LARKS’ TONGUES IN ASPIC PART TWO
By Robert Fripp
King Crimson
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (1973)
Transcribed by Peter Stevens (YoPete525 AT gmail DOT com)
Legend
x – muted string
^ - bend
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
This piece has already been thoroughly transcribed by Colin Marston (his work can be
on the Elephant Talk Wiki), and I did use it to help me on a few parts of this – however,
modern technology on my side I’ve been able to clean it up. Here we go.
Section I
| | x3 |
| |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x |
| |
| |
| |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x— x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x— x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x— x 3 x |
| |
| |
| 7^ |
| 6 9 9 8 |
| 6 4 5 8 8 7 |
| 5 3 4 6 6 |
| 3 |
| |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x x 3 x |
| 5 x x 5 x x 5 x 5 x 5 x x 5 x x 5 x |
| 4 x x 4 x x 4 x 4 x 4 x x 4 x x 4 x |
| |
| |
| |
| 7^ |
| 6 |
| 6 4 5 10 10 9 |
| 5 3 4 9 9 8 |
| 3 7 7 |
| |
| 10 x x 10 x x 10 x 10 x 10 x— x 10 x x 10 x |
| 11 x x 11 x x 11 x 11 x 11 x— x 11 x x 11 x |
| 12 x x 12 x x 12 x 12 x 12 x— x 12 x x 12 x |
| |
| |
| |
| 11^ |
| 10 13 13 12 |
| 10 8 9 12 12 11 |
| 9 7 8 10 10 |
| 7 |
| |
| |
| 10 x x 10 x x 10 x 10 x 10 x x 10 x x 10 x |
| 11 x x 11 x x 11 x 11 x 11 x x 11 x x 11 x |
| 10 x x 10 x x 10 x 10 x 10 x x 10 x x 10 x |
| |
Section II
| |
| |
| 2 2 2 2 4 |
| 3 3 3 3 5 |
| 5 5 5 |
| |
| | x3 |
| |
| 2 2 2 2 4 |
| 3 3 3 3 5 |
| 5 5 5 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 5 5 5 5 7 |
| 6 6 6 6 8 |
| 8 8 8 |
| |
| | x2 |
| |
| 8 8 8 8 10 |
| 10 10 10 10 11 |
| 11 11 11 |
| |
| |
| |
| 8 8 8 8 10 11 |
| 10 10 10 10 11 12 |
| 11 11 11 |
| |
Repeat Section II
Section III
| | x8 |
| |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x |
| |
| |
| |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x— x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x— x 3 x |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x— x 3 x |
| |
| |
| 7^ |
| 6 13 13 12 |
| 6 4 5 12 12 11 |
| 5 3 4 10 10 |
| 3 |
| |
| 3 x x 3 x x 3 x 3 x 3 x x 3 x x 3 x |
| 5 x x 5 x x 5 x 5 x 5 x x 5 x x 5 x |
| 4 x x 4 x x 4 x 4 x 4 x x 4 x x 4 x |
| |
| |
Section IV
| |
| |
| 2 2 2 2 4 |
| 3 3 3 3 5 |
| 5 5 5 |
| |
| | x3 |
| |
| 2 2 2 2 4 |
| 3 3 3 3 5 |
| 5 5 5 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 5 5 5 5 7 |
| 6 6 6 6 8 |
| 8 8 8 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 8 8 8 8 10 |
| 10 10 10 10 11 |
| 11 11 11 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 11 11 11 11 13 |
| 12 12 12 12 14 |
| 14 14 14 |
| |
| | x3 |
| |
| 14 14 14 14 16 |
| 15 15 15 15 17 |
| 17 17 17 |
| |
| | x3 |
| |
| 17 17 17 17 19 |
| 18 18 18 18 20 |
| 20 20 20 |
| |
| | x2 |
| |
| 20 20 20 20 22 |
| 22 22 22 22 23 |
| 23 23 23 |
| |
Section V
| |
| |
| |
| 5 6 6 5 3 5 5 6 6 5 3 |
| 5 6 6 5 3 5 5 6 6 5 3 |
| 3 4 4 3 1 3 3 4 4 3 1— |
2-bar rest, then:
| | x8 |
| |
| |
| 5 6 6 5 3 5 5 6 6 5 3 |
| 5 6 6 5 3 5 5 6 6 5 3 |
| 3 4 4 3 1 3 3 4 4 3 1— |
| |
| |
| 7 7 7 7 9 |
| 8 8 8 8 10 |
| 10 10 10 |
| |
| | x3 |
| |
| 7 7 7 7 9 |
| 8 8 8 8 10 |
| 10 10 10 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 10 10 10 10 12 |
| 12 12 12 12 13 |
| 13 13 13 |
| |
Section VI
| | x4 |
| |
| 2 2 2 2 4 |
| 3 3 3 3 5 |
| 5 5 5 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 5 5 5 5 7 |
| 6 6 6 6 8 |
| 8 8 8 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 8 8 8 8 10 |
| 10 10 10 10 11 |
| 11 11 11 |
| |
| | x4 |
| |
| 11 11 11 11 13 |
| 12 12 12 12 14 |
| 14 14 14 |
| |
| | x3 |
| |
| 14 14 14 14 16 |
| 15 15 15 15 17 |
| 17 17 17 |
| |
| | x3 |
| |
| 17 17 17 17 19 |
| 18 18 18 18 20 |
| 20 20 20 |
| |
| | x2 |
| |
| 20 20 20 20 22 |
| 22 22 22 22 23 |
| 23 23 23 |
| |
Finale
This is, as expected, the part I’m the least sure about. It seems Robert is using his
strumming “banjo” technique here. This should sound pretty close:
Notes:
• Space is almost equal to time. Quicker parts are closer together, slower parts are
apart, but it isn’t perfect – just listen to the song, it’s easier for both of us.
• Much time was spent deliberating over the aggressive chords... I used my ears and my
and this is what I got. They’re all *extremely* close, if not dead-on. (Live footage
used to look at fingerings. Also, the third chord does sound uncharacteristically
Much time and effort was spent on this one, and I am almost 100% positive it is correct
listen very, very closely, watch some videos, and if you don’t like it just use
else.)
• Many times the violin modulates above the guitar, while the guitar stays the same.
• I believe Fripp plays/played this piece on an at least 24-fret guitar. For those
guitars which don’t reach that high, I’ve transposed the high parts up a string.