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I Need To Know Tab by Tom Petty

I Need To Know tab by Tom Petty

Guitar Tab

I NEED TO KNOW

As recorded by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
(From the 1978 Album YOU'RE GONNA GET IT!)

Words and Music by Tom Petty

Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Tom Petty - Electric Guitar w/ light dist.'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Mike Campbell - Electric Guitar w/ light dist.'
Gtr III (E A D G B E) - 'Mike Campbell - Electric Guitar w/ dist.'


 Intro
  Q=154
            E5                                  Em
 4/4
  Gtr I
  H    Q  E S S   +W           +H       +Q.     S S
|---------------|------------|----------------------|
|-----------0-0-|-(0)--------|-(0)------(0)-----8-8-|
|-----------9-9-|-(9)--------|-(9)------(9)-----9-9-|
|-----------9-9-|-(9)--------|-(9)------(9)-----9-9-|
|-----------7-7-|-(7)--------|-(7)------(7)-----7-7-|
|-----------0-0-|-(0)--------|-(0)------(0)-----0-0-|
|

| Gtr II
| H    Q  E S S    W           +Q   E E  E  E Q
|---------------|------------|----------------------|
|---------------|------------|----------------------|
|-----------9-9-|--9---------|-(9)--9----7--9-------|
|-----------9-9-|--9---------|-(9)--9----7--9-------|
|-----------7-7-|--7---------|-(7)------------------|
|---------------|------------|----------------------|


  E5                  D5       E5
  W               E E Q   Q.   S S
|---------------|--------------------|
|-0-------------|-x-x----------0-0---|
|-9-------------|-x-x-7---7----9-9---|
|-9-------------|-x-x-7---7----9-9---|
|-7-------------|-x-x-5---5----7-7---|
|-0-------------|-x-x----------0-0---|
|
| Q  E E E E Q    Q   E E Q.   S S
|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|-----8---7----------|
|----9---7-9----|-----9---7----9-9---|
|----9---7-9----|-----7---7----9-9---|
|---------------|--------------7-7---|
|---------------|--------------------|


                                                        D5
  W               +W                W               E E Q   Q.   E
|---------------|-----------------|---------------|----------------||
|-0-------------|-(0)-------------|-0-------------|-x-x------------||
|-9-------------|-(9)-------------|-9-------------|-x-x-7---7----7-||
|-9-------------|-(9)-------------|-9-------------|-x-x-7---7----7-||
|-7-------------|-(7)-------------|-7-------------|-x-x-5---5----5-||
|-0-------------|-(0)-------------|-0-------------|-x-x------------||
|
| Q  E E E E Q     Q   E E E E Q    Q  E E E E Q    Q   E E H
|---------------|-----------------|---------------|----------------||
|---------------|-----------------|---------------|---------7------||
|-9--9---7-9----|------9---7-9----|----9---7-9----|-----9---7------||
|-9--9---7-9----|------9---7-9----|----9---7-9----|-----7---7------||
|-7-------------|-----------------|---------------|----------------||
|---------------|-----------------|---------------|----------------||


   1st & 2nd Verses
    D                           E5                D5
                                PM------------------------------|
    W          +H      Q  Q     E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
||-----------|----------------|-----------------|------------------|
||o----------|----------------|-----------------|------------------|
||--7--------|-(7)-----7--7---|-9---9---9---9---|-7---7---7-7-7----|
||--7--------|-(7)-----7--7---|-9---9---9---9---|-7---7---7-7-7----|
||o-5--------|-(5)-----5--5---|-7---7---7---7---|-5---5---5-5-5-0--|
||-----------|----------------|---------------0-|------------------|
|
|   W          +Q   Q  Q  E E   Q   E E E E E E   E E E E Q   Q
||-----------|----------------|-----------------|------------------|
||o-7--------|-(7)-----7------|-----------------|-x-x-8---7---7----|
||--7--------|-(7)--7-----7---|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-x-x-9---7---7----|
||--7--------|-(7)------------|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-x-x-7---7---7----|
||o-5--------|-(5)----------0-|-7---------------|---------5---5----|
||-----------|----------------|-----------------|------------------|


