Tabs
Here's TAB to Led Zepplin's "Communicaton Breakdown". I believe someone
requested it awhile back but am not sure whether it ever got posted. Anyway,
the main part is just plucking an open 
E MajorE and changing between 
D MajorD and 
A augmentedA at the
fifth fret. So:
D MajorD A augmentedA D MajorD
e---------------------------------
B---T--------------------7---5--7-
G---A--------------------7---6--7-
D---B--------------------7---7--7-
A------------------------5---7--5-
E------0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----5----
This pattern doesn't change until the Chorus, where it switches to:
A5A5 A6A5 
A major 6A6 
A7A7 A5A6A5 A major 6A6 A7A7 A5A6A5 A6A7 A5A6A5 A6A5
e--------------------5---------------5---------------5-----------------
B---T----------------5---------------5---------------5-----------------
G---A----------------6---------------6---------------6-----------------
D---B----------------5---------------5---------------5-----------------
A------7-7-9-7-7-9-x-7---7-9-7-7-9-r-7---7-9-7-7-7-9-7---7-9-7-7-7-9-7-
E------5-5-5-5-5-5-x-5---5-5-5-5-5-r-5---5-5-5-5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-
| | |
Semi P.M.---- Semi P.M. Semi P.M.-- Semi P.M.-----
B5B5 B6B5 B6B7 B5B6B5 B6B7 B5B6B5 B5B7 B5B6B5 
B6B6
e------------------7---------------7----------------7----------------
B------------------7---------------7----------------7----------------
G------------------8---------------8----------------8----------------
D------------------7---------------7----------------7----------------
A--9-9-119-9-9-9-119---9-119-9-9-119---9-1199-9-9-119---9-119-9-9-11-
E--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-7---7-7-77-7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-7-7-0
| |
---------------------- Semi P.M.---
note: The parts where it looks like I have the 119th fret indicated came from
the inconvenience of a two digit number (11), therefore no dash. The part
where it says "1199" and "77" are due to this same problem, as well as that two
sixteenth notes are played while up until here the pattern has been eigth
notes. In other words he doubles time splitting the note into two, but not
skipping a beat. This isn't really complex at all, the problem is the way I've
written out the TAB. It wouldn't be confusing if I knew how to do this
properly. Sorry.
-Dave
Then back to the main riff of eigth note Es and the D-A-D changes,
after which the chorus is repeated. The second time through the main riff and
chorus there are some minor changes which are probably not too hard to figure,
including some slides and harmonics (at the seventh fret). This is because
there have actually been two electric guitars doing this part, and the second
guitar changes to these minor variations. Anyway, let's get to the solo:
During the solo the second guitar repeats this pattern (until the
chorus):
E MajorE D MajorD A augmentedA E MajorE
e--------------------------------------
B---T--9-----------------7-----5---7---
G---A--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-r-7-----6---7---
D---B--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-r-7-----7---7---
A------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-r-5-----7---5---
E------0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-r-------5-------
Semi-P.M. throughout
Okay, this is probably a no-no to do in writing TAB, but to write the
solo I'm going to pretty well forget about having the dashes mean anything in
terms of keeping time, and just get the notes down in proper order. And I
thought I had no problems with tablature. Anyone who wants to "clean-up" a
copy of this and repost is welcome to, perhaps along with sending me a detailed
e-message as to exactly where I went wrong tabbing things out. Anyway, lead
guitar goes like:
e----------12-----------------14--------------------------------------12-------
B---T--12-----15^12-12--------12-15^12-12-12-----12-15^12-12-----12------15^12-
G---A--14b-------------14-14b----------------14b-------------14b-14b-----------
D---B--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------12--------12-------------------------------
12----12---12-15----12--12-15^12-12--------------------------------------------
---14-14b--------14-14b------------------14b-14b-14^12------14-12h----------12-
-------------------------------------------------------14----------14-12-14----
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------12----12----12---12---15b---15---12----12------------12-----------------
----12----15----15-------------------------15------------12--------------------
14b----------------------------------------------14b-14b-------14b^14^12----14-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------14----
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------9----9----9---------------------------------------------------------10-
------9-9-12-9-12-9-------------------------------9--------------------10b-10b-
12\-----------------11b^11^9-11-11-9----9-9-11b-----11b^11^9----11-9-9---------
---12--------------------------------11----------------------11----------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----10-------------------------------7/9---9-9\7-7-0 Okay, I know the solo
10b----10b^10^8---10-8---------------7/9---9-9\7-7-0 continues on into the
----------------9------9-8-9---------7/9---9-9\7-7-0 chorus, but it's 1:40 A.M.
---------------------------------------------------- right now, and I've got
---------------------------------------------------- classes from 8:30. I'm
----------------------------/12-x-0-r--------------- not sure if this is really
going to do anyone any
good anyway, what with my absolute lack of any time structure here.
Anyway, I'll post the rest of the solo later if someone will nicely
e-mail me and show me how to post TAB where dual digit fret numbers and adding
embellishments like bends won't mess up the time kept by the dashes. If you
have a copy of the song to listen to, this posting may yet do you some good, as
the notes are accurate, I'm fairly sure. Yawn...
Sorry, all, I'm going to catch some sleep.
P.S.- I suppose I should explain my symbols. "r" stands for a rest,
"b" means to bend the preceding note a full step, "h" means to bend half a
step, and "^" means to either hammer-on or pull-off depending on whether the
number increases or decreases. Make sense? I don't know, I hope so.
-Dave
Other versions of Communication Breakdown
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Communication breakdown (Ver. 2) by Led Zeppelin
