Alter Bridge – Break Me Down (Guitar Tab)

Versions (3)

Auto-scroll

Chords

from the album "Blackbird" written by Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy Tabbed by J. Handfield Drop Db tuning (all strings tuned down 1/2 step, 6th string down 1 1/2 steps) It took me a little bit to figure out the chords because of the different overtones, but this sounds right. I'm glad that I could TAB this one too for everyone. Guitar 2 Chords: Db |0 0 0 11 x x|

Intro - Heavy Distortion (play through 2x)
   Guitar 1                                                 
Eb|------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------------|
Bb|------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------------------|
Gb|------------12-12-|--11----------------|------------------|---------------------------|
Db|---10-------10-10-|--0-----------12-14-|---10------12-12\-|-------------------------0-|
Ab|---8--------8--8--|--0-----------10-10-|---8-------10-10\-|----5p0---5~---5p0---5~--0-|
Db|---8--------------|--0-----------10-10-|---8-------10-10\-|--0-----0----0-----0-----0-|

  |Guitar 2 - Distortion w/ fast repeated slap-back echo (set for ~250 ms)
Eb|------------------|--------------------|------------------|------------------------|
Bb|--13--10--8---11~-|--------------------|--17--13--11--15--|------------------------|
Gb|------------------|--11--12--14~-15\14-|------------------|------------------------|
Db|--10--7---5---8~--|--------------------|--14--10--8---12--|------------------------|
Ab|------------------|--9---10--12~-13\12-|------------------|------------------------|
Db|------------------|--------------------|------------------|------------------------|

   Guitar 1
Eb|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------|
Bb|-------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------|
Gb|-------------12-12-|--11----------------|------------------|---------------|
Db|---10--------10-10-|--0-----------12-12-|---10------12-12\-|--0------------|
Ab|---8---------8--8--|--0-----------10-10-|---8-------10-10\-|--0------------|
Db|---8---------------|--0-----------10-10-|---8-------10-10\-|--0------------|

  |Guitar 2 (same delay effect)
Eb|------------------|--------------------|------------------|---------------|
Bb|--13--10--8---11~-|--------------------|--17--13--11--15--|---------------|
Gb|------------------|--11--12--14~-17\14-|------------------|---------------|
Db|--10--7---5---8~--|--------------------|--14--10--8---12--|--0------------|
Ab|------------------|--9---10--12~-15\12-|------------------|--0------------|
Db|------------------|--------------------|------------------|--0------------|

Verse - Guitar 2 (Clean + Light chorus)
Eb|--------------0------|----3-3--3-----3--3-----|-0-0--3---3-3--2-2-|-1--1/3--2--333-3p2-|
Bb|----------------1----|----6-6----6---5--5-3---|-1-1--3---3-3--3-3-|-1--1/3--3--333-3---|
Gb|-7-6---9-9\3------3--|----5-5------5-5--5-3-5-|-0-0--2---2-2--2-2-|---------2--222-2---|
Db|---------------------|------------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
Ab|-5-4---7-7\1--------1|------------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
Db|---------------------|-3----------------------|-------------------|--------------------|

                                                            Dist. Guitar 1: Db (vol swell)
Eb|--------------0------|----3-3--3-----3--3-----|-0--0--3---3-3--2--2-2-|-1--1/3--2--333-3p2-|
Bb|----------------1----|----6-6----6---5--5-3---|-1--1--3---3-3--3--3-3-|-1--1/3--3--333-3---|
Gb|-7-6---9-9\3------3--|----5-5------5-5--5-5-5-|-0--0--2---2-2--2--2-2-|---------2--222-2---|
Db|---------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
Ab|-5-4---7-7\1--------1|------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
Db|---------------------|-3----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|

Chorus- Play the Intro riff (Guitar 1 only, because the chords are only used here)

Pre-Verse 2
Eb|--------------0------|----3-3--3-----3--3-----|-0--0--3---3-3--2--2-2-|-1--1/3--2--333-3p2-|
Bb|----------------1----|----6-6----6---5--5-3---|-1--1--3---3-3--3--3-3-|-1--1/3--3--333-3---|
Gb|-7-6---9-9\3------3--|----5-5------5-5--5-5-5-|-0--0--2---2-2--2--2-2-|---------2--222-2---|
Db|---------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
Ab|-5-4---7-7\1--------1|------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
Db|---------------------|-3----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|

