The Black Crowes
Song Title: Horsehead
TBC Original? Yes
Written By: Chris and Rich Robinson
Recording Session: By Your Side
Record: By Your Side, Brothers Of A Feather: Live At The Roxy (CD/DVD)
Live Debut: 06/19/1998
Shows: 116 times played live
Related Song: Horsehead (acoustic)
Notes: An unreleased early version of this song was recorded in November-December, 1997
Chris, Rich, Steve, Ed and Sven. It is a slightly mellower version of the finished By
Side version, but with a different chorus.
------------------------
The above information was taken from www.crowesbase.com
Tuning: CFCFAC (Open F- Open G down one full step)
This is one of my favorite Black Crowes riffs. The chorus of this song was a little
to hear on the studio recording because the album in general is poorly mixed, so I had to
to the Brothers of a Feather CD/DVD, and I'm pretty happy with the results. I play the
song with a slide on my little finger, as does Rich Robinson.
Intro/Verse Riff:
C-----------------12-12-12-12------------------|---------------12-12-12----12-------------------|
A----------------/12-12-13-12\------3b-x-------|--------------/12-12-13p12-13p12\------3b-x-----|
F----x-x---------/12-12-12-12\--3-5-3b-x-------|--x-x---------/12-12-12----12---\--3-5-3b-x-----|
C----x-x---------/12-12-14-12\--3-5----x-------|--x-x---------/12-12-14p12-14p12\--3-5----x-----|
F----x-x---------/12-12-12-12\---------x-------|--x-x---------/12-12-12----12---\---------x-----|
C----x-x-3-4-5--5/------------------------3-5--|--x-x-3-4-5--5/------------------------------3-5|
This riff is played throughout the song with some minor variations and fills. The two
are slight (1/4 tone) and short. The slide is not used to slide up to the twelfth fret
Don't forget to use your wah pedal!
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/black_crowes/horsehead_tab.html ]
Pre-Chorus: | First Ending | Second Ending
C------------------------0--|------------------------------|----------------------------|
A----4-4-3-3----2-2-1----0--|------------------------------|----------------------------|
F----3-3-3-3----1-1-1----0--|------------------------------|----------------------------|
C----5-5-3-3----3-3-1----0--|------------------------------|----------------------------|
F----3-3-3-3----1-1-1----0--|------------------------------|--------2b3r2----2-3-2------|
C---------------------------|--2-3-4-5--2-3-4-5--2-3-4-5\--|--2-3-5--------5-------3-5--|
It sounds like Rich plays the second ending I have tabbed out here during the first
only (though on the Brothers of a Feather CD/DVD, he plays the first ending twice for the
pre-chorus, most likely because the second ending is tougher to play while having a
on your little finger). The second pre-chorus just repeats the first ending, and the
and final
pre-chorus is as follows:
C--------------------------0-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
A----4-4-3-3----2-2-1-1----0-----------------------------|--4-4-3-3----2-2-1-1----/--12--0--|
F----3-3-3-3----1-1-1-1----0-----------------------------|--3-3-3-3----1-1-1-1----/--12--0--|
C----5-5-3-3----3-3-1-1----0-----------------------------|--5-5-3-3----3-3-1-1----/--12--0--|
F----3-3-3-3----1-1-1-1----0-----------------------------|--3-3-3-3----1-1-1-1----/--12--0--|
C----------------------------2-3-4-5--2-3-4-5--2-3-4-5\--|----------------------------------|
That is played right after the solo. On the repeat, instead of playing the riff on the
C string, you immediately
slide up to the twelfth fret, then hit an open F and right back into the chorus again. Listen
the song for the timing.
Chorus (with slide):
C------------------------------|
A----5\0------------/5\0--/12--|
F----5\0----0-------/5\0--/12--|
C----5\0--2---2-1-0-/5\0--/12--|
F----5\0------------/5\0--/12--|
C------------------------------|
Solo Rhythm:
C-------------------------------|
A----3-3--3--1--0-----0------0--|
F------------0--0-----0------0--|
C----3-3--3--2--0-----0------0--|
F---------------0-3p0-0--3p0-0--|
C-------------------------------|
