DC TALK - "in the light" Tablature

Official DC TALK Tablature & Sheet Music »


From: Thatalex <Thatalex@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 16:08:05 EDT
Subject: d/dc_talk/in_the_light.crd

"In the Light"
By Charlie Peacock & Toby McKeehan (of DC Talk).
Copyright © 1991 Sparrow Song/Andi Beat Goes.
Based on the recording from _Jesus Freak_
Copyright © 1995 The Forefront Communications Group, Inc.

Transcribed by Alexander Chen (thatalex@aol.com)
http://members.aol.com/thatalex/

(This file is the author's own work and represents
their interpretation of the song. You may only use
this file for private study, scholarship, or research.)

+----------------------[INTRO/VERSE riff tab]---------------------------+

Note: The intro/vers riff is really more of an extremely palm-muted
"chop-strum" (as I call it) pattern, and not something that should
be tabbed. But this tab will give you an idea of how to "chop-strum" it.
The most effective way to play the intro is to actually bar them as
almost full chords. Here are the fingerings:
0224XX Eno3 (index barring fret 2, ring on 4)
2443XX F# (regular F# bar chord)
4664XX G#m (regular G#m bar chord)

Then use your RING finger for the 4-6 slide and back to 4, and you'll
find you're right in place to play the Eno3 chord again. It works
really well, try it ...

Eno3 F# G#m G#m Eno3 F# G#m G#m
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|---4-------3----------------4/6--4|---4-------3----------------4/6--4|
D|---2-------4-------6-----66-------|---2-------4-------6-----66-------|
A|2-----2-4-----4-6--6--6-----------|2-----2-4-----4-6--6--6-----------|
E|0-----0-2-----2-4-----4-----------|0-----0-2-----2-4-----4-----------|

In addition to palm muting, time the slight lifting of your left hand
fingers to make that sound, and really chop at those strums.

+-----------------------------[Song Chords]-----------------------------+

[INTRO]
(Follow tab of riff above)

0224XX Eno3 (index barring fret 2, ring on 4)
2443XX F#
4664XX G#m

(Other transcriptions put a B chord here, but there is definitely no
chord change; it stays on the G#m. The 4/6 slide on the G string is
what people are hearing, but that's just a little melody; if you listen
to the electric bass and the overall chord tonality, it stays on the
G#m for sure.)

[VERSE 1]
(The riff continues into the verses, so the chords are
exactly the same here as in the intro.)

Eno3 F# G#m G#m
I keep trying to ...
Eno3 F# G#m G#m
On my own, apart ...
Eno3 F# G#m G#m
I am the ...
Eno3 F# G#m G#m
I've got one for every self...


[CHORUS]
(The exact guitar part isn't as distinguishable here as in the intro
and verse; however, the chords are clear. Here are some general
fingerings that work well:

022100 E
244300 F#
466444 G#m
799877 B
X24442 B

(You can continue the intro/verse riff for the first four lines of the
chorus, but you can't hear the acoustic guitar clearly. However, the
electric bass does play the 4/6 slide on some lines.)

E F# G#m G#m
What's going on ...
E F# G#m G#m
I despise my own be...
E F# G#m G#m
This is only serves ...
E F# G#m G#m
that I'm still a ...

E B F# G#m
I wanna be in the Light as ...
E B F# F#
I wanna shine like the ...
E B F# G#m
Oh Lord be my Light ...
E F# G#m G#m
'cause all I want is ...
E F# G#m G#m
all I want is to be ...


[VERSE 2]
(Play the intro/verse riff again, just about the same as first verse,
except the extra rhythmic variation at the end of the second line,
which is especially interesting in the live Freak Show CD)

Eno3 F# G#m G#m
The disease of self ...
Eno3 F# G#m G#m
It's a cancer ...
Eno3 F# G#m G#m
Every attempt on my ...
Eno3 F# G#m G#m
To bring this ...

[REPEAT CHORUS]

+-----------------------------[BRIDGE tab]------------------------------+

Since this 8 measure riff is repeated a few times, and each time
slightly differently, this tab is a combination of a few variations
played on the CD (_Jesus Freak_). Most of the notes in parentheses (#)
are those added in especially to adapt for solo guitar (since the bass
drum on beat 3 adds a lot of rhythm on the CD). The tab includes many
definite notes/melodies that are definitely played on the CD
(especially higher pitch notes), but there may also be some implied
notes that simply make sense.

Also, this riff requires relatively advanced fingerpicking skills or
flat-picking skills. This is where we acoustic & classical or
classically trained players get to use our skills :) The fingerpicking
is pretty straightforward; however, to play the two/three notes with
the pick, just hold the pick with your index and thumb while using your
middle and/or ring finger to play the other notes. (I prefer this method
because switching to fingerpicking halfway through the song causes a
major dynamic drop).

You will probably also find it easier to place down these full bar
chords even though you won't be using all the notes.
X46654 C#m
X68876 D#m
466444 G#m
46X446 G#m2
022100 E
024400 E2
799877 B
X24442 B
X24422 B2

I prefer to use the lower position B or even the B2, but second time
through the riff on the CD, you can hear the high 7th fret B, so they
use high position B. Also, with the E2, you can hear an implied E2,
especially on the first time through the riff. but it's up to you.

C#m D#m G#m G#m(2)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
E|------4--------|------6--------|------4--------|6p4---4--------|
B|5---------5----|7---------7----|------------4--|------------4--|
G|----6-------6--|----8-------8--|----4---------4|----4---------4|
D|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
A|4------(4)-----|6------(6)-----|---------------|---------------|
E|---------------|---------------|4------(4)-----|(4)----(4)-----|

E B F# F#
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
E|------0--------|------6--------|---------------|---------------|
B|------0--------|7---------7----|2--------------|---------------|
G|---------------|----8-------8--|------4-----3--|---------------|
D|----2----------|---------------|------------4--|---------------|
A|---------------|6------(6)-----|---------------|---------------|
E|0--------------|---------------|2-----------2--|---------------|

C#m D#m G#m G#m(2)
Honesty becomes me, there's ...
E B F# F#
The secrets that did run me, in ...
C#m D#m G#m G#m(2)
Pride has no position, and ...
E B F# F#
The fame that once did cover me, ...
F# F#
Has been sentenced ...

[REPEAT CHORUS]

[improvise on intro/chorus riff and fade]

+--------------------------------[More]---------------------------------+

Transcribed by Alexander Chen on April 28, 1998. (thatalex@aol.com)
For more transcriptions (praise songs, Caedmon's Call, U2, Jars of Clay,
Dave Matthews Band, Church of Rhythm, and more) ... visit ...
http://members.aol.com/thatalex/

+----------------------------[End of File]------------------------------+

Return to DC TALK Tablature »

Official DC TALK Tablature & Sheet Music »