Verse 2 (same as verse 1) Chorus 2 (same as Chorus 1)

Bridge - Guitar 1
       PM___      PM___
Eb|-----------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------|
Bb|-----------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------|
Gb|-----------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------|
Db|-------------------------0-2-|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|
Ab|----5p0---5~---5p0---5~--0-2-|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|
Db|--0-----0----0-----0-----0-2-|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|

  | Guitar 2
Eb|-----------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------|
Bb|-----------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------|
Gb|-----------------------------|-----14-14-14-14-14-14-14--|------------------------------|
Db|-------------------------0-2-|--3--12-12-12-12-12-12-12--|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|
Ab|----5p0---5~---5p0---5~--0-2-|--3--10-10-10-10-10-10-10--|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|
Db|--0-----0----0-----0-----0-2-|--3------------------------|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|

    Both Guitars (until 3rd bar)                                           
Eb|---------------------------|---------------------------|-Guitar 1 only-------------|
Bb|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
Gb|----------7---7-7-7-7--7---|----------7---7-7-7-7--7---|---------------------------|
Db|--3---0---7---7-7-7-7--7---|--3---0---7---7-7-7-7--7---|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|
Ab|--3---0---5---5-5-5-5--5---|--3---0---5---5-5-5-5--5---|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|
Db|--3---0--------------------|--3---0--------------------|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|

Eb|------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
Bb|------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
Gb|------------------------------|----------7---7-7-7-7--7---|----------7---7-7-7-7--7---|
Db|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|--3---0---7---7-7-7-7--7---|--3---0---7---7-7-7-7--7---|
Ab|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|--3---0---5---5-5-5-5--5---|--3---0---5---5-5-5-5--5---|
Db|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|--3---0--------------------|--3---0--------------------|

Eb|---------------------------|------------------------------|--Both Guitars-------------|
Bb|---------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Gb|---------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Db|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|-------------------------0-|
Ab|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|----5p0---5~---5p0---5~--0-|
Db|--3--3-3---3-3---3---3-3---|--10--10-10--10-10--10--10-10-|--0-----0----0-----0-----0-|

Eb|-------------------------|--**--------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|------------------------------|
Gb|---------------------7~--|-/10--------------------------| ** Clean Chorus (Guitar 2)
Db|-------------------------|------------------------------|    starts with this bar
Ab|----5p0---5~---5p0---5~--|-/8---------------------------|
Db|--0-----0----0-----0-----|------------------------------|

In bar 6 of the bridge part (where it states Guitar 1 only), Guitar 2 starts playing an octave in a repeated sixteenth note rhythm shown below:

Eb|--10--------|  Play this for 6 bars (until 'Both Guitars' appears)
Bb|------------|
Gb|--7---------|
Db|------------|
Ab|------------|
Db|------------|

Clean Chorus (distortion, volume knob turned low)                    
Eb|------------------------|----------------------------|------------* vol Swell--|
Bb|------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------|
Gb|------------------12-12-|--11--11--11-x-x------------|----------------12-12--|
Db|---10--10--10-10--10-10-|--0---0---0--x-x--12-12-x-x-|-10--10--10-10--10-10--|
Ab|---8---8---8--8---8--8--|--0---0---0--x-x--10-10-x-x-|-8---8---8------8--8---|
Db|---8---8---8--8---------|------------------10-10-x-x-|-8---8---8-------------|

   Both guitars (Guitar 1 has a downward slide just before this measure)
Eb|---------------------------|
Bb|---------------------------|
Gb|---------------------------|
Db|-------------------------0-|
Ab|----5p0---5~---5p0---5~--0-|
Db|--0-----0----0-----0-----0-|

Final Chorus (Same as other Chorus) Outro - Same as Intro for Guitar 1 & 2

Both Guitars: Let chord ring at end of outro
Eb|------------|
Bb|------------|
Gb|------------|
Db|--0---------|
Ab|--0---------|
Db|--0---------|

Key: TP Tremelo Picking PM Palm Mute p Pull-off ~ vibrato x muted string (makes percussive sound) / slide up the neck \ slide down the neck