# Cynic - Focus official tab book coming soon (transcribed by me!)



## Evan89 (Dec 10, 2018)

I'm thrilled to announce that I've been working with Paul Masvidal on official guitar transcriptions! This is a huge honor for me, Paul/Cynic have been one of my biggest influences for a long time. The book is being released in early 2019 via Sheet Happens Publishing. I also transcribed their newest song, Humanoid, which is up for free download.

Here's all the info: https://www.sheethappenspublishing.com/columns/21/cynic-humanoid-freebie-paul-masvidal-on-the-house

Some of you might recall that I transcribed the entire Savatage discography, here's that thread: http://sevenstring.org/threads/savatage-tabs-full-discography.331921/

My youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/7strings89

I plan on doing a youtube video going into more detail on the project, let me know if you guys have any questions!


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## StevenC (Dec 10, 2018)

Hi, will there be Guitar Pro files included, will you be doing Traced in Air and beyond, and finally is there any chance Sheet Happens will be getting a less ridiculous shipping option? I tried to buy The Madness of Many book, but the shipping was more than the book.


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## Evan89 (Dec 10, 2018)

StevenC said:


> Hi, will there be Guitar Pro files included, will you be doing Traced in Air and beyond, and finally is there any chance Sheet Happens will be getting a less ridiculous shipping option? I tried to buy The Madness of Many book, but the shipping was more than the book.


Yes, I did the transcriptions in Guitar Pro 7. The plan is to do the rest of the albums as well. Sorry I cannot answer your question regarding shipping, as I haven't been in contact with the Sheet Happens guys recently. I'll try to get more info on that when we're closer to release date.


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## StevenC (Dec 10, 2018)

Evan89 said:


> Yes, I did the transcriptions in Guitar Pro 7. The plan is to do the rest of the albums as well. Sorry I cannot answer your question regarding shipping, as I haven't been in contact with the Sheet Happens guys recently. I'll try to get more info on that when we're closer to release date.


Thanks!


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## Grindspine (Dec 10, 2018)

Even Focus is still so beyond my playing.


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## chopeth (Dec 11, 2018)

great news!


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## Stilicho (Dec 11, 2018)

Can't wait for this, I've been working on my picking patterns by playing through "I'm But a Wave To" the past week and even to this day it's nearly impossible to get the pre-chorus riff up to speed.

By any chance will you be going into the theory of what's going on in the harmonies, etc. in the YT videos?


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## wankerness (Dec 11, 2018)

Cool. I'll get this. I'm even more eagerly awaiting the Traced in Air one. What I REALLY want is a bass tab book, but hey, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth TOO closely.


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## StevenC (Dec 11, 2018)

I'm looking forward to see exactly what's going on in the How Could I chorus riff that Paul plays. It's very hard to hear exactly what's happening.


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## Evan89 (Dec 11, 2018)

Stilicho said:


> Can't wait for this, I've been working on my picking patterns by playing through "I'm But a Wave To" the past week and even to this day it's nearly impossible to get the pre-chorus riff up to speed.
> 
> *By any chance will you be going into the theory of what's going on in the harmonies, etc. in the YT videos?*


I hadn't thought of that, that's a possibility. There's definitely some weird stuff going on in IBAWT.



wankerness said:


> Cool. I'll get this. I'm even more eagerly awaiting the Traced in Air one. *What I REALLY want is a bass tab book, but hey, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth TOO closely.*


I can't wait for TIA either!

hmm...



StevenC said:


> I'm looking forward to see exactly what's going on in the How Could I chorus riff that Paul plays. It's very hard to hear exactly what's happening.


Focus is a record that's basically impossible to transcribe (accurately) without the isolated tracks. Not only are the two (sometimes as many as 5-6) guitars almost never playing the same thing, it was also mixed so that the guitars are not hard panned, making it very difficult to determine which part is which. Paul has said that this was intentional.


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## Stilicho (Dec 11, 2018)

Evan89 said:


> I hadn't thought of that, that's a possibility. There's definitely some weird stuff going on in IBAWT.
> 
> I can't wait for TIA either!
> 
> ...


Really interesting stuff! Thanks for the reply.

By any chance did you ask Paul about his practice routine during the years leading up to Focus? I can hardly think of a guitarist who was so proficient in picking technique during the early 90s and it's hard to imagine how he came up with some of the picking patterns by himself during a time when picking mechanics were not widely understood.


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## jco5055 (Dec 11, 2018)

How accurate will Jason's parts be? Seeing as you aren't sitting down with Jason.


