Let Everything Else Go Words and music by Phil Keaggy Phil explained the origins of this gorgeous ballad in the January 1 Phil Keaggy Nesletter as follos: While riding my bicycle early one Sunday morning before Church I sa these hot-air balloons ascending into the horizon It as my aim to catch up to them and get a closer look I didn't succeed as they ere already up and aay I had this tune in my head as I pedaled my ten-speed and returned home to rite hat became one of my most requested songs The ultimate statement here is the fact that someday our hope in seeing Jesus ill be a reality Nothing e achieve orgive in this life can compare ith the great moment in hich e ill lay everything at His feet in honor and orship Phil has recorded to versions of this tune: a version ith a band on Ton to Ton (featuring lyrical Ebo and electric guitar solos), and a simpler acoustic version on Way Back Home In addition, each of his concert performances of it is unique This transcription most closely reects the version on Way Back Home Don't be intimidated by its length! To play the basic song, you need only learn about half of this transcription The remainder gives some indication of the changes and ornamentations Phil introduces in his solo live performances The song is played in standard tuning (although the Way Back Home version is tuned don 1/ step), and has the folloing structure: Intro, Verse 1, Verse, Chorus, Solo, Chorus, Coda Bars 1 to (Intro and Verse 1) are transcribed from Way Back Home They start ith a statement ofthe song's recurring theme in measures 1 to The ngerings may be easier if you keep the nd fret barred ith the 1st nger throughout (except for the open high E note in measure ) The instrumental introduction continues ith EM arpeggios until Verse 1 starts in measure You should nger the Bsus chord beginning the Verse by barring strings 3,, and ith your rst nger; you'll have toarchyour nger so the open 1st string can ring through Execute the quick arpeggio beginning measure (and others notated ith a donard arro) ith a \right hand pinch" strum all but the loest string quickly upard ith the right hand 1st nger, and nish ith the loest string played by the thumb After the verse, the theme is restated Beginning in measure, the transcription departs from the recorded version, indicating possible variations through the second verse The \" in measure 3 (and later in measure ) indicates that you should lightly ush the strings ith the esh of your right thumb near the idge This interesting technique partially damps the fundamental viations of the strings, creating a soft, ight, shimmering tone The Chorus begins ith a heartily strummed E chord in measure, here the transcription again follos the recorded version until measure The Solo section starts in measure The recorded accompaniment simply duplicates the verses; but the transcription instead indicates ho Phil sometimes modies it in live performance, incorporating bits of the melody of the Ebo solo from the Ton to Ton version Note the arpeggio constructed of articial harmonics starting in measure The solo ends in measure, and the song returns to the Chorus After the nal Chorus, the recorded versions end by repeating the rst four bars of the Coda under a solo or a long fade In live performance, Phil typically changes the Coda, sometimes creating an improvised segue into another song in the key of E, such as \When Night Falls" (an instrumental relative of \Let Everything Else Go") or \Be In My Heart" This transcription follos a Coda he performed in a concert televised in 1, here he moves to a poignant instrumental statement hose rhythmic and harmonic elements recall the opening phrases of his instrumental, \Deep Calls Unto Deep," from The Master and the Musician (the ngerings here are very similar, but moved up to frets) Consider the variations notated here to be merely a departure point guiding your on transformation of this song into something heartfelt and personal To borro from the ell-knon Irish blessing, \may the ind be at your back" as you learn this transcription! Tom Loredo, March 1
Intro 1 Let Everything Else Go Phil Keaggy E/G# C# m Bsus/F# Bsus B EM J Verse 1 Bsus J A EM J Bsus A C# m B/F# F# # 3 1 Sandtree Music/Birding Music/ Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co, Inc
1 B F# m G # m C# m & # # # AM() # 1 g B/A E/G# C# m g Bsus/F# Bsus B EM J ΠVerse Bsus A
3 & # # # EM # 33 Bsus Asus 3 C# m B/F# F# # F# m G# m 3 1 C# m AM() B/A Chorus % E A B 1 1 1 1 1 1
E AM B Œ Ó 1 1 3 C# m F# /A # # B EM/G# A D# D# /G n n # n G# # n nd time to Coda F# m B 3 3 3 3 3 1 E/G# C# m Bsus/F# Bsus B
EM J ΠSolo Bm n F# m EM g 1 1 1 1 g 3 Bsus A C# m B/F# F# # 3 B F# m G # m C# m AH
1 AM() B/A DS al Coda Coda fi & # # # E/G# C# m Bsus/F# Bsus B # 3 EM/B & # # # # g n J 1, Am U C/Bb n n n g b C/A nn g n U E g 1 1 1 g 1 1 g g 1 1 1 g 1 Transcribed by Tom Loredo