In The Sky — Acoustic Guitar Part?

[Ingo]

I also second the playing tipps TheTimeWasWrong already told before, makes all sense. The chords in the chorus should be 00077x and 5x077x, there is not that much vibrato on the 77s,  you in fact need the d string but it is not that hard not to mute it accidentally. And definitely no overdub, or second track, or so

[quizzaciously]

Well, dropped D with a capo at 3rd seems good. D, G, A chords (so F, C, Bb with capo), often the F and Bb with no thirds it seems...

What is the Bb played like, is it with the low open e string, Bb and F on the a and d strings at the 5th (8th) fret and the f on the b string on top? Anyway..

You are talking about the chorus, the high notes on 'the sky' ? The high a is on the b string, 7th (10th) fret, the f on the g string, same fret, three open bass strings. Then the change to the Bb chord, same notes just the Bb in the bass with your index finger, 6th (8th) fret on the low e strings, etc.

Thanks for your Input Ingo! This was exactly my first experience with this song. I thought about all the same chords and concluded that yeah — Drop D tuning, 3rd fret, chords like that. But something bugs me... I realised how ugly this arrangement is, I can't even imagine Mark playing something like that, it's too ugly. Especially this ugly Bb chord [5x077x]. It just seems incredibly awkward to me, I don't want to play it like that. If I'd wrote this tune, this chord I would've avoid in some way, because it doesn't please me in any way.

So I started to find solutions. First and obvious idea — tuning the A string to G. It's a pretty common tuning, Chet Atkins played in that (Ave Maria for instance). It worked out well, then I thought — it's almost Open G tuning, so why not to use this one instead? I tried, and it sounds fabulous. The verse now easier to play and sounds good, but the chorus... it became more pleasing for my ears and sound close, but no cigar.

At one moment I was so sure about Open G that I even created a chord chart on Ultimate Guitar:
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/mark_knopfler/in_the_sky_chords_2201895

This is funny, but now I think this was completely wrong as well. After close inspection of 31 songs each time I was able to come up with the sound that pleases me, but not here. Also, there was an example of Mark melting two parts in one in tunes like Smooching (I think the exact transcription of this tune is mission impossible).

I'll soon will list all the things that bugs me in this song and maybe somebody would give his thoughts on that.

[quizzaciously]

Reminds me of the little story about Chet Atkins that Mark once told: a journalist stated that Chet's fingerpicking must have been several guitars overdubbed as it seemed impossible to that guy that it was played with one guitar at the same time. This upset Chet, his reply : 'With some little practice it is perfectly possible'

If the acoustic on ITS was in fact two acoustics, noone would pan both to the same stereo position in the mix except you would like to cheat and hide that you could not play both simultaneously. And this seems impossible for someone like Mark!!!

After sitting with this song for so long I can't be sure about something being impossible for Mark, but keeping the rhythm with THAT sort of vibrato going at the same time is definitely some king of magic. I usually don't believe in genius, but if it was truly played in one part, one take and one track, this is genius indeed. I only need the exact tuning and capo position for further inspection. But now I'm stuck.

[Ingo]

Also, there was an example of Mark melting two parts in one in tunes like Smooching (I think the exact transcription of this tune is mission impossible).

I guess Mark improvized several solo takes on smooching, and someone (e.g. Neil Dorfsman) compiled them together to the final result. I once watched a video clip showing Mark during the mix of smooching for some seconds, and I tell you it was full with licks that are not on the final version at all. Does someone know this video?

Same with freeway flier (but these ended at least in the movie). We are going OT now

[Dutchessy]

Also, there was an example of Mark melting two parts in one in tunes like Smooching (I think the exact transcription of this tune is mission impossible).

I guess Mark improvized several solo takes on smooching, and someone (e.g. Neil Dorfsman) compiled them together to the final result. I once watched a video clip showing Mark during the mix of smooching for some seconds, and I tell you it was full with licks that are not on the final version at all. Does someone know this video?

Same with freeway flier (but these ended at least in the movie). We are going OT now

This?

[Ingo]

This?

That's the one 

Thanks 

[Eddie Fox]

Reminds me of the little story about Chet Atkins that Mark once told: a journalist stated that Chet's fingerpicking must have been several guitars overdubbed as it seemed impossible to that guy that it was played with one guitar at the same time. This upset Chet, his reply : 'With some little practice it is perfectly possible'

If the acoustic on ITS was in fact two acoustics, noone would pan both to the same stereo position in the mix except you would like to cheat and hide that you could not play both simultaneously. And this seems impossible for someone like Mark!!!

After sitting with this song for so long I can't be sure about something being impossible for Mark, but keeping the rhythm with THAT sort of vibrato going at the same time is definitely some king of magic. I usually don't believe in genius, but if it was truly played in one part, one take and one track, this is genius indeed. I only need the exact tuning and capo position for further inspection. But now I'm stuck.

Mate, you're a hell of a guitarist. I say give the song your own interpretation and present us with an ITS performance in yet another great video. That's a request! 

[JF]

Also, there was an example of Mark melting two parts in one in tunes like Smooching (I think the exact transcription of this tune is mission impossible).

I guess Mark improvized several solo takes on smooching, and someone (e.g. Neil Dorfsman) compiled them together to the final result.

David Gilmour uses this technique for almost all his solos (according to him)

[JF]

I once watched a video clip showing Mark during the mix of smooching for some seconds, and I tell you it was full with licks that are not on the final version at all. Does someone know this video?

"full with licks"...well I expected more than on the video 

[quizzaciously]

David Gilmour uses this technique for almost all his solos (according to him)

I don't think this is something wrong, here's the video I like very much, compilation of the MK solo in real time!



I always hate then people and still I hate when people brag about "first takes", "one takes" or whatever (Guy Who?). You can record something from 1 take, you can record something with 30 takes. Beatles usually did an awful lot of takes, sometimes 20 and 30 and so what? They're still #1.

Mate, you're a hell of a guitarist. I say give the song your own interpretation and present us with an ITS performance in yet another great video. That's a request! 

Challenge accepted!

[Eddie Fox]

Mate, you're a hell of a guitarist. I say give the song your own interpretation and present us with an ITS performance in yet another great video. That's a request! 

Challenge accepted!

I'm willing to lose this one!

[JF]

I don't think this is something wrong, here's the video I like very much, compilation of the MK solo in real time!

I always hate then people and still I hate when people brag about "first takes", "one takes" or whatever (Guy Who?). You can record something from 1 take, you can record something with 30 takes. Beatles usually did an awful lot of takes, sometimes 20 and 30 and so what? They're still #1.

fully agree, I don't think either it's something wrong