U2: Bullet the blue sky
Tabbed by Lars Barstad (lapba@grm.hia.no).
correction- *Bullet The Blue Sky--It's in Em and tuned down 1/2
step. The opening chord riff is just playing E/B/G on the
1st 3 strings, respectfully at the 12th fret (Em), then
B/G/D on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings at the 12th fret
(G). After hitting the chord, use your trem bar to dive
bomb the sound. The chorus is B/F#/D on the 1st 3 strings
at the 7th fret(Bm).
Most of this stuff is from the Joshua Tree version of the song, since a friend
of mine has borrowed my song-book, everything is not 100%, but its a start
at least! :) Will probably make a more accurate version when I get my book
back!
Main riff Small riff (used live)
E-|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
B-|-----7--------------------7---7----|---------------------------------------|
G-|-----7--------------------7---7----|------11--11---10--9-------------------|
D-|-----7--------------------7---7----|---------------------------------------|
A-|---------7--7--5h7-5h7-------------|---------------------------------------|
E-|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
Solo (Joshua Tree version) (From memory, so it might not be 100%)
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|----12------------12-------------12/14-----------14------------------------|
G-|--------12------------12----------------14-----------14--------------------|
D-|------------12------------12----------------14-----------14----------------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
(Maybe repeat one more time on the 12th fret... dunno.. check the
record!)
Intro (w/slide), slow slide all the way down the fretboard
E-|--12----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|--12----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|--12----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D-|--12----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-|--12----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|--12----------------------------------------------------------------------|
U2 “Bullet the Blue Sky”
This is the solo from the version on the Stay(Far away, so close) single.
The Edge plays it with light distortion and a wah expression pedal so use them
if you got them. Any comments or questions email me,Chris Petersen,
at Spyguy01@netcom.com.
^ Pick then bend
* Bend up full step and hold on indicated fret (pick what is shown, do not pick
then bend)
> Slow bend back to indicated fret’s pitch
h Hammer on and release quickly
/ slide to indicated fret
This comes in right after he finishes with repeating the intro. again,
E-----15-----15-----15-----15----------------------------h----------------
B-17*----17*----17*----17*-----17*--15>---14--15--17---14-15----14-15-----
G-----------------------------------------------------------16------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The part above is repeated again then it moves on to:
E-------------------------15-------------------------------------------------
B---0--12---0---15----15*------15*--15>---12------------h--------------------
G----------------------------------------------14*--14>--12------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------14-14-12-14----
h
E----------------------15---------------15------------17------14--15-14-14-15
B--------------12--15*---------15*--/17------17---17*----17*-----------------
G-----12---14----------------------------------------------------------------
D--/14-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------|
B-------------------|
G-19-0-18-0-16-0-14-|
D-------------------|
The above is repeated four times then he moves on to below.
|----------------------------------------------------------------
|------------h---h----------------h--h---------------------------
|19-0-18-0-16-18-16---19-0-18-0-16-18-16--19-0-18-0-16-18-19-19*-
|----------------------------------------------------------------
E--------12------------------------------------------------------
B-----12-------15*-15-12-----12----------------------------------
G-14^--------------------14-----12-------------------------------
D-----------------------------------14--12--14-------------------
He finishes off with a little progression which am clueless about, so try for yourself then let me know.
Have fun!
Bullet the Blue Sky (live version) by U2
Transcribed by Richard Zangoli.
This is a transcription of the live version of the song that U2 have
recently been doing. I transcribed it from the Zoo TV live in Sydney video
but most versions are reasonably similar. If you don't have a wah pedal or
something similar you may be better off trying to play something closer to
the Rattle and Hum CD version (I might transcribe that one in full too one
day if nobody else does). If you do have a wah-wah, this song is absolutely
awesome to play. Tune down half a step(as per usual).
Just before the intro riff play this (bend the strings then release them
reasonably slowly)-
E----------------
B-----15b------
G-----14b------
D---------------
A---------------
E----------------
Intro riff (Edge uses a slide but you don't have to)
E----7--7/s--
B----7--7/s--
G----7--7/s-- etc.
D------------
A------------
E-0----------
Just before the second verse, either slide you finger up the "big" E string
or run your pick
up it. And then with a wah-wah play this(x=mute strings)-
E---x---x---x-----------------x--x--x------
B---x---x---x---8--8--7p5---x--x--x-------
G---x---x---x-----------------x--x--x and so on
D---x---x---x-----------------x--x--x------
A-------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------
Sometimes Edge will play this instead
E--------------------
B---------8--8--s/10
G--------------------
D--------------------
A---------------------
E---------------------
For the Chorus play-
E-----------------------------------
B--7--7--------------------------
G--7--7-------------------------- listen to the song for the timing.
D--7--7--------------------------
A----------7--5-5-5--5-7-5-7--- etc..
E-----------------------------------
After Bono says "Don't let it happen again" play this-
E--------------3--3---3--3--3--3--3--3-------------------------------3---3---3--
B--------------3--3---3--3--3--3--3--3-------------------------------3---3---3-
G--------------0--0---0--0--0--0--0--0-------------------------------0---0---0--
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------5h7-----------------
E---15s/0-----------------------------------------s/7--7---------0--------------
etc...
Play this a few times and on the last time the G chord is played start
peddling the wah-wah. Now for the solo. Well there is a good transcription
to it (the "Stay" single version) already on the U2 archive so you could to
some extent use that one. However, the Sydney video version varies to some
extent during its 2nd half (there are also minor variations in the first
half but they are small and easy to pick up anyway) and is incomplete. So
what I'll do is I'll tab the second half of the Sydney version and finish it
off.
