Post your Fav Guitar Tabs + playing tips!Music

[James2097]

Hi guitar people! Here's a guitar tab thread at long last! I invite everyone to post some of their favorite guitar tabs that are worth learning. If you like, give a few hints on how best to attack each tabbed song (or at least the way you play it).

Make sure you post each tab formatted with a mono-spaced font (courier is the obvious one) so the tab is presented nicely and doesn't go out of alignment!!

Part of the reason I am making this thread is to help you guys find guitar songs that are fun and rewarding to learn, but to also post tabs that we know sound great and are as correct as possible - so we can listen to the CD and learn easily without getting frustrated. What I propose people do, is only post tabs which have successfully helped you learn the song to a good standard, so we can filter out the majority of blatantly incorrect tabs you'll find on the internet, and be left with all good stuff!

Make sure you mention:
Gear artist used, kind of tone he/she had, what you do to get the tone (or as close to the same ballpark as possible) with the equipment that you have.

Also, please post any good sources of quality tabs you know of!


So here's my first tab, its "Frank" by Steve Vai (album: The Ultra Zone). Its a great song with some brilliant melodic rhythm guitar - reminds me of Hendrix's rhythm playing which is why I must like it so much! The classical sounding finger-picked intro is classic Vai-style eccentricity (a bit daggy). Most guitarists would just start the song with the riff proper (bar 9 - you guys can ignore the intro if you want!), but the Vai-ster needs to start with some left-field classical-style noodling which almost doesn't fit the main song... ) Its all fun!

HUGELY IMPORTANT: This song is in a 3/4 time signature (it helps to count in 3's initially before you get the 'feel' automatically) so make sure you get used to waltzing around playing heavily distorted rock guitar! (ala Hendrix's 'Manic Depression', also in 3/4)!

Gear desired for best tone: JEM Ibanez, Carvin Legacy amp. (Both Vai signature models)
Gear I used: Ibanez RG2550E (fitted with the same pickups as a JEM - Dimarzio Evos), 100W Marshall Plexi Reissue (Hendrix fanatic ), Robert Keeley modded BOSS DS-1, Keeley Compressor. Late 60s style Marshall ain't exactly a modern sounding amp, but the DS1 with the Ibanez pointy guitar tighten it up and gives a great deep sound (still works great with other smaller amps..).
You could use a little super-short delay to make your tone thicker, as Vai's is very full and beefy on the album, maybe just a hint of reverb to give a whisker of space to it all if you like!

With a modest guitar/amp setup, your best bet is to simply crank the distortion to max (or close to max) and pull the mids back to about 9 o'clock (obviously just a rough idea) and the bass up a bit, with a bridge humbucker if possible! Aim for a deep distortion with as tight and defined bass as you can get before it starts sounding shrill and too peircing/trebley!

Here's a little snippet of Vai playing it (if you don't have the album): >>MP3 snippet of Frank from Vai's site<<

Okay, hope you guys give this a good go, its well worth it! The main thing to get is the timing/rhythm, its gotta be really tight but sounding smooth at the same time! Biggest mistake you might make is subconciously wanting it to be in 4/4 and letting notes hold on too long before starting the next bar. Count those 3's until you have 3/4 coming out your ears! Have fun!



"Frank" by Steve Vai, from the album "The Ultra Zone".

-|-5---3---3---1---1---3--|1---0---0------------|-1---0---0-----------0-|-
-|------------------------|-----------3---3---1-|-------------3---3-----|-
-|-3----------------------|2--------------------|-0---------------------|-
-|------------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|-
-|------------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|-
-|------------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|-

-|------------------|------------------------|---------------|-3--------|-
-|3-1-1-------------|------------------------|1--------------|-3--------|-
-|--------3---3---2-|-2---h3p2p0------0------|---------------|-0--------|-
-|3-----------------|----------3-------------|---------------|----------|-
-|------------------|-1----------------------|---------------|----------|-
-|------------------|------------------------|-----1/--3-----|-3--------|-

-|------------|------------------|-------------------|------------------|-
-|------------|------------------|-------------------|------------------|-
-|------------|-5----5-5---5---5-|-------------------|------------------|-
-|------------|-5h7--7-7---5---5-|-5---5---5---5---5-|-3----3-3---3---3-|-
-|------------|------------------|-5h7-7p8-7---5---5-|-3h5--5-5---3---3-|-
-|3-3-3-3-3-3-|------------------|-------------------|------------------|-

-|---------------------|-----------------8----|-------------------------|-
-|---------------------|------------------8---|-------------------------|-
-|---------------------|-5----5-5--5--5-------|-------------------------|-
-|-3---3----3---3---3--|-5h7--7-7--5--5-------|-5----5----5---5--5------|-
-|-3h5-5h6--5---3---3--|----------------------|-5h7--7p8--7---5--5-7\5--|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|-------------------------|-

