Gosh I love this song. It is so packed with honesty, confession, truth, and praise. Even though I go against what God has for ME, He still loves me and extends mercy and grace to us, the undeserving.
“Yet still You love me, though I stood and mocked the Lamb above me.”
This is a line that I think the church needs to sing more. This is a line that I need to sing more. Instead of running away from God when I fall short, I, WE need to see the love He has for us and we need to run to that love and grace that has ALREADY set us free. – Randy Charlson
LEAD GUITAR
ALWAYS ON:
-JHS Superbolt- drive = 8, tone = 11, volume = 3.5
INTRO/VERSE 1:
I stay out of the intro and don’t come in until Em starts singing. I first add some single note swells in the bridge position. Then the second part of the verse, I pluck high register shapes and random single note hits in the middle position with the hall verb on instead of the cloud.
-Strymon Big-Sky- Cloud- mix = 10.5, decay = 3.7sec, then
-Strymon Big Sky- Hall- mix = 12, decay = 1.9sec
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats = 10
PRE-CHORUS 1
I start picking lightly on the 7th fret portion of a D chord and add some b string notes for a little extra melody. Keep it pretty and sensitive.
-Strymon Big Sky- Hall- mix = 12, decay = 1.9sec
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats = 10
CHORUS 1/4/Outro:
This first chorus isn’t really a chorus, just the “hope” portion of it. The key here and for the outro and last chorus is the specific “Bm” shape I’m playing (E-x,A-2,D-4,G-x,b-3,e-x). Play in the middle position. So pretty at the end when Randy adds his picking over it. I tear up almost every time after Em sings that last chorus. The gospel is so beautiful. It deserves these reflective moments. I add a few extra notes to differentiate the last part.
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats = 10
-Strymon Big Sky- Hall- mix = 12, decay = 1.9sec
TURN/VERSE 2
I come in a little heavier here, adding a little grit. Still in the middle position, the “Bm” shape changes here (E-x,A-2,D-4,G-0,b-3,e-x) adding that open G string.
-Strymon Big Sky- Hall- mix = 12, decay = 1.9sec
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats = 10
PRE-CHORUS 2
I play the same thing as the first pre-chorus, but it’s in the bridge position and half as long.
-Strymon Big Sky- Hall- mix = 12, decay = 1.9sec
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats = 10
CHORUS 2/3:
Playing some higher register chord inversions in the bridge position. Mostly just the b-g strings. I hit the string pretty hard in these choruses. The key here is the slide from the middle of the fret-board to the higher register notes. It’s subtle, but I LOVE it.
-Strymon Big Sky- Hall- mix = 12, decay = 1.9sec
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats
INSTRUMENTAL:
Tremolo picking here in the bridge position. Don’t forget the bend on that 12th fret b and the bend just before the bridge part.
-Strymon Big-Sky- Cloud- mix = 10.5, decay = 3.7sec, then
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats = 10
-Fulltone Full-Drive (CompCut/Standard)- Volume = 9, Tone = 10, Overdrive = 8, Boost = 10
BRIDGE:
Take of the cloud setting and change it to hall verb. Straighter 16th notes vs the tremolo picking. Keep the boost on right until that hard cut going into the chorus.
-Strymon Timeline- dTape, Dot8 (70 bpm), mix = 10, repeats = 10
-Strymon Big Sky- Hall- mix = 12, decay = 1.9sec
-Fulltone Full-Drive (CompCut/Standard)- Volume = 9, Tone = 10, Overdrive = 8, Boost = 10
RHYTHM GUITAR
INTRO/VERSE 1:
Intro is just my Strat through a little bit of slapjack from my Timeline. It isn’t totally audible, it’s more of a thickener. Just tap the tempo as fast as you can to get the really quick delay. There is also the smallest amount of room verb on it.
-Strymon Timeline- tone = 10, mix = 10, repeats = 500ms
-Strymon Big Sky- Room, tone = 10, mix = 9, decay = 1sec
TURN/VERSE 2
The hook line only comes once. I switch to my neck pickup and back off the tone knob a hair for this part. Chorus, when done right, should add that emotion that isn’t totally out in front of your sound, but is tucked in there enough to add some fun flare. I’m starting to use a lot more chorus these days, and I’ll always be figuring out how to use it and how NOT to use it more importantly. I keep this same set-up for the percussive picking part I play in the verse. It’s the same rhythm of the rim clicks that was done in the hook line on the aux tom. I’m just icing it on the D string at the 12th fret.
-Superbly Drive- volume = 11, tone = 12, drive = 11
-Sea Machine Chorus- all knobs = 11
-Strymon Big Sky- Room, tone = 12, mix = 2, decay = 2.5sec
PRE-CHORUS 2, CHORUS2/3, INSTRUMENTAL, & BRIDGE
The rest of the song heavily depends on the dynamics of how hard or soft you play. I click on my KLON clone for my dirt for the rest of the song.
-Nash Pedals Outlaw- drive = max, tone = max, volume = 10
OUTRO
I go clean again for this part. Switch to my neck pickup.
-Strymon Big Sky- Plate, tone = 11, mix = 2, decay = 4sec, Mod = 10