Tabs
Song: Schism (Version 4 tab)
Artist: Tool
Record: Lateralus
Label: Volcano
Transcribed by Edward Dawson - all my own work (except corrections).
Corrections:
Interlude correction by Richard Rosebrook ([email protected])
Lots of other ones by myself.
THIS IS THE THIRD REVISION (V4 of the tab)
Here's another version of the tab, it's almost perfect now (reckon). 
A augmentedA
lot of people have sent me alternative ways of playing the main bass
hammer-on part as they have seen it published in magazines but the notes
I use here and the notes used in said magazines are the same, only played
in different places on other strings - do what you want; it comes out
sounding more or less identical.
Hopefully all the gabble I've appended to the various sections makes some
sense; email me if you want anything clarified
The original tab is included at the bottom.
Just like to say thanks to all the people who did email me about this tab,
telling me it was good or whether bits were out or not. There were far too
many of you to list here. You actually overflowed the HD quota I have on
my University's mail server!
This tab is primarily for guitar although it has a bit of bass in it also.
I felt this was necessary as the guitar and bass interaction is unusually
high in this particular piece and it's sometimes hard to tell what's what.
Some people have asked me to do a seperate bass tab but alas I don't have
a bass to mess around on so I really can't begin to work out some of the
parts :/
A augmentedA little bit of notation before we begin;
I use brackets around notes to represent 'ghost' notes - one's that are
kinda hinted at rather than played out-right.
Also, when I put 'm's underneath a section of tab it means palm mute on
that strum. Sometimes there just isnt enough space to put in
'[-palm mute-]' or whatever when the going gets intricate!
Any comments/corrections, drop me a line:
[email protected]
**Guitar and Bass in Dropped-D tuning**
**I.e DADGBE and DADG respectively**
TO START WITH, THE GUITAR SHOULD HAVE IT'S VOLUME TURNED ALL THE WAY DOWN.
This is in preparation for a volume swell in a minute. The guitar's sound
should have a medium amount of distortion. Too much will fuzz out the
intricacies if some of the guitar parts. I can't really say much about the
bass' sound other than it sounds quite thin and guitar-like I guess :)
BASS INTRO:
(0:00)
G+G|---15----14-/--17-/--19-----15----14-/--17-/-19-------
D MajorD|---12----15-/--17-/--20-----12----15-/--17-/-19---0---
A augmentedA|------------------------------------------------------
D MajorD|------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Before I had this part tabbed for guitar, if you are playing without
a bassist and still want to play this bit, just play what's above but
12 frets down (that's what I had down in version 3 - the previous version -
of the tab).
MAIN BASS RIFF:
(0:13)
G+G|----------------------------------------------12-------
D MajorD|----12h14h15----14----------12h14h15----14-------------
A augmentedA|-------------------------------------------------------
D MajorD|-12----------12----12-12-12----------12----12----12-12-
You can play the above riff on a guitar too, but base it around
open strings, rather than the 12th fret, i.e:
E MajorE|-------------------------------------------------------
BB|-------------------------------------------------------
G+G|-------------------------------------------------------
D MajorD|-----0h2h3-------2-----------0h2h3-------2-----5-------
A augmentedA|-------------------------------------------------------
D MajorD|-0-----------0------0--0--0-----------0----0------0--0-
However, in doing this you will not be able to do the volume swell
which takes you into this next part.
ACCOMPANYING GUITAR PART:
Pluck your low D MajorD string gently, then slowly and smoothly turn your
volume up prior to playing this next bit which comes in with the
drums:
On the 4th time through play the last note w/o palm muting (5).
(0:26)
E MajorE|----------------------------------- E MajorE|----
BB|----------------------------------- BB|----
G+G|---3---2--------------3---2-----5-- x4 G+G|--2- and let
D MajorD|----------------------------------- D MajorD|--0- ring...
A augmentedA|----------------------------------- A augmentedA|----
D MajorD|----------------------------------- D MajorD|----
[_________Palm muted___________]
Then this after the bass riff has been played another 4 times...
(0:53)
E MajorE|-------
BB|--3----
G+G|---2--- and let ring....
D MajorD|---0---
A augmentedA|------- *Make sure to play the open D MajorD and the (2)
D MajorD|------- on the G+G with a down stroke.
Shortly followed by these two bits after two more times through
the bass riff. Again, make sure to play the 2's and 0's with
down strokes....
