Smashing Pumpkins - Tarantula Tab

INTRO (0:00)

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db|--2~~~--| Easy!
Ab 2~~~
Eb 0~~~
After that, one guitar plays the low Eb string (open) over and over for sixteen measures. A second guitar plays natural harmonics starting at the twelth fret and slides all the way down, then back up again for all sixteen measures.

VERSE (0:16)

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 5 5 5//10 10 10 10 10 10 x8
Eb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 3//8 8 8 8 8 8
A lot of tabs I've seen show the Cb5 chord erroniously played on the Ab string. If you listen to the recording carefully, you can hear the slide. This makes the song oddly similar to Doomsday Clock. (Shrug). This whole song is composed almost entirely of triplets, thus why most of the chords are played in multiples of three.
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 5 5 5//10 10 10 10 10 10 x8
Eb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 3//8 8 8 8 8 8

PRECHORUS (0:40)

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db 4 4 4 4 4 4//7 7 7 7 7 7\\5 5 5 5 5 5
Ab 0 2 2 0 2 2//0 5 5 0 5 5\\3 3 3 0 3 3
Eb
Eb
Bb t looks really weird, but 'm
Gb pretty sure that's what's going
Db 4 4 4//7 7 7 on here. Just listen to the
Ab 7 7 7 7 7 7 2 2 2//5 5 5 song closely and you'll hear it.
Eb 0 5 5 0 5 5

CHORUS (0:48)

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Eb 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Ab 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Eb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Eb 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Eb 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
Eb 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Eb 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

It's amazing how off some of the tabs were for the chorus. There's

also a second guitar playing clean in the backgroud, but it's too quiet to make out and be worth tabbing.

POST-CHORUS INTERLUDE BRIDGE THING (1:04)

Riff A

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 5//10 10 10 10
Eb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3//8 8 8 8
PM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Riff B

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5 5 5 5//10 10 10 10 10
Eb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3//8 8 8 8 8
PM . . . . . . . . You play this part in this order:

Riff A

Riff B

Riff A

Riff B

Riff A

Riff A

Play the palm muted parts with only downstrokes. There's a specific rhythm (That I poorly tabbed) for this part. Where the rest of the song is mostly "Play-really-fast-and-pretend- like-you're-paying-triplets" This is a lot more distinct. Listen to the recording to figure out how to play it exactly. Also, the

last time you play Riff A there's a slight difference at the very

end. Once again, listen for it.

BUILDUP TO THE FIRST SOLO (1:22)

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db 4 4//7 7 7//8 8 8//9 9 9
Ab 2 2//5 5 5//6 6 6//7 7 7
Eb
Eb
Bb
Gb 'm not sure what Billy's
Db playing here, but this
Ab 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 sounds good enough.
Eb 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
PM . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 4 4//7 7 7//8 8 8//9 9 9
Eb 2 2//5 5 5//6 6 6//7 7 7
Then one guitar plays the low Eb string (again), and the second guitar plays natural harmonics down from the twelfth fret (again) for two measures.

FIRST GUITAR SOLO (1:33)

Oh, boy. Here we go. First guitar plays the verse riff four times,

and the second guitar does something a little harder. To make life easy, I broke up all the lead parts in the tab into phrases. So, yeah, each box is a phrase, not a measure.
Eb 10/12p0 10/12p0 10/12p0 10/12p0 10/12p0
Bb 11~~~
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 10/12p0 10/12p0 10/12p0 10/12p0 10/12p0
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 19 15 15
Bb 17 17 15 14 13~~
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 8~~
Bb 10h12 10h12 8h10 8~~ Technically it's
Gb 12~ 11~ 9~ two guitars doing the
Db solo, but 'm going to
Ab tab it for only one.
Eb
Eb
Bb 10 8 7 8 7 7
Gb 9 9 7 9 7 This is a bit off, but
Db 9 laziness says it's OK.
Ab 7~~
Eb
There, that wasn't too bad, now was it?

VERSE (1:46) & INTERLUDE

The rhythm guitar for the verse is the same as the begining. For

the interlude, play Riff A four times. There's also a lead bit:

Soloage: (1:57)

Eb 12 10
Bb 12 10b11r10 8\5~~ 13/15~~
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Listen for where all this stuff goes.

PRECHORUS (2:07)

Same as the prechorus in the begining... with a guitar solo.