-|-------------|--------------------|-------------|---------------------|-
-|-------------|--------------------|-1-----------|---------------------|-
-|-------3---2-|--------------------|-0-----------|-------------0-------|-
-|-3---3-3-3-3-|-3----3----3---3----|-------------|2h3--3-3-3-3-0--3----|-
-|-3h5-5-5-3-3-|-3h5--5h6--5---3----|-3-----------|1----1-1-1-1-1-------|-
-|-------------|--------------------|----5\3-1-1--|---------------------|-

-|--------------3--|------------------------|--------------------------|-
-|---------------3-|------------------------|--------------------------|-
-|-----------------|------------------------|------------------------0-|-
-|-0h2--2-2-3-2----|-2h3--3-3-3-3/5-3-------|-0h2--2-2-3-2h3p2p0-------|-
-|-3----3-3-3-3----|-1----1-1-1-1-----------|-3----3-3-3-3--------3----|-
-|-----------------|------------------------|--------------------------|-

-|----------------------|-----------------3/5--5\3-|-------------------|-
-|----------------------|-----------------3/5--5\3-|-------------------|-
-|-5\3----------3/5-3---|--------------------------|-------------------|-
-|-5\3--0-0-0-0-3/5-3---|-0h2--2-2-3--2------------|-2h3--3-3-3-3/5--3-|-
-|-3----1-1-1-1-1/3-1---|-3----3-3-3--3------------|-1----1-1-1-1------|-
-|----------------------|--------------------------|-------------------|-

-|-------------------|------------------------|------------------------|-
-|-----------3/5\3-1-|--------------/5\3/5----|-------------3/5\3-1----|-
-|-----------2/4\2-0-|--------------/4\2/4----|-------------2/4\2-0----|-
-|---3--7-5----------|---3---7--5-------------|-----3--7-5-------------|-
-|--3--7--5----------|--3---7---5-------------|---3--7---5-------------|-
-|-1--5---3----------|-1---5----3-------------|-1--5-----3-------------|-

-|------------------------|--------------|/10--------10----------|-
-|---1-----5------3-------|--------------|---12-10-----10--------|-
-|-----0-----5----0-------|--------------|---------------10------|-
-|--0----------5--0-------|--------------|-----------------------|-
-|------------------------|--------------|-----------------------|-
-|-1------5-------3-------|--3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------------|-

-|---------------------|------------------------|--------------------10-|-
-|-/12----------10-----|------------------------|--------------------10-|-
-|----12-10-9h10--10-9-|------------------------|-------------12-12--10-|-
-|---------------------|-12h14-12-10-9h10-------|-------12-12-12-12--10-|-
-|---------------------|------------------12----|-10-10-10-10-10-10--10-|-
-|---------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|-

-|----------------15---|-------------------------|------------------13--|-
-|-13----13-13-13---15-|-------------------------|-10h1211-11-10-10---13|-
-|-12h14-14-14-12------|-12----12----12-12-------|-10---10-10-10-10-----|-
-|---------------------|-12h14-14h15-14-12-14\12-|-10h1212-12-10-10-----|-
-|---------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|-
-|---------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|-

-|---------------------------------|------------------------|-
-|---------------------------------|-13----13-13-13-/13-----|-
-|-10----10----10-10---------------|-12h14-14-14-12----14-12|-
-|-10h12-12h13-12-10---------------|------------------------|-
-|------------------/12-10-8-/12-10|------------------------|-
-|---------------------------------|------------------------|-

-|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------------------------|-10h11-11-11-10-10---|-
-|-12----12----12-12-12------------------|-10----10-10-10-10---|-
-|-12h14-14h15-14-12-12-14p12\10---/14-12|-10h12-12-12-10-10---|-
-|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------------------------|-------------------13|-

-|--------------------------------|-------------------------|-
-|-10h11-11/13\11----10-----------|-------------------------|-
-|-10-------------10-10-----------|-9h10-10-10-10-10-/12\10-|-
-|-10h12-12/14\12-10--------------|-8-----8--8--8--8-/10\8--|-
-|----------------------10\8------|-8-----8--8--8--8-/10----|-
-|---------------------------8-8--|-------------------------|-

-|------------------8-|----------------------|-------------------------|-
-|---------------8--8-|----------------------|-------------------------|-
-|-9h10-9--9-10--9----|9h1010-10-10-10-/12\10|-9h10-9--9-10-9h10p9-7---|-
-|10---10-10-10-10----|8----8--8--8--8-/10\8-|10---10-10-------------10|-
-|--------------------|8----8--8--8--8-/8----|-------------------------|-
-|--------------------|----------------------|-------------------------|-

