12월의 기적 Miracles in December / 十二月的奇迹 – EXO Guitar Tab

This would have been a post for the last day of 2013, but it was quite a challenge to figure out some parts of the song. So here it is, the first post of 2014: 12월의 기적 (romanised: Shibiwol-ui Gijeok; translated: Miracles in December), or 十二月的奇迹 (Chinese version), from the second EP and special winter album of Korean group EXO.

In a departure from the usual Kpop dance song, EXO returned with a ballad by the main vocalists in the group, presenting the song as EXO rather than their sub-groups of EXO-K and EXO-M.

Beautiful melody and lyrics. Interesting song structure too – I didn’t know how to classify this one part of the song (sung after the second chorus but was not in the first chorus) after identifying the verses, chorus and bridge, but I figured it could be considered an extension of the chorus.

I really wanted to be as accurate as possible with the chords, and spent a lot of time listening to the song. I should have got about 95%, if not 100%, of the song. Let me know if there is any part that needs correction. Update, 4 January 2014: I corrected two chords in the chorus part of the song after listening to it for the 408^th (erm, maybe fewer) times.

[Intermission] Before I end this post: Have a great 2014, everyone! And thanks for stopping by my blog.

First up, the Korean version sung by EXO-K’s Baekhyun and DO, and EXO-M’s Chen.

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Lucky – EXO-K / EXO-M Guitar Tab

Just a simple pop song. But pretty addictive. That’s what pop songs are supposed to be anyway, isn’t it? Lucky, by Korean group EXO. Well, EXO-K and EXO-M to be exact.

Simple chords, uncomplicated melody, and lyrics that people in love can relate to.

If you don’t know the concept of EXO, they are a group made up of 12 members divided into 2 sub-groups – EXO-K and EXO-M, performing songs in Korean and Mandarin respectively. So there are Korean and Mandarin versions for all of their songs, and I decided to do up the guitar tab for both versions of this song.

Lucky is one of the songs in EXO’s first full length album, “XOXO” (Repackaged version). There are some pretty good songs inside, like “Growl“, “Heart Attack” and “Baby”.

First up, the Korean version.

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Listen to the song (Korean version):

Midnight (별 헤는 밤) (The Night I Count The Stars) – 비스트 Beast Guitar Tab

Midnight (별 헤는 밤) (romanised: Byeol Heneun Bam; translated: The Night I Count The Stars) is another song that I like from 비스트’s (Beast) fifth mini album, “Midnight Sun”.

I love the layering to the arrangement of the song, interspersed with both acoustic and synthesizer/electronic elements, and also how the vocal lines overlap in some parts of the song. I especially like the rap and vocal overlap in the first bridge; and how the second bridge drops one octave accompanied by just an acoustic guitar – gives a different feel to the song.

It’s a fun song to play on the guitar.

P/s: Check out the guitar tab for Dream Girl, another song from the same album.

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Listen to the song (Japanese version):

Dream Girl – 비스트 Beast Guitar Tab

I’ve been figuring out the chords for a few songs simultaneously the past few months, and have not been able to finish them because I was stuck at some parts of the songs. Then I casually tried to play along to Dream Girl by 비스트 (Beast) on the guitar and surprising, I figured out the chords to the song in a short time.

Dream Girl is a song from “Midnight Sun”, the fifth mini album of Korean group, 비스트. This song has a funk-like groove to it. I love how the melody line, especially of the verses, falls on the off beats.

Having listened intensively to 비스트 for the past month or so, I think “Midnight Sun” is their best album to date – good songs with a cohesive theme overall. Other songs worth checking out on this album: 아름다운 밤이야 (Beautiful Night) and Midnight (별 헤는 밤).

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Listen to the song. (Update, 20 April 2014: Here’s the live version from Beast’s 2013 Beautiful Show concert in Seoul.)

아는 남자 Acquainted Guy – 신화 Shinhwa Guitar Tab

아는 남자 (romanised: Aneun Namja; translated: Acquainted Guy). This is possibly my favourite song on Shinhwa’s 11th album, THE CLASSIC.

So understated in the music arrangement with just a steady drum beat and melody accompaniment. And the structure of the song provides a nice balance between the vocal and the rap parts. Beautiful vocal performance from the vocalists as well.

On a side note: I was moving back and forth among a few English translations of the song title, for the phrase in Korean can mean “the guy that I know (about)”, “the guy that you know”, and finally, I settled on the neutral “acquainted guy”. Ah, the ambiguity of the Korean language.

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Listen to the song: