Tabs
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Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson Version
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Tabbed by: Simon Williams
Email: [email protected]
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
e|---Intro:-----------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|-PM:=================================================]--------------------|
G+G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-/-9-9---9-9-9-/-10-10---10-10-10-/-7-/-5-/-7---------|
A augmentedA|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-/-7-7---7-7-7-/-8--8----8--8--8--/-7-/-5-/-7---------|
E MajorE|---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-/-7-7---7-7-7-/-8--8----8--8--8--/-7-/-3-/-5---------|
You don't HAVE to palm mute, but I think it sounds better
e|----Verse:----------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-/-9-9---9-9-9-/-10-10---10-10-10-/-7-/-5-/-7---------|
A augmentedA|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-/-7-7---7-7-7-/-8--8----8--8--8--/-7-/-5-/-7---------|
E MajorE|---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-/-7-7---7-7-7-/-8--8----8--8--8--/-7-/-3-/-5---------|
This chord riff, is played for most of the song, but on the verses,
the distortion is off, so make the tone as deep and clean as possible.
e|----Chorus:---------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|Let the 
FF power chords ring out (331),on the beat,and play the G+G fast(553)|
D MajorD|--3~-3~-3~-3-/-5-5---3~-3~-3~-3-/-5-5-------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|--1~-1~-1~-1-/-5-5---3~-3~-3~-3-/-3-3-------------------------------------|
E MajorE|--1~-1~-1~-1-/-3-3---1~-1~-1~-1-/-3-3-------------------------------------|
In the chorus all you have to play is the FF and G+G power chords but i'll tab
it out anyway for you beginners!
On the bit: "You've been hit by, you've been struck by, a smooth criminal."
don't play anything. It may sound like it, but the bass does the beat.
Start with the Chord riff as soon as he says "smooth criminal".
Now for those people who are better at chord changes, I have another
version of the main riff, but this must be played with distortion, but
quietly! Otherwise it sounds rubbish.
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|-PM======================================]--------------------------------|
G+G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|--2-2---------0-0--------2-2--------0---2---------------------------------|
A augmentedA|--0-0-0-0-0-0-2-2----0-2-3-3----2-3-2-2-0---------------------------------|
E MajorE|--------------------------------------3-----------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|-PM======================================]--------------------------------|
G+G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|--2-2---------0-0--------2-2--------0---2---------------------------------|
A augmentedA|--0-0-0-0-0-0-2-2----0-2-3-3----2-3-2-2-0---------------------------------|
E MajorE|--------------------------------------3-----------------------------------|
It may be discreet, but if you listen really closely you can hear a really
easy guitar solo, I wouldn't even call it a solo, it repeats over and over,
but if you really want it, here you go!
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|---1-0---0-------------------------/1-0---0-------------------------------|
G+G|-------2---2-0---1/2-2-2--1/2-2-2-------2---2-0---1/2-2-2--1/2-2-2--------|
D MajorD|---------------2--------------------------------2-------------------------|
A augmentedA|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E MajorE|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat the "solo" four times. I personally get bored after doing it the
first time, but its a matter of opinion
Now after the solo, you go back to the chorus:
e|----Chorus:---------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|--3~-3~-3~-3-/-5-5---3~-3~-3~-3-/-5-5-------------------------------------|
A augmentedA|--1~-1~-1~-1-/-5-5---3~-3~-3~-3-/-3-3-------------------------------------|
E MajorE|--1~-1~-1~-1-/-3-3---1~-1~-1~-1-/-3-3-------------------------------------|
Repeat the last chorus eight times. Then play the outro.(which is the same
as the intro)
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-/-9-9---9-9-9-/-10-10---10-10-10-/-7-/-5-/-7---------|
A augmentedA|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-/-7-7---7-7-7-/-8--8----8--8--8--/-7-/-5-/-7---------|
E MajorE|---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-/-7-7---7-7-7-/-8--8----8--8--8--/-7-/-3-/-5---------|
This is my second ever tab, so please rate me positively, I checked the tab
over and over so its all pretty much 100% correct. Enjoy!
Other versions of Smooth Criminal
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Smooth criminal (Ver. 2) by Michael Jackson