-|-8--8\6----------------|-----------------------------|-
-|-8--8\6-6-6-6-6--/10---|---------------8-------------|-
-|-9--9\7-7-7-7-7--/10-10|-9h10-9--9-10--9-10--9-10--9-|-
-|10-10\8-8-8-8-8--/10-10|10---10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-|-
-|-----------------------|-----------------------------|-
-|-----------------------|-----------------------------|-

-|-8-8\6-6-6-6-6-/13-13-|--------------------|---------------|-
-|-8-8\6-6-6-6-6-/13-13-|--------------------|-10/12--10-----|-
-|-9-9\7-7-7-7-7--------|------10------14-12-|-10/12--10--12-|-
-|1010\8-8-8-8-8--------|---10-------14---12-|------------12-|-
-|-------------------12\|-8-------12------10-|---------------|-
-|----------------------|--------------------|---------------|-

-|-----------------|---/12---10---/12--|------------------|-
-|-----------------|---/12---10---/12--|------------------|-
-|----10----14--12-|-------------------|-----10---14--12--|-
-|--10----14----12-|-------------------|---10----14---12--|-
-|-8----12------10-|-------------------|--8-----12----10--|-
-|-----------------|-------------------|------------------|-

-|---------------|----------------|----------------|-------10--------10|-
-|--10/12-10-----|--------10------|---------10-----|---------10------10|-
-|--10/12-10-12--|-----------10---|------------10--|-----12-----12---10|-
-|-----------12--|------10--------|-------10-------|-------------------|-
-|---------------|---/8-----------|---/12----------|--10---------------|-
-|---------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|-

-|/19p17-15------|--------------|--------------------|------------------|-
-|---------15h17-|18p17-15-13-12|13-12---------------|------------------|-
-|---------------|--------------|------14-12-14-12-10|-9-h10p9----------|-
-|---------------|--------------|--------------------|--------12-10-9---|-
-|---------------|--------------|--------------------|---------------12-|-
-|---------------|--------------|--------------------|------------------|-

-|----10----8------|-----5-----------|----------------|-----------5-6p5-|-
-|-----10----8-----|----5-5------5---|--------3---/8--|-6------1--6-----|-
-|-----------------|---5---5----5-5--|-------4--------|-5-----2---5-----|-
-|-----------------|-----------4---4-|------5---------|-7----3----------|-
-|10------8----7\5-|-5--------5------|-----5----------|-----3-----------|-
-|-----------------|-----------------|---3------------|----1------------|-

-|----3-------|------10------8|-----7-8p7-|------5---1-|--------------3-|-
-|---3-----6--|----11------9--|---8-------|----6-----3-|---1---1---1--0-|-
-|--4-----7---|--10------8----|-7---------|--5-------4-|--0---0----0--0-|-
-|-------8----|---------------|-----------|----------5-|-3---2-----0----|-
-|------8-----|---------------|-----------|----------5-|----------------|-
-|3----6------|---------------|-----------|----------3-|--------------3-|-

-|-/15-----------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|-----15--------------|-15/17\15-------------|-/15-13--------------|-
-|--------14h16--16----|---------14\12--------|-------12/16---------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-

-|-15--13--11--10------|-10h11-10-------------|-/15-----------------|-
-|-15--13--11--10------|---------10\9/10------|----15-16-15---------|-
-|-16--14--12--11------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|--------------0------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-

-|---------------------|----------------------|----14--15-14--------|-
-|--16---17------------|----------------------|--15--15------14-----|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------0-----|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|-------12-\-----------|---------------------|-

bend bend
-|------19-----------|-19-20-19--------------|-15-17-15--------------|-
-|-19------19--------|---------17\15---------|----------15\13--------|-
-|--19------14h16/18-|---------------12h14/16|---------------12h14-12|-
-|-------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-
-|-------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-
-|-------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-

ambulance here (whammy sound), then repeat the first part with minor variations
-|-15------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-
-|---------------------|----------------------|---------------------|-



Okay now here's a better notated version of the solo (more correct). Vai plays the entire solo using the whammy bar and natural harmonics pretty much exclusively, so that should be notated somehow!


