Runaround Tab by Van Halen

Runaround tab by Van Halen

Guitar Tab

TAB: "Runaround" by Van Halen

Okay, here's my second posting of a rather difficult Van Halen tune (the
first being that "Poundcake" monster).  The first thing you gotta do if you
wanna sound like the record is tune down 1/2 step.  The signature riff
(which is also the chorus part) is quite difficult to play.  Try to find
as many actual chord-shapes as possible; that way you won't have to make a
million changes in hand position.  There's some bits of lyric here and there
to help you keep up...
A few notes on my   "p.m...." means palm-mute;
                        "a.h...." means artificial harmonics
                        "b" means bend
                        "b&r" means bend the notes up to pitch and
                                then release the bend to the original
                                pitch.
                        "bf" means bend full

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -


                                 Runaround
                                by Van Halen
                               tab by Paul D.
                            s3bz@music.transy.edu



|---||---------------0-|--------------|-----------------|------------------
|---||-------------3---|-3------------|---------------3-|------------------
|---||-----2-----2-----|---2----------|-----2-------0---|------------------
|---||---2-----0-------|--------------|---2-------------|------------------
|---||-0-----3---------|----------0-3-|-0-----3---------|------------------
|-3-||-----------------|-----3~~~-----|---------3~------|------------------



--------------|---------------0-|--------------|-------------3-|-----------
1-0-----0-----|-------------3---|-3------------|-------------3-|-----------
------2---2---|-----2-----2-----|---2----------|-----2-------0-|-----------
----0---------|---2-----0-------|--------------|---2---------0-|-----------
--------------|-0-----3---------|----------0-3-|-0-----3-------|-----------
------------3-|-----------------|-----3~~~-----|---------3~----|-----------



3-3-3-2---2-2-0-|------------|------------|------------|-------------------
3-3-3-3---3-3-3-|-------15---|-------14---|-------13---|-------------------
0-0-0-2---2-2-2-|----12------|----12------|----10------|-------------------
0-0-0-0---0-0-0-|-14---------|-14---------|-12---------|-------------------
----------------|------------|------------|------------|-------------------
----------------|------------|------------|------------|-------------------



-------------------|------------|------------|----------|------------------
12-12-10h12-10-----|-------15---|-------14---|-------13-|------------------
10-10-10----10-----|----12------|----12------|----10----|------------------
10-10-10----10-----|-14---------|-14---------|-12-------|------------------
-----------------0-|------------|------------|----------|------------------
-------------------|------------|------------|----------|------------------


                                             b
--------------14---12\--||----------|--------------|----------|------------
12-12-12-10---12---12\--||----------|--------------|----------|------------
10-10-10-10---12--------||----------|--------------|----------|------------
10-10-10-10-----------2-||-2--------|------------2-|-2--------|------------
----------------------0-||-0--------|-----5------0-|-0--------|------------
------------------------||-------12\|-2------2-----|-------12\|------------
                              "She don't like it..."     "And don't like..."

       b                          b
--------------|----------|--------------|---------------|------------------
--------------|----------|--------------|-----------5-7-|------------------
--------------|----------|--------------|-------5---5-7-|------------------
----7-------2-|-2--------|------------2-|-2-2/7---7-----|------------------
4------4~~~-0-|-0--------|-----5------0-|-0-0-----------|------------------
--------------|-------12\|-2------2-----|---------------|------------------
                                             "She ain't about to give..."

b&r
---------------|------------|------------|----------|----------------------
-7-------------|-------15---|-------14---|-------13-|----------------------
-7------p5-----|----12------|----12------|----10----|----------------------
-----------7-7-|-14---------|-14---------|-12-------|----------------------
-------------0-|------------|------------|----------|----------------------
---------------|------------|------------|----------|----------------------


                              b                      b
--------------14---12\--||----------------|----------------|----------|----
12-12-12-10---12---12\--||----------------|----------------|----------|----
10-10-10-10---12--------||--------2---x-x-|----------------|----------|----
10-10-10-10-----------2-||-2------2---x-x-|--------------2-|-2--------|----
----------------------0-||-0--3-------x-x-|-------5------0-|-0--------|----
------------------------||----------------|-2--------2-----|-------12\|----
                                 "She can take me..."

     a.h.......                             b
--------------------|-------------|--------------|---------------|---------
--------------------|-------------|--------------|-----------5-7-|---------
--------------------|-------2-----|--------------|-------5---5-7-|---------
-----7------------2-|-2-----2-----|------------2-|-2-2/7---7-----|---------
4------4---4-4~~~-0-|-0-3-----x-x-|-----5------0-|-0-0-----------|---------
--------------------|-------------|-2------2-----|---------------|---------
"...drives me home..."

b&r                p.m...
---------------||------------------|---------------------|-----------------
-7-------------||--------5-----7---|-----10---9h10p9-----|-----------------
-7------p5-----||------6-----------|-9---------------9---|-----------------
-----------7-7-||----6-------7---9-|---9---------------9-|-----------------
-------------0-||--4-------5-----7-|---------------------|-----------------
---------------||----------------0-|---------------------|-----------------
                  "I'd walk, but I want it..."


