The Ballad of Buckethead by Buckethead
from Monsters and Robots
tabbed by Doug Cartwright
Main Riff
E---------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------
G-------10~~~~-/14~~-15~~-13~~~~~~~~~---
D---------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------
Play with plenty of vibro!
Solo:
Main Riff x4, then:
E-------------------------------------------
B--10~~~/14p13h14p13~~~~--------------------
G----------------------------3/~~~~~~~-----
D-------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------
The rest of the solo is untabbable, for two reasons:
1. It is impossibly difficult ten-finger tapping up random scales
2. Buckethead plays it a different way each time he does it
The solo is, therefore, better to improvise. With that in mind, here are all the different tapping techniques I use to create the various sounds. Please remember that most of them can be played anywhere on the neck, and are just examples. You will need to mix them up to make a good solo. Also, try to think of them as a skeleton - it is just a base for you to improvise and construct on!
For the first part, right after the tabbed bit, I do something like this:
Play everything as fast as you can:
E----------t--------t--------t-------------------------------
B----------15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11~~~~--t--------------------
G---------------------------------------12~~~~~~~------------
D-------------(hold the 12 for a second before the next bit!)
A------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------
t t t
E----------15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11~~~~--t--------------------
B---------------------------------------12~~~~~~~------------
G--------(again, hold the 12 for a second before the next bit!)
D------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------
Play the last 2 bits twice, then, at the same tempo, add this:
t t t t t t
E----------15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11h13--
B-----------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------
continuing...
E----t--------t--------t--------t--------t-------------------
B----15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11h13-15-11h13------------
G---------------------------------------------------125~~-
D----------(the last 2 notes need a lot of vibro very quickly)
A------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------
He now goes into 10 finger tapping. I, like a lot of people, don't have the skill to do that, so here's the things I do to make that robotic sound!
The first '10 finger' tap, how I do it, is using a technique similar to Van Halens 'Mean Street.' Where I have marked (x2), play the last little phrase twice. This is not intended to sound like the original, just a replacement for less skilled players. I think it sounds good,
I hope everyone else does.
Part One: (Play Once)
t
E-------------------------------t-----7-0h5-(x2)-------------
B-------------------------t-----7-0h5-(x2)-------------------
G-------------------t-----7-0h5-(x2)-------------------------
D--------t----------7-0h5-(x2)-------------------------------
A--t-----7-0h5-(x2)------------------------------------------
E--7-0h5-----------------------------------------------------
Part Two:(Play Once)
t
E-----------------t-------7-0h5-(x2)---
B-----------t-----7-0h5-(x2)-----------
G--t--------7-0h5-(x2)-----------------
D--7-0h5-(x2)--------------------------
A--------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------
Part Three: (Play Once)
Play Part two again, than add this bit to the end of it.
t t t t t t t t t
E----7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5---------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G----------(Play as fast as you can!!)-----------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
continued...
t t t t t t t t t t
E----8-5h6-8-5h6-9-5h7-9-5h7-10-5h8-10-5h8-9-5h7-9-5h7-8-5h6-8-5h6-
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
continued...
t t
E--7-0h5-7-0h5-t-----t-----t-----t--------------------------------------
B--------------7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5-7-0h5--t-------------------------------
G---------------------------------------7-0h5-t-------------------------
D---------------------------------------------7-0h5-t-------------------
A---------------------------------------------------7-0h5-t-----t-------
E---------------------------------------------------------7-0h5-7-0h5---
continued...
E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G---------------(Slow tempo a lot for last 3 notes)----------------
D--t-----t------7~~7~~7~~~~~~~~~-----------------------------------
A--7-0h5-7-0h5-----------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
At this point the rhythm of the song changes, and Buckethead does a more complex tap. For this, I use the most complex tap that I am capable of: A 6 finger tap! It is possible to tap all the notes with just your index finger, however.
Part Four:
E--------------------------------------t----t----t------------------t----t----t-----
B-------------------t----t----t--------11-7-10-6-9-5--t----t----t---11-7-10-6-9-5---
G----t----t----t----11-7-10-6-9-5---------------------11-7-10-6-9-5-----------------
D----11-7-10-6-9-5------------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
continued...
t t t t t t
E---t----t----t---11-7-10-6-9-5-11-7-10-6-9-5--t----t----t-----------------------
B---11-7-10-6-9-5------------------------------11-7-10-6-9-5--t----t----t--------
G-------------------------------------------------------------11-7-10-6-9-5------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
continued...
E--------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------
G---t----t----t------------------------------------
D---11-7-10-6-9-5--t----t----t---------------------
A------------------11-7-10-6-9-5--t----t----t------
E---------------------------------11-7-10-6-9-5----
Part Five:
t t t
E------------------------------------t----t----t----11-7-10-6-9-5--
B---------------------t----t----t----11-7-10-6-9-5-----------------
G---t----t----t-------11-7-10-6-9-5--------------------------------
D---11-7-10-6-9-5--------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
Part Six:
E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G----10/14~~~~~~ -------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
Play the last part with the different rythm like this:
Part Four x1
Part Five x2
Part Four x1
Part Six x1
The four notes played as a kinda bridge between solo and third verse are:
E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G--------9~~~~~----8~~~~~----7~~~~~----5~~~~~----------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------
Play with plenty of vibro!
Right, the tapped tab for the solo is not right, nor is it meant to be right. It is a guide for improvising your own solos to sound good in the song. However, the tabs in there are meant to sound roughly similar to the song, half to make it easy to follow and half because what I put makes a good solo. Here are a few other techniques that I use sometimes to replace parts of the solo:
Robot Tap Example 1:
E-----------------------t-----------------------------
B---------------t-------17-12---t---------------------
G-------t-------16-13-----------16-13---t-------------
D-------15-12---------------------------15-12---------
A-----------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------
This can be repeated on any string, on any frets. Play it as fast as you can. You may find it easier to tap the 15th fret each time with your index and then the 16th with your middle finger. The 17th fret is more difficult, as it must be tapped with your ring finger. This can be tricky, but with practice, it works, trust me.
This technique can be heard in the first solo Buckethead played at Rock In Rio 3 2001, with Guns N' Roses. He plays it very fast before he goes into Big Sur Moon. I'm 99.9% sure this is right, I've watched the vid a thousand times, and it sounds right to me. Remember, he plays the pattern all over the neck, not just in the place indicated.
Robot Tap Example 2:
E--------------------
B--------------------
G--------------------
D--------------------
A--t-----t-----t-----
E--16-12-15-11-14-10-
This is the basic robot tap, it can be played with 4 or 6 fingers, down to personal preference, and can be repeated anywhere on the neck, making endless patterns available! I use this technique in the tabbed solo, but it's great for use anywhere in the solo, at any time!
Right, that's me done! I hope this tab is easy to follow, and that whoever tries it gets on fine with it. Remember, Ballad of Buckethead is an improvisation song, so never play it the same twice! Good luck....
Any comments, queries or problems, contact me at:
E-mail: [email protected]
MSN Instant Messanger: [email protected]
Another Way To Play The Solo:
Ballad of Buckethead (solo) by Buckethead
from Monsters and Robots
tabbed by Roberto Toscano
this is the solo for the Ballad of Buckethead, I wanted to break it down for the people
who are going to take a crack at it. it's full of interesting ideas that Big B has explored
before, but they still sound fresh on this song. the arpeggios are very cool, they spell
out an augmented shape that sounds very odd when played quickly. Buckethead approaches
these intervals a bit differently than Shawn Lane, for example. while Lane plays them
with one hand only, Buckethead prefers to play the major 3rd with the left hand and then
tap the augmented 5th with the right hand. this opens up his playing because he can then
also tap additional notes with ease. in this case, he extends the augmented shape further...
(try doing it with one hand only! not nice, it would be 10 14 18 22!!!) after the arpeggio
section, Buckethead goes into a multi-finger tapped sequence that is interesting, to say
the least..it's the whole tone scale being played with its intervals being displaced by a
tritone (I hope this clears things up... LOL) he then goes into a tapping slurring
frenzy that moves down chromatically... this transcription is not yet done, but let's see
how people handle it this far...robert
p.s. - email me with any comments or questions, thanks. toscky88@hotmail
|---------13----13-----------|-(13)----------------|
|-13b15------13------13b15---|-(13)b15-------------|
|----------------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------------|------------20b21----|
T T T T
|----------10h14-18-14p10-14p10----------------10-14-18-22-18-14-10-------|
|-------11----------------------11----------11----------------------11----|
|----12----------------------------12----12----------------------------12-|
|-12----------------------------------12----------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
T T T T
|----------10h14-18-14p10-14p10----------------10-14-18-22-18-14-10--------|
|-------11----------------------11----------11----------------------11-----|
|----12----------------------------12----12----------------------------12--|
|-12----------------------------------12-----------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
T T T T T T T T T T T
|----------10h14-18-22-18-14p10h14-18-22-18-14p10h14-18-22-18-14p10S9h13-17-21-|
|-------11---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----12------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-12---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
T
|-17-13p9-13p9---------------|
|--------------11-----------|
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|-------------------19b20----|
T T T T T T T T T T T T
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------17-11-19-13-21-15-|
|-----------------------------------16-10-18-12-20-14-------------------|
|------------------15-9-17-11-19-13-------------------------------------|
|-14-8-16-10-18-12------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
T T T T T T T T T T T T
|-18-12-20-14-22-16--------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------16-12-18-14-20-16-15-11-17-13-19-15--|
|-------------------15-11-17-13-19-15--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
T T T T T T T T
|-18-12-20-14-22-16-14-16-18-20-22-20-14-16-18-20-22-20-14-16-18-20-22-20-|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
T T T ~~~~
|-13-15-17-19-21-19-12-14-16-18-20-18-(18)----*|
|---------------------------------------------*|
|---------------------------------------------*|
|---------------------------------------------*|
|---------------------------------------------*|
|---------------------------------------------*|
|
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