Tom: Am
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|------------------0----0--|
G|-3--1p0----0-----1--0-----|-3--1p0-----------0----0--|
D|--------1-----3--------0--|--------1--0------0----0--|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|-0------0-----0-----0-----|-0------0-----0-----0-----|
This is the main riff of the song that follows closely (but not exaxtly) the vocal melody. It's played during
the verses and the first Vile Stuff 'chorus'as well as the "benefit my peace of mind" bit.
You can hear it most cleanly in the video above at around the 9:10 mark.
The most imporant thing when playing this song is to keep a steady quarter note beat with your strumming thumb
on the 6th string. Especially if you're playing solo without a bass and drum supporting you then you need to
carry the whole rhythm on this low C string. If you watch the video of Richard playing it you'll see that his
thumb is steadily hitting that low string pretty much throughout the song except for the little PART B. Also
on the upbeats when there's a gap in the vocal melody he'll often add these syncopated open string strums
which is what i tried to show with the last two beats of the second bar.
Variations:
Richard adds a ton of different improvised little licks and variations to keep the song interesting.
Most of them are done in that same position on the neck utilising lots of pull offs, plus the open strings
(the beauty of the open tuning). When the song gets more intense he'll start strumming more and more open
strings on the upbeat. I also noticed that the open note on the 2nd upbeat, often switches between 3rd and 4th
string so the whole riff could also be played as below, or a mix of the two:
E|--------------------------|---------------------------|
B|--------------------------|---------------------------|
G|-3--1p0----------1--0-----|-3--1p0----0------0----0---|
D|--------1--0--3--------0--|--------1---------0----0---|
A|--------------------------|---------------------------|
E|-0------0-----0-----0-----|-0------0-----0-----0------|
another variation in the timing he'll sometimes do is something like:
E|---------------------------|----------------------------|
B|---------------------------|----------------------------|
G|----3---1p0--------1--0----|----3--1p0---------0----0---|
D|------------1p0-3--------0-|-----------1p0-----0----0---|
A|---------------------------|----------------------------|
E|-0------0-------0-----0----|-0-----0-------0-----0------|
There's also some bits where the key momentarily changes and the whole riff moves up the fretboard(by barring)
"Outside the chip shop" for 2 bars followed by part B and then another two bars
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|------------------1----1--|
G|-4--2p1----1-----2--1-----|-4--2p1-----------1----1--|
D|--------2-----4--------1--|--------2--1------1----1--|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|-1------1-----1-----1-----|-1------1-----1-----1-----|
"My neighboor Andrew" barre at 1st fret same as above
"Thinking of relocating to" barre at 2nd fret and then moves straight to Part C
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|--------------------------|
G|-5--3p2----2-----3--2-----|-5--3p2-------------------|
D|--------3-----5--------2--|--------3--2------2----2--|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|-2------2-----2-----2-----|-2------2-----2-----2-----|
There's a bit in the first verse ("And has to be rushed by helicopter ambulance")
where the vocal melody will change and the riff will change to match it(happens in the recorded version also).
E|--------------------------|-----------------------0---|
B|--------------------3--0--|-----------------------0---|
G|-3--1p0----0-----1--------|----0--4--3p1p0---0----0---|
D|--------1-----3-----------|----0----------------------|
A|--------------------------|---------------------------|
E|-0------0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0------0-----0------|
This also happens in the part that goes "no win no fee solicitor":
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|--------------------------|
G|-4--2p1----------2--1-----|-4------2-----1h2h4----4--|
D|--------2--1--4--------1--|----1------1--------------|
A|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E|-1------1-----1-----1-----|-1------1-----1-----1-----|
There might be other bits that i missed
[PART B]
E|-10p8-------------------|-11p7--------------------|
B|-----10p8---------------|-----10p7----------------|
G|---------10p8-----------|---------11p7------------|
D|-------------10p8----8--|-------------10p7----7---|
A|-----------------10p8---|-----------------11p7----|
E|-8----------------------|-7-----------------------| x2
This is the little 4 bar part in 3/4 that breaks up the verse. The bass note should ring throughout the bar.
Richard plays it by barring the chord then pulling off each note with his pinky.
On the part that goes "three empty cans of Castlemaine XXXX" the whole thing is played a half step higher.
[PART C]
E|--------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|--------------1----3------|
B|--------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|--------------1----3------|
G|-3------------------------|-3-----------------------|-3---------5------------|-3p1----------1----4------|
D|----5p3----3------3----0--|----4p0----0------0---0--|----4p0-----------------|----3p1----1--1----3------|
A|--------5-----------------|--------4----------------|--------4---------------|--------3-----1----3------|
E|-3------3-----3-----3-----|-4------4-----4-----4----|-5------5-----5----5----|-1------1-----1----3------|
This 4 bar part plays during the "I only drunk a" and "he reckons I should" bits and its also how the intro
leads into the main song. Richard plays the first and last bar by barring the chords.
[PART D]
E|-3--0--3--0--3--0--3--0--|-2-----2-----2-----2-----|-------0-0--0--0--0--0--0--|-------0-0--0--0--0--0--0--|
B|----5-----5-----5-----5--|----3-----3-----3-----3--|-0h2h3b5-5--5--5--5--5--5--|-0h2h3b5-5--5--5--5--5--5--|
G|----5-----5-----5-----5--|----3-----3-----3-----3--|---------3--3--3--3--3--3--|---------3--3--3--3--3--3--|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
E|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-------0-----0-----0-----|-0-------0-----0-----0-----|
