Siberian Khatru

[Tomorrow]

Just wondering an opinion on my Transcribing abilities here, now I know it looks a blt Funky (measures don't deem to line up well on this post) as I pasted a Notepad version, but maybe an opinion? I have many of these, but cannot contact Ed to get them maybe posted at yesguitar.com....


12:28 PM 12/20/05

Siberian Khatru
(Part 1 of 3)
by YES
from the album "Close to the Edge"
Transcribed by
John Baker Dec 20 2005


Steve Howe often utilizes R&B-like rhythm guitar parts, such as in the middle section
of "Yours is no Disgrace", the main section of "I've Seen all Good People", the rhythm
guitar part during the verse section of "Close to the Edge", and the main riff/Intro
to "Siberian Khatru".
That very first explosive riff from "Siberian Khatru" (shown below) will utilize a
E penatonic minor (E,G,A,B,D). I must admit, this song is as fun to play as it is
challenging. Howe is so slick and smooth here, and makes it sound so easy that it is
almost a crime (well, in terms of posessing "chops" that is)...
>>Note: When you see a x in place of a note in this Transcription, it refers to what
I call a "Cat Scratch". In other words, mute the notated guitar string(s) with your
left hand, and strum with right hand, their is really no pitch involved, just a
percussive type sound. << -John

>>The first 4 mesures of the Intro are 4/4 Time, the last measure is 3/4 Time.<<
4/4
Electric Guitar
<0:00> -Intro-
N.C. (Em) (C) (D)
--||---0----0-------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||---3h5--3--3p0------------x--x--x--x----|----------------------------------------|
--||--------------------------x--x--x--x----|--5----5--5-------7----7----------------|
--||----------------5-7-5-----x--x--x--x----|--5h7--5--5-------7h9--7----------------|
--||----------------------7-----------------|-------------7/9----------9\8/9\8/9-----|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|

(Em) (C) (D)
---|----------------------------------------|--8-----8--8-------10-----10------------|
---|---8----8--8----------------------------|--8h10--8--8-------10h12--10--10--------|
---|---7h9--7--7----------------------------|--------------9---------------11--------|
---|--------------9\7-5-7-5-----------------|----------------------------------------|
---|------------------------7-5-------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------7\5p3p0-----|----------------------------------------|

3/4
---|---17\14---14\9----10/12---14/15--------||
---|---19\15---15\10---12/14---15/17--------||
---|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------||

I will guess that at one time (or another), an edited version of "Siberian Khatru"
was under consideration as a 45 Single, seeing as an Acoustic Rhythm Guitar appears
on the "Main Theme" (Keyboard Figure 1) in the Final Mix Version.
I have notated the Chords which are being played here, and they are simply Folk Style
Strums in 8ths metering. Those Two Chords being as follows:

G9/6 Bm (AddE)
|----0---------0----|
|----0---------5----|
|----2---------7----|
|----2---------7----|
|----x---------x----|
|----3---------7----|
4/4
Electric Guitar
<0:09> -Main Theme-
(Acoustic Guitar Plays Notaded Chords)
G9/6
(Electric Guitar) 2 Times
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||*---------------- rest -----------------|----------------- rest -----------------|
--||*---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|| |
||(Keyboard Figure 1) |
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------10----|
--||---0------------------------------------|----------2-----3-----5-----7-----10----|
--||*--2------------------------------------|----------4-----4-----7-----9-----12----|
--||*--2------------------------------------|----------4-----5-----7-----9-----------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|

Bm (addE) 3/4
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------- rest -----------------|----------------- rest ----------------*||
---|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------*||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
| ||
| ||
---|---9-----5------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|---7-----5-----5-----7------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|---9-----7-----7-----9------------------|---------------------------------------*||
---|---------------7-----9------------------|---------------------------------------*||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||

>>Repeat Keyboard Figure 1 with following Guitar Riffs<<
(Note: Every 4th Measure is 3/4 Time)
4/4 2 Times
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||*--6-------------9------6---------------|---6-------------9------6---------------|
--||*-----7--7--9--------------7--7--9------|------7--7--9--------------7--7--9------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|

3/4
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|---6-------------9------6---------------|---6-------------9------6--------------*||
---|------7--7--9--------------7--7--9------|------7--7--9--------------7--7--9-----*||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||


4/4 2 Times
--||---9-------------12-----9---------------|---9-------------12-----9---------------|
--||------10-10-12-------------10-10-12-----|------10-10-12-------------10-10-12-----|
--||*---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||*---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|

