-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACK IN BLACK - AC/DC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tabbed by: Sean Buccos
Email: seanbuccos@aol.com
Tuning: Standard
This is one of the best rock 'n' roll songs ever written, and it deserves an equally
great tab. So for all my fellow rock fans who demand perfection, here's Back in Black
the way it's supposed to be played. Starting with a tab book, I learned the song and then
made a few modifications to get the real feel of Malcolm & Angus Young's style. The way
I play it along with the song to get great sound is with an Epiphone guitar (Gibson
humbuckers is what's I'm saying), bridge pickup only, volume & tone all the way up, and
a Marshall amp, gain at about 2, bass all the way down, contour (or middle) and treble
all the way up. This will give you the older AC/DC sound, but not so much as to take away
your own originality.
So first we've got the little intro. It builds suspense if you know what's coming up.
Light drum taps accompany lead guitar in this intro. The best way to play: Finger an E5
(see the verse for this) chord and then lay your fretting fingers across the strings so
they're muted, then every time you hit the strings let your picking hand's palm hit the
strings for additional muting.
Intro
e-|------------------------------------------|
B-|------------------------------------------|
G-|------x---------x---------x---------------|
D-|------x---------x---------x---------------|
A-|-x----x----x----x----x----x---------------|
E-|-x----x----x----x----x----x----x----x-----|
The verse: The all famous riff! I modified the "real tab" to make it sound kick-ass; I
put in a few extra bass notes. And a little note, make the fourth phrase tight, with
stops in between each pair of notes.
Verse (4x)
E5 D5/A E5 R
e-||--------------------------------------|-3--0-------------------|
B-||o----------3-3-3----------------------|-------3--0-------------|
G-||-----------2-2-2--------2-2-2---------|-------------(4)^2--0---|
D-||o-2--------0-0-0--------2-2-2---------|------------------------|
A-||--2--------0------------0-0-0---------|------------------------|
E-||--0---------------------x-x-x---------|------------------------|
E5 D5/A A
e-|-------------------------------------|------------------------||
B-|----------3-3-3----------------------|-----------------------o||
G-|----------2-2-2--------2-2-2---------|------------------------||
D-|-2--------0-0-0--------2-2-2---------|-----------------------o||
A-|-2--------0------------0-0-0---------|------------------------||
E-|-0---------------------x-x-x---------|-7-4--7-5--7-6--7-7\----||
Ahh the other famous riff, the chorus. You could play an E chord as the second chord in
the chorus but I find it helps build up that B chord if you only play an open E string.
Chorus
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
Hit the A chord in this next part hard and exact on time, it's right on a beat so it
requires emphasis musically and also sounds much better that way.
G5 D5 A5 G5 D5 A5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o-3--3-----------------------3--3------------------------o||
G-||--0--2----2---------2--------0--2----2---------2----------||
D-||o-0--0----2---------2--------0--0----2---------2---------o||
A-||----------0---------0----------------0---------0----------||
E-||--3------------3-------------3------------3---------------||
let all notes ring
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
Okay this isn't exactly how you should play it, but for example purposes this is
approximately how the little brushing before you go back to the verse should be. Then
the D chords are pretty straight-on.
G5 D
e-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----2----2--2---------|
B-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----3----3--3---------|
G-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----2----2--2---------|
D-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----0----0--0---------|
A-|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----------------------|
Verse (2x)
E5 D5/A E5 R
e-||--------------------------------------|-3--0-------------------|
B-||o----------3-3-3----------------------|-------3--0-------------|
G-||-----------2-2-2--------2-2-2---------|-------------(4)^2--0---|
D-||o-2--------0-0-0--------2-2-2---------|------------------------|
A-||--2--------0------------0-0-0---------|------------------------|
E-||--0---------------------x-x-x---------|------------------------|
E5 D5/A A
e-|-------------------------------------|------------------------||
B-|----------3-3-3----------------------|-----------------------o||
G-|----------2-2-2--------2-2-2---------|------------------------||
D-|-2--------0-0-0--------2-2-2---------|-----------------------o||
A-|-2--------0------------0-0-0---------|------------------------||
E-|-0---------------------x-x-x---------|-7-4--7-5--7-6--7-7\----||
Chorus
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
G5 D5 A5 G5 D5 A5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o-3--3-----------------------3--3------------------------o||
G-||--0--2----2---------2--------0--2----2---------2----------||
D-||o-0--0----2---------2--------0--0----2---------2---------o||
A-||----------0---------0----------------0---------0----------||
E-||--3------------3-------------3------------3---------------||
let all notes ring
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
Pre-Solo
e-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----2----2--2---------|
B-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----3----3--3---------|
G-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----2----2--2---------|
D-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----0----0--0---------|
A-|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----------------------|
Alright solo time! This solo is very fast and so awesome. It comes completely from the E minor
blues scale. The "underrhythm" as I like to call it is written below. Practice this
solo very slowly, ESPECIALLY the little ascension (I'll tell you where it is when you get
o it). I've written the solo as it is officially played, although I play it with like one
little note missing because it's easier (I've indicated this too).
