War Pigs Tab by Black Sabbath

War Pigs tab by Black Sabbath

Guitar Tab

War Pigs by Black Sabbath: Guitar, Bass & Songwriting Insights

"War Pigs" by Black Sabbath, off their 1970 album "Paranoid," features Tony Iommi's iconic guitar riff played in C# tuning. Geezer Butler's driving bassline complements Bill Ward's powerful drumming, creating a heavy, ominous atmosphere. Ozzy Osbourne's vocals deliver anti-war lyrics, reflecting the song's Vietnam War-era context. The song's structure and dynamics showcase the band's signature blend of blues and heavy metal.

These riffs and fills are:

RIFF 1

D E
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
5-7-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|



RIFF2

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|--------8-------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9---------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9---------------|
5-7-------------|--------10--9---|8---------------|7---------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

                                                          tr.
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|--------7(9)----|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9---------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9---------------|
5-7-------------|--------10--9---|8---------------|7---------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|--------8-------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9---------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9---------------|
5-7-------------|--------10--9---|8---------------|7---------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|----------------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9-------9-------|
7-9-------------|--------12--11--|10--------------|9-------9-------|
5-7-------------|--------10--9---|8---------------|7-------7-------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

RIFF 3

--------12------|----------------|--------12------|----------------|
--------12------|----------------|--------12------|----------------|
--------12------|----------------|--------12------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
0-0-0-0-------0-|--0---0-3-------|0-0-0-0-------0-|--0---0-3-------|

RIFF 4

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
--------2p0-----|--------2p0-----|--------2p0-----|--------2p0-----|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
0-0-0-0-------0-|--0---0-----3---|0-0-0-0-------0-|--0---0-----3---|

RIFF 5

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
9---------------|----------9-9-9-|9s7-------------|----------7-7-7-|
7---------------|----------7-7-7-|7s5-------------|----------5-5-5-|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
7s9-------------|----------9-9-9-|9s7-------------|----------------|
5s7-------------|----------7-7-7-|7s5-------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

RIFF 6A                                            RIFF 6C (end of song)
----------------|----------------|                 ----------------|
----------------|----------------|                 ----------------|
--------7-------|----7-------7---|                 9---------------|
--9-----------9-|--------9-------|                 ----------------|
7-----7-----7---|--7-------------|                 ----------------|
----------------|----------------|                 ----------------|

RIFF 6B

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
--------7-------|----7-------7---|----------------|----------------|
--9-----------9-|--------9-------|9---------------|----------------|
7-----7-----7---|--7-------------|7-----9-----12--|----12--12--12--|
----------------|----------------|------7-----10--|----10--10--10--|

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
--------7-------|----7-------7---|----------------|----------------|
--9-----------9-|--------9-------|9-----12----9---|----9---9---9---|
7-----7-----7---|--7-------------|7-----10----7---|----7---7---7---|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

RIFF 7

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
--------5-------|----5-------5---|--------5-------|----5-------5---|
--7-----------7-|--------7-------|--7-----------7-|--------7-------|
5-----5-----5---|--5-------------|5-----5-----5---|--5-------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
--------3-------|----3-------3---|--------3-------|----3-------3---|
--5-----------5-|--------5-------|--5-----------5-|--------5-------|
3-----3-----3---|--3-------------|3-----3-----3---|--3-------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
4---------------|----5-------5---|4---------------|----------------|
2---------------|----3-------3---|2---------------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|



FILL 1                   FILL 2                    FILL 3
                         tr.
----------------|        ----------------|         --------12------|
----------------|        ----------------|         --------12------|
-------4p2p0----|        ----------------|         --------12------|
------------2---|        ----------------|         ----------------|
----------------|        5(7)------------|         ----------------|
----------------|        ----------------|         ----------------|

p = Pull-off
s = Slide

All three notes of the 4p2p0 lick in Fill 1 should equal the time of a
quarter. Thus, they should look like this in a standard transcription:

__3__
| | |
4 2 0

Timing is exact with 2 ’-’s an 8th, 4 ’-’s a quarter etc.

The song flow and lyrics are:

[Riff 1] x2
w/[Riff 1]
Generals gathered in ...
Just like witches ..
Evil minds that ...
Sorcerers of ...
In the fields are bodie...[Fill 1]
As the war ...[Fill 2]
Death and ...[Fill 3]
Poisoning their ....
[Riff 2]
[Riff 3] x2
w/[Riff 4]
Politicians hide ..
They only ...
Why should they go ...
They leave that ...
[Riff 3]
w/[Riff 4]
Time will tell on ...
Making war just ...
Treating people just ...
Wait til the ...
[Riff 2]
[Solo 1] (not transcribed in this post)
[Riff 5]
[Riff 1] x2
w/[Riff 1]
Now in darkness world ...
As you hear the ..
No more warpigs ...
And as God has ..
Day of judgement, God ....[Fill 1]
On their knees the ...[Fill 2]
Begging mercy for ...[Fill 3]
Satan laughing ...
[Riff 2]
[Riff 6A]
[Riff 6B] x2
[Riff 6A] x4
[Riff 7]
[Solo 2] (not transcribed in this post)
[Riff 6A] x5
[Riff 6C]

 War Pigs Intro
    Tabb’d by Michael Decaire

 Slow Rock 12/8 time                (#) = Feedback

                        D       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ E
 --------------------|------------------------------------------
 --------------------|------------------------------------------
 --------------------|------------------------------------------
 --------------------|------------------------/6---6/7----------
 --7--------5/7----7-|--7/5-----(5)---(6)-----------------------
 --0--------0------0-|--0----------------------0---0------------

                        D       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ E
 --------------------|----------------------------------------
 --------------------|----------------------------------------
 --------------------|----------------------------------------
 --6-----------------|------------------------/6---6/7--------
 ----------------5/7-|--7/5-----(5)---------------------------
 --0-----(0)-------0-|--0----------------------0---0----------

                        D     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ E7  E
 --------------------|------------------------------------------
 --------------------|------------------------------------------
 --------------------|-------------------------4----------------
 -/9------(9)--------|-----------------------------9----9-9-----
 ----------------5/7-|--7/5-----(5)------------5---7----7-7-----
 --0-------------0---|--0----------------------0---0----0-0-----

             D5               E5                D5
 ---------------------------|-----------------------------------
 ---------------------------|-----------------------------------
 --9------------------------|-----------------------------------
 --9-----9-9-9/7---(7)-7-7--|-7/9----------9-9--9/7--------(7)--
 --7-----7-7-7/5-------5-5--|-5/7----------7-7--7/5-------------
 --0------------------------|-----------------------------------

Last updated: July 30, 2025

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