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## Evan89 (Dec 11, 2018)

Stilicho said:


> Really interesting stuff! Thanks for the reply.
> 
> By any chance did you ask Paul about his practice routine during the years leading up to Focus? I can hardly think of a guitarist who was so proficient in picking technique during the early 90s and it's hard to imagine how he came up with some of the picking patterns by himself during a time when picking mechanics were not widely understood.


Haven't discussed his practicing with him, mainly just specific chords and voicings. There were actually a couple spots where I "corrected" him, when comparing live videos from the Focus era to how he played some things during the reunion. The transcriptions are note-for-note to the original recordings, even down to slight variations of repeated riffs.



jco5055 said:


> How accurate will Jason's parts be? Seeing as you aren't sitting down with Jason.


Funnily enough, I did not consult with him during this project, but he emailed me out of the blue a couple months ago to say he loved my Karma's Plight solo video. He also informed me that he actually played that solo, not Paul. My video: 

Regarding Jason's parts on Focus, I referenced several live videos from the Focus era to ensure that everything is 100% positionally accurate. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, I transcribed using completely isolated guitar tracks.


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## Mwoit (Dec 11, 2018)

I saw this on the Sheets Happening page and I am quite excited for this. I'm looking forward to seeing how they play their parts.


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## Blasphemer (Dec 11, 2018)

This is exciting. Both Focus and TiA are super important albums to me, both for my playing and just in general. I can tell my playing is still progressing when I come back to a song after a while and am able to nail a part that I couldn't play previously. Paul, Jason, and Tymon's playing on these album is absolute benchmark material for guitar playing in general!


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## Evan89 (Dec 20, 2018)

wankerness said:


> Cool. I'll get this. I'm even more eagerly awaiting the Traced in Air one. What I REALLY want is a bass tab book, but hey, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth TOO closely.


Humanoid bass transcription by Sean Malone: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/37...Ru2qHZtrIz_5pMLv8e6rfekBp3rIzQ8fRU0zChg16gRjM


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## Mwoit (Dec 22, 2018)

Evan89 said:


> Humanoid bass transcription by Sean Malone: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/37...Ru2qHZtrIz_5pMLv8e6rfekBp3rIzQ8fRU0zChg16gRjM



Is Sean going to do a Focus bass transcription? Or is this just for a bit of fun?


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## Evan89 (Dec 22, 2018)

Mwoit said:


> *Is Sean going to do a Focus bass transcription?* Or is this just for a bit of fun?


Yes.


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## TheShreddinHand (Dec 23, 2018)

Nice work Evan! Can I suggest Symphony X to tackle sometime in the future?!


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## Evan89 (Dec 23, 2018)

TheShreddinHand said:


> Nice work Evan! Can I suggest Symphony X to tackle sometime in the future?!


Hey Shreddin, I remember you from Match the Master and the Ernie Ball forum! Symphony X are one of my favorite bands, and I'd love to do official transcriptions. The Focus book will hopefully open some doors and have more people willing to work with me.


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## TheShreddinHand (Dec 24, 2018)

For sure! And congrats again on that!


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## fantom (Dec 24, 2018)

First, this is awesome.

Browsing through sheet happens, I noticed the books only have tabs without the staff notation and seem to have a lot of visual space dedicated to pictures of the band. It seems counterintuitive to me. Any plans on releasing scores with staff notation and no pictures for people who want to sight read (even as PDF)? Or is that what the guitar pro files are for?


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## Evan89 (Jan 7, 2019)

fantom said:


> First, this is awesome.
> 
> Browsing through sheet happens, I noticed the books only have tabs without the staff notation and seem to have a lot of visual space dedicated to pictures of the band. It seems counterintuitive to me. Any plans on releasing scores with staff notation and no pictures for people who want to sight read (even as PDF)? Or is that what the guitar pro files are for?


Personally, I transcribe using staff notation, like what you see in my Humanoid transcription: https://sheethappenspublishing.com/freebies/SH_Cynic-Humanoid_2-guitar_arrangement.pdf

The Focus Guitar Pro files I sent to Sheet Happens had the same look, but the last time I spoke to Luke Hoskin, he did say that the book was in editing, to fit their layout. I have not seen the finished product yet, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.


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## Evan89 (Feb 14, 2019)

Orders are LIVE:

Digital/print book: https://www.sheethappenspublishing.com/shop/888/cynic-focus-complete-guitar-transcription

Deluxe bundle (limited to 100 copies): https://www.sheethappenspublishing.com/shop/889/cynic-focus-deluxe-bundle

https://www.facebook.com/CynicPaulM...e3UIVVZ-uHeOsnGcTsfJYn-5yVgrcN-nSTw&__tn__=-R

Thank you all for your support! I'm ecstatic!


