FRESH TABS | 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | TOP 100 TABS
Advanced + Submit your tab
+ Submit your review
+ Submit your article
 

Various Riffs Tab


by Blue Oyster Cult tabs | tabbed by Unregistered | comments (5) Open comments in new window
1 2 3 4 5
2 votes

print
send
report
Recommended tabs
If you like Various Riffs Tab by Blue Oyster Cult you might also like these songs:

Ripley Chris - Some Cool Riffs Tab
by Misc

Lonely Ol Night Bass Tab
by John Cougar Mellencamp

Various Riffs tab by Blue Oyster Cult, www.Ultimate-Guitar.Com
UG app View Various Riffs tab on your iPhone, iPod Touch or Android
Listen to Various Riffs
Add to favourites
WARNING: You are trying to view
content from Ultimate-Guitar.com
in an unauthorized application,
which is prohibited.

Please use an official Ultimate
Guitar Tabs application for iPhone,
iPad or Android to access legitimate
chords, guitar, bass, and drum tabs
from Ultimate-Guitar.com database.

Type "ultimate guitar tabs" in Apple
App Store's or Android Market's
search to find the application.
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: tgannon@charlie.usd.edu (spideir)

         **"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    [  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_)  |
  *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===* ^-_=^ *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
© 2012 Ultimate-Guitar.com or its affiliates. All rights reserved     About | Help | Site Map | Link To Us | TOS | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact