ONLY YESTERDAY
As recorded by The Carpenters
(From the 1975 Album HORIZON)
Words and Music by Richard Carpenter & John Bettis
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Rhodes Piano'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Acoustic Guitar'
Gtr III (E A D G B E) - 'Clean Guitar'
Gtr IV (E A D G B E) - 'Muted Electric Guitar'
Gtr V (E A D G B E) - 'Overdriven Guitar'
Gtr VI (E A D G B E) - 'Overdriven Guitar'
Intro
Q=130
N.C.
4/4
Gtr I
Wx2
|--------||
|--------||
|--------||
|--------||
|--------||
|--------||
1st Verse
Eb Fm7/Eb
W +H +Q. E W +Q. E E E E E
|-----------|------------------|-----------|-----------8---------|
|-----------|------------------|--9--------|--(9)------8-9-8-----|
|--8--------|--(8)-----(8)-----|-10--------|-(10)------------10--|
|--8--------|--(8)-----(8)-----|-13--------|-(13)---10-----------|
|-10--------|-(10)----(10)-----|-----------|---------------------|
|-----------|------------------|-----------|---------------------|
Bb Eb Bb
W +W Q. E H +H Q Q
|-----------|-------------|----------------|---------15--13---|
|-----------|-------------|----------------|---------16--15---|
|--7--------|--(7)--------|--7-----8--8----|--(8)----15--15---|
|--8--------|--(8)--------|--8-----8--8----|--(8)-------------|
|-11--------|-(11)--------|-10----10-10----|-(10)-------------|
|-----------|-------------|----------------|------------------|
Eb F Bb Bb/G Eb/G
W W W Q. E H
|-11--------|-1--------|-1--------|-------------|
|-11--------|-1--------|-3--------|-3----4-4----|
|-12--------|-2--------|-3--------|-3----3-3----|
|-13--------|----------|----------|-5----5-5----|
|-----------|----------|----------|-------------|
|-----------|----------|----------|-------------|
Ab Eb Bb
Gtr III
W W W E E E E E E E E
|----------|----------|-------------|-----6s4---3s1---1--||
|----------|----------|-------------|--------------------||
|----------|----------|-------------|-/7------5-5s3-1----||
|----------|----------|-------------|--------------------||
|----------|----------|-------------|--------------------||
|----------|----------|-------------|--------------------||
|
| Gtr I
| W W Q. E H +W
|----------|----------|-------------|--------------------||
|-1--------|-1--------|-4----3-3----|-(3)----------------||
|-1--------|-1--------|-------------|--------------------||
|-1--------|-1--------|-5----3-3----|-(3)----------------||
|----------|----------|-------------|--------------------||
|----------|----------|-------------|--------------------||
2nd Verse
Eb/G F/A
Gtr I
W +W W +W
|-11--------|-(11)--------|-13--------|-(13)----|
|-11--------|-(11)--------|-13--------|-(13)----|
|-12--------|-(12)--------|-14--------|-(14)----|
|-----------|-------------|-----------|---------|
|-----------|-------------|-----------|---------|
|-----------|-------------|-----------|---------|
B°/D Bb Eb Eb/BBb
W +W Q. E +H +H Q Q
|-----------|-------------|------------------|---------15--13---|
|-12--------|-(12)--------|------------------|---------16--15---|
|-10--------|-(10)--------|-10-----8--(8)----|--(8)----15--15---|
|-12--------|-(12)--------|--8-----8--(8)----|--(8)-------------|
|-----------|-------------|-11----10-(10)----|-(10)-------------|
|-----------|-------------|------------------|------------------|
Eb F/A Bb Bb/G Eb/G
W W W Q. E H
|-11--------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
|-11--------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
|-12--------------|-10--------------|-10--------------|--7-------8--8--------|
|-13--------------|-10--------------|-12--------------|--8-------8--8--------|
|-----------------|-12--------------|-13--------------|-10------10-10--------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
|
| Gtr II
| E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +E E Q
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
|--------4-(4)----|--------4-(4)----|--------3-(3)----|----------4-(4)-------|
|------3----------|------2----------|------3----------|-------3--------3-----|
|----5------------|----3------------|----3------------|-----3------------1---|
|--3--------------|--0--------------|--1--------------|--1-------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
Ab/Eb F Bbsus4 Bb7
W W W E Q E +E E +Q
|----------------|----------------|----------------|------------------------||
|----------------|----------------|-6--------------|------------------------||
|-5--------------|-5--------------|-8--------------|-7-7---8--(8)-10-(10)---||
|-6--------------|-7--------------|-8--------------|-8-8--10-(10)-12-(12)---||
|-6--------------|-8--------------|----------------|------------------------||
|----------------|----------------|----------------|------------------------||
|
| E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +H W
|----------------|-------1-(1)----|-----1----------|------------------------||
|----------------|-----1----------|----------------|------------------------||
|-------5-(5)----|----------------|---3---3-(3)----|------------------------||
|-----6----------|---3------------|-3--------------|------------------------||
|---6------------|-0--------------|----------------|------------------------||
|-4--------------|----------------|----------------|------------------------||
Pre-Chorus
N.C.