Whacky Whammy Notation (please bear with me here):


<5> = natural harmonic on the 5th fret


1
<5>/ = hit the harmonic and then go up one fret with wammy bar
(like a normal bend)


<5>\
1 = hit harm, then go down 1 fret /w/ bar


1
<5>/ \ = hit harm, go up 1fr /w/ bar, then go back down
(like a bend and release)

1____
<5>/ <5> = keep the pitch 1fr higher even as you hit the second note
(like a hold bend)

There are no non-harmonics anywhere in this part of the song, so any number
not in <>'s will invariably be part of the whammy bar notation

E|--------------------|---------------|----------------|--------------|
B|--------------------|---------------|-------------4--|--------------|
G|-<5>----------------|-----2---------|---------<5>/---|-<5>\-------1-|
D|-----<5>-----2____--|-<5>/-\--------|-<5>------------|-<5>\2--<5>/1\|
A|---------<5>/--<5>--|--------<5>\---|-----<4>--------|-----2--<5>/-\|
E|--------------------|------------2--|----------------|--------------|

E|-----------------|----------------------|-------------|-----------|
B|-----------------|----------------------|-------1_----|-----------|
G|----1------------|-<5>---------1--------|----1__/-----|-----------|
D|-<5>/-<5>--------|-----<5>-<5>/-\-<5>---|-<5>/-<5>----|-------<5>-|
A|----------<5>\-/-|----------------------|-------------|-----------|
E|--------------1--|----------------------|-------------|--<5>\-----|

E|---------------------------|---------------------------|
B|---------------------------|---------<5>---------------|
G|-------------<5>-----------|-<5>---------<5>-----------|
D|-<5>-<4>-<5>-----<4>-------|-----<5>------------2------|
A|---------------------<4>---|-----------------<5>/-<4>--|
E|---------------------------|---------------------------|

E|-----1--<5>\------------|-----------------------|
B|-<5>/-\----2-----2-<5>--|-----2-----------2-----|
G|--------------<5>/------|-<5>/-\-------<5>/-<5>-|
D|------------------------|-----------------------|
A|------------------------|--------<5>\-----------|
E|------------------------|-----------2-----------|

E|------/\/\/\-----------
B|-----/------\/\/\------
G|-<5>/------------\/\/\-
D|-----------------------
A|-----------------------
E|-----------------------

Hope that was easy to understand, it takes a little while to work out the wacky whammy bar notation but its all pretty much correct once you get it!

James

Hope to see some tabs appear! All skill levels/styles most welcome! You don't have to post whole songs, it could just be favorite solos/riffs etc. Acoustic or electric, anything that you really like playing! 👍

 

[James2097]

Please don't be scared guys, don't think you need to post a really big tab or take too much time writing etc.... Maybe I should've started it off with "Thunderstruck" or something!

Looking (forlornly) for ANY tab to appear to help kick things off... I hereby remove any restrictions on quality!

 

[emad]

How about using some Powertab files? That program allows you to hear the tabs as you play them. It's useful for getting timing right 👍

 

[Omnis]

I like this song. It's pretty easy, but the quickness gets you sometimes.

Direct Link: http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/8746/needtobestrongtab3oy.jpg

Put the picture together myself You don't neeeed GuitarPro.

 

[Powripper]

Has anyone found a good tab of Van halens "Eruption"? I cant seem to find a propper one, all I have to go by is these crappy low quality video lessons...and I can't even see his fingers 👎

 

[Taurine]

Ever tried http://www.mxtabs.net ?

http://www.mxtabs.net/tabs.php?path=Guitar,v,1507,Van+Halen,Eruption,12142

 

[James2097]

How about using some Powertab files? That program allows you to hear the tabs as you play them. It's useful for getting timing right 👍

Hey you guys can use whatever you want, I just went with normal tab cause not everyone will (or can?) use powertab or whatnot... I'm just not familiar with it...

For the correct timing, I find nothing is better than somehow 'aquiring' the original recordings of the songs you want to learn if you don't already have them...

Ever tried http://www.mxtabs.net ?

http://www.mxtabs.net/tabs.php?path...r uption,12142

👍

 

[Omnis]

how you guys like my tab?

 

[Saleen Man]

The tab looks right, although I don't really know, I don't know the song.

As for the Carpe Diem tab I posted before, there were some clear errors, so I've made some corrections to it. I'm 80% sure it's 100% right. I might've made a little mess of it, but I'm pretty sure it's readable.

[Edit] - Does anyone have any ideas as to what kind of guitar he's playing for this part? Classical, acoustic, electric acoustic etc. It has a really great sound to it.
[Edit again] - "Playing tips", right. 1.) 8th column (row? line?) down, there is an A Major chord tabbed. Playing this whole chord is optional, it doesn't sound like he plays the entire thing in the song. Usually I just play the bass A with the C sharp initially. 2.) For some of the chords he "rolls" (technical term?) down the strings, listen to the song to see for these parts. 3.) The hammer-ons that are written are all optional as well, play whichever way you get a better sound out of.

 

[Omnis]

Here's the song. The original server went over bandwidth, so I had to yousendit.com it.

http://s31.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1SDB1HK1PYHH537LA7NF4KH73E

 

[Saleen Man]

The tab is right on. Pretty catchy song. 👍 I like the part that begins at bar 17.

 

[Omnis]

Yeah, me too. It's so simple, but it sounds so cool.