Tabs
"Judgment Day" by Van Halen
Transcribed by Matt Strayer
This song is pretty fast, around 190 bpm. Although, it's not to hard to play
once you
have it memorized and master the bar dive trick.
key:
^=hammer on
+=thumb
AH=artificial harmonic
^f=full bend
^h=half bend
/ or \ = slide
T=right hand tapping
(T)=left hand tapping
2(14) = fret the number on the left and play the harmonic on the right by
tapped harm.
technique.
X\ = pick slide
X = muffled strings
~~~~ = vibrato
Intro:
Dadd4 
A7A7 Dadd4
--------|---------|------|------0--|--(0)-|----------|-----------|
--------|------3--|--(3)-|---------|------|-------3--|-(3)-------|
--------|----0----|--(0)-|-0--2----|--(2)-|----0-----|-(0)-------|
--------|--4------|------|---------|------|--4-------|-----------|
--------|---------|------|---------|------|----------|-----------|
---^2---|---------|------|---------|------|----------|-----0**---|
+
A augmentedA
---------|---------|------|---------|
---------|---------|------|---------|
-2--2--2-|-(2)-----|-(2)--|-(2)-----|
-0--0--0-|-(0)-----|-(0)--|-(0)-----|
-0--0--0-|-(0)-----|-(0)--|-(0)-----|
---3--3--|---------|------|---------|
** Depress whammy bar as far as it will go (about an octave) then
strike note and shake bar up and down 7 times (eighth notes -&2&3 etc.)
This goes real fast so have fun!!
Repeat Intro except on the Dadd4 the second time play 2 eighth notes
instead of quarter then eighth note:
Dadd4 A7A7 Dadd4
--------|---------|------|------0--|--(0)-|----------|-----------|
--------|------3--|--(3)-|---------|------|-------3--|-(3)-------|
--------|----0----|--(0)-|-0--2----|--(2)-|----0-----|-(0)-------|
--------|--4------|------|---------|------|--4-------|-----------|
--------|---------|------|---------|------|----------|-----------|
--------|---------|------|---------|------|----------|-----0**---|
A augmentedA
------------|-------------|
------------|-------------|
-2--2--2^F*-|--(2)~~~~ w/bar
-0--0-------|-------------|
-0--0-------|-------------|
---3--3-----|-------------|
*AH (
G+G) Bend up and hold bend while dipping bar one step, then
release both
bend and bar simultaneously.
Dadd4 A7A7 
Dsus4Dsus4 
D MajorD
--------|---------|------|------0--|--(0)-|-----3----|-(3)------------|
--------|------3--|--(3)-|---------|------|---3------|-(3)-------3(15)|
--------|----0----|--(0)-|-0--2----|--(2)-|-2--------|------2(14)-----|
--------|--4------|------|---------|------|----------|----------------|
--------|---------|------|---------|------|----------|----------------|
--------|---------|------|---------|------|----------|----------------|
let ring---
Here just punch out a D MajorD chord: (palm mute open d's)
---------2-------3---|----2---|
---3-----3-------3---|----3---|
---2-----2-------2---|----2---|
-----0-0---0--0----0-|-0--0---|
Now do the bar dive trick, except shake the bar 9 times, (i.e. 1&2&3&4&1)
Continue with this on the "&" of first beat:
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
--2--4^2--4--5/6----------|
--2--4^2--4--5/6----------|
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
Here's the riff played before the first verse:
Palm mute all f#'s on six string: (the technique I recommend for this is
rocking your
first finger back and forth and using the third finger to barre the two notes
at the fourth
fret:
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
-------|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---3---|
------------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---2---|
-2----------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---0---|
-0----------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
-------|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2--------2--------------|----2--2--2--2--2--2-
-------|
---------------------|
-(3)-----------------|
-(2)-----------------| "A" yeah, here's "A"
-(0)-----------------|
-----4^0--2----3--4--|
---------------------|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-2----------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-0----------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2--------2--------------|----2--2--2--2--2--2-
*2-|
* last note
not P.M.
Ok, do that again for the verse up to "A" and then again up to "A" with the
following
variation on the last two bars:
"...problem."
-----------------------|-----------------------|
-----------------------|---3-------------------|
-2---------------------|---2-------------------|
-2---------------------|---0-------------------|
-----------------------|-------4^0--2----3--4--|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2-|-2---------------------|
He continues using the riff throughout the verse with some variations that
you should be able to fiqure out were they go if you here the song:
"Kickin' back.."
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-2---------------------|
-0---------------------|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2-|
"...kickin' you."
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
---------*2~~~-3--4----|
-2--2--2---------------|
* AH
"Ah.."
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-2---------------------|
-0---------------------|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2-|
"No.."
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
-----------------------|
---0--2~~~-------3--4--|
-2---------------------|
Then do this:
"Anyway, if I make 'em...."