Alright the first and third phrases here are actually slgihtly modified of the scale,
but it's just to accompany the rhythm chords (written below).
Guitar Solo (1)
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
e-|--------------------------------------|------------------------|
B-|--------------------------------------|------------------------|
G-|--------------------------------------|----0--2--3p2p0--2------|
D-|--------------------------------------|--------------------2---|
A-|----7--------5--5--------4--4---------|-2----------------------|
E-|-0------------------------------------|------------------------|
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
e-|--------------------------------------|------------------------------|
B-|--------------------------------------|------------------------------|
G-|--------------------------------------|-7-7--7--7--x-7^(9)-----------|
D-|--------------------------------------|------------------------------|
A-|----7--------5--5--------4--4---------|------------------------------|
E-|-0------------------------------------|------------------------------|
I'm drawing an arrow directly over the note that I omit when playing this solo.
------------------------------|
|
~~~~~~~~ v ~~~~~~~~
e-|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|-5--8-------------------------8--10h11p10p8--10--8------------------|
G-|-------7^(9)^(7)--9--------9------------------------9--7--9---------|
D-|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
A-|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
e-|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|----------------------15------15-----15------------------------------|
G-|-12------12--14^(16)------14^(16)--------14^(16)^(14)p12--14---------|
D-|-----14--------------------------------------------------------------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/a/ac_dc/back_in_black_tab_ver_14.html ]
~~~~~~~~
e-|---------------------------------------------------------|
B-|-------------------------------------15------------------|
G-|-12---------12------14------14^(16)------14^(16)---------|
D-|-12h14--14------14------14-------------------------------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------------|
Practice this VERY VERY slowly and a hell of a lot of times, it's very very fast.
-----------------------------|---------------|
| |
e-|-----12--12---------------------12-----------------|
B-|-12------------15^(17)-15^(17)-----15-12----12-----|
G-|-----------------------------------------14----12--|
D-|---------------------------------------------------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------------------|
hold bend ~~~~
e-|-----------------------15-----------------------------------|
B-|----------15------------------------------------------------|
G-|-14^(16)------14^(16)------(16)^14--12--14------12^(13)-----|
D-|--------------------------------------------14--------------|
A-|------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|------------------------------------------------------------|
e-|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|------------------14--------------------15-------------------------------|
G-|----------12------14------12h14^(16)--------14^(16)^(14)--12--14---------|
D-|-12-13-14-----14------14------------------------------------------14-----|
A-|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
This ascension here is pretty much the same as the one above that I said to practice very
slowly. So practice, practice, practice!
~~~~~~~~
e-|---------------------|-12------------------------|
B-|-----15^(17)---------|----15-12----12------------|
G-|---------------------|----------14----12---------|
D-|---------------------|-------------------14\\\---|
A-|---------------------|---------------------------|
E-|---------------------|---------------------------|
In the fourth phrase that slide up to the 14th fret then bending it to the 16th fret is
hard to do. I find it doesn't make too much of a difference if you just slide up the the
14th fret and do a quick bend as far as you can.
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~
e-|----0---------|--0--0--------|-0----0--0---|-------------12-------------|
B-|-0-----3--5---|-/5--3----3---|-2p0--2--2---|----------12----15^(17)-----|
G-|----------4---|--------------|-------------|-/14^(16)-------------------|
D-|--------------|--------------|-------------|----------------------------|
A-|--------------|--------------|-------------|----------------------------|
E-|--------------|--------------|-------------|----------------------------|
~~ ~~ ~~
e-|-0------------|-0-----------|-0--------0---|-----------------------------|
B-|-5--3--3--5---|-5--0h2--3---|-2--0--0--2---|-14^(15)^(14)-12-14^(15)-----|
G-|--------------|-------------|--------------|-14^(15)^(14)-12-14^(15)-----|
D-|--------------|-------------|--------------|-----------------------------|
A-|--------------|-------------|--------------|-----------------------------|
E-|--------------|-------------|--------------|-----------------------------|
Okay here's the "underrhythm," or, simply put, this is what Malcolm plays while Angus
solos. Make sure you don't let these chords ring EXCEPT for the very last set, I'll
indicate it to you. Oh and another thing, the open E string might sound a little off on
the chords that aren't E, but it's just there to keep the solo more or less very key of E.
