Split Open and Melt

This song has a basic E9 D9 Db9 chord progression in it, but Trey seems to mainly use different dominant voices, mainly with ninths and thirteenths.  

Opening chords:

E--12-12-12-12------------------------------------------------| B--15-15-15-15-----------14p12--14p12--12-12-----2p0----------
| G--13-13-13-13-----------14p12--14p12--10-10---------2p0------
| D--14-14-14-14-------------------------11-11-------------3/4--
| A-----------------14/------------------10-10------------------
| E-------------------------------------------------------------|

E--6-6--7-7----14-14-14-14----18/--|

B--5-5--6-6----13-13-13-13----17/--|

G--5-5--6-6----15-15-15-15----19/--|

D--4-4--5-5------------------------|

A----------------------------------|

E----------------------------------|

 Dbm9 Bbdim

E----------------|

B-----------10---|

G--11p9-----9----|

D-------11--8----|

A----------------|

E----------------|

-------------------------------------

 Dbm9 Bbdim

In the morning I pack up my gear

 Dbm9 Bbdim

and toss it in my carryall

Dbm9 Bbdim

Run the wide load to the lip

 Dbm9 Bbdim

and watch the big core crack and glow

Dbm9 Bbdim Bbdim

In the evening I undo my belt

Bbdim

Split open and melt

--------------------------------------

After the word melt there are a few call and answer licks between the band, then a short whole tone run.

E---------------------------------------------------------| B--------------------------------------------13-15----15--
| G--11p9-----------------------------11-13-15--------------
| D-------11----11p9------------12-14-----------------------
| A------------------12---13-15-----------------------------
| E---------------------------------------------------------|

Page and Trey then play a series of descending augmented chords until the phrase "I feel it in my knees", they start ascending the chords. Again, at welt, they hit a Bb Diminished chord.

-----------------------------------------------

I wake up on my stomach

with my face between my hands

and crawl along the floor toward the doorway

Jumping to my feet

I try to pull myself together

but I feel it in my knees

and the room begins to spin

and I slip and bump my head and raise a welt

Split open and melt

----------------------------------------------------

Again, after the word melt the whole tone run lick is played again.

The chorus is just:

"Melt, split open and melt"

over the Dbm9-Bbdim progression. Halfway through, Trey and Page start playing diminsehd/ augmented/ weird chords chromatically.

Then it goes into this composed section:

E--------18-16-------13-14----------16-14-------13-18-16-

B--14-18-------14-12-------11-12-14-------15-16----------

G--------------------------------------------------------

 D7 Db7

E-14-13----18-19-18-14--14--13--|-16-18-19--|

B-------15--------------13--12--|-----------|

G-----------------------14--13--|-----------|

E------------------------------------------------------------- B------------------------------------------------------------- G-------19-17-------14-15----------17-15-------14-19-17-15-14- D-15-19-------15-13-------12-13-15-------16-17---------------- A------------------------------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------------------------------  S DRILL ON THESE NOTES.........

E-----------------------|-6-7-9-11-13-14-16-18-19-21-23--|

B----------------18-19--|--------------------------------|

G----19-20-19-15--------|--------------------------------|

D-16--------------------|--------------------------------|

A-----------------------|--------------------------------|

E-----------------------|--------------------------------|

Then comes the "we breath deep" part:

---------------------------------

 We breath deep

E----------------------|

B------14-------13-----|

G------13-------13-----|

D------15-------15-----|

A----------------------|

E----------------------|

 in a steam dream

E---------------------13-p11------------------------14-14-14------------------| B--------12-----11----11--------11-11-----14--12-12-12-12-12-11--10---9--11---
| G--------13-----11----11--------11-11-----13--13-13-13-13-13-11--11--10--13---
| D--------15-----11-----------13-----------15--13-13-13-13-13-11--11--11--13---
| A--------------------------------------------------------------------11--13---
| E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 and plunge below the water line___________________

E--------------------------------------------14-14-14---------------|

B------------------------------14------12-12-12-12-12-11--10---9----| G------------------------------13------13-13-13-13-13-11--11--10----
| D------------------------------15------13-13-13-13-13-11--11--11----
| A-------------------------------------------------------------11----
| E-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 down, down, down

