B.B. King – Paying The Cost To Be The Boss (Guitar Tab)
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Speed:
1.0x
Chords
As recorded by B.B. King
(From the 1968 Album BLUES ON TOP OF BLUES)
Words and Music by B.B. King
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'B.B. King - Electric Guitar'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Irving Ashby - Electric Guitar'
Intro
Q=114(8=s8)
N.C. B6
4/4
Gtr I
|-3-|
H Q E E E q Q Q S +S S S
|-------------7-|-9b11--------------9b11r(9)p7---| |---------7-9---|------------------------------9-| |---------------|--------------------------------| |---------------|--------------------------------| |---------------|--------------------------------| |---------------|--------------------------------|
|
| Gtr II | W Q E a E +H |---------------|-------/4-4s2-(2)---------------| |---------------|-------/4-4s2-(2)---------------| |---------------|-------/4-4s2-(2)---------------| |---------------|--------------------------------| |---------------|--------------------------------| |---------------|--------------------------------| E6 B6 ~~ ~~~ E e Q E E E E q Q Q q |-7h9--------------7---|-7----------10b10.5------| |----------------9---7-|----/12--------------12--| |----------------------|-------------------------| |----------------------|-------------------------| |----------------------|-------------------------| |----------------------|-------------------------|
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |-----/9-9s7-(7)-------|-----/4-4s2-(2)----------| |-----/9-9s7-(7)-------|-----/4-4s2-(2)----------| |-----/9-9s7-(7)-------|-----/4-4s2-(2)----------| |----------------------|-------------------------| |----------------------|-------------------------| |----------------------|-------------------------| E6 ~~~~~~~ E E E E +E E E E +Q E E E E Q |-12b14-12-10b10.5--------------------|------------12b14---10b10.5----------| |--------------------12-(12)----12-15-|-(15)b15.5------------------12--9----| |----------------------------13-------|-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H
|----------/4------4s=2--(2)----------|------------/9----9s=7------(7)------|
|----------/4------4s=2--(2)----------|------------/9----9s=7------(7)------|
|----------/4------4s=2--(2)----------|------------/9----9s=7------(7)------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|B6
~~
|--3--|
Q E E Q S S S E H E E Q |--------------------12h13p12-12-|--------------------------| |----------12-14b16--------------|-15b16---------------12---| |----/13-------------------------|-------------------x------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------|
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H
|-----/9-9s=7-(7)----------------|--------/4-4s2-(2)--------|
|-----/9-9s=7-(7)----------------|--------/4-4s2-(2)--------|
|-----/9-9s=7-(7)----------------|--------/4-4s2-(2)--------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------|
E e Q Q S +S e
|----------------------------------------|
|---14b15.5-------------14pb15.5r(14)-12-|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------||
| Q E a E +H |-----------/4-4s2-(2)-------------------| |-----------/4-4s2-(2)-------------------| |-----------/4-4s2-(2)-------------------| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| F#6 E6 ~~ ~~~ Q e e H Q S +S S S E E E E |----------------------|--------------------------------------| |-12---14--------------|----14b15.5r(14)p==12----12--14-12----| |------------13--------|----------------------13-----------13-| |----------------------|--------------------------------------| |----------------------|--------------------------------------| |----------------------|--------------------------------------|
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |-----/11-11s=9-(9)----|----/9-----------9s=7----(7)----------| |-----/11-11s=9-(9)----|----/9-----------9s=7----(7)----------| |-----/11-11s=9-(9)----|----/9-----------9s=7----(7)----------| |----------------------|--------------------------------------| |----------------------|--------------------------------------| |----------------------|--------------------------------------| B6 F#7 ~~~ Q. E q E E q E E H |----------------------|---------------|| |-12----------/7-------|-7----9p=7-----|| |------------------7h8-|---------------|| |----------------------|---------------|| |----------------------|---------------|| |----------------------|---------------||
|
| Q E a E +H Q E E +H |------/4-4s2-(2)------|----4----------|| |------/4-4s2-(2)------|----4-5-(5)----|| |------/4-4s2-(2)------|----4-3-(3)----|| |----------------------|------4-(4)----|| |----------------------|---------------|| |----------------------|---------------|| 1st Verse B6 E6 W W |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------|
