Notice
First let me say that because of the restrictions/limitations of PTE v1.7 I had to make compromises with the transcription. Some things have been "stacked" in another instrument's staff or put in the bass score to make it fit. I wanted the notes in there, so I put them in the next logical place. I also wanted the most relevant things in the guitar score, so I might have stacked what I could have put in the bass score in order to have it in the guitar score. As soon as a version of PTE comes out that allows you to change the midi sound of a particular "track" mid-staff and/or allows for more instruments, I'll adjust the tab. Please don't make a point of telling me that I put something that was keyboards played as a guitar or vice versa. I know this, believe me. I've listened to this song enough to know. Also, there are other keyboard and guitar things going on (slides, dips) that aren't in here, but the most relevant things are here.
Guitar score: main/distorted guitars, synth, piano
Bass score: bass, clean electric guitar, synth
The actual tempo of this song is 132.6 bpm so if you play the song along with this tab, you'll see that it slowly becomes unsynced. PTE doesn't allow for fractional tempos and I'm not sure that it would be proper to do so in the correct "grammar" of music notation.
I used the long-out-of-print Purple Rain song book as a baseline. This was arranged for piano, so you realize what little help it actually was. All these instruments paraphrased into one piano arrangement. Plus (oddly enough), it was missing many bars of the Father's Song Interlude. While I'm on the piano stuff, I read somewhere on the internet (from different sources) that Prince's Father played the piano parts in the Father's Song Interlude. Fitting and cool.
The intro: I didn't have room for the drums, but I wanted to include them in this section because they're so relevant here (well in the whole song, of course, but you know what I mean). I think the muted bass notes sound kinda "computery" and since this song is - metaphorically - about a malfunctioning computer, I think it's a nice touch. I'm not sure but I think the non-synth high notes in this section are played with an "e-bow" (I think that's what it's called). If I understand correctly, this device allows you to play notes without actually picking the string. I know it sounds a bit silly in the transcription, but - just like the "bass as drums" - I was curious what it would sound like in PTE so I put it in and left it there just in case some of you were interested too.
The Groove: I don't know what effects were used for the rhythm guitar but it's something that's playing the lowest notes with an additional sound that's even lower. I don't think it's a straight octave thing, but I don't know for sure. Maybe someone more effects savvy can fill us in. If you would like to know how difficult transcribing this was, try listening to what the bass and/or rhythm guitar is doing in this section without looking at the tab. The bass was really tricky and I'm still not sure about it. I may have too many notes for the bass or I might be right on. Pffft!
On Your Knees, Wendy: You might think that the "highest" notes of the fast run (frets 9, 10, & 11 on the G-string and frets 15, 16, & 17 on the G-string) that I have shown as hammer-ons are really bends. I've listened closely and I'm pretty sure that it's done with the hammer, not the bend.
I know some of the keyboard chords are impractical for guitar, but the notes are there if you want them. If you play this on a keyboard, it won't be a problem. This happens when you do keyboard for guitar. I suggest removing some notes from the chord and playing those notes in a more practical position.
Chord names are from the chord identification tool. Blame it if it's wrong 'cause I has just too little edumacation in these matters.
The notes in parenthesis: regard these notes as lightly muted and picked with a soft touch, not as a delayed or an echoed note. The palm muting button/setting just didn't sound right so I used the "ghost" note feature to make them sound right.
Measure 39, staff 3: This is a guitar here but it's actually a keyboard playing this part in the song. The chords in this measure (staff 3) are played slightly ahead/before the chords in staff 2. I just couldn't get it to sound right when I tried to actually do this in the tab so I synced them.
Measure 43, Staff 2: Guitar has the low notes and synths have the high notes. It's the same throughout the transcription when you see this figure notated like this where I had to stack parts to fit them in here.
Wah/Whammy Mayhem: I doubt the accuracy of the wah stuff. I tried my best, but I just feel uncertain as to it's accuracy. If you know better what His Royal Purpleness is doing, please let us know, Precious.
I did the best as my skill allows. I'm not a keyboard player nor am I a bass player, so that stuff...well, I think I got the note durations right at least...Anyone?...Anyone? In any case, I think this is a darn fine start. It's better than what you had before in'nit? If you know better what some notes are that I've got wrong and can give a specific correction and would see it changed, let me know and I'll give you credit in the comments of the Power Tab Archive.
As a credit to the artist Prince, I've listened to this song so many times now and you know what? I like it more than I did when I started this transcription. I'm so impressed by his orchestration/songwriting skills. Just loads of appreciation. If you're "too cool" to listen to Prince, I suggest you expand your musical tastes by (at least) getting the Purple Rain album and getting some schooling on song architecture. There are so many fabulous songs on this album. I could go on, but I'll spare you. Happy 20th anniversary for the Purple Rain album, Mr. Prince. And thanks!
This tab was started in the beginning of October of 2003. It was finished on December 30, 2003.
Where is my love life? Where has it gone?
I've spent too much time transcribing this song.