Alter Bridge - 'Fortress'
From the album 'Fortress'
Tuning - Mark: open D5 tuning, tuned flat by 1 fret
Myles: Drop D flat
tabbed by jjhand
This song took me over a week to work out due to the different
tunings and solo section. The Lisbon, Portugal concert footage
(16/11/2013) had Myles playing a drop-d flat tuning for his
parts but Mark is still in open tuning.
Please rate and comment. Thanks and enjoy!
Intro/ Verse Riff (Mark):
db|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
db|--------0-------------0------|--------0-------------0------|
ab|---12-----12-----12-----12---|---12-----12-----12-----12---|
Db|-0----0------0-0----0------0-|-0----0------0-0----0------0-|
Ab|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
Db|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|--------0-------------0------|--------0-------------0------|
|---12-----12-----12-----12---|---12-----12-----12-----12---|
|-------------0-------------0-|-------------0-------------0-|
|-13--13--------13--13--------|-12--12----------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------10--10--------|
Repeat Intro with Guitar 2 plays low open string
Intro Solo (Myles)
eb|-----10~~~~~---|----------8-10-|--------------|--------------|
Bb|-/10-----------|---------------|-8~~~~~-------|--------10-11-|
Gb|---------------|---------------|--------------|--------------|
Db|---------------|---------------|--------------|--------------|
Ab|---------------|---------------|--------------|--------------|
Db|---------------|---------------|--------------|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|/10~~~~--------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|---------------|------12br13-10-|-12-10--------|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|-------12~~~~~|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------------|
Verse Part Overdubs (Mark on an open-tuned guitar),
played 2x during both intro solo and verse
db|------------------------------|------------------------------|
db|--0--7------12---0--7------12-|--0--7------12---0--7------12-|
ab|-----8----12--------8----12---|-----8----12--------8----12---|
Db|------------------------------|------------------------------|
Ab|------------------------------|------------------------------|
Db|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|--0--7--10--12---0--7--10-12--|---0--7--8--12---0--7--14--12--|
|-----8--------------8---------|------8-------------8----------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
Verse Lyrics (with Lead & Rhythm):
Chorus
Mark (Myles plays same power chords)
db|------0---|------0----|-0---------|-----------|
db|------0---|------0----|-0---------|-----------|
Ab|------0---|------0----|-0---------|-----------|
Db|--3---3---|--1---1----|-0---------|-(0)-------|
Ab|--3---3---|--1---1----|-0---------|-(0)-------|
Db|--3---3---|--1---1----|-0---------|-(0)-------|
|------0---|------0----|-0---------|---------------|
|------0---|------0----|-0---------|---------------|
|------0---|------0----|-0---------|---------------|
|--3---3---|--1---1----|-0---------|-(0)--1-0--1/7-|
|--3---3---|--1---1----|-0---------|-(0)--1-0--1/7-|
|--3---3---|--1---1----|-0---------|-(0)--1-0--1/7-|
play first line again, then:
|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|--3---3---|--1--------|-0---------|-(0)-------|
|--3---3---|--1--------|-0---------|-(0)-------|
|--3---3---|--1--------|-0---------|-(0)-------|
Play Verse Again
Play Chorus Again, but Mark's guitar adds:
db|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
db|-5----7----|------5----|-5----4----|-----------|
ab|-----------|-6---------|-----------|-6----5----|
Db|-5----7----|------5----|-5----4----|-----------|
Ab|-----------|-6---------|-----------|-6----5----|
Db|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
**with vibrato
Mark - Descending Lick (Chorus 2 Ending) played 4x
db|-------------------------|------------------------|
db|-------------------------|------------------------|
Ab|-------------------------|------------------------|
Db|-------------------------|-0----------------------|
Ab|-------------------------|-0----------------------|
Db|-8-7-5-7-5-3-5-3-2-3-2-1-|-0----------------------|
on 4th time, last bar is:
|---------------------|----------------|
|---------------------|----------------|
|-0---0-0-0-0---0-0-0-|-0---0-0--------|
|-5---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-|-5---5-5---x\---|
|-5---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-|-5---5-5---x\---| * pick scrape
|-5---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-|-5---5-5---x\---|
(3:11) Bridge Part 1, played 2x (Mark's Guitar, doubled by Myles)
db|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-----------------------|
db|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-----------------------|
Ab|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-----------------------|
Db|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-10---10-10--10---10-10|
Ab|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-8----8--8---8----8--8-|
Db|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-0----0-0--0----0-0--|-8----8--8---8----8--8-|
|----------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|
|-10---10-10--10-------|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|
|-8----8--8---8----7-7-|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|
|-8----8--8---8----7-7-|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|-3----3-3--3----3-3--|
|--------------------|-------------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------------|