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----7-7s5-(5)----|----12-12s=10-(10)----| |----9-9s7-(7)----|----14-14s=12-(12)----| |----8-8s6-(6)----|----13-13\-11-(11)----| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| |-----------------|----------------------| B6 Gtr II Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----/7-7s5-(5)----|----/7-7s5-(5)----| |----/9-9s7-(7)----|----/9-9s7-(7)----| |----/8-8s6-(6)----|----/8-8s6-(6)----| |------------------|------------------| |------------------|------------------| |------------------|------------------| E6 Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----/12-12s=10-(10)----|----/12-12s=10-(10)----| |----/14-14s=12-(12)----|----/14-14s=12-(12)----| |----/13-13\-11-(11)----|----/13-13\-11-(11)----| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|
B6
Gtr I
|-3--|
W H E E E e E |------------------|-------------------7---| |------------------|---------------7-7-----| |------------------|-----------------------| |------------------|-----------------------| |------------------|-----------------------| |------------------|-----------------------|
|
| Gtr II | Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----/7-7s5-(5)----|----/7-7s5-(5)---------| |----/9-9s7-(7)----|----/9-9s7-(7)---------| |----/8-8s6-(6)----|----/8-8s6-(6)---------| |------------------|-----------------------| |------------------|-----------------------| |------------------|-----------------------| F#6 E6 W W |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----/14-14s=12-(12)----|----/12-12s=10-(10)----| |----/16-16s=14-(14)----|----/14-14s=12-(12)----| |----/15-15\-13-(13)----|----/13-13\-11-(11)----| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------| |-----------------------|-----------------------| 2nd & 3rd Verses $ B6 B7 Gtr II Q E a E +H Q E a E +H Q Q H Q Q H |----/7-7s5-(5)----|----/7-7s5-(5)----||------------|------------| |----/9-9s7-(7)----|----/9-9s7-(7)----||-7----------|-7----------| |----/8-8s6-(6)----|----/8-8s6-(6)----||-8----------|-8----------| |------------------|------------------||-7----------|-7----------| |------------------|------------------||-9----------|-9----------| |------------------|------------------||-7----------|-7----------| Q Q H Q Q H Q Q H Q Q H |------------|------------|------------|------------| |-7----------|-7----------|-7----------|-7----------| |-8----------|-8----------|-8----------|-8----------| |-7----------|-7----------|-7----------|-7----------| |-9----------|-9----------|-9----------|-9----------| |-7----------|-7----------|-7----------|-7----------| E6 Q Q H E E E E E E E E Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |------------|-----------------|----/12-12s=10-(10)----|----/12-12s=10-(10)----| |-7----------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|----/14-14s=12-(12)----|----/14-14s=12-(12)----| |-8----------|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-|----/13-13\-11-(11)----|----/13-13\-11-(11)----| |-7----------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-9----------|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-----------------------|-----------------------| |-7----------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-----------------------|-----------------------| B6 Gtr I W Q E E E E q |------------------|-----------------7--| |------------------|---------------7----| |------------------|---------7--8-------| |------------------|--------------------| |------------------|--------------------| |------------------|--------------------|
|
| Gtr II | Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----/7-7s5-(5)----|----/7-7s5-(5)------| |----/9-9s7-(7)----|----/9-9s7-(7)------| |----/8-8s6-(6)----|----/8-8s6-(6)------| |------------------|--------------------| |------------------|--------------------| |------------------|--------------------| To Coda F#6 E6 W W |-----------------------|------------------------| |-----------------------|------------------------| |-----------------------|------------------------| |-----------------------|------------------------| |-----------------------|------------------------| |-----------------------|------------------------|
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----/14-14s=12-(12)----|----/12-12s=10-(10)-----| |----/16-16s=14-(14)----|----/14-14s=12-(12)-----| |----/15-15\-13-(13)----|----/13-13\-11-(11)-----| |-----------------------|------------------------| |-----------------------|------------------------| |-----------------------|------------------------| B6 W H Q q |------------------|----------------7--|| |------------------|-------------------|| |------------------|-------------------|| |------------------|-------------------|| |------------------|-------------------|| |------------------|-------------------||
|
| Q E a E +H Q E a E +H |----/7-7s5-(5)----|----/7-7s5-(5)-----|| |----/9-9s7-(7)----|----/9-9s7-(7)-----|| |----/8-8s6-(6)----|----/8-8s6-(6)-----|| |------------------|-------------------|| |------------------|-------------------|| |------------------|-------------------|| Guitar Solo B6 E6 ~~ ~~ Q Q Q Q E S S q Q Q |-10b10.5--------------|-10b10.5----------------------| |------------------12--|---------12-------------12----| |----------------------|------------13-11-------------| |----------------------|------------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------------|
|
| Q Q E Q. Q Q E Q.