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## Mwoit (Feb 14, 2019)

Hell yeah. I purchased the digital copy. After sinking 70 USD into the physical bass book, I don't think I can afford another 70 USD for the physical guitar book with the spiral. Looking forward to this.


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## wankerness (Feb 14, 2019)

Are there any scans of sample pages out there? There aren't on those links. I am specifically wondering how crowded it gets on sections like say, the first section of Textures. Are there only a couple measures a page, or does it have tiny font?

Plus, of course, the above discussion about "will it even have non-tab notation?" 

I guess if the guy that transcribed it doesn't even know if it's going to include standard notation then there must not be any anywhere


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## Evan89 (Feb 14, 2019)

The printed book does not include standard notation, but it should be in the guitar pro files. Part of the last few formatting edits we did were addressing crowded measures. Regarding Textures specifically, there are never more than 3 measures per line, most of the song is 2 measures per line.


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## technomancer (Feb 15, 2019)

It's completely hit or miss on if Sheet Happens include standard notation or just tab, and it is one of the things that is really annoying about their stuff. The Fates Warning book I have from them has standard notation and tab for example, but the Intervals book I have does not in the book or guitar pro files. It seems like if they remove the notation they remove it period. It would be useful for somebody that grabbed this to chime in if the notation is actually in there or not.

Even though I don't really sight read I still find having standard notation useful for seeing the rhythmic breakdown etc


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## wankerness (Feb 15, 2019)

technomancer said:


> It's completely hit or miss on if Sheet Happens include standard notation or just tab, and it is one of the things that is really annoying about their stuff. The Fates Warning book I have from them has standard notation and tab for example, but the Intervals book I have does not in the book or guitar pro files. It seems like if they remove the notation they remove it period. It would be useful for somebody that grabbed this to chime in if the notation is actually in there or not.
> 
> Even though I don't really sight read I still find having standard notation useful for seeing the rhythmic breakdown etc



The dude above, who transcribed it, just said it does not include standard notation, but that it includes Guitar Pro files. 

And yeah, I'm turned off by this. If it was that kind of tab you see in some instructional books (aka, not guitar album transcriptions) where the tabs have beaming on them it would be one thing, but if you can't read the rhythms from the book period and it's totally dependent on you listening to the recording at the same time or having it memorized, that's a really big problem IMO. Might as well be reading .txt files! Even a powertab export to txt puts the rhythms over the tabs.

Maybe that's the kind of tab it is, though?


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## technomancer (Feb 15, 2019)

wankerness said:


> The dude above, who transcribed it, just said it does not include standard notation, but that it includes Guitar Pro files.
> 
> And yeah, I'm turned off by this. If it was that kind of tab you see in some instructional books (aka, not guitar album transcriptions) where the tabs have beaming on them it would be one thing, but if you can't read the rhythms from the book period and it's totally dependent on you listening to the recording at the same time or having it memorized, that's a really big problem IMO.



Yeah the Intervals guitar pro files don't have standard notation in them... so it is entirely possible it was removed for publication. Though the Intervals GP files are barred in the tab. Unless of course there is a way to turn notation on and off, I mostly use GP as a tab browser and haven't ever bothered to dig into it


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## wankerness (Feb 15, 2019)

I thought all guitar pro files had standard notation in them no matter what, and it was just a setting you could flip on/off? Or is there a way to "lock" the files so no one can see it? I am not that familiar with that program.


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## Evan89 (Feb 15, 2019)

wankerness said:


> The dude above, who transcribed it, just said it does not include standard notation, but that it includes Guitar Pro files.
> 
> And yeah, I'm turned off by this. If it was that kind of tab you see in some instructional books (aka, not guitar album transcriptions) where the tabs have beaming on them it would be one thing, but if you can't read the rhythms from the book period and it's totally dependent on you listening to the recording at the same time or having it memorized, that's a really big problem IMO. Might as well be reading .txt files! Even a powertab export to txt puts the rhythms over the tabs.
> 
> Maybe that's the kind of tab it is, though?


