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STAIRCASE - Radiohead
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Tabbed by: Tim van Kester
This tab is mainly for giving my ideas about this song. I used the
'From the Basement'-version for this. So when you read this while in
the meantime a new version is released, the variations may be different
Update Oct. 12 2011: After watching some more recent performances, I changed
the part after the arpeggio's. Use a delay with one repeat
(feedback on the lowest setting). This way, you get the sound of two notes.
--> Main (verse) riffs
e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------| 1
A|-3--5-----3---5---3--5-----3---5------|
E|------(5)--------------(5)------------|
e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------| 2
A|--------------------------------------|
E|-3--5-(0)-3---5---3--5-(0)-3---5------|
e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------| 3
A|-3--2-----3---2---3--2-----3---2------|
E|------(3)--------------(3)------------|
Before the singing starts, the order is: 1-1-1-2-3-2-1-1-1-2-3-2
Then: 1-1-1-2-3-1-1-1-2-3-2.
This second one will become the standard one.
--> Arpeggio's.
e|---15-------|----|---15-------|----|---15--------|----|
B|---------13-|----|---------11-|----|---------10--|----|
G|------------|-x4-|------------|-x4-|-------------|-x4-|
D|13----13----|----|12----12----|----|10----10-----|----|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|
e|----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-------|
--> Variation
e|---20-19----17-15----14-12-----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-------|
--> The last time he plays this part (at the very end), he goes a bit
further down the scale, making it something like this:
e|---20-19----17-15----14-12-----8--7-----5--3-----2--0-----8--7-|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-------|
e|----5--3-----2--0----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------3--0-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------2--0----------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------2--0-------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------3--2-----0----|
E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0--------0-----3-|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-0--2--0~------------------------------------------------------|
--> Tremolo-part. This one is used the first time.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-10-----8-----5---8--5--3----(5)-1----10-----8-----5---8--5--3----1--------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Second time Jonny does tremolo picking, he plays it a bit different.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-10-----8-----5---8--5--3--------1----10-----12----13---12--15----17-------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
It sometimes sounds like he bends a string slightly, or puts a
different note in shortly. I don't really know if these are mistakes
or small variations. I think you just have to play with it.
--> Order of playing:
- Main (verse) riffs
- Arpeggio's x1
- Tremolo (first bar)
- Main (verse) riffs (minus the part without singing you play at the start)
- Tremolo (second bar)
- Arpeggio's until the end.
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| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| br Bend release
| pbr Pre-bend release
| brb Bend release bend
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