--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|----------------
--------10-----7/10-|-9-----------------|-----------------|----------------
-----11-------------|---9---------------|-----6-----------|----------------
--11---------7------|-----9---7h9p7\6---|---6-------------|----------------
9----------5--------|-----------------7-|-4----/7-5-5/9-7-|----------------
-----------------0--|-------------------|---------------0-|----------------
"what fool believes.."                   "I've got her in my sight..."

                      p.m...
--------------------|------------------|-------------||--------------------
-----------------10-|--------3-2-------|-0-----------||--------------------
--9-----------11----|------2-----2---1-|-2---1-------||--------------------
9----------11-------|----2-----------2-|-2---2-------||--------------------
---/11-9------------|--0-------------2-|-----2-------||--------------------
--------------------|----------------0-|-----------3-||--------------------
"But just out of..."


--------------0-|--------------|-----------------|---------------|---------
------------3---|-3------------|---------------3-|-1-0-----0-----|---------
----2-----2-----|---2----------|-----2-------0---|-------2---2---|---------
--2-----0-------|--------------|---2-------------|-----0---------|---------
0-----3---------|----------0-3-|-0-----3---------|---------------|---------
----------------|-----3~~~-----|---------3-------|-------------3-|---------
"Here we go around..."


--------------0-|--------------|-----------------|-------------||
------------3---|-3------------|---------------3-|-1-0-3---3---||
----2-----2-----|---2----------|-----2-------0---|-----2---2---||
--2-----0-------|--------------|---2-------------|-----0---0-2-||
0-----3---------|----------0-3-|-0-----3---------|-----------0-||
----------------|-----3~~~-----|---------3-------|-------------||

Then it's back to the verse, pre-chorus, and chorus parts one more time
through, then it's SOLO time.  (DON'T ASK!)  After that, there's a bit of
a "bridge":

||----------|---------|---------|-------------|----------|---------|-------
||-----10---|-----9---|-----8---|-7-7-5h7-5---|-----10---|-----9---|-------
||---7------|---7-----|---5-----|-5-5-5---5---|---7------|---7-----|-------
||-9--------|-9-------|-7-------|-5-5-5---5---|-9--------|-9-------|-------
||----------|---------|---------|-------------|----------|---------|-------
||----------|---------|---------|-----------0-|----------|---------|-------
                       "oo.   ah."             "It goes like this"

                              b              bf     pm
--------------|-----9-----||--------|-----------------|--------------------
----8-----7-7-|-7-5-7-7---||--------|-----------------|--------------------
--5-------5-5-|-5-5-7-7---||--------|-----------------|--------------------
7---------5-5-|-5-5-7-7---||--------|-----2---------2-|--------------------
--------------|---------2-||--------|---------------2-|--------------------
--------------|---------0-||--3-----|-4------4------0-|--------------------
                             "Oh man it's..."

                                           b            bf     pm
--------------------------|---9-9-9-7-|--------|-----------------|---------
--0-3h5p3p0-5p3p0---------|---7-7-7-7-|--------|-----------------|---------
------------------2h4p2p0-|---7-7-7-7-|--------|-----------------|---------
--------------------------|-----------|--------|-----2---------2-|---------
--------------------------|-----------|--------|---------------2-|---------
--------------------------|-0---------|-0--3---|-4------4------0-|---------
"And you make it harder..."               "Fill me up..."

                   b
------------|-------------------------||
------------|-------------------------||
------------|-------------------------||
----------2-|-------------------------||
----2-4---2-|-------------------------||
3h4-------0-|-----------------------3-||
Oh man she owns it."   "Here we go a-    round..."

(go to the chorus and ad lib a fade-out)

That's it.  That should be all you need to do an accurate version of
"Runaround".  If you're REALLY hurtin' for the solo, email me and be nice
and I'll give it a shot.  I might even do the outro part too.
Questions/Comments welcome (by email).
**Coming soon: "Crackerman" by STP**

For the most part, this tab was created with:
===========================================================================
==                Shareware version of the BUCKET 'O TAB                 ==
==                tablature creation software for Windows                ==
==                         For more information:                         ==
==                       email: gse@ocsystems.com                        ==
==   US Mail: The Bucket, 3176-B5 Summit Square Dr., Oakton, VA 22124    ==
===========================================================================

Good luck!
Paul D. s3bz@music.transy.edu

Your last visited songs

Van Halen tabs for Runaround

What is this?

Learn how to play "Runaround" 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 "Runaround" 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 "Runaround" 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 ]

×