|--------------------|-------------------------|
|-7----7-7---7---7-7-|-------------------------|
|-7----7-7---7---7-7-|-------------------------|
|-7----7-7---7---7-7-|-8-7-5-7-5-3-5-3-2-3-2-1-|
Bridge Part 2 - played 2x
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------PM-PM-|---------------------|
|-8----4----5---1--4--|-8----4----5---------|
|-8----4----5---1--4--|-8----4----5---------|
|-8----4----5---1--4--|-8----4----5----1b2r-|
|---------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------PM-PM-|-------------------------|
|-8----4----5---1--4--|-8----4----------------1-|
|-8----4----5---1--4--|-8----4----PM*********---|
|-8----4----5---1--4--|-8----4----0-0-0-1-1-1---|
Play low open string at end
Solo Section Rhythm (part 1, played during Mark's solos)
* in 4/4 time at 4:10
Mark
play 3x 4th bar (also starts riff)
|-------------------------| -------------------------|
|-------------------------| -------------------------|
|-------------------------| -------------------------|
|-------------^-^---------| -------------------------|
|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-| -10----7----10----13-----|
|-0---0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-0-| -10----7----10----13-----|
PM*********** *****
Myles Adds:
|-------------10~---------| -------------------------|
|-------------13b15~------| -------------------------|
|-------------------------| -------------------------|
|-------------------------| -------------------------|
|-0---0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-| -10----7----10----13-----|
|-0---0-0-0-0-------0-0-0-| -10----7----10----13-----|
Solo Rhythm 2, during Myles solos - play () first time only
played 2x
db|-----------|-------------|-----------|------------|
db|-----------|-------------|-----------|------------|
Ab|-----------|-------------|-----------|------------|
Db|-7---------|-7--8--4--7--|-1---------|-5----(8)---|
Ab|-7---------|-7--8--4--7--|-1---------|-5----(8)---|
Db|-7---------|-7--8--4--7--|-1---------|-5----(8)---|
SOLOS (**fairly accurate):
Mark - Solo 1
db|-------------------------------|-------------------------|
db|------12-17p12----12-8-7-7-7---|-----7-8-7\3-7-----------|
Ab|-0-12----------13------------8-|-7-8-----------8-7-8-8-7-|
Db|-------------------------------|-------------------------|
Ab|-------------------------------|-------------------------|
Db|-------------------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------------|
|---------------0-0-0-|---0-0---------0-0-------10-|
|---------------------|-8---------7-8--------------|
|-6PH~---/10~~--------|------5/7---------8/10------|
|---------------------|----------------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-12~~-/19~~------0-0-|-15h19p15----------------------------|
|---------------------|----------15h19p15-------------------|
|---------------------|-------------------15h19p15----------|
|---------------------|----------------------------15h20p15-|
|---------------------|-------------------------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/a/alter_bridge/fortress_tab.html ]
|-----------------------------|
|-------------18\-----18-19-19|
|-----14--11------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|-11--------------------------|
|-----------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|----------|
|21-19-18-18-18-19---18-18--------------------|----------|
|------------------21-----21------------------|----------|
|---------------------------19-17-19-20-19-17-|19~~------|
|---------------------------------------------|----------|
|---------------------------------------------|----------|
Myles - Solo 2
eb|-------------|--------------|--------------|
Bb|-------------|--------------|--------------|
Gb|-14~~~~~-----|-(14~~)-14-14-|-15______\-12-|
Db|-------------|--------------|--------------|
Ab|-------------|--------------|--------------|
Db|-------------|--------------|--------------|
|----------------------------|-15~~----/17--|------------|
|------13-15-16p15-13-15p13--|-14~~---------|17~---15-17-|
|-12~~---------------------12|--------------|------------|
|----------------------------|--------------|------------|
|----------------------------|--------------|------------|
|----------------------------|--------------|------------|
|---------------|-17p15p14-15-14--14---------------|------|
|-17b18~--------|---------------17--17-15-17-15-13-|-15~~-|
|---------------|----------------------------------|------|
|---------------|----------------------------------|------|
|---------------|----------------------------------|------|
|---------------|----------------------------------|------|
Mark - Solo 3 (first note is played at end of previous bar)
db|---------------------------------|
db|-0-19-0-----------------14-12-10-|
Ab|-----------15-17-15--------------|
Db|-------15----------17-15---------|
Ab|---------------------------------|
Db|---------------------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------|
|-12---------------------------|-13~------12-15-19-------|
|---12---10-8-10-8-7---12-10-8-|-----12-15----------20---|
|-----10-------------10--------|-------------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------------|---------------------|
|-15-19-15-------------------------|----------/22___\19--|
|---------15-20-15-15-20-15--------|-17__\12-------------|
|--------------------------15-19-15|---------------------|
|----------------------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------------------|---------------------|
same 2 string pattern here
|--------------------------|---------------------|
