+
-

Words Darker Than Their Wings

Alter Bridge

Text File

Alter Bridge - "Words Darker Than Their Wings"
From the Album "ABIII"
Tuning - Electric in Drop Db (DADGBE down 1/2 step)
         Acoustics in Eb (or same as Electric for consistency)
Tabbed by jjhand


This song is in a fast paced 6/8 time, but the acoustic part repeats 
enough to make it not too hard to play. There is comments below on how 
to play the acoustic part in open tuning. Other than that, it looks pretty
accurate, but let me know if errors exist. Please rate if its good!
  

Acoustic Riff (12-string & 6 string, with reverb) 
    A                         Db/Ab
eb|-------------------------|-------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|-------------------------|
Gb|-----3-2-3-------3-2-3---|-----3-2-3-------0-2-0---|
Db|---0-------0---0-------0-|---0-------0---0---------|
Ab|-1-----------1-----------|-0-----------0-----------|
Eb|-------------------------|-------------------------|

    B6                        Amaj7
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------2-0---------2-0---|-------2-0---------2-0---|
|---5-0-----0---5-0-----0-|---3-0-----0---3-0-----0-|
|-3-----------3-----------|-1-----------1-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

  A                         Db/Ab
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-----3-2-3-------3-2-3---|-----3-2-3-------0-2-0---|
|---0-------0---0-------0-|---0-------0---0---------|
|-1-----------1-----------|-0-----------0-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

  B6                        Gb/Bb
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------2-0---------2-0---|-------2-0---------2-0---|
|---5-0-----0---5-0-----0-|---5-0-----0---5-0-----0-|
|-3-----------3-----------|-2-----------2-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|





Verse - Play Acoustic Riff 1x, then repeat final bar

Lyrics:
"You say you're alright... I hope that I'm wrong
 I know that you try, but still it is gone"







Prechorus - Electric (drop Db tuning)
|-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|
|-3----3---3-3----3---3-|-3----3---3-3----3---3-|-3---3-3--3-3--3---3-|
|-2----2---2-2----2---2-|-2----2---2-2p0--0---0-|-2---2-2--2-2--2---2-|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------| see
|-3----3---3-3----3---3-|-1----1---1-1----1---1-|---------------------| below
|-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|
|
| Acoustic, 12-string
|-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|
|-8----8---8-8\6--6---6-|-6----6---6-6\3--3---3-|-3-------------------|
|-0----0---0-0----0---0-|-0----0---0-0----0---0-|-2-------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-0----same pattern---|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-x-------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-3-------------------|
Mark: "Just don't you lose hope                I swear   I'll   never 
2 "alone.  Now don't you let go                 I swear I still believe


Last bar of prechorus- 
  Electric
|-----------------------|
|-1----1-1--1-----------|
|-2----2-2--2-0---0---0-|
|-------------3---3---3-|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|
| Acoustic
|-----------------------|
|-1----1-1--1-----------|
|-2----2-2--2-0---0---0-|
|-3----3-3--3-3---3---3-|
|-3----3-3--3-3---3---3-|
|-1----1-1--1-1---1---1-|
1 "dreamed that we're"
2 "though I don't know"




Play Acoustic Riff again for Verse 2, as before

Lyrics:
"Remember the years I still walked tall
 I only feared, now I only crawl"





Prechorus 2 (same riff)
"How could I be wrong?
I hope there comes a day your fear is gone
How could we be lost?
Lost just cease to be not carry on"



After prechorus 2 - played 2x into chorus
|----------------------------|
|-3----3---3-3----3----3---3-|
|-3----3---3-3----3----3---3-|
|-3----3---3-3----3----3---3-|
|-1----1---1-1----1----1---1-|
|----------------------------|







