SleepWalk - E6 (aka C#m7) - 6 string Lap Steel Tab

[Jim Fogarty]

Hey,

I know there's lots of Sleepwalk tabs out there, in various tunings, but I've only seen one good one in the original E13 8 string tuning, as played on the record. This is very, very close to that, in a 6 string E6 (or C#m7) tuning, without any notes missing. Pretty much exactly as played on the record. Just use the recording to catch the timing and slides.

The nice thing about this tuning is, it's basic Open E on the 6 string, but you just raise the 2nd string B up to C#. Easy-Peasy!! Of course, those of you who use Open D tuning can just raise your 2nd string A to B and play it as written.....it'll just be a step lower.

Enjoy........and click here if you want the PDF file:

http://www.jimfogarty.com/sale/Sleepwalk.pdf

[Cartwright Thompson]

Nice tab but you’re missing a bunch of bass notes that are on the original recording. You can get them with the tuning you’re using.

[Jim Fogarty]

Nice tab but you’re missing a bunch of bass notes that are on the original recording. You can get them with the tuning you’re using.

Always open for suggestions and revisions.......but I'm not hearing any low steel notes I missed. If you get a chance, could you let me know where?

Thanks!

[Cartwright Thompson]

Watch Santo’s thumb in this video:
https://youtu.be/mZG73jM2ZFo
It’s difficult to hear the low notes on the record as they get mixed up with what the bass is playing, but I think that in the video he is playing it as it was recorded and you can see several places where he is hitting the bottom E string.

[Joe A. Roberts]

I believe Mr. Basil Hendricks tabbed this out with the original tuning as well. I did not play through it myself though, but maybe worth seeking out.

Check out this version by Bobby Koeffer:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8SYSaBcUpb4

Gorgeous!
Anyone know what tunings he used? Sounds like some flavor of 9th tuning!

[Jim Fogarty]

Watch Santo’s thumb in this video:
https://youtu.be/mZG73jM2ZFo
It’s difficult to hear the low notes on the record as they get mixed up with what the bass is playing, but I think that in the video he is playing it as it was recorded and you can see several places where he is hitting the bottom E string.

My tab is from the original recording. I'm not convinced he hits ANY bass notes on that. The G-->C walkup coming out of the bridge sure sounds like Johnny's guitar, to me. It's an easy part though. I can add it, no problem.

[Garry Vanderlinde]

I believe Mr. Basil Hendricks tabbed this out with the original tuning as well. I did not play through it myself though, but maybe worth seeking out.

Jim, I really like your version

I checked out Basil's version and I believe he had Santos tuning incorrect.
Instead of standard C#m:
1). E
2). C#
3). G#
4). E
5). B
6). E

He put a B on string 3 between the C# and G#.
1). E
2). C#
3). B
4). G#
5). E
6). C#
userpix1712/1284_Screen_Shot_20180228_at_014100_1.jpg

[Cartwright Thompson]

It sounds to me like he hits LOTS of bass notes. Take a look at their appearance on the Dick Clark show https://youtu.be/yw9JiQdWBXo where they are playing along with the original recording, “mouthing” if you will. Santo is using his thumb on the lower strings a lot, like on the aforementioned walk up etc.
I don’t know why he would add to the recording he was mimicking….

[Cartwright Thompson]

Upon further examination (obsession), I have come to the conclusion that basil is correct, Santo does in fact have his third string tuned to B. There’s one place in the recording that can only be played with that tuning and you can see in the videos that he clearly hits the C on the first fret.

[Ken Byng]

It sounds to me like he hits LOTS of bass notes. Take a look at their appearance on the Dick Clark show https://youtu.be/yw9JiQdWBXo where they are playing along with the original recording, “mouthing” if you will. Santo is using his thumb on the lower strings a lot, like on the aforementioned walk up etc.
I don’t know why he would add to the recording he was mimicking….

I don't know if it's my ears, but it sounds as though someone has put that whole recording through a chorus pedal. I must have listened to that YT clip dozens of times, and it's never sounded like that. Not to my taste now I'm afraid. Santo does play a run up on his bottom string.

[Garry Vanderlinde]

Upon further examination (obsession), I have come to the conclusion that basil is correct, Santo does in fact have his third string tuned to B. There’s one place in the recording that can only be played with that tuning and you can see in the videos that he clearly hits the C on the first fret.

Look again at the video, right near the end of the first time through the verse he does that little descending run going from the "C" note to "A", that would be measure #9 in Basil's tab. Basil has him going down to the 1st fret/3rd string to get the "C", which would make it a "B" string. But you can clearly see Johnny going up to the 4th fret/3rd string which would be a "G#" string to get the"C" and then back down to the 1st fret to get the "A". So, my vote is Santo played the more common C#m without the "B" string. But that's only the facts based on my opinion YMMV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZG73jM2ZFo

[Jim Fogarty]

Just cranked up my studio monitors and played the original recording.

I MAY be willing to grant you that the G--->C bass run out of the bridge (@1:145) is steel.......although it may be Johnny's guitar, as well.

But I'll be damned if the steel plays any other bass part the rest of the tune. In fact, a couple places where it was possible, you can hear the upright bass and guitar stay on a single note while the steel part rises.......so it's not steel.

It's very, very likely that by the time they did the TV gig, Santo was embellishing it and playing more. No producer yelling at him to keep it simple!

Interesting stuff.

[Cartwright Thompson]

I think you’re right about that run Gary.
There’s only one place in the original recording where I hear a note that couldn’t be had without that extra B. It’s at the end of the chorus (B section?) where he slides from the third fret to the sixth and then back. If you slow it way down (dissect it!) a D to F can be heard under the notes on strings one and two. I don’t know how this would be possible without the B on string three.
Without slowing it down, I find it very difficult to hear a lot of the lower notes that are lacking in Basil’s and the above arrangement. I think they are there though,as evidenced by Santo playing them in the videos.
One of these days I’ll get around to writing my own tab and maybe prove my point,

Also, S&J recorded at least two versions of the tune. Jim, did you make your transcription from the version that has organ and vibes on it?

[Matt Berg]

I believe on shows like Bandstand they played the record over speakers and captured the sound with mics as the musicians synched to their record. Then, it's likely that what we have are not from the original master videotapes (assuming there were recordings made), but rather Kinescopes which basically were people filming their TVs. So, yeah, the sound quality is not very good. Many folks dub the original record back onto the video.