Unchained tab by Van Halen

- File created with Instab - http://www.pconline.com/~smcarey/instab.html -

Author/Artist: Van Halen
Title: Unchained
Album: Fair Warning
Transcribed by: Dan Scheraga & Nowhere Man
Email: danscheraga@hotmail.com, v201lrxa@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu

Okay. Here's another kick ass 80's classic for you to enjoy.

In 1992, there was a submission by v201lrxa@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu but it
contained only the main riff. The tab is pretty close, but not 100%
accurate, so I made some corrections. The original submission is attached
in its entirety at the end of this file.

Now on to the fun stuff. First of all, you've got to tune your guitar down
a half step. I haven't managed to duplicate Eddie's effects, but I know
there's some phaser on the main chorus riff.

Okay. Here's the main chorus riff that starts the song. Incidentally, it
happens to be one of the baddest guitar riffs ever written, so pay
attention:

-2--3------------------------------------
-3--3----------------3--4-3----5--6-5----
-2--2----------------3--3-3----5--5-5----
-0--0----------------3--3-3----5--5-5----
-----------------------------------------
------0x-0x-0x-0x-0x--------0x--------0x-

-2--3----------------5--6-5-------------
-3--3----------------6--6-6---6-5-------
-2--2----------------5--5-5---5-5-------
-0--0-----------------------0-5-5-------
----------------------------------------
------0x-0x-0x-0x-0x--------------0x-0x-


Now for the verse. Repeat this twice.....

------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------10-10---8----
----------------------3------5--------------------/7-------9---7--
--------------------3----------5----------------------------------
-3-5----3-------3/5-----5-/7-------3-5----3-----------------------
-----0x---0x-0x------------------------0x---0x-0x-----------------

..and then go onto this for the "blue-eyed murder in a sapphire dress"
part.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-7-7----7\5/7------7-7---7\5/7-------9-9---9\7/9-----9-9------------
-5-5----5\3/5------5-5---5\3/5-------7-7---7\5/7-----7-7------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-----3--------3-1------3-------3-/5------5-------5-3-----3/5-4-3-1--


Now for the solo. Whammied notes are signified with w's, tapped
notes with t's. The 5^ note is an artificial harmonic created with the
thumb of your picking hand. Gaze skyward, whisper a quick prayer to
the gods of rock and roll, and attempt this. :

-------22w20-----------------------------------------------
-20w18-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------t12p5h7t12p5h7t12p5h7t125b7r5p3p0-5^-p3p0-
-------------3/5-------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------

13p10-13p10-13p10--13p10-13w12b15-12-13-14-15p14p12----------12-------
----------------------------------------------------15-13b14----13----
-------------------------------------------------------------------14-
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------


-17-15-b17r15b17r15----19-17-20-19-20b22r20b22--
--------------------17--------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------

Don’t worry, I can’t play it like Eddie does, either.
All that's really left of the song is the interlude near the end (C'mon,
Dave, give us a break!) I didn't bother tabbing out the whole thing
because there isn't much to it, but basically it starts with Eddie
sliding up to a G#...

------
-/10--
------
------
------
------

...then playing a smooth descending thing, then playing around with
these two shapes (pluck 'em with your fingers)....

-3- -2-
-3- -3-
--- ---
--- ---
--- ---
--- ---

...then he moves down to these shapes:

--- ---
--- ---
--- ---
-5- -7-
-5- -5-
--- ---


A lot of this song is in the attitude, so play with truckloads of it. Play
it hard, and pay attention to the notes that Eddie cuts short for a nice
staccato effect. Not much else to it, except to rock your ass off.

Enjoy!
Dan Scheraga
Brooklyn, NY