Matchbox Tab by The Kooks

Matchbox tab by The Kooks

Guitar Tab

Tuning: Standard EBGDAE

Difficulty: Advanced

THE KOOKS- MATCHBOX

As tabbed by Tom Corley (tomcorley55@hotmail.com)

CHORDS USED
    D#7  Bmaj7  A#7sus4  D#m7  G#7sus4   A#7  F#  C  G#m7  D#m
e|--6----2------6--------9-----4---------6----9---4--11----11--||
B|--7----4------6--------7-----4---------6----11--6--12----11--||
G|--6----3------8--------6-----6---------7----11--x--11----11--||
D|--8----4------6--------8-----4---------6----11--6--13----13--||
A|--6----2------8--------6-----6---------8----9---4--11----13--||
E|--x----x-----(6)-------x----(4)-------(6)--------------------||

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

-times are indicated in brackets eg (0:00)

INTRO/FIGURE 1. NB-only the root chord is indicated

        D#    B          A#               D#    G#         A#
e|--xxx-6--6-x2--2-2-xxx-6--6-x6--6-6-xxx-9--9-x4--4-4-xxx-6--6-x6--6-6--||
B|--xxx-7--7-x4--4-4-xxx-6--6-x6--6-6-xxx-7--7-x4--4-4-xxx-6--6-x6--6-6--||
G|--xxx-6--6-x3--3-3-xxx-8--8-x7--7-7-xxx-6--6-x6--6-6-xxx-8--8-x7--7-7--||
D|--xxx-8--8-x4--4-4-xxx-6--6-x6--6-6-xxx-8--8-x4--4-4-xxx-6--6-x6--6-6--||
A|--xxx-6--6-x2--2---xxx-8--8-x8--8---xxx-6--6-x6--6---xxx-8--8-x8--8----||
E|----------------------(6)(6)(6)(6)-----------(4)(4)-----(6)(6)(6)------||
        U  U UD  D U     U  U UD  D U     U  U UD  D U     U  U UD  D U

-play Figure 1 twice through. On the third time, instead of the D#7, play this chord as
vocals begin. (0:20)
    F#
e|--13--------------------13-13x--|
B|--11--------------------11-11x--|
G|--11~~~~~~~hold~~~~~~~~~11-11x--|
D|--11--------------------11-11x--|
A|--9---------------------9--9-x--|
E|--x---------------------x--x----|
    D                     D  U
    "Viciously she sleeps "

PRE-CHORUS -play with a syncopated rhythm and lots of muted strumming (0:40)
    D#7               Bmaj7   C
e|--6-----------------2-------4---------------|
B|--7-----------------4-------6---------------|
G|--6-----------------3-------x---------------| play 4 times
D|--8-----------------4-------6---------------|
A|--6-----------------2-------4---------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
    "don't come too close    see my ghost


CHORUS -strum, smooth and fast (1:00)
    D#m7    F#          G#m7            F#      C
e|--6-------9-----------11--------------9-------4---------|
B|--7-------11----------12--------------11------6---------|
G|--6-------11----------11--------------11------6---------| play 4 times
D|--8-------11----------13--------------11------6---------|
A|--6-------9-----------11--------------9-------4---------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|
    "all of us    going out tonight    walk all over your

FIGURE 2 -strum staccato; punchy chords (1:20)
    F#       C         F#              C
e|--9--------4---------9---------------4--|
B|--11-------6---------11--------------6--|
G|--11-------6---------11--------------6--| play twice
D|--11-------6---------11--------------6--|
A|--9--------4---------9---------------4--|
E|----------------------------------------|
   "im sorry,   that I let you go whoa


FIGURE 3 -off beat reggae-like rhythm (x's indicate palm mute)(1:30)
       F#            G#m7
e|----x9--x9-----x---11---x---11---------------------|
B|----x11-x11----x---12---x---12---------------------|
G|----x11-x11----x---11---x---11---------------------|
D|----x11-x11----x---13---x---13---------------------| play 4 times
A|----x9--x9-----x---11---x---11---------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|
  "I al--wa-ys  seem to play these games -|

-Repeat CHORUS

-Then; (2:03)
    D#m          F#
e|--6------------9--------------|
B|--7------------11-------------|
G|--6~~~~hold~~~~11~~~~hold~~~~-|
D|--8------------11-------------|
A|--6------------9--------------|
E|------------------------------|


OUTRO/FIGURE 4 (2:07)
    D#m                 F#        G#m7 F#
e|--11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-9--x-9--x-11-x-9---|
B|--11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-12-x-11--|
G|--11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-11-x-11--|
D|--13-x-13-x-13-x-13-x-11-x-11-x-13-x-11--|
A|--13-x-13-x-13-x-13-x-9--x-9--x-11-x-9---|
E|-----------------------------------------|

- play OUTRO with an off beat reggae-like rhythm 5 times through, varying the strumming
slightly each time (listen to the record) until 2:33. After that, revert back to the
strumming rhythm (as in the CHORUS)until the end

Last updated: September 10, 2025

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