Everything is rhythmically notated and beamed. This reading format is kinda the best of both worlds, the rhythmic notation and beaming is just more compact and below the tab instead of being on a staff above. Especially when you have a song like IBAWT where there are as many as 5 or 6 guitars as the same time, it would be cumbersome to have 6 lines of tab + staff on a single page. Here's a little sample:


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## wankerness (Feb 15, 2019)

Evan89 said:


> Everything is rhythmically notated and beamed. This reading format is kinda the best of both worlds, the rhythmic notation and beaming is just more compact and below the tab instead of being on a staff above. Especially when you have a song like IBAWT where there are as many as 5 or 6 guitars as the same time, it would be cumbersome to have 6 lines of tab + staff on a single page. Here's a little sample:



Yeah, getting used to reading that would be best of both worlds, I agree. Assuming it can handle complex rhythms, anyway. I think standard notation is flat-out inferior to tab note-wise for guitar in all situations other than jazz comping (which isn't really standard notation, either!), even though I'm someone that was brought up playing lots of non-guitar instruments, and someone who plays a ton of bass in groups with exclusive standard notation. If something only makes sense in one position, why the hell would you force any reader to have to think of that at the same time they're trying to read the notes? Especially with like, classical guitar, where you're going to have a ton of very complex chord shapes that may require jumping up and down the neck repeatedly.


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## technomancer (Feb 15, 2019)

Evan89 said:


> Everything is rhythmically notated and beamed. This reading format is kinda the best of both worlds, the rhythmic notation and beaming is just more compact and below the tab instead of being on a staff above. Especially when you have a song like IBAWT where there are as many as 5 or 6 guitars as the same time, it would be cumbersome to have 6 lines of tab + staff on a single page. Here's a little sample:



All right, so it's the same way the Intervals tab is done


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## Evan89 (Feb 17, 2019)

Due to overwhelming demand, 100 more deluxe bundles have been added: https://www.facebook.com/sheethappe...046174605444/2199829523393757/?type=3&theater



> Also, if you've purchased the standalone book but want the full bundle, just email us with your order number at [email protected] and we'll upgrade your order! (While supplies last).


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## Evan89 (Mar 2, 2019)

I did an interview with a friend and he just posted it on his website: Link

We talked about the Cynic project, transcribing, guitar stuff, etc. It was a lot of fun!


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## Evan89 (Mar 5, 2019)

Only 12 Focus bundles left!

https://www.facebook.com/sheethappe...530147390361/2226529997390376/?type=3&theater


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## sirbuh (Mar 23, 2019)

Spent some time with the hardcopy earlier today.
Nicely done.


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## Rosal76 (Mar 24, 2019)

sirbuh said:


> Spent some time with the hardcopy earlier today.
> Nicely done.



I get my copy this Friday!!! Can't wait to listen to the album and examine the book at the same time.


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## Rosal76 (Mar 27, 2019)

Got my copy yesterday and very pleased with it. I got the deluxe bundle which has additional items included than the regular book only version.

The Cynic pick tin and guitar picks are really cool collectibles for fans who like to collect items with band logos/album artwork/signatures on them. The picks with the Focus artwork on them are especially nice. I wouldn't dare use them to play as they are too nice to ruin. LOL.

The Focus poster is also a really nice collectible. Great to display in your music rehearsal room and/or heavy metal cave.

And of course, the guitar tablature book which is really well done. Has a few photos of the band on some of the pages which is a nice touch. Really, really glad they put the time in certain spots. I.e. (1:58) Pre-chorus, (2:13) Verse, (1:22) Solo, and so forth. I had a feeling I was gonna get lost (and I did) listening to the album and looking at the guitar tab book at the same time and seeing exactly where they are at in the song. With that said, can't wait to cover some Cynic tunes!


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## Evan89 (Mar 27, 2019)

Rosal76 said:


> And of course, the guitar tablature book which is really well done. Has a few photos of the band on some of the pages which is a nice touch. *Really, really glad they put the time in certain spots. I.e. (1:58) Pre-chorus, (2:13) Verse, (1:22) Solo, and so forth.* I had a feeling I was gonna get lost (and I did) listening to the album and looking at the guitar tab book at the same time and seeing exactly where they are at in the song. With that said, can't wait to cover some Cynic tunes!


I'm not sure if it's standard practice for Sheet Happens, but that's something I do with all of my transcriptions. Not only is it helpful for the reader, but it makes it much easier for me if I need to revisit or edit a part. Glad you're enjoying it, and thanks for your support. Here's to many more!


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## Evan89 (Apr 18, 2019)

https://www.sheethappenspublishing.com/shop/915/masvidal-mythical-transparent-red-vinyl


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## StevenC (Apr 18, 2019)

It's absolutely infuriating when you want to support an artist, but their EP is $60, their tab book is $60 and they haven't played in my country in a decade.


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## 777timesgod (Apr 19, 2019)

StevenC said:


> It's absolutely infuriating when you want to support an artist, but their EP is $60, their tab book is $60 and they haven't played in my country in a decade.