(1:00)
E MajorE|--3-------------------5------------
BB|-----3-------------------3---------
G+G|--------2-------------------2------
D MajorD|--------0-------------------0------
A augmentedA|-----------------------------------
D MajorD|-----------------------------------
Then play this steady over the top for another 4 times through the
bass riff.....
(1:07)
E MajorE|--------------
BB|--------------
G+G|--2--2--2--2--
D MajorD|--0--0--0--0--
A augmentedA|--------------
D MajorD|--------------
[Palm mute]
GUITAR MIRROR:
Now the guitar mirror to the bass riff comes in (hoorah!)...
The bass strums a constant open A augmentedA string to go with this.
(1:20)
E MajorE|-------------------------------------
BB|-------------------------------------
G+G|-----------------------------------7-
D MajorD|----7h9h10--9-------7h9h10---9------- x 4
A augmentedA|-0------------0---0-------------0----
D MajorD|-------------------------------------
The it's back to this part for a bit:
(1:35)
E MajorE|--------------
BB|--------------
G+G|--2--2--2--2-- The main bass riff plays along with this
D MajorD|--0--0--0--0-- again...
A augmentedA|--------------
D MajorD|--------------
[Palm mute]
Then the bass/guitar roles swap again at (2:02); Guitar plays mirror
riff and bass plays constant A augmentedA string.
BIG RIFF:
Now the 'big fat' riff comes in. Bass plays along with the bass
notes of the power chords. (D MajorD|-0---3---5-3---3--5-5--)
(2:16)
E MajorE|----------------------------------
BB|----------------------------------
G+G|---------------------------------- x 3
D MajorD|-0-XX-3-XX-5-3---3-/-5-5----------
A augmentedA|-0-XX-3-XX-5-3---3-/-5-5--------5-
D MajorD|-0-XX-3-XX-5-3---3-/-5-5-0h3h5----
E MajorE|----------------------------------
BB|----------------------------------
G+G|---------------------------------- x 1
D MajorD|-0-XX-3-XX-5^\3---3-/-5-5----------
A augmentedA|-0-XX-3-XX-5^\3---3-/-5-5--------5-
D MajorD|-0-XX-3-XX-5^\3---3-/-5-5-0h3h5----
NOTE: The bend in the fourth time around should not be brought back
down again, go straight into the slide after bending the string up.
If you want to be precise (and why not!?) the bend is of 1 semi-tone
in magnitude.
Then main bass riff comes back in again. Wait for the bass to hit the
G+G note played on the D MajorD string (5th fret) and as it does, hit this
chord at the same time:
(2:32)
E MajorE|-----
BB|--8--
G+G|--7--
D MajorD|--5--
A augmentedA|--5--
D MajorD|-----
Accompanying guitar part then comes back in.
Then mirror guitar part comes back in x 4 (3:00).
Then the following variation on that guitar part...
(3:13)
E MajorE|--------------------- E MajorE|-------------------
BB|--------------------- BB|-------------------
G+G|------------------7-- x 7 G+G|-------------------
D MajorD|----7h9h10---9------- D MajorD|-----7h9h10---9----
A augmentedA|--0------------------ A augmentedA|--0--------------0-
D MajorD|--------------------- E MajorE|-------------------
Letting the open A augmentedA ring (it could actually be on bass, can't
really tell!)....
Then this guitar part below comes in. The notes with m's below
are palm-muted. I suspect that they could actually be on the
bass (with an overdrive or something) rather than on guitar
(12th fret of A augmentedA string) but I'm thinking the hollow wishy-washy
background noise part the way through is somehow made on the
bass? I suspect it has something to do with the bass's tone knob.
(3:31)
E MajorE|--------------------------------------------------------
BB|--------------------------------------------------------
G+G|--------------------------------------------------------
D MajorD|-14-----17----14-----19----12----14----10----12--10--12-
A augmentedA|--0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
D MajorD|----m-m----m-m---m-m----m-m---m-m---m-m---m-m---m---m---
Played 8 times then a gazoo/echo type effect comes in and plays
4 more times. Then goes back to previous effect for another 4
times.