E---------------------|

B-----9---------------|

G----10---------------|

D----11---------------|

A----11---------------|

E---------------------|

 between beams

E----------------------|

B------14-------13-----|

G------13-------13-----|

D------15-------15-----|

A----------------------|

E----------------------|

 to the gloom room

E-----------------------13-p11------------------------14-14-14------------------| B----------12-----11----11--------11-11-----14--12-12-12-12-12-11--10---9--11---
| G----------13-----11----11--------11-11-----13--13-13-13-13-13-11--11--10--13---
| D----------15-----11-----------13-----------15--13-13-13-13-13-11--11--11--13---
| A----------------------------------------------------------------------11--13---
| E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

 among the seaweed and the slime__________________

E-------------------------------------------14-14-14---------------| B-----------------------------14------12-12-12-12-12-11--10---9----
| G-----------------------------13------13-13-13-13-13-11--11--10----
| D-----------------------------15------13-13-13-13-13-11--11--11----
| A------------------------------------------------------------11----
| E------------------------------------------------------------------|

 down, down, down

E---------------------|

B-----9---------------|

G----10---------------|

D----11---------------|

A----11---------------|

E---------------------|

Melt

----------------------------------

The second chorus is the same as before,

except with the B7 C7 turnaround every 4 times.

The jam is over the same chords

|Dbm9 Bbdim |Dbm9 Bbdim |Dbm9 Bbdim |Dbm9 B7 C7 |

After the jam, the intro is repeated once, followed by:

|B7 C7 |Dbm9 |

For a good transcription of a SOAMelt Jam, check out the Hoist Tablature book - the end of Demand is just SOAMelt.

== Alternate Transcription ==

So the tab in the read-only section is a little off for this song that I have been  jamming the past few days. I figured I would share this with everyone. I think these  voicings are more accurate than anything else I have seen on this site.

Intro:

E--12--12------------------------------------------------------------| B--15--15--------14-p12-14-p12---14-12---0-h2-p0--------------11-11--
| G--13--13--------14-p12-14-p12---12-12-----------2-p0---------9--9---
| D--14--14----------------------------------------------3-/4---10-10--
| A-----------14/-----------------------------------------------9--9---
| E--------------------------------------------------------------------|

E----------14-14-14-14---18--|

B--12-12---13-13-13-13---17--|

G--10-10---15-15-15-15---19--|

D--11-11---14-14-14-14---18--|

A--10-10---------------------|

E----------------------------|

The second time through, Trey plays that last Ab9 chord down an octave and then slides up  - you can hear this well on the studio version. Then I just comp on the Db9 chord with  this sort of a thing.

E--9------------| E--9--9--9--|

B--9------------| B--9--9--10-|

G--9---11-p9----| AND/OR G--9-11--9--|

D-11--------11--| D-11--9--9--|

A--9------------| A--9--9--9--|

E--9------------| E--9--9--9--|

"Undo my belt . . ."

 E------| E-9--|

 B--9---| B-9--|

 G--11--| OR G-9--|

 D--10--| D-8--|

 A--11--| A-9--|

 E------| E----|

In the second verse he just plays some descending and ascending  

diminshed chords, like this:

 E---------|

 B-9--8--7-|

 G-9--8--7-|

 D-10-9--8-| etc.

 A-11-10-9-|

 E---------|  

 You can hear this well on Live Phish 9 (8.26.89)

 Then the "Split Open and Melt" run . . . not sure what Page (and/or horns) are playing, but the ascending run is a whole tone scale with a half step at the end:

E----------------------9-10-10-|

G----------------10-12---------|

B-----------10-12--------------|

D------11-13-------------------|

A-11-13------------------------|

E------------------------------|

Here's the "We breathe deep" part

 breathe deep steam dream line . . . . . . down

E---------------------------------13-p11---------------------14-14-14------------------| B---14-------13------12-----11----11-----11-11-----14--12-12-12-12-12-11--10---9--11---
| G---13-------13------13-----11----11-----11-11-----13--13-13-13-13-13-11--11--10--13---
| D---15-------15------15-----11---------------------15--13-13-13-13-13-11--11--11--13---
| A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------11--13---
| E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

The jam is all C# minor (aka Db minor) pentatonic so the CAGED system will get you  through like a pro. Just be sure to listen to the timing for that recurring B-C-Db climb.  Luckily it's just a chromatic ascent of three half steps so just find where all the Bs  are on the fretboard and remember to throw that in when it comes around. Embellish it  with some double stops and other tricks and you'll be set.