Elliott Smith - I Better Be Quiet Now Tab

This song sounds fairly simple and it is if one were to break down all the

separate instruments and play each part individually. But as I try to do with all my Elliott Smith tabs, I combine what is on the recording more than one guitar and sometimes even minimal bass lines so that the song can

Be played solo without it sounding flat or as if it were missing parts. I

wouldn't tab anything I couldn't play myself, so I assure you this is all playable. For the advanced guitar player this should be a cinch. For beginners, its a good song to practice quick and fluid chord shapes including chords with several muted notes. Any questions, critiques, mistakes, requests, let me know.

Verse 1 (Strummed gently)

e (9) 0 0 0
B 9 9 (7) 9 (7) 9 9 9 (7) (5)
G 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 6 6 6 6
D 9 8 7 9 8 x x x 7 7 7
A 7 9 0 7 x 7 6 4 0 0 0
E 6
e 2 0 0
B 5 5 4 0 0
G 6 1 2 2 2 1 1
D 7 2 4 2
A 0 2 2
E 0 0

Verse 2 - (the bass notes on the bottom E builds the volume and richness of

The second verse, likely recorded with more than one guitar. I transposed

It as such so that played solo without additional instruments one can still

achieve a similar build in the song's volume and layers. It is more

Difficult to play than the first verse, so if you have difficulty with it,

Its really the same as the first verse only heavy bottom notes are added

and I inverted the chords for lower neck access.)
e 4 4 2 4 4 4 2 0 4 4 0 0 0
B 5 x (5) 2 5 5 5 4 9 (7) (5)
G 4 3 3 2 4 3 x x 6 6 6 6
D 2 4 4 2 2 x 2 1 x 7 7 7
A 2 x x 0 2 1 4 0 0 0
E 0 2 2 0
e 0 0 2 0 0
B 5 5 4 0 0
G 6 1 2 2 2 1 1
D 7 2 4 2
A 0 2 2
E 0 0

Chorus 2x

e 8 3 0 2
B 12 12 8 3 0 1 1
G 12 12 9 4 2 0 0 2
D 12 11 10 5 x 2 4 2 0
A 10 12 10 5 0 2 x 3*
E (12) 8 3 2 0 2

*The chorus' last two measures on the second time through simply adds the

movements in parentheses. Listen carefully to the song and you'll catch it.
e 0 2 2
B 1 1 1
G 0 0 0 0 2 2
D 2 2 2 2 (0) (1)
A 3 (3)(2)(3)
E

Verse 3 - (returns to a gentler strum/same as Verse 1 except for a

descending E major scale at the very end)
e (9) 0 0 0
B 9 9 (7) 9 (7) 9 9 9 (7) (5)
G 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 6 6 6 6
D 9 8 7 9 8 x x x 7 7 7
A 7 9 0 7 x 7 6 4 0 0 0
E 6
e 0 0 2 0 0 0
B 5 5 4 0 0 0
G 6 1 2 2 2 1 1 1
D 7 2 4 2 2 1 2
A 0 2 2 4 2 0 2
E 0 0 4 2 0

Instrumental

e 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 0 0 0 0
B 5 x 2 5 5 5 4 2 9 (7) (5)
G 4 3 2 4 3 x x x 6 6 6
D 2 4 2 2 x 2 1 x 7 7 7
A 2 x 0 2 1 4 0 0 0
E 0 2 0
e 2 0 0
B 5 5 4 0 0
G 6 1 2 2 2 1 1
D 7 2 4 2
A 0 2 2
E 0 0

Repeat Chorus 1x w/Gtr. 2 (electric)

G A/G C G F# Em F# C D7
e 8p7 7 5 3 2p0 0h2h3 2 2
B 10p8 8 8 6 5 3p0 0 1 1
G 11 7 5 4 0 2 2
D
A
E

Verse 4 - Different base or bottom notes are used for this verse which

allows one to play the simpler modes higher on the neck while adding the bottom notes as indicated.
e (9) 0 0 0
B 9 9 9 7 9 9 9 (7) (5)
G 9 9 11 9 9 9 9 9 8 6 6 6 6
D 9 8 7 9 8 x x x 7 7 7
A 7 x x 7 x 7 6 4 0 0 0
E 9 8 7 6
e 2 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
B 5 5 4 12p9
G 6 9 11p9 9 9 9 9 9
D 7 11 11 11 11 h11 11 11 11 11 11
A 0 11 11 11 11 13 13 13 13 13
E 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
e
B 9 7 7 4 0 0
G 6 6 7 5 1 2 2 2 2 1 1
D 7 7 7 7 2 4 2
A 0 0 5 6 2 2
E 0 0
| / slide up | \ slide down | h hammer-on | p pull-off | ~ vibrato | + harmonic | x Mute note | b Bend | pb Pre-bend | br Bend release | pbr Pre-bend release | brb Bend release bend

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