  D                         E5                D5
                            PM------------------|
  W          +H     Q  Q    E E E E E E E E   E E Q   Q  Q
|----------|--------------|-----------------|---------------||
|----------|--------------|-----------------|---------------||
|-7--------|-(7)----7--7--|-9---9---9---9---|-7-7-7---7--7--||
|-7--------|-(7)----7--7--|-9---9---9---9---|-7-7-7---7--7--||
|-5--------|-(5)----5--5--|-7---7---7---7---|-5-5-5---5--5--||
|----------|--------------|---------------0-|---------------||
|
| W          +H     Q  Q    Q   E E E E E E   E E E E Q  Q
|----------|--------------|-----------------|---------------||
|-7--------|-(7)----7--7--|-----------------|-x-x-8---7--7--||
|-7--------|-(7)----7--7--|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-x-x-9---7--7--||
|-7--------|-(7)----7--7--|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-x-x-7---7--7--||
|-5--------|-(5)----5--5--|-7---------------|---------5--5--||
|----------|--------------|-----------------|---------------||


 Chorus
  $
  E5             D5             Csus2          C5D5
  Gtr I
  W              W              W              E Q.     +H
|--------------|--------------|-3------------|------------------|
|-0------------|--------------|-3------------|------------------|
|-9------------|-7------------|-5------------|-5s7------(7)-----|
|-9------------|-7------------|-5------------|-5s7------(7)-----|
|-7------------|-5------------|-3------------|-3s5------(5)-----|
|-0------------|--------------|--------------|------------------|
|
| Gtr II
| Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q    E E  Q   Q
|--------0-----|--------0-----|--------0-----|-----------0------|
|-----------0--|-----------0--|-----------0--|---------------0--|
|----9---------|----7---------|----5---------|------7-----------|
|------9-------|------7-------|------5-------|--------7---------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|------------------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|------------------|


  E5             D5             Csus2/G             C5
  W              W              W          +H.      E S S
|--------------|--------------|-3--------|-(3)------------|
|-0------------|--------------|-3--------|-(3)------------|
|-9------------|-7------------|-5--------|-(5)------5-5-5-|
|-9------------|-7------------|-5--------|-(5)------5-5-5-|
|-7------------|-5------------|-3--------|-(3)------3-3-3-|
|-0------------|--------------|-3--------|-(3)------------|
|
| Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    W          +W
|--------0-----|--------0-----|-3--------|-(3)------------|
|-----------0--|-----------0--|-3--------|-(3)------------|
|----9---------|----7---------|-5--------|-(5)------------|
|------9-------|------7-------|-5--------|-(5)------------|
|--------------|--------------|-3--------|-(3)------------|
|--------------|--------------|-3--------|-(3)------------|


  D5                      Csus2/G
  W          +W           W          +H.      Q
|----------|------------|-3--------|-(3)---------|
|----------|------------|-3--------|-(3)---------|
|-7--------|-(7)--------|-5--------|-(5)---------|
|-7--------|-(7)--------|-5--------|-(5)---------|
|-5--------|-(5)--------|-3--------|-(3)---------|
|----------|------------|-3--------|-(3)---------|
|
| W          +W           W          +W
|----------|------------|-3--------|-(3)---------|
|----------|------------|-3--------|-(3)---------|
|-7--------|-(7)--------|-5--------|-(5)---------|
|-7--------|-(7)--------|-5--------|-(5)---------|
|-5--------|-(5)--------|-3--------|-(3)---------|
|-5--------|-(5)--------|-3--------|-(3)---------|


