Tabs
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Dreams - Van Halen
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Tabbed by: Daniel Sallows Rigby
Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
Accoustic + Keyboard Introduction
e|-------------------------0--------------------1-1/3-0---0---------111-11-33|
BB|0-1-1-3-3-1-1----0-1-1-3---1p0h1p0----0-1-3-3----------3---1-3-3--000-33-55|
G+G|-0--------------0-------------------0--------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat This Section 1 time.
This intro is fairly straight forward, nothing much to be worry about except keep
the hammer ons and pull offs
smooth and not to fast otherwise it will throw the sound. The double stops should
be played with a small bit of palm muting
Next the song breaks into the chorus with no vocals and a small amount of guitar.
There are 2 guitars here but i have transcribed it for one (Rhythym & Lead) NOTE:
You will need a whammy bar for the remainder of this song.
The chords here are best played with plam muting and are [C5, G5, A5, F5, Open bass
strings] (this sounds ok when played with cd, you can always play around with it.)
The other guitar you can hear is a simple lick which i play like this
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|----12-12-12(Doop The Bar Several Times------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
This Repeats Again
Use your 1st, 3rd and 4th fingers for the powerchords, Doop means to push your
whammy bar down a small amount in the same
direction as if you were going to execute a dive bomb.
The verse is a simple one shape affair (or so i've found) and it goes like this. Seen
as though the guitar isn't dominant here, use a fair amount of palm muting.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|---77777---------77777***--------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---77777---------77777***--------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---55555-555555--55555***--------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
***This Repeats Through Out
After this song returns to the chorus, use a pick scrape just before the chorus, use
chorus chords as above but dont play the simple doop lick. The song then returns to
the verse. There is a rhytym fill in here that goes like this...
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|--------prebend------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|----13--15------15---------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|--------------------0-(dive bomb-------------------------------------------|
Back to the chorus, same as before, then its back to the intro, play the intro, then
the chorus chords again.. then its solo time.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 (use bar for vibrato------------------|
G+G|-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat this but on the second time play the
21st fret high e string with bar vibrato
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|-inverted doop-------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|-2/92/9/2/92/92---------------------------------------------------------|
Inverted doop = like before but in opposite direction (to raise pitch slightly)
e|-22-18-21-19-18 (bar for vibrato)--15-15-13-12----------------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Keep your 1st finger on the 18th fret and use your 3rd finger for the other frets
e|--h5h8h13/p8p5 (x4)--h5h8h15/p8p5 (x3) h5h8h12/p8p5 (x4)-------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
This section is the hardest part of the solo, the repeat figures may not be correct,
listen to the original for exact timing on this one. Use finger tapping for this section.
(left hand: 1st finger -5th fret, 3rd finger 8th fret-- Right Hand 1st finger 13, 15, 12
and the slides) take this section very slowly at first and then build up to speed over time.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|-inverted doop-------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|-2/92/9/2/92/92---------------------------------------------------------|
This is the same as before, the next section i'm not sure about, i think it goes
e|-5-8-15 15~~~~-------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Chorus repeat, then intro repeat, the second solo is as follows:
e|----------------10-10----------h5h8h13p8p5 (x4)------h5h8h158p8p5 (x3)-h5h8h12p8p5 (x4)|
BB|/13 13---/13-13-------/13-13-----------------------------------------------|
G+G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|--9/-17-17-17-17-17 20~~~--------------------------------------------------|
BB|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
This solo is like before but slightly easier because you havent got the slides....
Repeat chorus chords and you are done. slowing towards the end... Congratulations!!!
| / slide up
| slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| Doop ~ small decrease in pitch with whammy bar
| Inverted Doop ~ Small increase in pitch w/ whammy bar...
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Other versions of Dreams
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Dreams acoustic by Van Halen
