VELVET UNDERGROUND - "new age" Tablature

Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 18:38:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: namegoes hereplease <pulpalittlesoul@yahoo.com>
Subject: v/velvet_underground/new_age.crd

* This transcription is all my own work and I've not
gotten any of it from any other source *

* any questions or comments should be addressed to
pulpalittlesoul@yahoo.com. *
v/velvet_underground/new_age.crd

Song: New Age
Artist: The Velvet Underground
Single: Loaded (1970)
Writer: Lou Reed

Transcribed by a little soul
(pulpalittlesoul@yahoo.com)

Notes: This is a gorgeous song, arguably the greatest
acheivement on the Loaded LP. A fragmentary
construction, made up of four or five distinct
segments, it reminds a bit of Brian Wilson's best work
but does not feature the same innocence; rather, its
world-weary narration seems to beg for a return to it.
The ultimate effect is gospel, similar to 'Oh! Sweet
Nuthin'. The left-channel choir before the bridge is
blindingly beautiful. Although Loaded was easily the
least of the Velvets' studio offerings, the album
remains an absolutely stunning acheivement and this
song is but one example thereof.

This is also my most complicated tab insofar, an
attempt to consolidate all riffs and leads into one
file along with all the chords, finally presented for
the first time in their correct fingerings :) Wish me
luck :)

Tuning:
Standard (EADGBE)
This song, unlike most of Reed's songs from the
sixties, was not written in an alternate tuning. This
is understandable, because it is largely played on
keys of some sort. That said, the chords are fairly
straightforward throughout.

Chords:
The chords written here have been optimised for open
play. Whereas most of these chords can be played in
different manners that suit the song fine, I have
opted to provide the simplest, first-position routes
to these chords except for the C#m. All of these
fingerings are of course written E---->e.

D7 - XX0212
Am - X02210
G - 320033
Em - 022000
A - X02220
C - X32010
F7/F# - XX4545
Esus4 - X22200
D - XX0230
C#m - X46654
E - 022100
A/E - 077600
D/E - 00777X

Notation:

p - pull off
h - hammer on
\ - slide down
/ - slide up

Time signature: 4/4

And now the song :) Next to chords I have indicated
the positions of little accent riffs played by
Sterling throughout. See below the chord sheet for
these riffs. They aren't necessary if you are
performing solo but they are on the recording and they
add so much to the song.

D7 (2 bars)
Am (2 bars) (riff A)
G (4 bars) (riff B)

x2

then:

Em (2 bars)
A (2 bars)
C (2 bars) (riff C)
A (2 bars)

then:

F7/F# (2 bars) (riff D)
Esus4 (1 bar)
Em (1 bar)
A (2 bars)
D (2 bars)

x2

then:

C#m (2 bars)
D (2 bars)
E (2 bars) (riff E)

D (2 bars)
A (2 bars)
E (2 bars)

Ok. Now repeat everything that has been played so far
once, with different lyrics. Then the bridge portion:

E (1 bar) ('Somethings got a hold...')
A/E (1 bar)
D/E (1 bar)
A/E (1 bar)
x2

Coda:

D (2 bars)
G (2 bars)
A (4 bars)

G (2 bars)
D (2 bars)
A (4 bars)

Repeat till the end, with final solo (riff F).

Riff A:

E --------
B --------
G --------
D 0-0h2-0-
A --------
E -------3

Riff B:

E --------
B --------
G --------
D --------
A -3-2-3-0
E --------

Riff C:

E -------
B -------
G -------
D 6p5h6p5
A 6p5h6p5
E -------

Riff D:

E ------------
B ------------
G -----15-----
D 13---15---12
A -----15-----
E ------------

Riff E:

E -5---5-5-5h7-7-7h9
B ------------------
G ------------------
D ------------------
A ------------------
E ------------------

Riff F:

Sterling's final solo. I have separated this into two
parts, indicated by the bar. The first part is the
actual solo. The second part is sort of a bridge
between the first and second incarnations thereof
before the fadeout on the original version of 'New
Age'.

E -------------------------------|----------------------
B -------------------------------|----------------------
G --------------2-0--------------|----------------------
D 0----4h5p4p0---------4h5p4\2---|---4h5h7-4h5---4h5p4\2
A -------------------------------|----------------------
E -------------------------------|----------------------

_________________

That seems to be it! Phew. Well that wasn't too
difficult, and this was my first stab at tabbing for
quite some time. Anyway, I hope that this page proves
to be of some use to you. Do drop me a line
(pulpalittlesoul@yahoo.com) and we'll chat if you have
any questions or clarifications. Remember this is all
from memory so it might be erroneous. My cassette copy
of Loaded is quite old and splicy so I will eventually
thrust myself into the CD era and hopefully provide
tabs for the rest of the record soon :)

byebye!
a little soul