Yeah, they are both pricey and I would think twice about getting them. I once went to an Obscura gig and since I was working on their songs I thought about buying their tab book but after seeing the price tag, I decided that it is best to stick to the internet tabs, which are acceptable for anyone not caring about being 100% accurate. I think I have a great tab of Veil of Maya in a USB stick somewhere. During the weekend I may have to start digging.

Nonetheless, congrats to the OP for doing a great job and working with Paul Masvidal. One of the most underrated, compared to other bigger names, guitarists. I remember disregarding his solo from "Flattening of emotions" as being straightforward. After learning it, I saw his clever way of putting the notes together and creating something which was both traditional death solo and something entirely different.


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## Rosal76 (Apr 19, 2019)

StevenC said:


> It's absolutely infuriating when you want to support an artist, but their EP is $60, their tab book is $60 and they haven't played in my country in a decade.



StevenC, I ordered the Cynic tab book last month and they included a discount coupon for 15% on the next order I place. I'm not going to place another order right now because I have other stuff I have to save up for/buy and plus, I just got the Cynic tab book not too long ago.

Anyways, if you and/or anyone else you may know who would like the 15% discount coupon for your Sheet happens order, I can give it to you if you want it. * The discount coupon expires on 4-30-2019 which is 11 days from now, so you have to use it before that date if you do order.

I'm not always on this forum but rest assure, I'll keep up to see any new posts later in the day and/or the next day. Cheers.


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## Mwoit (Apr 27, 2019)

Not sure if anyone has been going through the bass song book, but some of these bass lines are totally rad. If I was to ever play bass in a metal band, I would definitely take some inspiration from Sean!


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## 777timesgod (Apr 27, 2019)

Mwoit said:


> Not sure if anyone has been going through the bass song book, but some of these bass lines are totally rad. If I was to ever play bass in a metal band, I would definitely take some inspiration from Sean!



Did Sean write all of those bass lines? I remember Tony Choy was a member for a long time, he recorded the early demos with them. When he left, he then went to Atheist and Pestilence.


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## StevenC (Apr 27, 2019)

777timesgod said:


> Did Sean write all of those bass lines? I remember Tony Choy was a member for a long time, he recorded the early demos with them. When he left, he then went to Atheist and Pestilence.


The only two songs they kept from the demos were Uroboric Forms and Eagle Nature, which on the demos had bass lines that mostly followed the guitar part. The bits that don't follow the guitars are the bits that got changed. So I'd say on Focus if the bass is doing the same as the guitar Paul and Jason wrote it, and if it's doing something else Sean wrote it. 

Not to diminish Tony Choy, though.


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## 777timesgod (May 1, 2019)

Yeah , Sean is great as is Tony. No doubt on that.


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## Evan89 (May 7, 2019)




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## Rosal76 (May 7, 2019)

Awesome new video. Different from what I'm used to hearing from Paul but still cool, nonetheless.

In other news, started on the new Cynic guitar tab book, yesterday. Started on, "How could I". Very, very mesmerizing music to play on the first 2 pages (110-111). That chord in bar 37 (page 113).  Might have to move to Chernobyl and grow a extra finger. LOL. Having small hands/short fingers to play difficult guitar chords suck. LOL.


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## Rosal76 (May 19, 2019)

Evan, you "possibly" may have a new customer for your Cynic guitar tab book. I'm a member of a death metal social group on Facebook who discuss death metal bands of all genres/styles and Cynic gets brought up once in a while. Anyways, someone brought them up and another member claims he likes to play their music and I told him about the Cynic tab book and this was his response:

"Holy shit how did I not know about this? Been using the same tabs from cynical sphere for years and years hahaha. Need to order one!!"

Hopefully this will generate more interest in the book in that Facebook group.


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## MAJ Meadows SF (May 19, 2019)

I seriously enjoy going AWOL from this page (not on my own accord, just the nature of work) and coming back to find out things like this. Between this and the Exodus material I'm gonna be busy for a while. I'm easy to please and just need the tabs on digits, so Sheet Happens has been a good resource. So glad to see this legendary record get tabbed.


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## Evan89 (May 20, 2019)

@wankerness @technomancer @fantom

I'm revisiting the "standard notation" discussion, because when Sheet Happens sent me my copy of the Cynic book, they also included a USB drive with assorted transcriptions on it. I figured I'd check them out to see if standard notation was available. When opened, the default view is tab with rhythmic notation underneath, but it's very easy to view standard notation. If you are using GP6, click the track name, and you'll get this dialog box where you can select what kind of notation you want to view:



If you are using GP7, make sure your "inspector" right sidebar is showing (hit F6 if not), and click on "track". Where it says "notation", you can select your preferred notation. I don't actually have the Cynic GP files from Sheet Happens, just the original ones that I did and sent to them. So, if anyone can double check this for me, hopefully it will clear up any confusion.





