start working on it again. I'll figure out the chords and post them here the way I did earlier, then I'll send them to Christine.

Gino

[zvon]

Thnx.

And never in a rush my friend.

I just recorded Into White and If I Laugh for my demo disc.
I'm very happy how they came out.

[zvon]

btw, i kinda bummed.
the youtube link i included in this thread linked to a real kool 6 part interview.
Ive been linking friends and webbers to it as part of my Cat revival drive .

They pulled it.

[zvon]

Have you gotten anywhere with Jzero SP4313?

I wanted to post a Reverb widget here with my Cat songs, but it doesn't work on this board. If it did I could post a kool player with a few songs.

I think this link should work.
This is Into White

www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/44796

[SP4313]

Just a little futher with Jzero. "Into White" really sounds great. Any chance you can post the link to "If I Laugh"?

Gino

[zvon]

sp4313 said:

Just a little futher with Jzero. "Into White" really sounds great. Any chance you can post the link to "If I Laugh"?

Gino

Thanx and sure:

www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/46805

While I had the guitar in open E, I wrote a lil ditty, and I think its included in that link.

Great news about Jzero.
I plan to restart my efforts in at least recording the song soon.

[SP4313]

Thanks for posting "If I Laugh" zvon. Is the guitar playing all you? I listened to it several times and the playing is excellent. What kind of guitar is it played on? I don't use a pick (I use my nails and play on a classical) so it's cool to hear it flat picked the way Cat played it for a change. I have no experience with recording equipment of any kind. It must be a lot of fun to throw down different tracks and record a song with all the parts. Great job!

Gino

[zvon]

sp4313 said:

Thanks for posting "If I Laugh" zvon. Is the guitar playing all you? I listened to it several times and the playing is excellent. What kind of guitar is it played on? I don't use a pick (I use my nails and play on a classical) so it's cool to hear it flat picked the way Cat played it for a change. I have no experience with recording equipment of any kind. It must be a lot of fun to throw down different tracks and record a song with all the parts. Great job!

Gino

Thanks Gino.
Never would have come out that way without your tab.
You'd crack up if I showed you how I used to play it before I saw your version.

Yea, thats all me.
Mined from probably around 4 or 5 guitar takes.
I listened close to all and picked the best parts from each take,
cut the rest out, bounced em all down to one. Panned a little here, a little there.
It is lots of fun to record a song.
Sometimes it comes together nice and easy, like Into White.
Sometimes it takes some patience, work and determination, like If I Laugh.
Most of the time went into practicing that until I could play it fluently.

If I remember right I did most every take using my fingernails,
but did one with a medium pick and kept in only certain parts. Like the 'walks'.
I felt they needed to be more distinct.

Thats a Dean Performer QSE acoustic/electric.
For those two songs I mic'd it as opposed to plugging straight it into the PC.
I've found I get a warmer sound that way.

I have a program called Cool Edit Pro 2.1.
Its a 128 track home recording studio for the P.C.
Its very user friendly and, simply put, an amazing toy.
If you want I'll make this program available to you.
I got my copy for free and I'll be happy to pass you a copy.
If your interested PM me and Ill give you the details.

[workahollis1]

when you get finished with all that. Could you make us some tabs?

[SP4313]

Thanks zvon. I didn't realize you used my tab. That's really cool. Thanks for letting me know.

Gino

[zvon]

Any updates on this SP4313?

If you haven't the interest or time for this project please just let me know and I can move on.

I myself think choosing this song may have been over reaching my bounds.
I won't give up though, until I have tried everything I can think of to at least record it.

What I have done so far on my own, however, does not make the grade.

[SP4313]

Good man not to give up zvon. Give me just a little while longer and I'll try to figure the rest out.

Gino