3/4
---|---9-------------12-----9---------------|---9-------------12-----9---------------||
---|------10-10-12-------------10-10-12-----|------10-10-12-------------10-10-12-----||
---|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------*||
---|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------*||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||

4/4 2 Times
--||---21-------19----------21-------19-----|---21-------19----------21-------19-----|
--||------21-21------17--------21-21--------|------21-21------17--------21-21--------|
--||*---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||*---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|

3/4
---|---21-------19----------21-------19-----|---21-------19----------21-------19-----||
---|------21-21------17--------21-21--------|------21-21------17--------21-21--------||
---|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------*||
---|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------*||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||

--End Keyboard Figure 1--


Occasionally, Steve will utilize the Blues Scale to broaden the sound within a tune,
as in the main theme to "Heart of the Sunrise". In the secondary theme of "Siberian
Khatru" shown here, the first bar is based on the G blues scale (G,Bb,C,C#,D,F) and the
second bar on the Mixolydian mode (G,A,B,C,D,E,F).
It's great the way Howe combines these sounds in such a musical way!!

4/4
Electric Guitar
<0:53> -1st Verse-
N.C. (G) 9 Times
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------17\---||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||*---------------------------------------|--4-------------7------4----------14\--*||
--||*----------5--------3-------------------|-----5--5--7--------------5--5--7------*||
--||--3--4--5--------5--------5--4--3-------|----------------------------------------||
--||----------------------------------6--3--|----------------------------------------||
|| ||
|| ||
|| (Keyboard Harmony) ||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------??\---||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||*---------------------------------------|--9------------12------9----------??\--*||
--||*----------9--------7-------------------|----10-10-12-------------10-10-12------*||
--||--7--8--9--------9--------9--8--7-------|----------------------------------------||
--||---------------------------------10--7--|----------------------------------------||
Sing bird of prey
Beauty begins at the foot of you
Do you believe the manner?
Cold stainless nail
Torn through the distance of man
As they regard the summit

<1:28>
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||-------------x--x--x--x-----------------|---------------x--x--x--x---------------|
--||-------------x--x--x--x-----------------|---------------x--x--x--x--5----5--7--5-|
--||-------------x--x--x--x----5----5-7-5---|---------------x--x--x--x--5h7--------5-|
--||---------5-----------------5h7----------|--5-4-3---------------------------------|
--||---3-----3------------------------------|--------6----3--------------------------|
Even Si ber ia goes through the mo- tions

---|----------------------------------------||
---|-----------------x--x--x--x-12h13-12----||
---|--12----12-14-12-x--x--x--x-12-------12-||
---|--12h14----------x--x--x--x-------------||
---|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------||
So hold out and hold on
4/4
Am
---|---0------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---1------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---2------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---2------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---0------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
L.V. Hold down the window
B.V. Outboard River

F#m
---|---14-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---14-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---16-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---16-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------7\--|
L.V. Hold out the morning that comes into view
B.V. Bluetail Tailfly

G11
---|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|
---|---4------------------------------------|
---|---5------------------------------------|
---|---5------------------------------------|
---|---3------------------------------------|
L.V. River running right on over my

4/4 3/4
<1:46> 3 Times
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||*--6-------------9------6---------------|--6-------------9------6---------------*||
--||*-----7--7--9--------------7--7--9------|-----7--7--9--------------7--7--9------*||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
head...

4/4 4/4
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------17\---||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||---6-------------9------6---------------|--6-------------9------6----------14\---||
--||------7--7--9--------------7--7--9------|-----7--7--9--------------7--7--9-------||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||

4/4
Electric Guitar
<2:00> -2nd Verse-
N.C. (G) 8 Times
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------17\---||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||*---------------------------------------|--4-------------7------4----------14\--*||
--||*----------5--------3-------------------|-----5--5--7--------------5--5--7------*||
--||--3--4--5--------5--------5--4--3-------|----------------------------------------||
--||----------------------------------6--3--|----------------------------------------||
|| ||
|| ||
|| (Keyboard Harmony) ||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------??\---||
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------||
--||*---------------------------------------|--9------------12------9----------??\--*||
--||*----------9--------7-------------------|----10-10-12-------------10-10-12------*||
--||--7--8--9--------9--------9--8--7-------|----------------------------------------||
--||---------------------------------10--7--|----------------------------------------||
How does she sing
Who holds the ring and ring
And you will find me coming
Cold reigning King
Hold all the secrets from you
As they produce the movement

