Soma - Smashing Pumpkins - Learn to play! (Guitar Cover with tabs)

[@johng2880]

I keep coming back to this. Those 3 chords B13, E, and G, with those open strings, have haunted me since this song came out. THANKS.

[@stewartross13]

Agree 100%. Theres something so massive about this chord progression that really just drives this whole song.

[@kevinfitzgerald4561]

Same here. I find it circling in my head sometimes out of nowhere.

[@cvrsedealer]

it's like a distorted lullaby

[@apmeehan]

Hadn’t heard of 13 chords before so thanks for sending me down the music theory rabbit hole lol

[@datapusher-]

Everytime I hear this song it makes the hair stand up on my neck just like it did in 1993. This song is so next level musically. There are NO more bands writing melodies like this. IF there are I am out of the loop and showing my age.

[@matteod.mazzotti9594]

No, there aren't. The last great and immortal music died with the 90s

[@randall9000]

One of my favorite solos ever. Guitar wise Corgan was one of the best things to come out of that era. Compare him to someone like Mike McCready, both basically solo around pentatonic shapes, however imo BC makes it sound interesting whereas MM makes it sound like the same old re-hashed licks we’ve all heard 1000s of times before

[@yoozevanz8349]

Well said ! Totally agreed! The intro itself puts a listener into a deep daze especialy you re lying on a field at night gazing at the stars...epic!

[@pirandello6968]

Couldn't agree more. Billy always brought a unique and creative melodic sound to every solo and chord progression he wrote, always putting so much feeling in everything he did. Just marvellous music that always had me amazed, and surprised every time.

[@cdreyes81]

Exactly this. Billy just has such contrast in his solos that I never think of blues solos. When I hear McCready, it's like basic

[@curragh4635]

Billy mixes alot of major scale also

[@sally_spice4507]

I’ve watched this several times after just coming across this video. It’s just awe inspiring and put a me in a music coma of ecstasy 😍 I hope when I start learning guitar I can play this solo flawlessly one day. That’s the dream. Thank you for uploading this awesome video. Huge SP fan from Australia 🇦🇺

[@mikeomatic9905]

Putting that Billy Corgan signature to good use!

[@jakeah1175]

That is one hard solo… bravo for getting in the ballpark. The original has some crazy distortion and squeals going off

[@onlynb947]

Great 🔥 your smashing pumpkins covers are huge... awesome

[@Olysterz]

Listen to the instrumental version. You can clearly hear the multilayered guitars (4?) and the solo is even more phenomenal. So much emotion in there. Also the happy accidents are incredible : the string touching the pickup, the unwanted string caught by the delay, etc ...

[@apmeehan]

My ears aren’t sharp enough to pick up on that kind of thing so would love timestamps for those happy accidents, whenever you have a minute!

[@Olysterz]

@@apmeehan That would have to be on the original intrumental version video 5M6-fPEhzoQ Precisely à 4:56 you can hear the string touching the pickup (I guess) which make a sudden high pitch noise. At 4:46 it sounds like the string slipped under his finger thus creating a lower noise that is replayed by the delay.

[@apmeehan]

@@Olysterz Wow no way! Those two moments-especially the piercing shriek of that high note bending beyond breaking point-have always been the highlights of the solo for me, so it blows my mind to think that they might have just been accidents all along. That said, the line between accident and intent in artistic expression isn’t exactly entirely clear is it… Because part of what makes this solo so spine-tingling amazing is its blistering intensity, and it is this level of intensity that directly results in these kinds of technical slip-ups, so in a way they are no less a form of musical expression than the “deliberate” parts. It reminds me of that famous moment in Gimme Shelter when the guest vocalist Merry Clayton strains so hard that her voice breaks, and it absolutely makes the song.

[@Olysterz]

@@apmeehan I agree. This is why I call those "happy accidents" or "Gems" while recording.

[@shadowedge729]

Supposedly there were about 40 guitars layered on this track

[@michaeldevereux7862]

LOVE all your SP stuff, Man!

[@samwilson2046]

Thanks for the re-upload, I’m still trying to learn some parts after a long time trying.

[@Dartheomus]

This seriously can't be done any better. I'm floored.

[@AntigoneProject]

Thank you. One of the best song ever written

[@Frenchmelodymaker]

More Gish stuff please ! Cheers from France, I love your videos

[@CapitalKZ]

Amazing solo!

[@ナルタロウ-z6s]

5:11

[@adamsauer8359]

James Iha plays the he 2nd part of the solo, after corgan shreds the first.

[@AtomLowery]

Spot on, brother.

[@georgefisher2048]

Thankyou so much for this video. Great way to learn the song!

