Transcribing Notes From John Neil (Head Transcriber)
Misery Business – Paramore – Song Breakdown
Melody
Paramore’s breakthrough hit with a very energetic vocal part. The vocal range is F3 to Eb5.
Download the Melody Music Here
Keyboard
The only keyboard I could hear was a staccato-y ‘synth’ sound way in the background of the choruses, and a drone-y synth sound going along with it, which could be artifacts of the guitars too. I did the rest of the song as an electric piano, catching the key riffs and such.
Download the Keyboard Sheet Music Here
Lead/Rhythm Guitar
I did the several guitar tracks as lead and rhythm. The rhythm does mainly the power chords, and the lead does some of that, plus single lines and octave lines including the solo. Also in the first breakdown, both guitars become clean, some more full chords are played, with the lead doing more picking style lines. Both are tuned to drop Db to catch the low notes.
Download the Lead Guitar Tab Here
Download the Rhythm Guitar Tab Here
Strum Guitar
There is no actual strum guitar, nor ukulele part in this song, so a part was made up to keep it strumming. It uses all simple open chords, at capo 1.
Download the Strum Tab Here
Ukulele
There is no actual strum guitar, nor ukulele part in this song, so a part was made up to keep it strumming. It uses all simple open chords, at capo 1.
Download the Ukulele Tab Here
Bass
Lots of fast movements in this part. I did the bass guitar as both 5-string (to reflect the actual notes of the song), and alt bass guitar – 4-string (some passages played an octave higher). The 4-string only differs from the 5-string in a few places, note-wise. Both versions are tuned down a half step.
Download the Bass Tab Here
Download the Alt Bass Tab Here
Drums
A very fast wild drum part. In the recording, it sounds like this was programmed in a computer and played back with drum samples, though it can be physically played, I’m sure. I say this because lots of the drum fills & rolls sound mechanical (like sometimes all the drum hits are exactly the same), and things such as the crash cymbals are way too isolated to the right and left to have been done live, there’s alway some bleeding from the rest of the kit (which some drum programs can actually simulate these days).
Download the Drum Music Here
Download the Lead Sheet Here
