Tabs
Rush - Closer to the Heart
From the CD 'A Farewell to Kings'
Written by Lee/Lifeson/Peart/Talbot
Mercury/Polygram Records 822546-2
This song has been tabbed by so many people, that it would be a
waste to name them all. It has also appeared (in whole and in part) in
several guitar magazines. The key is A, but it switches to 
D MajorD for the
solo. Standard tuning [EADGBe] (low to high). The guitars during the
verses are doubled, electric and acoustic.
Jimmy Pena - [email protected]
| = not a standard bar line; just used to separate music
~ = vibrato or held note
h = hammer on
p = pull off
s = slide
b = bend string up to indicated pitch/fret
r = release bend to indicated string/fret
/ = slide up from infinity
\ = slide down into infinity
o \_
o / repeat sign (always look for these!)
Chord 🏷Legend:
A augmentedA : [xx7765]
G+G : [xx5543]
D MajorD : [xx0232]
A5A5 : [x022xx]
[Intro] - played on an acoustic 12-string
A(add9)
e:-5------7-------4-------5--5-----4------------------------------|
B:---0------0-------0----------------7--5-------------------------|
G:-----6------6-------6--------6----------6-----------------------|
D:----------------------------------------------------------------|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat 3 times:
e:---5------7------4------5------4-----------------------------------|
B:-----0------0------0------0------7--5------------------------------|
G:o-------------6------6------6---------6---------------------------o|
D:o------7----------------------------------------------------------o|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
[Riff 1]
G+G D(add9) 
Fmaj7Fmaj7
e:-------0------------0------------0------------------------------|
B:-----3---3--------3---3--------1---1----------------------------|
G:---4------------2------------2---------2------------------------|
D:-5--------5s4-4--------4s3-3-----------3------------------------|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
Asus2Asus2 
Asus4Asus4 A augmentedA
e:---------------------0------------------------------------------|
B:--0--3--2---2----0h2-------0--3--2------------------------------|
G:--2--2--2------------------2--2--2------------------------------|
D:--2--2--2-----2------------2--2--2------------------------------|
A:--0--0--0------------------0--0--0------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
[Riff 2] - bells arr. for guitar (don't play if your drummer has these
bells!)
e:--10~------------------------10~--------------------------------|
B:-------10---8~--7---8---10--------10---8~-----------------------|
G:--11~------------------------11~--------------------------------|
D:-------11---9~--7---9---11--------11---9~-----------------------|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
Song progression:
[Intro] x1 (repeat second measure 3 times)
[Riff 1] x1
(This part is played on a 6-string acoustic)
A augmentedA G+G D MajorD G+G A augmentedA
And the men who hold high places ....
e:--------3-----------|
A augmentedA G+G D MajorD A5A5 G+G B:------3---3---------|
to mold a new reality ....... G:----0---------------|
D:--0-----------------|
D MajorD A5A5 G+G [arpeggate as shown:] A:--------------------|
Closer to the ..... E:--------------------|
A augmentedA G+G D MajorD G+G A augmentedA
The blacksmith and the artist ...
A augmentedA G+G D MajorD A5A5 G+G [arpeggate as shown above]
They forge their creativity ....
D MajorD A5A5 G+G
Closer to ....
[Riff 2] x1
(Now the 6-string acoustic is joined by a 6-string electric)
A augmentedA G+G D MajorD G+G A augmentedA
Philosophers and plowme....
A augmentedA A augmentedA G+G G+G D MajorD A augmentedA G+G G+G
to sow a new menta.....
D MajorD A5A5 G+G G+G D MajorD A5A5 G+G
Closer to the heart. ....
(Rhythm during solo is: strum D MajorD G+G 
C majorC A augmentedA at 4/4 time, changing chords each
measure)
[Guitar Solo]
e:--10b12~~-----10~~----8~----------------7---9-10--9-10-12-------|
B:--10b12~~-----10~~----8~------7--8--10------7-8-----------------|
G:----------------------9~------7--7--7---------------------------|
D:----------------------------------------------------------------|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
e:-10-12-14--12-14-15--12-14-15--14-15-17--17b19~---17b19---------|
B:----------------------------------------------------------------|
G:----------------------------------------------------------------|
D:----------------------------------------------------------------|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
e:-17b19---17b19r17--12-14-15---15b17---15b16---15b17~------------|
B:----------------------------------------------------------------|
G:----------------------------------------------------------------|
D:----------------------------------------------------------------|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
e:-------------------------------------------15-14-15-14-15-14-15-14-|
B:-15b17r15--15~-15~---17b19r17--17~-17~-----15-14-15-14-15-14-15-14-|
G:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
e:-15b17~-17-17~-----------10-------------------------------------|
B:-15b17~-17-17~---10b12---10---10b12r10---7s8s7------------------|
G:------------------9b11---------9b11r9----6s7s6----9--7--9b10----|
D:--------------------------------------------------9--7--9b10----|
A:----------------------------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------------------------------------------------|
e:-------------------------------------------------------------|
B:------------------------------------------------3-3--3-3-2---|
G:--7~-----4p0---2--2--4b5--4b5~--4~---4b5r4------2-2--2-2-2---|
D:--7~-----4p0---2--2--4b5--4b5~--4~---4b5r4-------------------|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------------------------------|
e:-4s5----------------------------------------------------------|
B:-4s5----------------------------------------------------------|
G:-5s6----------------------------------------------------------|
D:--------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--------------------------------------------------------------|
[Intro] x1 (repeat second measure 3 times)
A5A5 A5A5 G+G G+G D MajorD G+G A5A5 A5 A5A5
Woah you can be the ....
A5A5 A5A5 G+G G+G D MajorD A5A5 G+G G+G 
G MajorG
sailing into destiny ....
D MajorD A5A5 G+G G MajorG G+G
Closer to ...
D MajorD A5A5 G+G
Well closer ....
G+G G MajorG
Oh yeah
(Rhythm guitar plays D/A5/G pattern as above)
[bend 3/5 and strike repeatedly as below]
Closer to the ....
[bend 3/5 etc]
Closer to ....
[bend 7/9 and strike repeatedly as below]
I said closer ....
[bend 15/17 and strike repeatedly as below] (begin fadeout)
Well closer ....
[bend 15/17 etc]
Yeah closer ....
[bend 17/20 and strike repeatedly as below]
Closer to ....
Whoa ...
e:--------------------------------------17b19~------------|
B:--3b5~----------7b9~-------15b17~-----20b22~------------|
G:--5b7~----------9b11~------17b19~-----------------------|
D:--------------------------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------------------------------------|
E:--------------------------------------------------------|
Other versions of Closer To The Heart
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Closer to the heart acoustic ukulele by Rush