[@Fashogun]

Thank you for this, Sparky🙏🏼❤️

[@coalcat5417]

You are a beast

[@Ryantalope]

Beautifully done. Subscribed 👌🏼

[@finncallahan8994]

Do you ever plan on doing Love off Mellon collie or covering the whole album?

[@mikedougherty3904]

Love is great

[@anthonyuntalan9513]

Hey Sparky, can you do a cover of Peace & Love or Rose March by the Smashing Pumpkins? Or any acoustic songs from the If All Goes Wrong documentary? Would love to see them ♥️!

[@jorgelinocevallos9448]

Uffffff🔥Fucking Awesome💯🎸👍

[@psychicmediumstevecarter]

hi thanks for your SP guitar covers. what pedals and settings are you sing and have you thought of putting them into the content? regards Steve keep up the great work. more SP songs if you can please!!!!🤘🏻

[@SparkyGuitar]

Hi Steve. I'll think about if/how to put the pedals/settings in the videos. The details are always in the description below the video - which Patreon supporters can access. The SP ones are actually very simple. JCM800 amps... with a Big Muff for the heavy bits... and a little reverb. For some quiet parts it might include an Electric Mistress... or a little delay. But the core tone is a Marshall and a Big Muff. Hope that helps!

[@cdreyes81]

I wonder if we can get a cover of Glynis. I can't find a decent tab

[@kastle4774]

i’d love to see you do heavy metal machine

[@brahh5283]

what are the pedals you used

[@Esplaneide2104]

Sparky used EHX Small Stone Phaser and EHX Big Muff for solo, I think

[@zombified3362]

Please cover Shame!

[@lmontesjr]

What tuning is part 2? Or are they both standard?

[@SparkyGuitar]

All guitar parts are in Standard on this one...

[@donaldayers5093]

Corrigan: King of the Octave Chord.

[@mrhobs]

Honest question, why do people play open 5th string when you could play the 6th string at the 5th fret? Then you don't have to mute anything. I don't mind the open string chord, its not really much harder to do, but... what's the reason? Does it really sound different? With distortion it almost doesn't matter at all, so why do some choose that method? I feel like I'm just being a noob for making a chord at the 5th fret, but I can't say why it would be any better or worse. I get that sometimes your next chord is nearby so that can make a difference, but seems like a random choice here, whichever one you want, but I might be wrong, willing to hear from people.

[@SparkyGuitar]

Hi there! Not sure if that is a general question or one relating to this specific song (because I can't see where it is relevant for this song... but let me know!). If I understand the question I think you are referring to 2 ways of playing an A chord? It's a really interesting question...! My take on it is that the open A string version can sound much more direct... for 2 reasons. First is that an open string always rings louder and clearer... so as the root note it really anchors the sound. Then - the more interesting part is that it replaces the 5th (the E on the 7th fret A string). The result is that the A and D strings are now BOTH playing the same note (the root)... as an octave pair. That always sounds powerful... and simplifies the chord down. In some contexts it sounds clearer or cleaner (to my ears!). Just a perspective... interested to hear any other views!

[@mrhobs]

@@SparkyGuitar I like that, thank you! I feel like I learned something here. 😃 (I didn't do a great job framing the question, but you did pretty well with what you had to work with, ha.)

[@mrhobs]

@@pontonmsc Ah cool, nice tip, thanks 🙂

[@jaythizzle1969]

I enjoy your Pumpkins content. Radiohead?

[@SparkyGuitar]

Thanks! I published Black Star 2 days ago - check it out!

[@danisantana2944]

Now how bout soma by the strokes?

[@SparkyGuitar]

Good suggestion... I've added it to the list...

[@bricks_475]

What tuning is the bottom guitar on standard or no?

[@SparkyGuitar]

Hi - both are standard tuning

[@bricks_475]

Thanks man you a life saver just found out bout this song today and it matches my mood

[@kingsecho3351]

Honestly everything is great but the solo needs more punch. Dial your mids back and add a bit more bass and boost the gain on the big muff pedal.

[@oz-kiperrix5427]

V:

[@irotinmyskin]

Your bends are spot on! But the rest of the solo kinda lags behind a bit. Still a great cover

[@snowtires]

The moving bar is soooo out of time during the solo

[@SparkyGuitar]

yeah - you're right. The video is shit. It's completely unusable. I shouldn't have posted it. I'm really sorry everyone.

[@mattmattmatt8984]

@@SparkyGuitarStill great content and excellent playing! I am grateful for your efforts as I didn't have youtube when I was a kid. Waiting for monthly releases of Guitar World magazines was a pain in the ass! 😂 Edit: Now subscribed! Thank you!

[@mattstraddle3729]

Man you massacred the solo, it was a bit painful to hear/watch! Just goes to show, you can buy all the gear, but the tone will forever be in the fingers, and the feel will forever be in the heart!