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Back Up Against The Wall

Mars Volta

Text File

Band: The Mars Volta
Song: Back Up Against The Wall
Album: Bedlam in Goliath
Notes:
I thought I'd tab this wicked song.
It's my favourite yet. Not because of it's length, but because if I were to play a TMV 
live, this would be it (well... Day of The Baphomets or a Fully Blown hour version of 
Gemini would be awesome too...)

The track can be found on the TMV site:
http://www.themarsvolta.com/puzzle
I did it in 444 moves!

Intro: 0:00-0:07
E|------------------------------|
B|-8p7~----------7~-8p7---10~---|
G|-----7~-----7~--------7~------|
D|-------7~---------------------|
A|------------------------------|
E|------------------------------|

1st Verse: 0:07-0:27
E|-----------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|-------------12-12-----9-9-----7-7-|
D|-----9-9-----12-12-----9-9-----7-7-| x8
A|-----9-9-----10-10-----7-7-----5-5-|
E|-----7-7---------------------------|
Play on the Offbeats. First time played the first chord is struck once.

1st Chorus: 0:27-0:37
E|---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|
B|---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|
G|---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|
D|-2-2-2-2-|x4|-5-5-5-5-|x4|-2-2-2-2-|x4|-5-5-5-5-|x2|-7-7-7-7-|x2
A|-2-2-2-2-|  |-5-5-5-5-|  |-2-2-2-2-|  |-5-5-5-5-|  |-7-7-7-7-|
E|-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-5-5-5-5-|
Just general strumming. Nothing Fancy.

2nd Verse: 0:37-0:52
E|-----------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|-------------12-12-----9-9-----7-7-|
D|-----9-9-----12-12-----9-9-----7-7-| x6
A|-----9-9-----10-10-----7-7-----5-5-|
E|-----7-7---------------------------|
Again the first time played, the first chord is struck once.

2nd Chorus: 0:52-1:02
E|---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|
B|---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|  |---------|
G|-1-1-1-1-|  |-4-4-4-4-|  |-1-1-1-1-|  |-4-4-4-4-|  |-6-6-6-6-|
D|-2-2-2-2-|x4|-5-5-5-5-|x4|-2-2-2-2-|x4|-5-5-5-5-|x2|-7-7-7-7-|x2
A|-2-2-2-2-|  |-5-5-5-5-|  |-2-2-2-2-|  |-5-5-5-5-|  |-7-7-7-7-|
E|-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-5-5-5-5-|
Second Chorus I like to beef it up a little.

Solo: 1:02-1:12
E|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|---9---9---9---9------9----12--12--12--12-----12--|
D|-12b-12b-12b-12b-12b-----15b-15b-15b-15b-15b------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
I prefer to play here, but can play on the B+G strings if you feel more comfortable.

E|------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------(0)-|
G|--------16-14-16-14-------------------------------------(0)-|
D|-b15h14-------------14tr--17p14tr-17p14tr--17p14h17p14tr----|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------|

E|-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17\--|
B|-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17\--|
G|---------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|

3rd Verse: 1:12-1:20
E|-----------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|-------------12-12-----9-9-----7-7-|
D|-----9-9-----12-12-----9-9-----7-7-| x4
A|-----9-9-----10-10-----7-7-----5-5-|
E|-----7-7---------------------------|
Tempo speeds up drastically as each bar progresses.

3rd Chorus: 1:20-1:30
E|(0-0-0-0)|  |(3-3-3-3)|  |(0-0-0-0)|  |(3-3-3-3)|  |(5-5-5-5)|
B|-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-5-5-5-5-|
G|-1-1-1-1-|  |-4-4-4-4-|  |-1-1-1-1-|  |-4-4-4-4-|  |-6-6-6-6-|
D|-2-2-2-2-|x4|-5-5-5-5-|x4|-2-2-2-2-|x4|-5-5-5-5-|x2|-7-7-7-7-|x2
A|-2-2-2-2-|  |-5-5-5-5-|  |-2-2-2-2-|  |-5-5-5-5-|  |-7-7-7-7-|
E|-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-0-0-0-0-|  |-3-3-3-3-|  |-5-5-5-5-|
Last Chorus, I like to play it in Barre Chords.

Ending Chord: 1:30-1:33
E|---|
B|---|
G|---|
D|-2-|
A|-2-|
E|-0-|
Staccato hit and stop dead.

And that the end to the shortest "full-length" TMV song ever!

Legend:
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
~ = let ring
#b = bend up (in this tab its up a tone only)
b# = bend down to that note.
tr = trill
(#) = note played with little emphasis. (Or by accident, on purpose)

Enjoy...

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Back Up Against The Wall

Mars Volta