                      To Coda
  D5                            E5                D5
                                PM----------|     PM------|
  W          +E  E E E E E Q    E E E E E E E E   E E Q   Q  Q
|----------|------------------|-----------------|---------------|
|----------|------------------|-----------------|---------------|
|-7--------|-(7)-7-7-7-7-7-7--|-9---9---9-9-9---|-7-7-7---7--7--|
|-7--------|-(7)-7-7-7-7-7-7--|-9---9---9-9-9-0-|-7-7-7---7--7--|
|-5--------|-(5)-5-5-5-5-5-5--|-7---7---7-7-7---|-5-5-5---5--5--|
|----------|------------------|-----------------|---------------|
|
| W          +E  E Q   Q   Q    Q   E E E E E E   Q   E E Q  Q
|----------|------------------|-----------------|---------------|
|----------|------------------|-----------------|-----8---7-----|
|-7--------|-(7)-7-7---7---7--|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-----9---7-----|
|-7--------|-(7)-7-7---7---7--|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-----7---7-----|
|-5--------|-(5)-5-5---5---5--|-7---------------|---------------|
|-5--------|-(5)-5-5---5---5--|-----------------|---------------|


                   1.                  2.
  E5                D5                  D5
  PM----------|     PM------------|
  E E E E E E E E   E E q   E E E E     E E Q   E E  Q
|-----------------|------------------||-------------------||
|-----------------|-----------------o||-------------------||
|-9---9---9-9-9---|-7-7-7---7-x-7-x--||-7-7-7---7-7--7----||
|-9---9---9-9-9---|-7-7-7---7-x-7-x--||-7-7-7---7-7--7----||
|-7---7---7-7-7---|-5-5-5---5-x-5-x-o||-5-5-5---5-5--5----||
|-----------------|------------------||-------------------||
|
| Q   E E E E E E   Q   E E H           Q   E E Q   +Q
|-----------------|------------------||-------------------||
|-----------------|---------7-------o||-----8---7---(7)\--||
|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-----9---7--------||-----9---7---(7)\--||
|-9---9---7-9-x-x-|-----7---7--------||-----7---7---(7)\--||
|-7---------------|-----------------o||-------------------||
|-----------------|------------------||-------------------||


 Guitar Solo
  A   D/F#    A             A7                E5
  Gtr III
  E E a E E a E E E a E   E E a E E E E E E   E    +E  Q    E    +E  E  E
|-5-5-3s5-5-3s5-5-5-3s5-|-5-5-3s5-5-5-5-5-5-|--------------------------------|
|-5-5-3s5-5-3s5-5-5-3s5-|-5-5-3s5-5-5-5-5-5-|---------------------------5----|
|-----------------------|-------------------|-7b9==(7)-7r---7b9==(7)-7r-7b9==|
|-----------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|
|
| Gtr I
| Q     E E   E E Q       E E   E E E E E E   Q        E  E E     E  E  E
|-----------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|
|-2-----3-----3-2-------|---8---8-8-8-8-8-x-|--------------------------------|
|-2-----2-----2-2-------|-------9-9-9-9-9-x-|----------9----9-----x--x--9----|
|-2-----4-----4-2-------|-------7-7-7-7-7-x-|-9--------9----9-----x--x--9----|
|-0---------------------|-------------------|-7--------7----7-----x--x--7----|
|-----------------------|-------------------|-0------------------------------|


                             A   D/F#  A             A7
  +E  E  Q      E E E  +E    E E E E a E E E a E   E E a E E E E E E
|--------------------------|-5-5-5-5-3s5-5-5-3s5-|-5-5-3s5-5-5-5-5-5-|
|-(5)-5--5------5-5-5------|-5-5-5-5-3s5-5-5-3s5-|-5-5-3s5-5-5-5-5-5-|
|-(7)-7r-7b9====7-7-7r=(7)-|---------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|
| +Q     E    E E E Q        Q   E E   E E Q       E E   E E E E E E
|--------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|--------------------------|-2---3-----3-2-------|---8---8-8-8-8-8---|
|-(9)----9------9---9\-----|-2---2-----2-2-------|-------9-9-9-9-9---|
|-(9)----9------9---9\-----|-2---4-----4-2-------|-------7-7-7-7-7---|
|-(7)----7------7---7\-----|-0-------------------|-----------------0-|
|--------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|