<2:32>
--||----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
--||-------------x--x--x--x-----------------|---------------x--x--x--x---------------|
--||-------------x--x--x--x-----------------|---------------x--x--x--x--5----5--7--5-|
--||-------------x--x--x--x----5----5-7-5---|---------------x--x--x--x--5h7--------5-|
--||---------5-----------------5h7----------|--5-4-3---------------------------------|
--||---3-----3------------------------------|--------6----3--------------------------|
Even Si ber ia goes through the motions

---|----------------------------------------||
---|-----------------x--x--x--x-12h13-12----||
---|--12----12-14-12-x--x--x--x-12-------12-||
---|--12h14----------x--x--x--x----------(0)||
---|----------------------------------------||
---|----------------------------------------||
So hold out and hold on

4/4
Am
---|---5------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---5------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---5------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---7------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---0------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
L.V. Hold down the window
B.V. Outboard River

F#m
---|---5------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---7------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---6------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---4------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
L.V. Hold out the morning that comes into view
B.V. Bluetail Tailfly
6/4
G11
---|---5------------------------------------|
---|---3------------------------------------|
---|---4------------------------------------|
---|---5------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|
L.V. River running right on over the

>>Fills to be added to this next Section<<
--In Progress--
4/4
<2:50>
Bm
---|---2---------------------[strum]--------|----------------------------------------|
---|---3--------------------------7---------|------------x---------------------------|
---|---4--------------------------7---------|------------x-----------------7------4--|
---|---4--------------------------7h9p7-----|------------x-----------------7h9p7--4--|
---|---2--------------------------------9\--|--2-------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
Outboard River

Abm7
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|------------x-------12--12---12---------|--------------------------x--x--12------|
---|------------x-------11--11---13p11------|--------------------------x--x--12------|
---|--h6--------x----------------------13\--|--6-----------------------x--x---9------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
Bluetail Tail fly

Bm
---|--10----------------10--10--------------|----------------------------------------|
---|---7-----------------0---0--10----------|--------x-------------------------------|
---|---7----------------11--11------11h9\7--|--------x--------------------0------7---|
---|---9------------------------------------|--9-----x--------9-------?h?----7/9-----|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
Luther In time
6/4
N.C. (G11)
---|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|
---|---------------- rest ------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|
---|----------------------------------------|
Dah dah dit dah dah...


Continued on Siberian Khatru - Part 2

[RanCan2112]

Wow..looks great...

My only question would be regarding the guitar riff playing over the keyboard theme...
I have always heard the first note pulling off to the second note, not as being played on adjactent strings.
But I've never seen close up shots of him playing it, so I don't know for sure.

Nice job
Matt

[Tomorrow]

Well thanks RanCan 2112, you must also be a Rush Fan.
Thanks for pointing that out, I always hear the same type of thing there too, and I have never actually seen Howe play this Tune "Live" either, though I have a copy of Keys to Ascension DVD on the way, and that may come in handy.
I am just going by string tone basically, and also that the exact same Riff during the Verse "Singbird of Prey" etc (is played in G one step lower) makes more sense, but I think you are correct.
I have been playing this song for quite a while, and maybe developed some bad habits towards my approach of it. I must add that I just aquired one of those Amazing Slow Down thingys (I did all of this from ear, normal speed), and I need to listen to many parts of this song closer, especially the Electric Guitar Solo.
Thanks for the "Nice Job" praise, this looks horribly sloppy here like this, and the type-setting is messed up (all of the 3/4's are out of place!!).
I am going to start working with "Power-Tab", and get some Notes/Tab stuff going, as I see there is no Long Distance Runaround, All Good People, or even Roundabout, and I have been working on a more extensive Tab of "And You and I" (building on Ed's excellent work). I will include Bass Lines with these also.
Anyway, thanks for the positive feedback, I am pretty impressed with the knowledge base here at YesTabs, there are some truely great Transcribers here, Thomas Matlosz "America" comes to mind, excellent work.
Wow, I talk a ton, out...

[khalpin]

You need to change the font to "courier" to make tab look 'normal'. Here's how you do it:


So it would look like this (I also changed a bit of the tab to how I play it, and I'm pretty sure the way Steve plays it):

[RanCan2112]

Huge Rush fan...
I have one of those Akai digital phrase samplers..definitley an invaluable tool for transcribing. I used it to transcribe the fast descending riff at the end of the instrumental break in Khatru (from Yessongs actually) and I couldn't have done it without it.