(1:52) Chorus - Distorted Electric, play through 2x, then repeat
Eb|----------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|
Bb|----------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|
Gb|-7---7---7-7----7-7-x-|-5---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-|-3---3-3--3-3---3-3--3-|
Db|-5---5---5-5----5-5-x-|-3---3-3-3-3---3-3-3-|-3---3-3--3-3---3-3--3-|
Ab|-5---5---5-5----5-5-x-|-3---3-3-3-3---3-3-3-|-1---1-1--1-1---1-1--1-|
Db|-5---5---5-5----5-5-x-|-3---3-3-3-3---3-3-3-|-----------------------|
1. "Into the light may you fall                 Into the light may you"
2. "Into the light may you know                 Truth alone"


|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-------------5---5---5-|
|-3---3-3-3-3-3---3---3-|
|-0---0-0-0-0-3---3---3-|
|-------------3---3---3-|
1. "follow"
 






Break- in 4/4 , played 4x with endings shown

Acoustic - with delay
|-----------------------|------------------3----|-----------------------|
|---3------3----3----3--|---3------3----3-------|---1------1--3-1--0-1--|
|--------0---------0----|--------0-----------0--|--------0--------------|
|-3----3------3---------|-2----2------2---------|-1----1----------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|


1st/3rd ending                        2nd/4th ending
|---------------------|         |---------------------|
|---1----1----0-----0-|         |---1----1----0-------|
|----------------2----|         |----------------2--0-|
|-0----0----0---------|         |-0----0----0---------|
|---------------------|         |---------------------|
|---------------------|         |---------------------|








(3:05) Heavy Guitar Bridge- Electric (Drop Db tuning), played 2x

  D5                    Db+      Db5         
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|------------------|
|-3----3----3----3----|-3----3p2-2---2-2-2-|-5----5-5-5----5--|-5---5---5---5----|
|-1----1----1----1----|-0----0---0---0-0-0-|-3----3-3-3----3--|-2---2---2---2----|
|-1----1----1----1----|-0----0---0---0-0-0-|-3----3-3-3----3--|-2---2---2---2----|
|-1----1----1----1----|-0----0---0---0-0-0-|-3----3-3-3----3--|-2---2---2---2--0-|
1. "Go                    never   to    ask   why               Or to fear again"
2. "Go                    set out towards the sun              Let the new begin"



line 2:
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|-3----3----3----3----|-3----3p2-2---2-2-2-|------------------|-------------------|
|-1----1----1----1----|-0----0---0---0-0-0-|-5--5--5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5--5--5--|
|-1----1----1----1----|-0----0---0---0-0-0-|-5--5--5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5--5--5--|
|-1----1----1----1----|-0----0---0---0-0-0-|-5--5--5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5--5--5--|

1. "Go               find your peace tonight"
2. "Go               soon your day will come"




(3:43) Play Acoustic Riff 2x with lyrics:

      "Your day will come"





Electric Ramp-up part before chorus:

   Palm muted****************************  %   %   % 
eb|-------------------------|-------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|-------------------------|
Gb|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-------------|
Db|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-------------|
Ab|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-1-1--1~--0------|
Db|-------------------------|----------------------0--|

% notes used again in final chorus as it repeats


Play Chorus Again 






(4:37) Ending - 2 Electrics in drop Db, played 4x

  Rhythm (* = first note in last bar is omitted on final repeat)
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|-1----------------|-*-----------------|
|-5--------/17~-------|-3--------/15~------|-1-------6--5--3--|-2~------5---------|
|-5--------/17~-------|-3--------/15~------|-1----------------|---------5---------|
|
|Lead - All Tremelo picking!
|-13-----TP-----------|-12-----TP----------|-11-----TP--------|-10-----TP---------|
|-16b18--TP-----------|-15b17--TP----------|-14b16--TP--------|-13b15--TP---------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|------------------|-------------------|




KEY
************************************

| /   slide up
| \   slide down
| h   hammer-on
| p   pull-off
| ~   vibrato
| +   harmonic
| x   Mute note
| b   Bend
| r  Bend release

************************************

search

Words Darker Than Their Wings

Alter Bridge