The 2nd half of the solo-
E--------------------------------
B--15--0--14--0--12--0--10--0 play this three times, then play-
G--------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--15--0--14--0--12--0--14--0------15---0--14--12--0--10--0---15p14--0--12h-14-0
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------15------15-----
B--15--0--14--0--12--14---15-15-s/17--17--17--0--15---s/15b---15b(17)-15b-----15
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------12--------------------------------------------
B-----------12----------15b(and release)-----15--12--15-----
G----s/14--------------------------------------------------------
and now for the really fast bit (it's played so fast I can't exactly know
what is played but this seems reasonably close and sounds good and is enough
to get by)-
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------10
B----------------------------------------------------8---10p8--10-----10b-------
G-------------------------------7--9p7--9-----s/9-------------------------------
D---------5--7p5--7--7s/9-------------------------------------------------------
A-----7-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P=pull off use the wah here
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------
B----10bp8--10------10--8h10--8----7h8--5----5-----5p3---5p3--5p3--- etc....
G---------------------------------------------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The what you might call the second solo is similar to the original version
solo, uses a slide and goes something like-
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B---s/12-----------12---------------12------------------------------14----------
G----------12-------------12----------------12---------12-----s/14------14------
D---------------12--------------12----------------12------------------------14--
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B-14----------------14----------------------------14-------------20--------20--
G-------14------------------14----------14----------------s/21--------21-------
D-------------14------------------14-----------14-------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------
B---------20--------20------19s/------ after this it's very much ad libbing
G----21--------21------21-------------- chaotic sound, scrape the edge of
D----------------------------------------- your pick on some or all of
some
A----------------------------------------- or all of the last strings
E------------------------------------------
I don't think there's much more to it, apart from the first half of the solo
which is on the archive anyway. See yah.
Richard Zangoli (ahowden@magna.com.au)
Bullet the Blue Sky (original version) by U2, transcribed by Richard Zangoli
There was no complete transcription to this fantabulous (don't look that
word up, I don't think it's in the dictionary) song in its original form so
I decided to do it. I transcribed it from the Rattle and Hum CD version but
the studio version is pretty similar. Tune down half a step.
Intro (after Star Spangled Banner)-
Slide this up the fretboard
E-----------------------------------------
B----9(hold)-------12s/------------12s/---
G------------------12s/------------12s/--- etc... and then play an open big
D------------------12s/------------12s/--- E string
A-------------------- --------------------
When Bono sings "driving nails into the.." hold the note on the 9th fret,
second string, as in the very beginning.
After Bono sings "the red orange glow" Edge plays some mute strings.
This is the chorus riff-
E-------------------------------------------
B----7--7------------------------------------
G----7--7----------------------------------- play this a few times and play
this
D----7--7------------------------------------ to finish off-
A--------------7----5--5--5-----5--7--5--7--
E---------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------
B----7--7------------------------------
G----7--7------------------------------
D----7--7------------------------------
A-------------7----5--5--5----5h7-----
E----------------------------------------
After Bono sings "rattle and hum", play this (the notes are to be bent
together)-
E-------------
B-----5b----
G-----4b----
D------------
A------------
E-------------
After Bono sings "the angel was overcome", scape the edge (no pun intended)
of your pick all the way up the big E string.
When Bono sings "you plant a demon seed" play this(slide this all the way up
the
fretboard)-
E---------------
B------20s/----
G------21s/----
D---------------
A---------------
E----------------
After the chorus play some 12th fret harmonics on first the big E and then
the A string and then play this (which is similar to the intro)-
E--------------------------
B----12s/---12s/---12s/---
G----12s/---12s/---12s/---
D----12s/---12s/---12s/---
A---------------------------
E----------------------------
And then comes the solo. I prefer to play it without the slide so that's the
way that I'll tab it. If you want to play it with the slide, then you'll
have to play it further down the fretboard starting at the 12th fret.
E---s/7-----------7-------------7-----------------7-----------------------------
B--------8------------8--------------8------------------8-----------7s/10 (hold)
G------------7------------7----------------7------------------7-----8s/9--(hold)
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------9---------------s/7------------------7----------------7----------
B---7s/10----------10------------------8------------------8---------------8----
G---8s/9------------------9--------------------7-----------------7-------------7
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--7-----------------7s/9-----9-------9-------9---------9s/10---------10-------
B-------8------------8s----------10-------10--------10-----------11---------11--
G-------------7------7s/9------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------10--10--10s/----------------15--------15--------15--------------14
B----11s/12---12--12--12s/---------s/17---------17--------17---------17---17---
G-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------14----------14s/-----------------------------------------------------
B----17---------15--------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------7---7--------------7---7s/9s/7----
B-----------7---7--------------7---7s/9s/7-----
G-----------7---7--------------7---7s/9s/7----- play this last bit twice and
end
D------------------------------------------------with hitting the big E string
A------------------------------------------------
E----0-------------------0-----------------------
Edge then plays around with the tremolo bar (which I don't have because Les
Pauls generally ain't got them) and then he plays (I think)-
Bend this note and then gradually release it
E------------------
B--------9b-------
G-----------------
D-----------------
A-----------------
E------------------
And then that's it!. The solo isn't 100% perfect mainly because I didn't tab
it for a slide but its reasonably close and should give you plenty to work
with. Keep those tabs coming I say!
Richard Zangoli (ahowden@magna.com.au)