Underrhythm (4x)
E5 D5/E A5/E E5
e-||------------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------|
B-||o-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------|
G-||------------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------|
D-||o-9---------|-7-7-7-----|-7-7-7-----|-9-9-9----9-9-9----9-9----|
A-||--7---------|-5-5-5-----|-4-4-4-----|-7-7-7----7-7-7----7-7----|
E-||--0---------|-0-0-0-----|-0-0-0-----|-0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0----|
E5 D5/E A5/E E5
e-|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------||
B-|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------------------o||
G-|-----------|-----------|-----------|------2---------2--------||
D-|-9---------|-7-7-7-----|-7-7-7-----|------2---------2-------o||
A-|-7---------|-5-5-5-----|-4-4-4-----|------0----2----0--------||
E-|-0---------|-0-0-0-----|-0-0-0-----|-0---------0-------------||
on last repeat let all notes ring
Chorus
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
G5 D5 A5 G5 D5 A5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o-3--3-----------------------3--3------------------------o||
G-||--0--2----2---------2--------0--2----2---------2----------||
D-||o-0--0----2---------2--------0--0----2---------2---------o||
A-||----------0---------0----------------0---------0----------||
E-||--3------------3-------------3------------3---------------||
let all notes ring
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
Pre-Solo
e-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----2----2--2---------|
B-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----3----3--3---------|
G-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----2----2--2---------|
D-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----0----0--0---------|
A-|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----------------------|
Now this second guitar solo you're gonna see wrong alot of places, but this is how it's
played really. Just think about the first box of the Em blues scale it makes sense, and
not only that, it just sounds right. I've left out vibrato marks because they're not
required. But for you more experienced players you should be able to throw in some
vibrato where necessary.
Guitar Solo (2)
e-||------------------------------------------------||
B-||o----------------------------------------------o||
G-||------------------------------------------------||
D-||o----------------------------------------------o||
A-||-----5\4--2--4----------------------------------||
E-||--0-------------3----7--5----7--6----7--7\------||
e-||------------------------------------------------||
B-||o----------------------------------------------o||
G-||------------------------------------------------||
D-||o----------------------------------------------o||
A-||-----5\4--2--4----------------------------------||
E-||--0-------------3----7--5----7--6----7--7\------||
Same riff as above, just moved up a string.
e-||------------------------------------------------||
B-||o----------------------------------------------o||
G-||------------------------------------------------||
D-||o----5\4--2--4---------------------------------o||
A-||--0-------------3----7--5----7--6----7--7\------||
E-||------------------------------------------------||
Back to the first riff.
e-||------------------------------------------------||
B-||o----------------------------------------------o||
G-||------------------------------------------------||
D-||o----------------------------------------------o||
A-||-----5\4--2--4----------------------------------||
E-||--0-------------3----7--5----7--6----7--7\------||
Chorus
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
G5 D5 A5 G5 D5 A5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o-3--3-----------------------3--3------------------------o||
G-||--0--2----2---------2--------0--2----2---------2----------||
D-||o-0--0----2---------2--------0--0----2---------2---------o||
A-||----------0---------0----------------0---------0----------||
E-||--3------------3-------------3------------3---------------||
let all notes ring
A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5 A5 B5
e-||----------------------------------------------------------||
B-||o--------------------------------------------------------o||
G-||--2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4----------||
D-||o-2-------4----2----4--------2-------4----2----4---------o||
A-||--0-------2----0----2--------0-------2----0----2----------||
E-||-----0--------------------------0-------------------------||
let all notes ring
e-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----2----2--2---------|
B-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----3----3--3---------|
G-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----2----2--2---------|
D-|-0----0--0--0--------0--0----0--0--0--0--0--0--0----0----0--0---------|
A-|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E-|-3----3--3--3--------3--3----3--3--3--3--3--3--3----------------------|
Now this song fades out so rather than playing the outro solo I always use the ending
that AC/DC does in concert. The ending is very AC/DC, alot of their songs end like this.
Just play the first phrase of the verse at a slower tempo, then after letting the A5 ring
just tremolo pick the hello out of it, then have a nice suspended pause, the hit an E5
and tremolo pick that, maybe add a few pick scratches (or pick slides if you're more
comfortable with that term). If you really want to do that outro solo I suggest knowledge
of the Em blues scale. It's the first box up one octave (E string 12th fret as the lowest root).
Okay so enjoy this tab, it is very correct, IM (SeanBuccos) or e-mail me (above) if you
have any questions or comments or whatever, and have fun playing!!!
