BLUE OYSTER CULT - "various riffs" Tablature
Official BLUE OYSTER CULT Tablature & Sheet Music »
**"BOC's GREATEST RIFFS" (Blue Oyster Cult)**
======================
For all those BOC fans out there--BOTH of yu' >:-} --or for those
just curious about "vintage metal": hey, Sabbath wasn't the only
band that Metallica, et al. cut their teeth on. . . .
--transcr./tabbed tcg, 197?[yeh, I'm old]-1994
--fuzz box: all . . . [hell, I use TWO fuzz boxes]
--regarding "key" names: major-minor distinction often meaningless,
since rhythm guitar usually playing "chords" with no third
("power chords"), and the leads in the "major" keys are often
Mixolydian mode or pentatonic minor. . . (In "straight" minor-key
tunes, Buck Dharma shows a preference for the Aeolian mode
[=minor pentatonic, plus "tasty" major 2nd and minor 6th steps].)
--Disclaimer: these are hacker's versions, admittedly--above all,
trust your ear . . .
====================
**"TRANSMANIACON MC" (_Blue_Oyster_Cult_) --key: Am
Intro riff
D5 [chord tacit] [repeat]
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|o------7------7---|-------7------7---|------------------|-----------------o|
|o--x-x-7--x-x-7---|---x-x-7--x-x-7---|----7-6---5-4-----|-----------------o|
|---x-x-5--x-x-5---|---x-x-5--x-x-5---|--0-----7-----5-4-|-8-7-----7-6------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|-----8-7-----7-6--|
1 & 2& 3 & 4& 1 & 2& 3 & 4& 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
neat chromatic, "haunting" lead fill (end of Verse)
[Am] [C]
---|-------------------------|-----
---|----8--7--6--5-----------|-----
---|----------------8--7--6--|-5===
---|-------------------------|-----
---|-------------------------|-----
---|-------------------------|-----
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1...
======================================
**"CITIES ON FLAME WITH ROCK AND ROLL" (_Blue_Oyster_Cult_) --key: F#m
Intro/lead tacit riff
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|o-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------o|
|o-----------------|------------------|-----------4------|2-----2----------o|
|----------0=======|------------------|-----0-3h4---3h4--|--3h4---3\2\0-----|
|--2=======--------|-2===-------------|---2--------------|--------------2-0-|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
===========
**"SCREAMS" (_Blue_Oyster_Cult_) --key: Em
Intro/Verse riff [right-hand muffle]
[Em] [G] [F#m] [Am]
|----------------------|----------------------|
|----------------------|----------------------|
|o---------------------|---------------------o|
|o--------2------------|---------------------o|
|------2---------------|-----0--4--3=====x----|
|---0--------3=====x---|--2-------------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
==========================
**"THE RED AND THE BLACK" (_Tyranny_and_Mutation_) --key: Am
Intro/Verse riff [very fast]
[A5] v^*
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------| *: quick up-then-down pick
|o------------------------------o|
|o------------------------------o|
|-----------3~----3--------------|
|-----5--5---------5--5--3--4----|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
=======================
**"OD'd ON LIFE ITSELF" (_Tyranny_and_Mutation_) --key: E
Intro/Verse riff
[E5]
----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
----|-----------------|-----------------|-lead gu.:---8b9-|-------------8b9-|
----|o----------------|----------------o|o----------------|----------------o|
----|o------.--.--.---|-------.--.--.--o|o------.--.--.---|-------.--.--.--o|
--2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|
--0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|
4 & 1 & 2 3 4 & 4 &
=====================
**"HOT RAILS TO HELL" (_Tyranny_and_Mutation_) --key: E
Intro/Verse riff
E5 G5 F#5
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|o------------------------|--------------------------o|
|o------2--x--------2--x--|--------------------------o|
|-------2--x--------2--x--|-----5--x--5--5--5--4--4---|
|-0--0--------0--0--------|--0--3--x--3--3--3--2--2---|
^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
"bridge" lead riff [--actually an amalgam of 1st & 2nd versions]
--"neat" mixolydian . . . choke pick for "ragged" sound
[A7]
-|-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------|-
-|-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------.-----|-
-|--.---.---.------|---.-----------.--|--.--.-----.---.--|---.-------2-----|-
-|--5---4---2--4-5-|---4--------2--4--|--5--4-----2---5--|---4-------------|-
-|-----------------|-------3-4--------|-------3h4--------|-------3h4-------|-
-|-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------|-
1 2 3 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 1 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
"bridge" lead riff--"neat" dorian
[though string choices may be way off?!] [gliss-slide up for
[E5] octave-higher riff |]
-|--0-------------------------|-----------------------/---| |
-|--5\3--2--0--(2b)3r2--0-----|----------------------/----| |
-|-------------------------2--|--(4b)6r4---x-0------/-----| v
-|----------------------------|----------------2===/------|
-|----------------------------|---------------------------|
-|----------------------------|---------------------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4
