Jun/2/09
26comments

The Postal Service – Such Great Heights (Tab and Chords)

The Postal Service – Such Great Heights (Chords)

This week is officially Captain Obvious Week. Covering non-uke songs that seem to be done over and over on ukulele. Strangely enough, two of them are from Ben Gibbard.

The electronic blips on bloops make Such Great Heights a fair unlikely obvious ukulele song, but plenty of people have taken it on (my favourite being Amber Nash). I suspect the Iron & Wine version pushed it much closer to ukulele territory.

If you’re going to tackle the Postal Service version, it helps to make it a duet – like the Witchger Boys did – to handle the vocal overlaps and the…

Twiddly Bits

Here’s what I made of the intro – arranged for two ukuleles. It’s very tricky – particularly if you’re trying to play it the same tempo as the original. As you can hear, I haven’t quite got it down.

Such Great Heights Intro Tab


MP3

The little piano bit – try to let the notes ringing into each other as much as possible:

such great heights ukulele chords

And the solo- dead easy:

such great solo tab

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26 Comments

  1. cardboardfrog June 2nd, 2009 6:42 pm

    i love this song, good opening to captain obvious week i must say!

  2. Howlin' Hobbit June 2nd, 2009 10:48 pm

    I just lurv how the gal in the video turns up the Emo knob.

  3. Woodshed June 3rd, 2009 6:19 pm

    cbf: I ended up being quite selective in what I chose for COW (except for I’m Yours).

    Hobbit: You’ve gotta love the Emo knob.

  4. cardboardfrog June 3rd, 2009 7:46 pm

    excellent, what would the Bb7m chord be on baritone?

  5. Woodshed June 3rd, 2009 7:55 pm

    cbf: You mean Bb7M? (It seems petty but there is a difference). Erm… 3335.

  6. Howlin' Hobbit June 3rd, 2009 8:02 pm

    3335 is a Bb Major 7th and I’m pretty sure should be written Bbmaj7 or BbM7.

    It confuzzled me too.

  7. Woodshed June 3rd, 2009 8:08 pm

    Hobbit: I refer to Bb Major 7th as Bb7M. It was my attempt to distinguish it further from Bbm7. Epic fail, as they say.

  8. cardboardfrog June 3rd, 2009 9:31 pm

    well as confusing as it was, that seems to work excellently, thank you both gentlemen

  9. drywell June 5th, 2009 2:01 am

    I’m quite impressed with Cap’n Obvious week so far, Mr. Wood – two great picks, and extra thanks for the link to the Brothers Witchger. Even better than their ‘Great Heights’ cover, though, is their ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’, which I desperately hope will merit chords/tabs on UkeHunt very soon, if not also Pot’nPanHunt.

  10. Shelly June 10th, 2009 7:31 am

    YAY! I love this song and use it often as my signature solo at gigs. I’ve always played it a key up but this one sounds just as pretty.

  11. Woodshed June 10th, 2009 8:33 pm

    Shelly: Have you put your performance online somewhere? I’d like to hear it.

  12. Feef June 13th, 2009 12:46 am

    Great chords, good job! Could I request The Weepies – World Spins Madly On please? Can’t find uke chords/tabs anywhere!

    Thanks

  13. kay June 23rd, 2009 5:02 am

    i love this song! (although i have to say i like the iron and wine version better; but the postal service original cover sounds greats as a duet on ukes!) i’ve been tryign tryign to find tabs for it everywhere!!!

  14. Woodshed June 23rd, 2009 5:10 pm

    Kay: I used to prefer the Iron and Wine version as well. But the original has really been growing on me.

  15. skye. March 17th, 2010 5:07 am

    I stumbled on the “Shiny and the Spoon” cover a few months ago, and it is by far my favorite as well! I didn’t realize this was often covered on ukulele until I youtubed it. But I’ve always played it like Amber’s version. Thanks for this tab, I never could’ve figured it out!

  16. Woodshed March 18th, 2010 9:47 pm

    skye: Glad you like it.

  17. Jessica May 8th, 2010 8:39 am

    Please tab something by The Weepies!
    Anything would be great!

    Especially…
    “World Spins Madly On”
    “Living In Twilight”
    “Lighting Candles”

    Thanks!!

  18. manicmashup July 8th, 2010 11:20 pm

    I used to work in a factory almost exactly like that. It was like being in the TV scene in Willy Wonka 8 hours a day. The white suites are called bunny suites. No lie. And they cost like 5 grand a piece.

    And the EMO button stands for something like emergency manual off or something.

    Could we get the strum pattern? I always have trouble with that part. You rock! I’m so happy I found this site.

  19. julie August 3rd, 2010 8:28 pm

    i echo manicmashup. i can never get strums on my own.

    i think it’s because when i was 16 i learned to play brown eyed girl on the guitar and the down, down, up, down up down got ingrained in my head. it’s my default if i’m not given an alternative…

    i realize this is a year plus later from your posting this song, but thanks and thanks and thanks.

  20. Wes September 4th, 2010 7:37 pm

    Does anyone know how to do the intro to the song?

  21. Bubbi May 1st, 2011 6:38 am

    Can someone help me with the strumming?

  22. Davy May 25th, 2011 2:53 am

    hey can some do make a video on how to do the intro i heard it but im so lost :(((((((((((((

  23. Svenstication November 6th, 2011 4:19 pm

    Amanda Palmer & Kim Boekbinder did a lovely ukulele cover of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAfRIVAcPhc.

    But they use different chords. So far I have G. =P
    Anyone know the rest?

  24. Katie December 7th, 2011 12:30 am

    I love thse chords. I’m new to the uke and I have a question. This song sounds perfect except for the Bb7M. It sounds just like the Bb. I feel like the sound should go lower. What am I doing wrong?

  25. okszyk December 28th, 2011 12:08 pm

    Svenstication: I think it goes |G|D|C|G D|

  26. yesman July 4th, 2013 1:00 am

    please tab the iron and wine version, thanks

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