Rosal76 said:


> Evan, you "possibly" may have a new customer for your Cynic guitar tab book. I'm a member of a death metal social group on Facebook who discuss death metal bands of all genres/styles and Cynic gets brought up once in a while. Anyways, someone brought them up and another member claims he likes to play their music and I told him about the Cynic tab book and this was his response:
> 
> "Holy shit how did I not know about this? Been using the same tabs from cynical sphere for years and years hahaha. Need to order one!!"
> 
> Hopefully this will generate more interest in the book in that Facebook group.


Thank you so much for spreading the word!


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## technomancer (May 20, 2019)

I don't have the cynic book handy, but I do have an Intervals tab from Sheet Happens and this works in GP6


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## Evan89 (May 31, 2019)

Masvidal EP 1/3 is out today!

https://open.spotify.com/album/3dYUQJNcsglvSwh0P2wA2T


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## StevenC (Jun 4, 2019)

https://www.sheethappenspublishing.com/freebies

Free PDF of Uroboric Forms also includes 15% coupon for Focus


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## Evan89 (Jul 24, 2019)

Sheet Happens 20% off sale through 7/28!

https://www.sheethappenspublishing.com/shop/888/cynic-focus-complete-guitar-transcription


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## Avitus (Jul 25, 2019)

The world always needs more Cynic anything.


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## Rosal76 (Aug 14, 2019)

Started on the song, Uroboric forms and man, it is freaking fun to play!!! I had trouble with some of the parts on, "How could I" so I was a little worried about covering Uroboric. I am slowly but surely learning the, "Cynic vibrato".


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## technomancer (Aug 14, 2019)

So, with the remaster coming out any news on the Traced in Air book


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## kgirlx (Feb 5, 2020)

OK, i must be stupid. I ordered the cynic book, just today......looking through these past 4 pages, i see a Bass tab book is listed. Where is this book? I dont see it on sheethappens site. Thanks guys.


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## Evan89 (Feb 5, 2020)

kgirlx said:


> OK, i must be stupid. I ordered the cynic book, just today......looking through these past 4 pages, i see a Bass tab book is listed. Where is this book? I dont see it on sheethappens site. Thanks guys.


The bass book was self-released and sold on ebay by Sean Malone about a year ago. It was only 150 copies, signed and numbered by Sean. I asked if there would be another pressing, and was told yes, but it was a while ago. I could ask them again. Thank you for supporting the Focus guitar book, it was a labor of love.


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## kgirlx (Feb 5, 2020)

Ahhh, i See.....so ill never see the light of day on the bass tab....OK. at least i know now. Thanks.


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## Rosal76 (Feb 8, 2020)

Started learning Integral birth from the Traced in air tab book and it is freaking fun to learn!

And then I saw the chord on page 31, bar 23, guitar 1.  Yeah, I will not be playing that chord. Damn progressive guitar players and their hard ass chords to finger.


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## Evan89 (Feb 8, 2020)

Rosal76 said:


> Started learning Integral birth from the Traced in air tab book and it is freaking fun to learn!
> 
> And then I saw the chord on page 31, bar 23, guitar 1.  Yeah, I will not be playing that chord. Damn progressive guitar players and their hard ass chords to finger.


Paul loves to use that m(add9) voicing. It's a lot more manageable in Nunc Fluens, where it's played at the 5th fret. It also appears in The Space for This, and probably other songs that I'm forgetting at the moment.


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## technomancer (Feb 10, 2020)

Rosal76 said:


> Started learning Integral birth from the Traced in air tab book and it is freaking fun to learn!
> 
> And then I saw the chord on page 31, bar 23, guitar 1.  Yeah, I will not be playing that chord. Damn progressive guitar players and their hard ass chords to finger.



I just looked.... 

I'm not near a guitar, but I think I would need to dislocate a finger or two to play that


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## Rosal76 (Feb 13, 2020)

technomancer said:


> I just looked....
> 
> I'm not near a guitar, but I think I would need to dislocate a finger or two to play that



They also have a really difficult chord to finger in the song, How Could I, from their Focus album. The part that amazes me is not that they can finger a complex chord because I can finger that chord. The part that amazes me is that they can finger a complex chord at the tempo speed of 158bpm, which is considered fast. There's very little set up time for the chord. I'm hauling ass on that song and then stop dead when I get to that chord. LOL.

If you have the book/digital copy, it's on page 113, bar 37, both guitars 1 and 2, if you're curious as to how it looks.