Then this bit comes in:
(5:05)
E MajorE|-------------------------------
BB|-------------------------------
G+G|-------------------------------
D MajorD|-14----17----14----17--14--14-- x2
A augmentedA|--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--
D MajorD|----m-m---m-m---m-m---m---m----
Guitar pauses while Bass does this:
G+G|----------------
D MajorD|----------------
A augmentedA|-7h9h10--9--7--- x1
D MajorD|----------------
Then guitar comes back in with:
E MajorE|-------------------------------
BB|-------------------------------
G+G|-------------------------------
D MajorD|-14----17----14----17--14--14-- x2
A augmentedA|--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--
D MajorD|----m-m---m-m---m-m---m---m----
Gradually gets louder and builds up to....
(5:21)
E MajorE|----------------------------- E MajorE|---------
BB|----------------------------- BB|---------
G+G|-------------------------(7)- G+G|---------
D MajorD|--7--7----5--5--/12-12----7-- D MajorD|--------- x 4
A augmentedA|--5--5----3--3--/10-10----0-- A augmentedA|-0-0-0-0- (a total of
D MajorD|--------------------------0-- D MajorD|--------- 16 strums).
E MajorE|----------------------------- E MajorE|---------
BB|----------------------------- BB|---------
G+G|-------------------------(7)- G+G|---------
D MajorD|--7--7----5--5--/12-12----7-- D MajorD|--------- x 4
A augmentedA|--5--5----3--3--/10-10----0-- A augmentedA|-0-0-0-0-
D MajorD|--------------------------0-- D MajorD|---------
E MajorE|----------------------------------------------
BB|----------------------------------------------
G+G|----------------------------------------------
D MajorD|--7--7----5--5--/12-12----0--7-7-8-7-7-7-8-7--
A augmentedA|--5--5----3--3--/10-10----0--5-5-6-5-5-5-6-5--
D MajorD|----------3--3------------0----------------0--
E MajorE|------------------------------
BB|------------------------------
G+G|------------------------------
D MajorD|--7--7----5--5--/12-12-------- ....
A augmentedA|--5--5----3--3--/10-10----0---
D MajorD|--5--5--------------------0-0-
(5:44)
E MajorE|-----------------------------------
BB|-----------------------------------
G+G|----------------------------------- x 3
D MajorD|-0---------------------------------
A augmentedA|------5------5-------3-3/5--0------
D MajorD|----7---0--5----0--3--------0---0--
E MajorE|------------------
BB|------------------
G+G|------------------
D MajorD|-0----------------
A augmentedA|------5------5----
D MajorD|----7---0--5---0--
(5:59)
E MajorE|----------------------------
BB|----------------------------
G+G|---------------------------- x 3
D MajorD|--3-0-2-0-0-3-0-2-0-5-0-0---
A augmentedA|--3-0-2-0-0-3-0-2-0-5-0-0---
D MajorD|--3-0-2-0-0-3-0-2-0-5-0-0---
[_____Palm Muted______]
E MajorE|----------------------------
BB|----------------------------
G+G|----------------------------
D MajorD|--3-0-2-0-0-3-0-2-0-5-------
A augmentedA|--3-0-2-0-0-3-0-2-0-5-0000--
D MajorD|--3-0-2-0-0-3-0-2-0-5-0000--
[_____Palm Muted_______]
Again, for the next bit, 'm' means palm-mute.
E MajorE|-------------------------------
BB|--6----5------6----5----8------ x 3
G+G|--5----4------5----4----7------
D MajorD|--3----2------3----2----5------
A augmentedA|--3-xx-2-xxxx-3-xx-2-xx-5-xxxx-
D MajorD|----00---0000---00---00---0000-
mm mmmm mm mm mmmm
E MajorE|--------------------------
BB|--6----5------6----5----8- x 1
G+G|--5----4------5----4----7-
D MajorD|--3----2------3----2----5-
A augmentedA|--3-xx-2-xxxx-3-xx-2-xx-5-
D MajorD|----00---0000---00---00---
mm mmmm mm mm
Then the outro riff:
E MajorE|--------------------------------------
BB|--------------------------------------
G+G|--------------------------------------
D MajorD|-------------------------------------- x8
A augmentedA|-(0)-0-3-5----(0)-0-3-6-------(0)3-3--
D MajorD|--0--0-0-0-----0--0-0-0--------0-3(3)-
[____________Palm Muted______________]
Whilst the bass does this
G+G|------------------------------------
D MajorD|------------------------------------
A augmentedA|------------------------------------ x8
D MajorD|--0--0-0-0-----0--0-0-0--------0----
Ok, well that's it. My emails [email protected] if you have any
gripes about it - I'm sure you will! :)
Edd
Other versions of Schism
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Schism by Tool