This is where the lead starts to get really sweet. :D
Eb 14*
Bb 17b19 15h17p15 *'m not sure if that 14 is
Gb 14~~ played in the song or not,
Db but hey, it sounds cool.
Ab
Eb
Eb
Bb
Gb 12 14 12 11 12 11~~
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb
Bb
Gb 11 12 11\9~~
Db
Ab
Eb

CHORUS (2:16)

Same as the first one. And there's no lead to worry about!

SECOND GUITAR SOLO (2:32)

Because these solos are completely outside of my playing abillity,

(Not to mention, I don't have enough frets on my guitar) this is based off of the Guitar Pro file by Scott McClelland. I used it without permission. Rock on!!! (Well, my version *is* completely different from his, so I don't feel guilty for using it. But just know I couldn't have done it without his version.)
Eb 10b12 12 10
Bb 12 10 10b12r10 10b12
Gb 12 9 10b12
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb
Bb
Gb 9 7 12~ 11 12 9~~//
Db 9 7\5~~
Ab
Eb
Eb 10pb12r10 10
Bb 12 10 12
Gb 12~~// Watch out for those pre bends!
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 17pb19 17p15 10 10 10 12b14r12 10 12 10
Bb 17b19~~ 12 12 12 12~
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 17 15 17 19 24 24b26(?!)r24 22 24
Bb 24
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 10 12 10 17b*
Bb 12 10
Gb * Bend that 17 to
Db the heavens, baby!
Ab
Eb

QUIET INTERLUDE (2:50)

Featuring some of Billy's favorite chords! Just strum along, get a feel for the rhythm from the recording. Easy. Dsus2/F# G E C Em Am
Eb 3 0 0 0 0 0
Bb 3 3 0 1 0 1
Gb 0 2 0 0 0 2
Db 0 0 2 2 2 2 x2
Ab 2 0 2 3 2 0
Eb 3 2 0 0
And, the lead, of course. Keep going with that 17 bend, and then play:
Eb 15 13*b
Bb * That 13 is an
Gb artificial harmonic.
Db
Ab (Yet you bend it up higher anyways.)
Eb
Then comes some weird-ass noise that I have no clue how to tab, so I'll just put x's!
Eb x
Bb x
Gb x 12b14r12 11 9 11 9\7~ 9b11 9b11r9 7 9
Db 9~~
Ab
Eb

ANTI-QUIET INTERLUDE (3:12)

Eb
Bb
Gb 2 4
Db 7 9 OR 2 4 (But not both!)
Ab 7 9 0 2
Eb 5 7

THIRD AND FINAL SOLO!!! (3:13)

Play that verse riff seven times. Then play:

Eb
Bb
Gb
Db 4 4//7 7 7//8 8 8//9 9 9
Ab 2 2//5 5 5//6 6 6//7 7 7
Eb
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Eb 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
PM . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eb
Bb
Gb
Db
Ab 4 4//7 7 7//8 8 8//9 9 9
Eb 2 2//5 5 5//6 6 6//7 7 7
Which should seem familliar. Then play those crazy harmonics,

just like how you played them in the intro, and we're almost done!

By the way, I've must've listened to this song about 11,000 fucking times by now, figuring this all out. You're welcome.

Now for the last solo piece: (Sniff, sniff)

Eb
Bb 15b17~~~
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 12 15 12 12 15 12 12 15 12 12 15 12 12
Bb 15 15 15 15 12 15 12
Gb 14
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 12 15 12 12 15 12
Bb 15b17 12
Gb 12~~
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb
Bb 17 15~~
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 17pb19r17 15 17
Bb 17pb19r17 17~~ 17b19r17 15 17
Gb 16~~
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 17b19 17 15
Bb 17~ 17b19r17 17 15
Gb 16~~
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb 17pb19r17 15 17
Bb 17~ 17b19r17 15 17
Gb 16~~
Db
Ab
Eb
This is a bit confusing:
Eb 17
Bb 17b19b20 Basically, you're
Gb playing a note during
Db the 17 to 20 bend.
Ab Also the coolest part
Eb of the song.
Eb
Bb
Gb 14 12 12 14 14b16r14 12 14 12~~
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb
Bb
Gb 12 14b16 14b16 12
Db 12/14 14 14 12
Ab 14 12
Eb 15 12
Eb
Bb 17b 17b 17b 17b 17b 17b 17b 17b 17b 17~~~
Gb
Db
Ab
Eb
Eb x\\
Bb 0 17 15b16 x\\
Gb 12 14 14b16r14 12 x\\ And you're done! Yaaay!
Db 14
Ab
Eb
Now, show your appreciation by checking out my band... :D

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