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_) |
*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===* ^-_=^ *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
https://primoaccordo.net/blue-oyster-cult/various-riffs.htm