Break It To Me (tablature)

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Guitar tab

Tabbed by GiveMeThePiss

Tuning : Standard (7-string guitar), or BADgbe (6-string guitar)

Oh yes, that one... I think it's great, quite heavy with RATM
vibes, nice tribal melodies... But the guitar !... I'm still
not exactly sure of what's played exactly for the riff ! I tried
to make something's that's close enough.

Well first of all, here's what I'm pretty sure of Matt plays
live when I watched his fingers on Royal Albert Hall multicam
concert. It actually sounds accurate when I play it this way,
but this not the exact same as the original, because here,
there's only a slight bend, while on the studio version you
can clearly here Matt bending half step up. Add that Matt uses
a 6-string guitar live with the low E tuned down to B :

e|-x-x-x-x----x-x------------x-x-------|
b|-x-x-x-x----x-x------------x-x-------|
g|-x-x-x-x-8b-x-x---------8b-x-x-------|
D|-x-x-x-x-7b-x-x---------7b-x-x-------| x4
A|-x-x-x-x-6b-x-x---------6b-x-x-------|
B|-x-x-x-x----x-x-0-0-0------x-x-0-0-0-|


But here's what I actually decoded that sounds closer from the
studio version. If you listen closely, you will hear that the
bend is released for a little bit more time that it is actually 
bended, so make a quick bend but release it a bit more slowly :
e|-x-x-x-x-------x-x---------------x-x-------|
b|-x-x-x-x-7b8r7-x-x---------7b8r7-x-x-------|
g|-x-x-x-x-7b8r7-x-x---------7b8r7-x-x-------|
D|-x-x-x-x-6b7r6-x-x---------6b7r6-x-x-------| x4
A|-x-x-x-x-5b6r5-x-x---------5b6r5-x-x-------|
E|-x-x-x-x-------x-x---------------x-x-------|
B|-x-x-x-x-------x-x-0-0-0---------x-x-0-0-0-|
  (-------)
Note : For the quoted part, don't play it when
       the "Break it to me" comes, but play it
       at the end of the riff, on the third
       "Break it to me".

For the verse, I think there's nothing to play, but you can still
play this if you want. I think it's actually the notes the bass plays :
e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
b|----------------------------------------------------------------|
g|-2-4-4-4-4-4-2-4-4-4-2-4-5-4-2--2-4-4-4-4-4-2-4-4-4-2-4-----2---|
D|--------------------------------------------------------2-4---4-| x2
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
                                                        (---------)
Note : For the quoted part, don't play it on
       the second time.

Then you go back to the main riff, but like I said at the beginning, you don't play the first
muted notes on the beginning, but on the final "Break it to me", just before the verse restarts.
By the way, you play the same thing for the next part of the first verse. Then, you play again
the main riff twice like the other time, but don't play the muted notes at the end. For the
chorus, I think that there is nothing is played, except if the high synths notes are actually
the guitar. If that's the case, here's how you play it : 
e|----15-14-12----17-15-14----14-12-------------------15-14-12----17-15-14----20-19-18-------------|
b|-12----------13----------15-------15-16-19-17-16-12----------13----------13----------19-17-15-14-|
g|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Note : Thank you for Yugasi Gaming on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OavemH_0Pc

Now, go back to the riff for that oriental singing part, before the
other intruments come back. But this time, you play it this way (no
muted notes except when the tribal drums come back):
e|--------------|
b|-7b8r7--------|
g|-7b8r7--------|
D|-6b7r6--------| x4
A|-5b6r5--------|
E|--------------|
B|--------0-0-0-|

After you go back to the main riff, but no modification of the riff
this time, you play it twice as it was played on the beginning. For
the second verse, you don't play the same amount of notes as the
first verse. Just three notes on the middle, and four notes at the end :
e|-------------------|
b|-------------------|
g|-----2-----4-4-2-4-|
D|-2-4---------------|
A|-------------------|
E|-------------------|
B|-------------------|

Then, there is the riff, but with a little synth
solo this time. If you want to play it, I advice
you to use the +1oct. effect on a Whammy pedal
for the higher notes, it'll sound much better :
e|-------------------------------------------------|
b|-12~-12~-12~-------------12~-----12~-------------|
g|-------------14~-12~-11~-----11~-----------------|
D|-------------------------------------14~-12~-11~-|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------|
      (+1)    (----+1-----)     (+1)   (----+1-----)
Note : the "+1" is where you have to play an octave
       higher with the Whammy pedal.

Then, same structure : normal riff (if you don't play
the synth solo), chorus, riff without the muted notes.

Then, you've got this strange solo, I would call it a scratch solo. Matt
actually uses a kaoss pad to play it by the way. It's quite random when
Matt plays it live, but I think you can play it like this making pick
slides if you don't have a kaoss pad :
e|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
g|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x---x---x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x----x-x--x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x--x-x-x--x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x--x-x-|
E|-x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x---x---x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x----x-x--x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x--x-x-x--x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x--x-x-|
B|-x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x---x---x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x-0--x-x--x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x--x-x-x--x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x--x-x-|
                          (-------)                       (--------------)             (---------------------)

e|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
g|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-x--x-x-x--x-x--x--x-x--x-x-x---x-x-x-x--x-x-x--x--x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-|
E|-x--x-x-x--x-x--x--x-x--x-x-x---x-x-x-x--x-x-x--x--x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-|
B|-x--x-x-x--x-x--x--x-x--x-x-x---x-x-x-x--x-x-x--x--x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x--x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-|
     (-----)                              (-----------)                                       (---------)                (---------)
Note : for the quoted parts, you have to make
       those very fast, back and forth. I advice
       you to play the song VERY SLOW to be able
       to decode it all perfectly.

Then, you go back yo the main riff, during which you can play the synth
solo again if you want, but play it twice then. If you only play the riff
but not the synth solo, note that instead of the first dead notes on the
third time you play the riff, you have another little scratch moment. To
be right on timing, I think you shouldn't play the low B at the end of the
second time you play the riff. So here's that little scratch moment :
e|---------------|
b|---------------|
g|---------------|
D|---------------|
A|-x--x-x-x--x-x-|
E|-x--x-x-x--x-x-|
B|-x--x-x-x--x-x-|
     (-----)

And you got it !

Song structure :
Intro (Riff)
Verse 1 (Pt. 1)
Riff
Verse 1 (Pt. 2)
Riff
Chorus
Riff
Verse 2
Riff (w/ synth solo)
Chorus
Riff
Scratch solo
Riff (w/ synth solo)

Signs :
~ : vibrato
b : bend
r : release bend
h : hammer
p : pulling
-> : slide
x : dead/muted note


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