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## StevenC (Feb 16, 2020)

Evan89 said:


> Paul loves to use that m(add9) voicing. It's a lot more manageable in Nunc Fluens, where it's played at the 5th fret. It also appears in The Space for This, and probably other songs that I'm forgetting at the moment.


Does he play it at the 2nd fret like that? Because it's super easy at the 7th fret. I can play that shape right down to the 3rd fret and then it all falls apart.


Rosal76 said:


> They also have a really difficult chord to finger in the song, How Could I, from their Focus album. The part that amazes me is not that they can finger a complex chord because I can finger that chord. The part that amazes me is that they can finger a complex chord at the tempo speed of 158bpm, which is considered fast. There's very little set up time for the chord. I'm hauling ass on that song and then stop dead when I get to that chord. LOL.
> 
> If you have the book/digital copy, it's on page 113, bar 37, both guitars 1 and 2, if you're curious as to how it looks.


I feel like this one isn't super hard. You grab the E string with your ring finger and you've got half a bar to find the rest. Once you get the chord underneath you it's easy enough to get to from there.


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## Evan89 (Feb 16, 2020)

StevenC said:


> Does he play it at the 2nd fret like that? Because it's super easy at the 7th fret. I can play that shape right down to the 3rd fret and then it all falls apart.


Yes, definitely 2nd fret. Check this live video at 0:40:


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## wankerness (Feb 18, 2020)

Someone want to write the fingering on that chord that's being referred to? I don't have the book yet! Is it one of those 4-2-1-3-x-x things? (EADGBE)


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## Evan89 (Feb 18, 2020)

wankerness said:


> Someone want to write the fingering on that chord that's being referred to? I don't have the book yet! Is it one of those 4-2-1-3-x-x things? (EADGBE)


It's x-2-4-6-3-x


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## wankerness (Feb 18, 2020)

So basically he's just showing off his finger dexterity by playing it there instead of at the 7th fret where you can just barre the damn thing, huh? 

EDIT: Any word on a Traced in Air bass book? I would buy that in a heartbeat (I have the Focus one).


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## MFB (Feb 18, 2020)

wankerness said:


> EDIT: Any word on a Traced in Air bass book? I would buy that in a heartbeat (I have the Focus one).



Not that I'd ever be able to play it, but uh, yes please.


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## Evan89 (Feb 18, 2020)

wankerness said:


> So basically he's just showing off his finger dexterity by playing it there instead of at the 7th fret where you can just barre the damn thing, huh?
> 
> EDIT: Any word on a Traced in Air bass book? I would buy that in a heartbeat (I have the Focus one).


That particular chord voicing makes sense considering he's working his way down the neck chromatically, starting at the 7th fret on the A string.

I haven't heard anything regarding a TiA bass book, but I can ask Paul.
EDIT: Also, that might be tricky considering Sean re-recorded his parts for the remix.


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## Mwoit (Mar 27, 2020)

Evan89 said:


> That particular chord voicing makes sense considering he's working his way down the neck chromatically, starting at the 7th fret on the A string.
> 
> I haven't heard anything regarding a TiA bass book, but I can ask Paul.
> EDIT: Also, that might be tricky considering Sean re-recorded his parts for the remix.



Any word on this?


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## Evan89 (Mar 27, 2020)

Mwoit said:


> Any word on this?


I haven't talked to Paul in a little while, since before he left for his European tour with Anathema, which of course got cancelled midway. Not sure if he's gotten home yet. I'll definitely ask him about this though when I get a chance.


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## Rosal76 (Aug 22, 2020)

Evan, I have a question for you if you can answer. I started covering the song, Veil of Maya yesterday and saw something in the Focus tab book I didn't understand. On page 6, bar 14, Guitar 2, the 12th note that is in parentheses: (12). What does the parentheses signify in that bar? I know parentheses normally means that the note is a ghost note to be played softly and/or for the note to ring out but there isn't a "Let ring......" marker over that riff so I thought that maybe it's a ghost note but just wanted to ask you to be sure. Thanks.


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## Evan89 (Aug 24, 2020)

Rosal76 said:


> Evan, I have a question for you if you can answer. I started covering the song, Veil of Maya yesterday and saw something in the Focus tab book I didn't understand. On page 6, bar 14, Guitar 2, the 12th note that is in parentheses: (12). What does the parentheses signify in that bar? I know parentheses normally means that the note is a ghost note to be played softly and/or for the note to ring out but there isn't a "Let ring......" marker over that riff so I thought that maybe it's a ghost note but just wanted to ask you to be sure. Thanks.


Yep, that's a ghost note.


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## Bassnguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Any plans on releasing the Focus bass tabs?