Gtr III
PM|
W W H Q E e E +E +E E e e e E
||-----------|----------|-------------|-3b4==(3)r(3)-----------|
||o----------|----------|-------------|--------------6---------|
||-----------|----------|-----------5-|----------------5-3-2-1-|
||-----------|----------|-------------|------------------------|
||o----------|----------|-------------|------------------------|
||-----------|----------|-------------|------------------------|
+H H W W W
|-------------|----------|----------|------||
|-------------|----------|----------|------||
|-(1)---------|----------|----------|------||
|-------------|----------|----------|------||
|-------------|----------|----------|------||
|-------------|----------|----------|------||
Chorus
Eb Fm
Gtr IV
PM--------------| PM--------------| PM--------|
Q a a a E E E E E E Q a a a E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------|
|----------8---8-------|----------8---8-------|----4---3-------|
|--------8---8---8-----|--------8---8---8-----|------5---5-----|
|------8-----------8---|------8-----------8---|------------6-3-|
|----6---------------6-|----6---------------6-|----------------|
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------|
Bb Eb
PM-----------------------------------------| PM--------------|
Q a a a E E E E E E Q a a a E E E E E E Q a a a E E E E E E
|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|----------6---6-------|-----------8---8-------|----------8---8--------|
|--------7---7---7-----|---------8---8---8---7-|--------8---8---8------|
|------8-----------8---|-------8-----------8---|------8-----------8----|
|----8---------------8-|-----6-----------------|----6---------------6--|
|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|
| Gtr III
| H E E E E W W
|--------------6s8-----|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|------------------8s9s|=11--------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
Fm Bb7 G
PM------------------------------------------------------|
Q E E E E E E Q a a a E E E E E E Q a a a E E E E E E
|----------------|----------------------|----------3---3-------|
|----4---3-------|----------6---6-------|--------3---3---3-----|
|------5---5-----|--------7---7---7-----|------4-----------4---|
|------------6-3-|------6-----------6---|----5---------------5-|
|----------------|----8---------------8-|----------------------|
|----------------|----------------------|----------------------|
PM------------------| PM--------------------------|
Q a a a E E +E Q E Q E E +E E E E Q Q E E E E
|----------3------------|------------------|-------3-------|
|--------3--------------|------6-(6)-4-----|----6----4-----|
|------4-----5-(5)-4----|--------------5---|-----------5---|
|----5----------------5-|----------------5-|-------------5-|
|-----------------------|------------------|---------------|
|-----------------------|------------------|---------------|
1.
W W W W
|----------|----------|----------|------||
|----------|----------|----------|------||
|----------|----------|----------|------||
|----------|----------|----------|------||
|----------|----------|----------|------||
|----------|----------|----------|------||
Interlude
Eb Fm7/Eb
Gtr II
E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +H
|----------------|----------------|-------1-(1)----|-------1-(1)----|
|-------8-(8)----|-------8-(8)----|-----1----------|-----1----------|
|-----8----------|-----8----------|---1------------|---1------------|
|---8------------|---8------------|-1--------------|-1--------------|
|-6--------------|-6--------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B°/Eb
E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +H W
|-------1-(1)----|----------------|----------------|------||
|-----3----------|-------6-(6)----|-------4-(4)----|------||
|---1------------|-----7----------|-----3----------|------||
|-1--------------|---6------------|---5------------|------||
|----------------|-6--------------|-6--------------|------||
|----------------|----------------|----------------|------||
Guitar Solo
N.C.