PowerTab is a great great piece of software, I highly recommend it, especially since it's free. The Power Tab Archive site, which has pulled all tabs of copyrighted work for the time being, had tabs of Roundabout, Owner of a Lonely Heart, Future Times (all of it), Release Release (all of it...an exceptional tab), The Fish, and a couple others, IIRC. You can find them at I think.

Did you post the rest of Siberian Khatru? I'd love to see it, and I'm looking forward to the rest of your stuff.

[Tomorrow]

Thanks khalpin, that actually looks readable now!! I will try it that way. I have viewed your Tabs also, great stuff...

Rush and Yes were actually my "life" on guitar way back when, and I can't think of any two other bands that have grabbed on to my prog guitar chops like those two have.
Maybe soon to post "Part 2" of Siberian Khatru on this Thread, but it may take up a massive amount of space (a bit more than Part 1).
Thanks for the heads-up, I have in the past stumbled upon the Yes Tabs at at , they are all very helpful. I do have a few Ensonic EPS Samplers, and got the idea to try sampling bits of songs also (actually to figure out some Carl Palmer to Tab for Drum Machine!!), unfortunately the samples were not stereo, and very low bit quality. The slow-down program is slick, no pitch change!!
Also, I have been noodeling around with the Idea to create a website with all Yes, Rush, T Rundgren, Love (old 1960's Band), Bach(?) and some misc Metal (maybe), but I think a complete Yes Site would be great. Only thing is, the most complete Yes Guitar Site is right HERE!! I think all has been covered (as there is also The Rush Project)

Someday, I would like Ed to view some of my work, and maybe have it posted it here at Yes-Tabs.
I have been viewing this site for years (just recently though created an Account), there is a deep database of Knowledge to be found with every visit.

[Tomorrow]

I came up with this a while ago with my new "Power-Tab", now this is what I am talking about!!
[CENTER](Guitar II is of course Keyboard).[/CENTER]

[CENTER][/CENTER]

[Tomorrow]

Oops, I sure could edit that previous post . I had a few slick bitmaps of some Power-Tab Transcriptions there (Notes/Tab), only problem is that I linked the photos to a website that has a low transfer allowance, so just one view, and the linked site is unavailable for an hour!! I will find a better way, sorry to waste all of this valuable Forum space. I apologize to the Board Administrator for this unforseen blunder...

[khalpin]

No worries. I use to upload pictures to.

[Tomorrow]

[CENTER][/CENTER]



[CENTER][/CENTER]

[CENTER][/CENTER]

[CENTER][/CENTER]

[CENTER][/CENTER]

Yes, that works quite well, thanks.

<FOR works it but images, resize couldn?t I reason, some>

[Tomorrow]

[RanCan2112]

hey Tomorrow...are you going to put Siberian Khatru in power tab?

[Tomorrow]

I will post a MIDI File when it is complete, I am about 45% done on it. Here is a link to some Tabbed "teasers", partial songs. I need to use Adobe Acrobat or something as these Files are simply too freekin' gigantic for practical use...

[RanCan2112]

[Tomorrow]

Thanks RanCan, just wondering what you have been Tabbing with Power Tab? I have tried stuff like Melody Assistant and some other worthless crap, Power Tab is perfect (and very user-friendly).
I feel a need to make Yes Lead Sheets, as there are some okay ones out there, but they are all Tabbed in 4/4, uhhh... huh?! You cannot tab Yes in 4/4, sorry. The Tab stuff here though is excellent, I guess I am a Sheet Music snob or something, but I guess that comes from working with sequencers and Music Books for many years.
Anyway, thanks for browsing those one-staff-at-a-time lead sheets, I am trying to complete "And You and I", along with "Siberian Khatru". A few of those one-staff things are borrowed from Guitar Mags, most of it is just is just from bits and pieces picked up by eyes and ears over the years.
If I can quantify or compress the actual .bpm files, I will post them at a unique web location, I simply need to figure out how to reduce the size down from 750kb each, this fustrates me!!
I need to expand outward past this Thread...

[RanCan2112]

[Tomorrow]

[Tomorrow]

Please ignore that man behind the curtain, I have that wrong. 2/4, 4/4 etc is correct, what am I thinking!!

[Tomorrow]

oops, 4/4 and 3/4, I guess a beer is in order here....

[john mccleary]

long distance runaround.for bass players is the first note C ?

[jomo]

Hi Guys
new to the forum, just wanted to post a youtube video lesson I done of Siberian Khatru. Here´s the link.


I have other YES lessons on my page if anyone fancies some help.

[thehallway]