Optimistic Tab

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Difficulty:	intermediate
Tuning:	D A D G B E
Capo:	no capo

Author seytin [a] 81.

1 contributor total, last edit on Jun 23, 2016

We have an official Optimistic tab made by UG professional guitarists.

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This is a correction to the other tabs for this song
Posted by me: SEYTIN
I assure you these tabs are correct and complete
This is my first posting there will be more in depth tabs in the future.
THE TUNING IS ACTUALLY: DADGBD
so the top E string is actually tuned down to D as well.
THE SONG IS STRUCTURED LIKE THIS
REFER TO THE LABELS ON THE RIFFS FOR THE ORDER
 
 
For the opening riff let the top string (tuned to D) ring out.
These are the chords, listen to the song for the rhythm
I borrowed this first riff from Mikhailo's Kid A album tab post because
he had this riff right (aside from the tuning)
 
 
[RIFF A]
 
strum the following 2x, then the second half 1x:
D|---0--------0-------0-------------0--------0----0----|
B|--10-------12-------7-------------6--------8----7----|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--10-------12-------7-------------8-------10----9----|
A|---0--------0-------0-------------0--------0----0----|
D|---0--------0-------0-------------0--------0----0----|
 
 
[MAIN RIFF and verses]
 
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----9--9--9---7777777-|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|
 
 
[CHORUS]
 
D|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B|10--10--10-10-10 -10 10 10 10 10 10 10|10--10--10-10-10--7-7-7-7-7-7-7|
G|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
D|10--10--10-10-10 --9 -9-9 -9-  9 -9 -9|-8---8---8--8--8--7-7-7-7-7-7-7|
A|-0---0---0--0--0 --0 -0-0 -0-  0 -0 -0|-0---0---0--0--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0|
D|-0---0---0--0--0 --0 -0-0 -0-  0 -0 -0|-0---0---0--0--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0|
 
 
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----9--9--9---7777777-|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|
 
The other guitar plays this on the chorus:
 
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------3--5--8/7-----|
G|-----------------------------2--3--5-------------------|
D|-----------------2--3--5-------------------------------|
A|--0--2--3--5-------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
 
FROM THE SECOND CHORUS ON THE SECOND GUITAR ALSO PLAYS THIS
AFTER THE ABOVE RIFF:
 
D|--0------------------------------------0----------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------5/3--2------0----3--2----------------5/3-2---0----3--2--------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------0----|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
 
 
After the first chorus there is a break down where a guitar is strumming with the fingers from
the left hand covering the strings to make a rhythmic sound.  LISTEN TO THE RECORDING FOR
THE RHYTHM
THE NUMBERS LINE UP TO THE RHYTHM  its a tough beat but listen close and you can get it.
The strings go from muted to open to create a beat:
 
 
[BREAKDOWN]
 
 -----1-------2-------3-------4------1------2-------3-------4-----
 
D|--|------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|--|------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|
D|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|
A|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|
D|X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|X-X-0-X-X-0-X-X-X-X-0-X-X-0-X-|
 
THIS RIFF IS PLAYED OVER THE BREAKDOWN AND MAIN RIFF IN THE SECOND VERSE
AND THROUGHOUT THE SONG:
 
D|--0------------------------------------0----------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------5/3--2------0----3--2----------------5/3-2---0----3--2--------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------0----|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
 
 
[BRIDGE]
 
"I'd really like to help you man..."  The main riff changes a little bit:
It repeats both parts of the riff twice:
 
D|---------------------|---------------------|
B|---------------------|---------------------|
G|-----7--77---5555555-|-----7--77---5555555-|
D|---------------------|---------------------|
A|-----8--88---7777777-|-----8--88---7777777-|
D|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|-0-0-0--00---0000000-|
 
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
B|---------------------|-----------------------|
G|-----9--9-9--7777777-|-----9--9--9---7777777-|
D|---------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----10-1010-9999999-|-----10-10-10--9999999-|
D|-0-0-0--0-0--0000000-|-0-0-0--0--0---0000000-|
 
RIFF A
MAIN RIFF 2x
VERSE 1 (MAIN RIFF 4x)
CHORUS (play riff 2x)
BREAKDOWN (4 MEASURES)
VERSE 2 (MAIN RIFF 4x)
CHORUS (play riff 2x)
MAIN RIFF 4x (sounds different because of the bass)
BRIDGE RIFF 2x
CHORUS (play riff 2x)
TAG (play second half of chorus riff 3x instead of once)
MAIN RIFF 4x (sounds different because of the bass)
RIFF A
OUTRO  (this is just a mellower variation/breakdown of the main riff)
 
 
 
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Optimistic – Radiohead

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10 comments

i was actually JUST figuring this out, and it looks like jonny plays his chorus riff this way: downstroke: downstroke: D--0---------------------0-------------------------------------------| B--------------------------------------------------------------------| G-----5--------------------5-----------------------------------------| D-------8p7~--7--5--8-7------8p7~--(7)--5--8-7-----------------------| A----------------------------------------------5---------------------| D--------------------------------------------------------------------|

I think Jonny is tuned to (low to high) D A D Bb C D - look/ listen to the At the Basement version, I'm pretty sure he just rakes the top 4 strings like: -D|-0------- -C|---0----- Bb|-----0--- -D|-------7- for the main chorus riff thing.

I'll check that out, Its the same notes on different strings, I could have sworn I heard a slide down from the C (5th fret G string) to the Bb(3rd fret G string). I haven't been able to check it with a video performance, so you may be right. The 5th to 8th fret thing seems like an awkward fingering.