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-2----------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-0----------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2--------2--------------|----2--2--2--2--2--2-
-2-|
------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------------|
------------------------|-2/4--4--4--4--4--4--2-|--------------------------|
-----2------------------|-2/4--4--4--4--4--4--2-|--------------------------|
-----0-----2------------|-2/4--4--4--4--4--4--2-|--------------------------|
-----0-----2------------|-----------------------|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--2--------0------------|-----------------------|--------------------------|
------------------------|----------------------------------5(17)|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--5-|-(5)-5(17)------------------5(17)------|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--6-|-(6)------------------7(19)------------|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--7-|-(7)------7(19)-7(19)------------------|
------------------------|---------------------------------------|
------------------------|---------------------------------------|
------------------------|-------------------------|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--2-|-------------------------|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--2-|--------------2----------|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--2-|--------------2----------|
------------------------|--0--0--0--0----0--0--0--|
------------------------|-------------------------|
------------------------|-------------------------|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--5-|-(5)---------------------|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--6-|-(6)----6----(6)/9---9---|
--2/4--4--4--4--4--4--7-|-(7)----6----(6)/9---9---|
------------------------|--------4----(4)/7---7---|
------------------------|-------------------------|
"Makin' wave's a waste..."
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
-------|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---3---|
------------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---2---|
-2----------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---0---|
-0----------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
-------|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2--------2--------------|----2--2--2--2--2--2-
-------|
---------------------|
-(3)-----------------|
-(2)-----------------|
-(0)-----------------|
-----4^0--2----3--4--|
---------------------|
"Got no faith..."
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-2----------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-0----------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2--------2--------------|----2--2--2--2--2--2-
-2-|
------------------------|
------------------------|
-----2------------------|
-----0-----2------------|
-----0-----2------------|
--2--------0------------|
Bridge:
"why..."
1&.....................&|...................4.&|1.&...........4..&|1.&........
....|
A(2nd pos)------------D5|-(
D5D5
etc.)----------E5|---------------F#m|---------------|
"carry you?"
------------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------|
------------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------|
------------------------|---------------------|-------9(21)-----------------|
------------------------|---------------------|--9(21)---------7(19)--------|
-0--0--0--0--4----0--0--|-5-----------4----0--|-----------7(19)--------7(19)|
------------------------|--------------------0|-----------------------------|
Punch an 
E5E5 chord (7th pos) here:
"I just.."
Then:
"slide..."
1&.....................&|...................4.&|1.&...........4..&|1.&........
....|
A(2nd pos)------------D5|-(D5D5
etc.)----------E5|---------------F#m|---------------|
Play 
A5A5 for a bar then this on the A augmentedA string:
--0--0-------2--0--4--|-(4)--4(7)--4(8)--4(8)--4(9)--4(11)~~~|--(4(11))~~~~~~~
|
OK, now:
Now do the bar dive trick, except shake the bar 9 times, (i.e. 1&2&3&4&1)
Continue with this on the "&" of first beat:
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
--2--4^2--4--5/6----------|
--2--4^2--4--5/6----------|
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
For the Chorus play:
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
-------|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---3---|
------------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---2---|
-2----------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---0---|
-0----------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
-------|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2--------2--------------|----2--2--2--2--2--2-
-------|
---------------------|
-(3)-----------------|
-(2)-----------------|
-(0)-----------------|
-----4^0--2----3--4--|
---------------------|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
------------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-2----------------------|---------2--------4------------|--2------------------
---|
-0----------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------
---|
---2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2--------2--------------|----2--2--2--2--2--2-
*2-|
Now, for verse two and the chorus, you already know, just repeat the stuff.
E-(2)~~~~~-------|
Now for my favorite, the solo, pretty hard to fiqure out, I read this one
riff in a guitar
mag, you know the over the top tapping:
The tapped riff is really 7th chords arppegiated. (16th notes) I show the
technique for one chord
and where the next chords are:
A7(12th)
A7(12th)--|--B7(14)---|--B7(14)--|--C7(15)--|-D7(17)--|
------------------------------------|
-14------14--------14------14-------|
-----12-------12-------12------12---|
---14------14--------14------14-----|
-------12--------12------12-------12|
------------------------------------|
* 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
Play the 14's with right hand and 12's with left over the top of the neck
with the
left hand pinky lying across and muting all the strings to cut out noise.
* fingering
Then he changes it with the same ideas:
E7E7 (play three times)
--------------------17-------------|
-21--17--21--17--21----19--21--17--|
-------19------19----------------19|
---21------21------21--------21----|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
The solo I'll post later after I figure it out!!!
After the solo, play the intro again with some difference that's not worth
tabbing, so
you should be able to figure out the order of the stuff. There's one more
verse, and there
is some more variation in the last chorus that you could fiqure out easily,
he just plays
F#'s instead of doing the D MajorD chord thing. He also plays the tapped riff again
at the end.
Of course, you can improvise, so listen to the song
and play along. It's a lot easier to memorize that way and helps with timing.
Questions or comments, don't be shy: e-mail to [email protected]