|----------------------|------------------------------|
|----------9--7-9\-----|----------------7--6-7\-------|
|----------8--6-8\-----|----------------7--6-7\-------|
|----------9--7-9\-----|----------------6--5-6\-------|
|----------------------|------------------------------|
|----------------------|------------------------------|B7 B9
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
|3-| |----3----|
E E +Q +E E q E +S S E Q E E S S +E E |-12b14-12b14==(12)--(12)r--------|-12b13.5r(12)p10---12-14-10---------------| |-----------------------------12--|--------------------------------12-(12)-9-| |---------------------------------|------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|
| Q Q E Q. Q Q E E Q
|---------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|----------------7-----6---7\-----|-----------------7-----6----7-------------|
|----------------8-----7---8\-----|-----------------6-----5----6-------------|
|----------------7-----6---7\-----|-----------------7-----6----7-------------|
|----------------9-----8---9\-----|-----------------6-----5----6-------------|
|---------------------------------|------------------------------------------|E9
|3-| |--------3---------|
S E. E Q +E. +S Q Q |----10b10.5---12b14==(12)r(12)p10b10.5-------| |-12--------------------------------------12--| |---------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------|
|
| Q Q E E Q |------------7----------6----7----------------| |------------7----------6----7----------------| |------------7----------6----7----------------| |------------6----------5----6----------------| |---------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------| H E E +S S S S |---------14b17==(14)r-14-12-------| |----------------------------15b16-| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|
|
| Q Q E E Q |----7--6--7-----------------------| |----7--6--7-----------------------| |----7--6--7-----------------------| |----6--5--6-----------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| B9 ~~~~~~~ ~~ +E S S +E S S +Q E E E E Q Q S +S S S |-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------| |-(15)-12-12-(12)----14b16-(14)-----15b17-|-14b16-12-12------14b16r(14)p12---| |-----------------13----------------------|----------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|
| Q Q E E Q Q Q E E Q |-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------7-------------6--7---------|-----------7--6-7-----------------| |--------------6-------------5--6---------|-----------6--5-6-----------------| |--------------7-------------6--7---------|-----------7--6-7-----------------| |--------------6-------------5--6---------|-----------6--5-6-----------------| |-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------| F#7 E7 ~~ ~~ E E Q Q Q S S E E S S +E +E S S S S |--------------12--|-10-----------12b13==(12)r(12)-12-10----10-| |-12-14------------|----12-12----------------------------12----| |------------------|-------------------------------------------| |------------------|-------------------------------------------| |------------------|-------------------------------------------| |------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|
| Q Q E E Q E E Q E E Q |------------------|-------------------------------------------| |-------7--6-6-----|--------5-5------------4----4--------------| |-------9--8-8-----|--------7-7------------6----6--------------| |-------8--7-7-----|--------6-6------------5----5--------------| |-------9--8-8-----|--------7-7------------6----6--------------| |------------------|-------------------------------------------| B9 ~~ +E E Q Q S S E |-(10)-----------------------------| |------12-12-----------------------| |------------------9b10.5-9-7b7.5--| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|
|
| Q Q E E Q
|----------------------------------|
|---------/7--6-7\-----------------|
|---------/6--5-6\-----------------|
|---------/7--6-7\-----------------|
|---------/6--5-6\-----------------|
|----------------------------------|
Outro
D.S. al Coda &
N.C.
Q E e H H Q E E
|-------7----------||-----------9-:
|-------7----------||-------------:
|------------------||-------------:
|------------------||-------------:
|------------------||-------------:
|------------------||-------------:|
| E E E E E E E E W |------------------||-------------: |---7-7-7-7-7-7-7--||-------------: |---9-9-9-9-9-9-9--||-------------: |---8-8-8-8-8-8-8--||-------------: |---9-9-9-9-9-9-9--||-------------: |------------------||-------------:
H.=H
~
|-3--| |-3-| |3|
+E E E S S S S Q Q E S S S E S E a E E Q |-(9)-7---7--------------:------------------------------*| |-------7---10p7---7-----:------------------------------*| |----------------9-------:-7b7.5------------------------*| |------------------------:-------9-7---7---------9------*| |------------------------:-----------9---9p7-5s6--------*| |------------------------:------------------------------*|
|
| W W |------------------------:------------------------------*| |------------------------:------------------------------*| |------------------------:------------------------------*| |------------------------:------------------------------*| |------------------------:------------------------------*| |------------------------:------------------------------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths