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The Reaper cover art

The Reaper

Steve Vai
Tab

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

Song

(Lick 1) (Lick 2)

|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-8-------------------------------5------------------------------------|
|-7b9--5-7-------5-7-5--------5b7---8-7-5-7-5-----5---6---7-5----------|
|----------7-5-7-------7-6-5------------------7-5---7---7-----7-6-5----|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|

(Lick 3, Pinch Harmonics)

~ ~

|---------[7]-[8]------------5-----------------------------------------|
|-----[8]------------------5---8-5-8-5-------5-------------------------|
|-[9]------------------5-7-------------7-5-7---7-5---------------------|
|-----------------7-/7-----------------------------7-5-*---------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|

* = slide up and down the neck

|--------------------------------------|
|-----5----------------12b14-8S9S10----|
|-7b9---7b9r=5-7-5---------------------|
|------------------7-5-----------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|

Main Melody

|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|-10------9-----3----7------5----0--10S=9S==5S=12----24b26r*===|
|-12b14--11b13--5b7--9b11---7b9--4-----------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

*Actually a pinched harmonic on the 12th fret, B string bent and released a

whole step.

The next part (the fast part) goes somewhat like this

High E String:

|--17 trill 20 -----||(t)22p17h20p17||---||(t)24p17h20p17||

The first of those 3 repeated licks involese tapping the 20th [8th] fret

(I do it an octave lower on my strat 'cause i only have 21 frets) with

your index finger (right hand) and pulling off to the 17th [5th] fret.

Then, with your pinky of the left hand hammer-on to 20 [8] and pull off

to 17 [5]. So, you are tapping and hammering on the same note. This allows

u to get it faster than usual. Then you move your right hand up 2 frets and

do that one 4-5 times and then move it up 2 more frets (just the right

hand still) and do that only 1-2 times. Sorry for the long explination,

but it's complicated.

I'll work on finishing this later

STEVE ROCKS!

edge@wi.rr.com

Comments

Spotted a wrong chord, or know a capo position that sounds closer to the record?

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