                                             D.S. al Coda
  E5                        B
  E    +E  Q   E   +E  Q    E    +E  Q  Q   E E   E E h.
|----------------------0--|----------0--0---0-5-|-5s7-7------||
|----------5---5-------0--|----------0--0---0-0-|-0----------||
|-7b9==(7)-7---7r==(7)----|-2b4==(2)----2r----6-|-6s8-8------||
|-------------------------|---------------------|------------||
|-------------------------|---------------------|------------||
|-------------------------|---------------------|------------||
|
| H           +Q       Q    W                     W
|-------------------------|-7-------------------|-7----------||
|-------------------------|-7-------------------|-7----------||
|-9-----------(9)\--------|-8-------------------|-8----------||
|-9-----------(9)\--------|-9-------------------|-9----------||
|-7-----------(7)\--------|-9-------------------|-9----------||
|-0-----------------------|-7-------------------|-7----------||


 Outro
  &
  E5                  D5                E5                D5
  Gtr I
  E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E Q   Q  E E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|
|-9---9---x-x-x-x-|-9s7-x-x-x-x-x-x-|-7s9-9---x-x-x-x-|-9s7-x---x--7-7-|
|-9---9---x-x-x-x-|-9s7-x-x-x-x-x-x-|-7s9-9---x-x-x-x-|-9s7-x---x--7-7-|
|-7---7---x-x-x-x-|-7s5-x-x-x-x-x-x-|-5s7-7---x-x-x-x-|-7s5-x---x--5-5-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|
|
| Gtr II
| Q   E E E E Q     Q   E E Q   Q     Q   E E E E Q     Q   E E Q  Q
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|
|-----------------|-----8---7-------|-----------------|-----8---7------|
|-9---9---7-9-----|-----9---7-------|-9---9---7-9-----|-----9---7------|
|-9---9---7-9-----|-----7---7-------|-9---9---7-9-----|-----7---7------|
|-7---------------|-----------------|-7---------------|----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|


    E5                D5               E5
  E E E E E E E E   E E Q   Q  E E   E E E E E E E E   q  Q  H
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|------------*|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|------------*|
|-7s9-9---x-x-x-x-|-9s7-x---x--7-7-|-7s9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9----------*|
|-7s9-9---x-x-x-x-|-9s7-x---x--7-7-|-7s9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9----------*|
|-5s7-7---x-x-x-x-|-7s5-x---x--5-5-|-5s7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7----------*|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|------------*|
|
| Q   E E E E Q     Q   E E Q  Q     E E E E E E E E   q  Q  H
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|------------*|
|-----------------|-----8---7------|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9----------*|
|-9---9---7-9-----|-----9---7------|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9----------*|
|-9---9---7-9-----|-----7---7------|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9----------*|
|-7---------------|----------------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7----------*|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|------------*|


Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for.  Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.  Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for.  Low
melody durations appear below the staff

Tablature Legend
----------------
 h   - hammer-on
 p   - pull-off
 b   - bend
 pb  - pre-bend
 r   - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
 /\  - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
 s   - legato slide
 S   - shift slide
  - natural harmonic
[n]  - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
 ~   - vibrato
 tr  - trill
 T   - tap
 TP  - trem. picking
 PM  - palm muting
\n/  - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
 \n  - tremolo bar down
 n/  - tremolo bar up
/n\  - tremolo bar inverted dip
 =   - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
   - volume swell (louder/softer)
 x   - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
 o   - on rhythm slash represents single note slash

Misc Legend
-----------
 |  - bar
||  - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*|  - double bar (ending)
 :  - bar (freetime)
 $  - Segno
 &  - Coda
Tempo markers -  = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths

Last updated: September 10, 2025

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