Gtr V
Q a Q E Q E +Q E E +E Q E Q. E H +H E E +Q
|---------------11-|-(11)--10-8-(8)-------|--------------|----------7b8==(7)r==|
|---------8-11-----|----------------11--9-|-8-------6----|-(6)----6------------|
|----6s8-----------|----------------------|--------------|---------------------|
|------------------|----------------------|------10------|---------------------|
|------------------|----------------------|--------------|---------------------|
|------------------|----------------------|--------------|---------------------|
+Q. E +Q Q Q. E +Q Q
|-(7)--------------|-----------------|
|-------9-(9)------|-----------------|
|------------------|-10----8-(8)--7--|
|--------------10--|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|
| Gtr VI
| W W
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|
| Gtr III
| W W
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
Q. E H +W
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|-7s==10s=8----|--(8)----------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|
| Q. E H +W
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|-8s==11s10----|-(10)----------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|
| W E +E E E +E E E E
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---------------------------||
|--------------|---5pb7r(5)p3-------3---0--||
|--------------|--------------6-(6)---1----||
|--------------|---------------------------||
3rd Verse
N.C.
+W W W W
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|--(8)--------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|
| +W W W W
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-(10)--------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|
| W W W W
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|---1---------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
|-------------|----------|----------|------|
Gtr II
W W W W
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
Cm7 F7/A Bb Eb/G
E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +E E Q
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
|-------4-(4)----|-------4-(4)----|-------3-(3)----|-------4-(4)-------|
|-----3----------|-----2----------|-----3----------|-----3-------3-----|
|---5------------|---3------------|---3------------|---3-----------1---|
|-3--------------|-0--------------|-1--------------|-1-----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
Ab F/A Bb
E E E E +H E E E E +H E E E E +H W
|----------------|-------1-(1)----|-----1----------|-------||
|----------------|-----1----------|----------------|------o||
|-------5-(5)----|----------------|---3---3-(3)----|-------||
|-----6----------|---3------------|-3--------------|-------||
|---6------------|-0--------------|----------------|------o||
|-4--------------|----------------|----------------|-------||
2.
Gtr I
W W W W
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
|----------|----------|----------|------|
Outro
Eb Db Bb E
Gtr IV Gtr IV
PM--------------|
E E E E E E E E W Q a a a E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------------------||------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------||-----------9---9--------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------||---------9---9---9---9--|
|-8-8-8-8-8-8-6-6-|-4---------------------------||-------9-----------9----|
|-6-6-6-6-6-6-4-4-|-2---------------------------||-----7------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------||------------------------|
|
| Gtr III
| W Q S S E S S E S S E W
|-----------------|-----------------------------||------------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------------12-||-12---------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------11-11s13----||------------------------|
|-----------------|---------9-11s13-------------||------------------------|
|-----------------|-9--9s11---------------------||------------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------------------||------------------------|
F#m B
PM----------------------------------| PM--------------|
Q a a a E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q a a a E E E E E E
|----------------------|----------------|----------------------|
|----------9---9-------|----5---4-------|----------7---7-------|
|--------9---9---9-----|------6---6-----|--------8---8---8-----|
|------9-----------9---|------------7---|------9-----------9-7-|
|----7---------------7-|--------------9-|----9-----------------|
|----------------------|----------------|----------------------|
E F#m
PM------------------------------------------------------|
Q a a a E E E E E E Q a a a E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------|
|----------9---9-------|----------9---9-------|----5---4-------|
|--------9---9---9---9-|--------9---9---9-----|------6---6-----|
|------9-----------9---|------9-----------9---|------------7---|
|----7-----------------|----7---------------7-|--------------9-|
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------|
B G#
PM--------------| PM--------| PM---------|
Q a a a E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E +E Q E
|----------------------|----4---4-------|----4------------|
|----------7---7-------|------4---4-----|-----------------|
|--------8---8---8-----|------------5---|------6-(6)-5----|
|------9-----------9-7-|--------------6-|---------------6-|
|----9-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
|----------------------|----------------|-----------------|
C#m N.C.
PM-----------------------------|
Q E E +E E E E Q Q E E E E W W
|------------------|-------4-------|----------|------|
|------7-(7)-5-----|----7----5-----|----------|------|
|--------------6---|-----------6---|----------|------|
|----------------6-|-------------6-|----------|------|
|------------------|---------------|----------|------|
|------------------|---------------|----------|------|
E
Gtr III
W W E E E E E E E E
|----------|----------|-----------------*|
|----------|----------|-----------------*|
|----------|----------|-----------------*|
|----------|----------|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-*|
|----------|----------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-*|
|----------|----------|-----------------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
