Sailing Ships tab by Whitesnake

Tabs

Sailing Ships by Whitesnake
Album: Slip Of The Tongue

Let most if it ring. If in doubt, listen to the album. You’ll probably
want to fingerpick the intro/verse and bridge bits. Steve Vai is what’s
known as a ’musician’, and as such he adds some strange notes to chords
here and there. My music theory knowledge is not what it could be and hence
the chord names might be complete bollocks and should not be taken as gospel.
(And that goes for the actual tab as well. This is just how I play it,
if you find mistakes pat yourself on the back and play it your way ;))

Notation:
 s
 / = slide (up)

 s
 \ = slide (down)

 h = hammer on

Timing: |-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-|

Intro/verse bit

 A minorAm        G+G         C majorC  G+G  Am7Am7 G+G   Fsus2Fsus2
|-------------0---|---------3---1---|-0---------------|--------------s--|
|-1-------3-------|-3---------------|-----3---1---0---|-1-----------3/5-|
|-----2-----------|-----0-----------|---0---0---0---0-|-----0---0-------|
|-------2---------|-------0---------|-----------------|-------3---------|
|-0---------------|-2---------------|-3---2---0-------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-------------3---|-1---------------|

 G+G         FF   E MajorE      A minorAm    Dadd4 (I think :))
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-5---------------|
|-3-------3-------|-1-------0-------|-1-------------3-|---3-------------|
|-----4-----4--s--|---2-------1-----|----------s--0---|-----0-----------|
|-------5-----5\3-|-----3-------2---|---------2/4-----|-------4---------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-------0---------|-----------------|-----------------|

                   A minorAm    Dadd4  Am7Am7
Repeat, but for the last 2 bars:  |-----------------|-----------------|
                  |-1-------------3-|-----1-----------|
                  |----------s--0---|--s--------------|
                  |---------2/4-----|-4\2-------------|
                  |-0---------------|-----------------|
                  |-----------------|-----------------|

Bridge bit
          (I Think :))
 DmDm    Dsus2Dsus2  DmAdd6      C/DC/D        FF
|-1-------1-0-----|-1-------1-0-----|-1/3-----3---5---|-5---------5-----|
|-------3-----3---|-------3-----3---|-------5---------|---------6---6---|
|-----2---------2-|-----3---------3-|-----5-----------|-------5---------|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|-----7-----------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-8---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

 Bb majorBb        Csus4Csus4  C majorC     G+G
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-6-------3---6---|-6-------5-------|-3---------------|-----------------|
|---3---3---------|---5---5---5-----|-4---------------|-----------------|
|-----3-----------|-----5-------5---|-----------------|-----------------|
|-5---------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|


Play the intro/verse bit four times through the verse. There are some
minor variations here and there (mostly those last two bars). If you’re
picky... Well, sorry, but I’m not, so you’re on your own with those. Play
the bridge bit through the ’Take me with you’ part, but for the last bar
grab a pick and play:

|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|---------3-2-----|


Chorus bit (Well, you don’t _have_ to use a pick here, but I do)

              (I think :))
 EmAdd9      G+G    Aadd2add4
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|---------------0-|
|---------0-------|-----------------|
|-------4---4-----|-----0-------0---|
|-----2-------2---|-h-2----s--4-----|
|-0-------------0-|-3-----3/5-------|

4 times, followed by:

 (I think :))       (I think :))
 Am7sus2      C majorC    Dadd4add6
|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|---------------0-|
|-------0---0-----|-----0-------0---|
|-----2-------2---|-h-2----s--4-----|
|-0-------------0-|-3-----3/5-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|

2 times, followed by:

 C majorC         D MajorD         Asus2Asus2
|--------------|--------------|-0^--------------|
|--------------|--------------|-0|--------------|
|-----------|-----------|-2|--------------|
|--------------s--------------|-2|--------------|
|-3-------------3-/-5---------------|-0|--------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
                    (strum chord)

The notes inside are supposed to be natural harmonics. I find
it easiest to hold my pinky stretched over the fifth and seventh
fret and touch all the strings lightly for each note I play, but
everyone’s hands do not look like mine so see what’s comfortable
for you. Just be sure not to mute any strings with the finger
fretting the A augmentedA string.

Next, play the verse/intro once for the little solo, and twice for
verse 2 (with minor variations), play the bridge, and the chorus and
you’re at the place where little Stevie Vai stops playing acoustic
and where I stop playing altogether since I haven’t learnt the rest
of the song. Hope this bit is of some help to someone, even if it’s
not the whole song.