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## Evan89 (Jan 21, 2021)

Bassnguitar said:


> Any plans on releasing the Focus bass tabs?





Evan89 said:


> The bass book was self-released and sold on ebay by Sean Malone about a year ago. It was only 150 copies, signed and numbered by Sean. I asked if there would be another pressing, and was told yes, but it was a while ago. I could ask them again.


I do plan on asking Paul about this again, but right now he's busy with the new record and it's probably not the best time. Hopefully we can get Sean's Focus tabs (and others) more widely distributed.


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## olekx (Apr 4, 2021)

@Evan89 I'm really enjoying TiA transcription and am really grateful that you did this fantastic job, thanks a lot! I'm thinking about buying your Focus transcription too and i am wandering how much it differs from Litvak's tab book, which was available some time ago? Sample pages from sheethappenspublishing seem to be identical. Could you please point out any differences please? Thanks!


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## Evan89 (Apr 4, 2021)

olekx said:


> @Evan89 I'm really enjoying TiA transcription and am really grateful that you did this fantastic job, thanks a lot! I'm thinking about buying your Focus transcription too and i am wandering how much it differs from Litvak's tab book, which was available some time ago? Sample pages from sheethappenspublishing seem to be identical. Could you please point out any differences please? Thanks!


The errors in those old transcriptions are too numerous to list here. One obvious example though is the doubled-note chorus riff in Veil of Maya. Here's an article with some quotes from Paul about the Focus transcription: https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/c...iption-for-classic-focus-album-now-available/


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## Seybsnilksz (Apr 5, 2021)

Forgive me if it's a rude question or if it's been answered already, but what kind of money is in doing official transcriptions like this, and how did you get in contact with them, privately or via Sheethappens? I've transcribed quite a few songs from another band and I'm thinking that this might be a thing I could do maybe kinda.


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## Rosal76 (May 27, 2021)

So..., just finished learning the whole song, Uroboric forms using the Focus tab book tabbed by Evan. Probably gonna spend 1 more week to iron out the mistakes I'm still making. My fingers are gonna look like uroboric forms after I'm done with this song. LOL. Man, I hate it when progressive/tech bands improvise their repeating riffs. Music is already freaking hard to learn!  LOL.


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## Evan89 (Jun 3, 2021)

The Carbon-Based Anatomy tab book is available now! Really happy with this one, it's always an honor and pleasure to work with Paul. More to come!

https://www.sheethappenspublishing....n-based-anatomy-complete-guitar-transcription


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## Evan89 (Mar 1, 2022)

I'm excited to announce this one! Paul and I worked together once again to get everything accurate. The plan is to do Ascension Codes next.


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## Ralyks (Mar 1, 2022)

Evan89 said:


> I'm excited to announce this one! Paul and I worked together once again to get everything accurate. The plan is to do Ascension Codes next.
> View attachment 104012


Awesome. I may just grab all the books available soon.
Here's a random one: Ask Paul if he'll do any Aeon Spoke or Portal tabs 
Actually, seriously, that would be cool.


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## Evan89 (Mar 1, 2022)

Ralyks said:


> Awesome. I may just grab all the books available soon.
> Here's a random one: Ask Paul if he'll do any Aeon Spoke or Portal tabs
> Actually, seriously, that would be cool.


I did ask Paul about Portal a while back. If memory serves, he doesn't have the isolated tracks for those songs. I'll ask him again sometime. As for Aeon Spoke, I transcribed a bit of Pablo (At the Park) a while ago. Strictly for fun, as it's my favorite AS song. I doubt there would be much demand for a full tab book, but it would be cool to get some of those songs properly transcribed.


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## StevenC (Mar 2, 2022)

Evan89 said:


> I'm excited to announce this one! Paul and I worked together once again to get everything accurate. The plan is to do Ascension Codes next.
> View attachment 104012


I'm going to learn Holy Fallout straight away! Keep up the good work Evan!


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## Evan89 (Mar 2, 2022)

StevenC said:


> I'm going to learn Holy Fallout straight away! Keep up the good work Evan!


That was my favorite song when I first heard the album, and still is. As usual, transcribing the whole album has given me a new appreciation for it.


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## StevenC (Mar 16, 2022)

Awesome


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## Evan89 (Mar 31, 2022)

The Kindly Bent to Free Us tab book is available now! I had the honor and pleasure of working with Paul Masvidal once again to ensure that the transcriptions are 100% accurate. Now we just have to tackle Ascension Codes and we'll be up-to-date. Purchase link: https://www.sheethappenspublishing....bent-to-free-us-complete-guitar-transcription


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