The Beatles – Helter Skelter (Guitar Tab)

Versions (5)

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Chords

(Lennon/McCartney) [Intro]

e|-----0--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------|
B|--12\3--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
         When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the

e|-----0--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------|
B|-----2--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
  slide, where I stop and I turn and I go for a

                                                  G
e|-----0--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------|
B|-----1--(repeat)--------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------5--5--6--6--------|
E|------------------------------------------------3--3--3--3--------|
  ride, till I get to the bottom and I see you again.

                           E
e|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--5--5--6---------6------2--2--2--2--3\2--2--2--2-----------------|
E|--3--3--3---------3------0--0--0--0--1\0--0--0--0-----------------|
        Yeah yeah  yeah!

[Verse] E Well do you don't you want me to make you I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you G Tell me tell me tell me come on tell me the answer A E Well you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.

[Chorus]
            A
e|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------2---2---4---4--5--4--2----------------------------------|
A|----------0---0---0---0-----------5--4--2--0----------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
   Well, Helter Skelter

     E
e|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---2---2---4---4--5--4--2-----------------------------------------|
E|---0---0---0---0-----------5--4--2--0-----------------------------|
  Helter skelter

       A                                    E
e|------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------5b(7)--3--5-----------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---2---2---4---4--5--4--2-----------------------------------------|
A|---0---0---0---0-----------5--4--2--0-----------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
   Helter skelter                        Yeah

So much for verses and choruses. The rest are pretty much the same, except that the rest of the verses hit the G chord a little sooner (at the beginning of the third line of the verse). [Guitar solo in the middle]

    E                          A                      E
e|----------------------7--7--15b(17)--15b(17)--b(17)15-------------|
B|----------------------0--0----------------------------------------|
G|----------------------9--9----------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
   'Cos here she comes

                                    A                                    E
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--b(17)15b(17)15---------------13b(14)------------------b(17)15-----------|
G|------------------b(14)12---------------b(14)12b(14)12-----------12-------|
D|---------------------------14----------------------------------------14~--|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Later, there's a neat riff in one of the last verses. I think it comes right after "will you won't you want me to make you" or something like that. This is a cool riff with that looonnnng slide.

e|--12--15b(17)--b(17)15--12------12----------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------15------15\10-----10b(12)--b(12)10--8---------|
G|-------------------------------------------9-----------------------7--9---|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

As the song fades into the first ending, there are some nice bend releases, while the lyrics repeat "coming down fast":

e|--b(17)15------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------b(17)15---------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------b(16)14------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------b(14)12---------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------b(14)12------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

Later, there's a whole lot of Hendrix-like guitar noise. Tab Special Notations: ----0---- play the open string ('fret zero') ----5---- play fret five ----5~--- play fret five with vibrato ---5/7--- play fret five, slide up to fret seven ---7\5--- play fret seven, slide down to fret five --7\5/7-- play fret seven, slide down to fret five, slide back up --8b(9)-- play fret eight, bend the string (at fret eight) to reach the pitch of fret nine --b(9)8-- play fret eight already bent to the pitch of fret nine, unbending until it reaches the normal pitch of fret eight ----h7--- hammer-on to fret seven ----p5--- pull-off to fret five ---/7---- slide up to fret 7 (the starting fret of the slide is undefined, judge by ear) ---15\--- play fret 15, slide down (the ending fret of the slide is undefined, judge by ear) ---0h3--- play the open string and immediately hammer-on to fret three ---7p5--- play fret seven and immediately pull-off to fret five