Tabs
This is an attempt at transcribing Mean Streets off Van Halen's Fair Warning. I've gotten the gyst of it (I think), but the intro isn't exactly correct. Call this a cry for help. If you know of a better way to do it, please e-mail me! ([email protected]) Here goes.... The fade-in riff is a percussive guitar version of a 'paradiddle' (that's what my drummer says, anyway). This is pretty close to what he is doing. All notes are tapped harmonics, produced by momentarily ramming your finger onto the string right at the fret and releasing. The 12th fret harmonics are produced by tapping with your pick hand (I'm told Eddie does it with his thumb). 5------------12-----------12----12--------------- 6--12--5--7-----5--12--5------5-----5--12-5-7---- t i r t i t i t i t i t i r Try to get this as smooth and rhythmic as possible. It's important to slap the string pretty hard to get the harmonics Then comes the flurry of harmonics and tapped arpeggios. These are far from correct, but they give a general idea of what is going on. Notes in parentheses are hammered harmonics. nn/nn designates a fretted note that is made harmonic by hammering over the second postion. 5/12 says to fret at the fifth, and tap-hammer over the 12th fret. 1-------------------|2----------| t p h h p h t h t t t t | t t | 4-------------------------------------------------------5/12--- 5-------------10-0-5-5/12-7------------------------5/12-------- 6--12-0--5--7----------------(12)-(12)-(12)-(12)---------------
Any improvements would be greatly appreciated. The final riff is correct: 1--------------------------------------------------------------- 2-------------7/19-----------------5/17------------------------- 3-------7/19-------7/19----------------6/18--------------------- 4-7/19------------------7/19---------------7/19-7/19------------ 5----------------------------5/17--------------------7/19------- 6---------------------------------------------------------------D MajorD
C majorC
BB / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / (wham bar, feedback) The song! Artificial harmomics, squeals produced by trailing the pick with the edge of your thumb, are notated by !. 1,3-------|2---------------|4------------------| 1------------------------|----------------|-------------------| 2------------------------|----------------|-----5-------------| 3------------------------|----------------|---5---5----7----3-| 4---------------2--------|----------------|-5--------7----3---| 5-3-0--0---3-0--0--------|----------------|-------------------| 6--------3---------0-3!--|-5-5-4-4-3-3-2-0|-------------------| p p {muted }{ harmonics } Section 4 is replaced the second time around with a pick slide down strings 6 & 5; the rhythm is provided by toggling the guitar pickup on and off. This can be pretty tricky to do, as you have to come right back out of it into a
Eddie adds a lot of little harmonics, pick scrapes, etc. To give the song more spontaneity. The best way to pick these up is liten to the tape, they tend to defy notation (Fender mediums do tend to make the best scraping sounds however!) Eddie's solo is very freeform. I'll notate a few of the more signature licks. When you're trying to play a Van Halen solo, its usually best to nail those and glue them together with licks of your own in the same mode. 2^---\ means bend up two steps, hold, then release. { 2X } { 2X } 1----------------------------------------------- 2----------------------------------------------- 3-14--14--x------------------14--14-x--11-12-x-x 4-14--14--x---12--10---------14--14-x--12----x-x 5-14--14--x----------12--10--14--14-x----------- 6----------------------------------------------- { with wah pedal } 2^---------------\0 1^ 0 p p h 1---------------------------------------------5--8-7-5-------------------- 2----------------------------5---7--5-------6--------- A-Minor Riff 8-7-8 3--7!-7!-7!-7!-7!-7!-----------7------7---7----------- 5th pos ----- 4----------------------------------------------------- ----- 5------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6------------------------------------------------------------------------- p p p s p s 1^\0 p 1^ 1-15-19-17-15-17-15-14-15-14-12---------------------------------------- 2------------------------------- -15----12 15--- 3------------------------------- wang bar notes & trills--------------- 4------------------------------- 12th posA augmentedA minor --------------- 5------------------------------- --------------- 6----------------------------------------------------------------------- p p p p 1-----------------------------------------15 2---------------------------13----13--15--15 <- bend up 1 step 3--------------12----12--14----14----------- 4-------12--14----14------------------------ 5-12-15------------------------------------- 6------------------------------------------- There's plenty of goof ups in here, but when I play Van Halen covers I try to for replicating the feel of the solo. You're never going to sound exactly like Eddie, and his style is do freeform that it'll sound better if you're shooting from the hip anyway. The song ends out with the guitar fading from