|---19--17-----------------|---------------------|
|-17--15----19--17---------|-----------------3---|
|---------17--15----19--17-|-----/13-------------|
|-----------------17--15---|-11--------3br-------|
|--------------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-3h5p3--5h7p5--7h9p7--10h12p10---|
|------3------5------7---------10-|
|---------------------------------|
Myles - Final Solo (first bar is double tracked with harmony)
|-------------------------------------|
|----------------------------10h11p10~|
|-------------------10h11p10~---------|
|----------12h13p12~------------------|
|-12h13p12~---------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|-17-15--------------------------|--------------|
|------18-15---------------------|--------------|
|-----------10h12p10-------------|--------------|
|-------------------12-10-5------|--------------|
|--------------------------7-5-0-|-6b7r6~~~~----|
|--------------------------------|--------------|
|---------------------|----------|------5--------------|
|---------------------|-----0----|-8b10--8p5-8b10-8p5--|
|---------------------|-----0----|-------------------8-|
|---------------------|-----0----|---------------------|
|-3--5--5b6-5b6-5--3--|-0--------|---------------------|
|---------------------|----------|---------------------|
|----------------------|-----5---------5-----------|----------|
|-8p5-8p5-8p5-8p5-8p5--|-8b10--5-8-5---------------|----------|
|----8---8---8---8---8-|-------------8---8-7-5---7-|-7-7~~\---|
|----------------------|-----------------------7---|----------|
|----------------------|---------------------------|----------|
|----------------------|---------------------------|----------|
Lick Returns (5:14)
play 3x
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-0--0--------0--0--------|
|-------------------------|-0--0--------0--0--------|
|-8-7-5-7-5-3-5-3-2-3-2-1-|-0--0--0-0-0-0--0--0-0-0-|
PM*** *****
|-------------------------|-------------|
|-------------------------|-------------|
|-------------------------|-------------|
|-------------------------|-------------|
|-------------------------|-------------|
|-8-7-5-7-5-3-5-3-2-3-2-1-|-8-7-5-7-5-3-|
Play Descending Lick same as earlier
Second Bridge (Before Ending Chorus, 5:32)
6/4 time
Mark
db|-3------------5----|-4-------------4---|
db|----------0--------|----------0--------|
Ab|-----0-------------|-----0-------------|
Db|-3--3--3--2--2--5--|-4--4--4--4--4--4--|
Ab|-------------------|-------------------|
Db|-------------------|-------------------|
|-3--------3\2--0---|--------------0----|
|-------------------|-0--------0--------|
|-----0-------------|-----0-------------|
|-3--3--3--2--2--0--|-0--0--0--0--0--0--|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-3------------5----|-4-------------4---|
|----------0--------|----------0--------|
|-----0-------------|-----0-------------|
|-3--3--3--2--2--5--|-4--4--4--4--4--4--|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|/10----------------10---|-10----------------12---|
|-------------0----------|--------------0---------|
|-------0----------------|-------0----------------|
|/10--10--10--10--10--10-|-10--10--10--10-/12--12-|
|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|------------------------|
|-8------------8----|-8-------------8\--|
|----------0--------|----------0--------|
|-----0-------------|-----0-------------|
|-8--8--8--8--8--8--|-8--8--8--8--8--8\-|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
Myles, on repeats:
play 3x
|-------------------------------|-----------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------|
|-12-0---0---0-12-14-15-14-12-0-|-0-12--12--12-0--|
|-------------------------------|-----------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------|
rest 4 bars
play 3x
|------------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------|
|------------------5-----|---------------------|
|-0-0---0--0-0-5-7---7-5-|-0-0---0--0-0--------|
rest 4 bars, then vol swell on open Db5 chord:
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-0---------------|
|-0---------------|
|-0---------------|
Play Final Chorus (same as Second Chorus)
Finale
play 2x play 1x
Rhythm
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|-0--7p0-5-7--0--7p5p0-5-7-| -0--8p0-7-8--0--8p7p0-7-8-|
|
| Lead (Mark, open tuning)
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|--------------------------| --------------------------|
|----8---7-8-----8-----7-8-| ---10---8-10----10---8-10-|
|-0-----------0------------| -0-----------0------------|
Finale, 4th bar:
Rhythm
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|-0-10p0-8-10-0--8p0-7-8-|
|
| Lead
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|---8----7-8-----8---7-8-|
|-0-----------0----------|
Finale Repeats, Lead plays:
play 2x
db|-------------------------| ------------------------|
db|---7---5-7----7p5p0-5-7--| ---8---7-8---8p7p0-7-8--|
Ab|-------------------------| ------------------------|
Db|-------------------------| ------------------------|
Ab|-------------------------| ------------------------|
Db|-0---------0-------------| -0---------0------------|
Both Guitars:
|----------------------|---------------------|------|
|----------------------|---------------------|------|
|----------------------|---------------------|------|
|-8---8-8----7---7-7---|-1---1-1----5---5-5--|--0---|
|-8---8-8----7---7-7---|-1---1-1----5---5-5--|--0---|
|-8---8-8----7---7-7---|-1---1-1----5---5-5--|--0---|
KEY
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| r release bend
| br bend & quick release
| ^ accented notes
************************************