|--12---------------------------------|---------------------------------|-
|------15\14--12--(14b)15r14--12--10--|-(12b)14r12----------------------|-
|-------------------------------------|--------------x-12--------12b13--|-
|-------------------------------------|------------------14--14---------|-
|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|-
|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|-
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
==================
**"CAREER OF EVIL" (_Secret_Treaties_) --key: Am
Intro/Verse riff
A5 C5 D5
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|o----------------------|------------------------o|
|o-------------5---x--5/|7--7--6-----5--4--------o|
|---7---x--7---3---x--3/|5--------7--------5--3---|
|---5---x--5------------|-------------------------|
^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
============================
**"DOMINANCE AND SUBMISSION" (_Secret_Treaties_) --key: F#m
Intro/Verse riff
F#5 A5 F#5 B5 F#5 C5 F#5 G#5 C#7#9
----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------5---x---|
----|o----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------4---x--o|
----|o--------2---x---|---------4---x---|---------5---x---|---------3---x--o|
--4=|=4-4-x-x-0---x-4=|=4-4-x-x-2---x-4=|=4-4-x-x-3---x-4-/-6-6-x-x-4---x-4=|
--0-h-2-2-x-x-------0-h-2-2-x-x-------0-h-2-2-x-x-------2-/-4-4-x-x-------0-h
. ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
=====================
**"HARVESTER OF EYES" (_Secret_Treaties_) --key: E
Intro/Verse riff [hold all "chords" (over e pedal point)]
E5 F#5 G#5 F#5 E5 F#5 G5 F#5 E5
---|--------------------------|--------------------------|
---|--------------------------|--------------------------|
---|o-------------------------|-------------------------o|
-2=|o=====--4--5======--4--2==|======--4--5======--4--2=o|
-2=|======--4--5======--4--2==|======--4--5======--4--2==|
---|--0--0======--0--0======--|--0--0======--0--0======--|
. ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
=============
**"ASTRONOMY" (_Secret_Treaties_) --key: Em
Lead tacit (before final Chorus)--slowly
[Em]
||--15==hold=thru==|------------------|--12==============|------------------|
||-----------------|--13=========--15-|------------------|------------------|
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|--12=========--14-|
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 & 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 &
[ quarter - note triplets ]
|----------------|----------------|-----------------14-|--15-17-14-15-12-14-|
|--12============|----------------|--------12----15----|--------------------|
|----------------|-------------11-|--12-14----14-------|--------------------|
|----------------|--14=======-----|--------------------|--------------------|
|----------------|----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
|----------------|----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 & |---3---||---3---| |---3---||---3---|
[ 16th notes ] [ 16th notes ]
|--12==========-------12--------------|----------------------------12h14---||
|----------------12-------15--12------|----------------------12h15---------||
|---------------------------------14--|--12==========--12h14---------------||
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
1 2 3 & 4 & & & 1 2 3 & & & 4 & & &
[ 16th notes ] [16th notes] .
|--12===========--14----14----14-15===|==15==========--15-/-17-17----17----||
|--------------------15----15---------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
1 2 3 & & & 4 & & & 1 2 3 & & & 4
==================================
**"THEN CAME THE LAST DAYS OF MAY"(_On_Your_Feet_or_On_Your_Knees_)--key:Bm
Lead Solo--slowly; heavy reverb, left-h. vibrato on "held" notes
[--IMHO, Buck's most "transcendental" solo--]
h=half note; h.=dotted half
q=quarter note; q.=dotted quarter; q..=quarter+eighth+sixteenth
e=eighth note; e.=dotted eighth; e3 e3 e3=eighth-note triplets
s=sixteenth note; s.=dotted sixteenth
t=thirty-second note
[s],[e]...=sixteenth-note rest, eighth-note rest, etc.
[Bm] [A] [G] [F#7] [chords sim. . . . . . . . . . . . .]
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
||-7======---------|-7==========------|------------------|------------------|
||---------9=======|---------------9--|-7======--6=======|-4======--6=======|
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
h h h. [e] e h h h h
[slide up
|-------------------------------------|----------------------------9/10\----|
|------------------------------8\7====|===7==========------11-12------------|
|--7p6==========----/9----------------|-------------------------------------|
|----------------------9----9---------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
s q.. [e] s s e3 e3 e3-------h [e3] e3 e3 e e
and back]
|-(\)9======---------9/10======-------|-----------------------------------9-|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------11----|
|------------11-11--------------11-11-|--9-11================------11-------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
q. s s e q s s s s--h [s] s e e
|-(9/)10--9--10/12--------------------|-------------------13/14-------------|
|------------------12=========-----12=|==12--12-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
e e s s h [s] s------e q. s q..
