Big River Tab by Van Halen

Big River tab by Van Halen

Guitar Tab

Van Halen - "Big River"
From "A Different Kind of Truth"
Tuning - Eb (all strings down 1 fret)
tabbed by jjhand



Clean Intro

eb|-2h3p2p0--3p2p0------------|-2h3p2p0------------------|
Bb|-----------------3---------|----------3p0-------------|
Gb|---------------------------|--------------0-----------|
Db|-2--------0----------------|-0---------------4--------|
Ab|-----------------3---------|----------3------2--------|
Eb|---------------------------|--------------------------|

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -




Main Riff (w/ Distortion)

eb|-----------------------|------------------------|
Bb|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|------------------------|
Gb|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4--------------------|
Db|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7--5--5p4p0------|
Ab|-----------------------|-------------------0----|
Eb|-----------------------|------------------------|

|-----------------------|--------------------------|
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|--------------------------|
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4----------------------|
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7PH----------------|
|-----------------------|-----------3p0-3h5-3p0-0--|
|-----------------------|--------------------------|

|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|-------------------------|
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4---------------------|
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7---5--5p4p0------|
|-----------------------|--------------------0----|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|

|-----------------------|--------------------------|
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|--------------------------|
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4-------------0--------|
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7-5----------------|
|-----------------------|------------0-3qb-3qb--0--|
|-----------------------|--------------------------|



Verse Riff

|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------4--5-5/7-5--4-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|



Repeat Main Riff

"Oh Big River, Oh Yeah"


Play Verse Riff Again with slight changes

|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------5h7-5h7p5-4-0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|-------------------------|-----------*************-|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7---10-10-8--8--7-| * w/ slight
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|   trem bar bends
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|


Repeat Main Riff (0:55)


Verse 2:

|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-3------3-----3----|-7-7-7-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-----------2-----2-------|--------------5--3--2--3-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--8PH~~~------| <- use trem bar
|-4~~~---------|--------------|    vibrato for
|-2~~~---------|--------------|    horse sound
|--------------|--------------|



Repeat Main Riff



Play Verse Riff 2 Again, but ending changes again:
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-3------3-----3----|-7-7-7-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-----------2-----2-------|--------------5--3--2----|
|-------------------------|-----------------------3-|

|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|-2------------|-2\____-------| dive bar, lower note gradually


(1:48) Bridge to Solo
|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------4PH\_/-------|
|------------------------|------------------7\6/7-|
|-------7~--------7---7\-|-------7----------------|
|-0-0-0-----0-0-0--------|-0-0-0------------5\4/5-|

|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-------------*-*---*--*------|
|-------7~--------7---7\-|-------7-----7-7p5-7--5------|
|-0-0-0-----0-0-0--------|-0-0-0-----------------------|

*slight harmonics


Solo
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-9b12r-9p7--9--7h9p7-9~--|-7h9p7--------------14b16|
|----------9--------------|-------9-7h9p7\5-9~~~----|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------15-17|
|-14p12---14b16r-12---14b16r-12---14b16r-12---14-16-----|
|------14----------14----------14----------14-----------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|

|-17---15-14h15p14---15-14----|-----19_p15--19p15--19p15--19p15---|
|-----------------17-------/x-|-----------17-----17-----17-----17-|
|-----------------------------|-/16-------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------|
|-------------------15---12-------------|
|-16~-16p14\12-14b16--b16--b16-14-14p12-|
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|

 all TP notes
|----------17--------17-19-22-|-22b24-22-22b24-22-22b24-b24~~~---|
|-17--19-20--17-19-20---------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|------------------------------/12\|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|

|-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T8p3p0-T8p0h3-T8-T8p3p0-T8-|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-T12p3p0-T12p0h3-T12-T12p3p0-T12p0h3-T12-T10p3p0-T10p0h3-T10-T10p3p0-T10-|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T7p3p0-T7p0h3---------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------7PH_b___r-5--|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|

|----------------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------------|---------------------|
|---------------slight harm--|---------------------|
|--------------10-10-10-10~~-|-------5---5-4-------|
|-------7--------------------|---------------7-6~--|
|-0-0-0----8-8---------------|-3-3-3---------------|

|----------------------------|------------------------|---------|
|----------------------------|------------------------|---------|
|---------------slight harm--|------------------------|---------|
|--------------10-10-10-10~~-|-------5---9-9---5-4-2--|---------|
|-------7--------------------|-----------x-x---x-x-x--|---------|
|-0-0-0----8-8---------------|-3-3-3-----7-7---3-2-0--|-0-------|

|----------|-10-14p12p10--------------------------------|
|----------|------------15-15p12p10---------------------|
|-7--------|-----------------------14-12p10\9-10-9------|
|-7--------|--------------------------------------14-12-|
|-5--------|--------------------------------------------|
|----------|--------------------------------------------|




Back to Main Riff (rhythm plays this through end of song)



Lead Guitar End Part (2:58-3:16 on Main Riff repeat, play 2x)

|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|
|-7b8---7~~~----|-7h8-7-----------|-7b8---7~~~---|-------------10~---|
|---------------|-------9-9-7-6---|--------------|-9-7h9p7-6---------|
|---------------|---------------7-|--------------|-----------7-------|
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|


Continue Lead (3:17)
|------15------------|-------17-15-17b19-15-17~-|
|-15b17--15~~--15b17r|-13-----------------------|
|--------------------|---14---------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|


|------17-20p17---17---------------|------------------------12--|
|-20b22--------b22--r20---17h20p17-|-18h17\15--15\13p12---------|
|-----------------------19---------|---------17--------14-------|
|----------------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------------|---------------------x\5----|

|-15\12/15\12-17--17\-----|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|-14h17p14~~----------------|
|-------------------------|------------0\(-5)______/--|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|

|----8--10b12r--------------------|--------------------------------|
|-10-----------10h13p10~---7h10p7-|--7h10p7-10p7-------------------|
|-------------------------9-------|-9------------9-9b11r-7-9-7-----|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------9-9~|
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|


play Lead Guitar End Part again and fade out


KEY
************************************

| /   slide up
| \   slide down
|\_/  dive tremelo bar and release, note the number of frets to lower note in ()
| h   hammer-on
| p   pull-off
| ~   vibrato
| PH  pinch harmonic
| x   Mute note
| b   Bend
| pb  Pre-bend
| r   Bend release
| __  Hold note or bend before changing pitch

Your last visited songs

Van Halen tabs for Big river

What is this?

Learn how to play "Big River" by Van Halen with our easy-to-follow guide. Build confidence, sharpen your technique, and enjoy playing guitar.

Who Is This Page For?

This guitar tabs tutorial for "Big River" by Van Halen is crafted for all musicians players ready to learn and grow. Whether you're just starting or refining your skills, this guide meets you where you are.

Why This Page Is Perfect for You

No matter your skill level, this page is a valuable resource for improving your guitar tab playing.

What You Will Gain

By using our guitar tabs, you’ll not only learn to play "Big River" by Van Halen with accuracy and style, but you'll also elevate your overall musicianship. Explore our full archive of guitar tabs for more songs, skills, and inspiration.

Find guitar tabs and chords

[ Privacy | About us ]

×