[???????] [??????]
|---15b16r15~~~------12-14-10-12-9-10-|--10b12r10----7------9---------------|
|---------------------x---------------|------------------------11====-------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
[s] s q e [e] s s s s s s e e e q s s--q
|-------10--9--7----------------------|---10--9--7-------------------10--9--|
|-----------------7==================-|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------9================-------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
[q] s s s s---h [e] s s s s-h s s
|---7---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------/12==|===12========================------7h|
|------7--9/11=============--9-7------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
e e e e--q s s e-------h. [e.] s
[ho/po trill] (no pick)
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|10p7h10p7===========================-|-----2--3--2h3p2==============-(/7)==|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
t t t t-e-h. [q.] s s t3t3t3-q. e
|-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|=7-7h10p7h10p7h10p7h10p7==========-------|------------------2=====(/7)---7h|
|---------------------------------------7-|--9\4===========-----------------|
|-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
s. t t t t t t t t t-h [s] s e e-q q e. s
(no pick)
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|10p7h10p7h10p7h10p7=7==========------|-----------------------------2h3p2h3p|
|-----------------------------------9-|---9b10r9---(\6)===========----------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
t t t t t t t t-q [s] s e q e q. t t t t
sl
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|2h3p2h3p2===-3-----------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-----------------4=============---6--/--7=========================---------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
t t t t q e q. e h. [q]
===========================
**"(Don't Fear) THE REAPER" (_Agents_of_Fortune_) --key: Am
Intro/Verse riff--legato
A5 G F G
|--------------------------|---------------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------------|
|o-------2--0=========--0==|=========--0=========--0==o|
|o----2--------------0-----|--------0-----------0-----o|
|--0--------------2--------|-----0-----------2---------|
|--------------3-----------|--1-----------3------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
==========================================
**"E.T.I. (ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence)" (_Agents_of_Fortune_) --key: E
Intro/Verse riff
E5 A<e bass> [ 16th notes ] [16th's]
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|o-------------------------|----------------------------------o|
|o--2=====------2=====-----|----------------------------------o|
|---2=====------4=====-----|--------------2-4-5-5-4---2--------|
|---0=====------0=====-----|--x-0-2-0-3-4-----------------3\2--|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & & & 2 & & & 3 & & & 4 & & &
============
**"GODZILLA" (_Spectres_) --key: F#m
Intro/Verse riff
F#5 B5 C#5 G#5 A5 D#5 E5 B5
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|
|o----------------------------|---------------3---4-------o|
|o-----------------4---6------|---------------1---2---4---o|
|---4============--2---4---6--|--7==========----------2----|
|---2============----------4--|--5==========---------------|
1 2 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 &
===================
**"BURNING FOR YOU" (_Fire_of_Unknown_Origin_) --key: Am
Lead Intro [*: rhythm gu.: hold chord full two measures]
[F5] [3 times]
||------------------------------|--------------------------------||
||--------------------------8===|====8---------------------------||
||o--*---/9-----7-h9p7---5------|----------/9-----7-h9p7---5----o||
||o-[3]-------------------------|-------------------------------o||
||--[3]-------------------------|--------------------------------||
||--[1]-------------------------|--------------------------------||
1 2 3& & & 4 & 1 2 3& & & 4
[G] [Am] [F] [G] |---3---|
|------------------|---8-7---8--------|------------------|---------------7--|
|---8==============|----------------8=|==8===------------|-----------10-----|
|------------------|-----------9-10---|-------10-9==-----|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|--------------10==|==10=====10-------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
1 2 3 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 4
[Em] [F] |--3--| [Dm] [G]
|------------------|----------------------|-------8-12-------|----15=======||
|--8========----8--|(8)/10----------------|----10------15----|-------------||
|-------------9----|----------------7--9--|-10------------12=|=12----------||
|------------------|-------10====10-------|------------------|-------------||
|------------------|----------------------|------------------|-------------||
|------------------|----------------------|------------------|-------------||
1 2 3 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |--3---||---3---| 1 & 2 3 4
*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
| Thomas C. Gannon | tgannon@charlie.usd.edu | U of SoDak (Vermillion) |
* ------------------------------- _-^-_ ------------------------------- *
| "--If I decide to practice a / o )=\ slight movement from right |
* to left . . . or from left { /===} to right . . . it's *
| nobody's business but my \ (=o=/ own." (_A_Day_for_Eeyore_) |
*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===* ^-_=^ *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
This musical interpretation has been removed due to a legal threat from Moses & Singer LLP, representing the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) and The Music Publisher's Association of the United States (MPA).
Unfortunately, these threats are fueled by greed and being masked by a "copyright infringement." They claim tab sites are "hurting the songwriters," but it's a known fact that the publishing companies garner most of the revenue. Instead, they would prefer you to purchase the official BLUE OYSTER CULT tablature which is an option we've always given our users. And due to the highly error-prone nature of tabs on the internet, many choose to go this route. These companies also do not realize that tablature sites help to promote their artists.
For more information on this onslaught, you can read the NY Times Article. We hope one of the larger tablature sites will have the money to fight this. Until then, we urge you all to keep tabbing songs and sharing them in any way you can.
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