Cities On Flame Chords & Tabs
Tuning: Eb, or if you want, Standard Tuning
Riff 1
eb|----------------------------------------------|
Bb|----------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------------|
Db|--------------------4-----2-----2-------------|
Ab|-4--7--4--------2-4---2-3---2-3---2h3p2p0-----|
Eb|-2--5--2----2-5---------------------------2p0-|
* * * * * * * *
Guitar fill
eb|--------------------|
Bb|-4b5r4-2-4-4-2------|
Gb|-4b5r4-2-4-4-2-4b6~-|
Db|--------------------|
Ab|--------------------|
Eb|--------------------|
eb|---------------------|
Bb|-4b5r4-2-4-2---------|
Gb|-4b5r4-2-4-2-4-2-----|
Db|-------------4-2-4~~-|
Ab|---------------------|
Eb|---------------------|
End guitar fill
Riff 2
eb|-----------------------------------|
Bb|-----------------------------------|
Gb|-----------------------------------|
Db|-----------------------------------|
Ab|-4--7-4----4~--(4)p0--4--7-4----4~-|
Eb|-2--5-2---------------2--5-2-------|
"My heart is black..."
eb|-------------------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------------------|
Gb|-------------------------------------|
Db|-------------------------------------|
Ab|-2--6-2----2~----2--6-2----2~--(2)p0-|
Eb|-0--4-0----------0--4-0--------------|
"Cities on flame..."
Riff 3
eb|------------------------------------|
Bb|------------------------------------|
Gb|------------------------------------|
Db|-----9-7------9-7-------------------|
Ab|-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5------9-7------9-7-|
Eb|-------------------5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5-|
* * * * * * * *
"So let the girl..."
eb|--------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------|
Db|--------------------------------|
Ab|-----11-9------11-9------11-9-9-|
Eb|-7-7--7-7--7-7--7-7--7-7--7-7-7-|
* * * * * *
"Cities on flame..."
Guitar fill for riff 3
Guitar 1
eb|------------------------|
Bb|------------------------|
Gb|-11-12-13-14~--6-7-8-9~-|
Db|------------------------|
Ab|------------------------|
Eb|------------------------|
eb|-17b19-17-17b19r17-14----14------------------|
Bb|----------------------17----17-14-17-17b19~~-|
Gb|---------------------------------------------|
Db|---------------------------------------------|
Ab|---------------------------------------------|
Eb|---------------------------------------------|
Guitar 2
eb|-------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|
Gb|----9-10-11~-------------|
Db|-12-----------7-9-10-11~-|
Ab|-------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------|
End guitar fill
Play Riff 1
Guitar fill
eb|-------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|
Gb|--------------11--8/11~~-|
Db|---9b11-9p7--------------|
Ab|-7----------9------------|
Eb|-------------------------|
End guitar fill
Play Riff 2 "Gardens of nocturne..."
Play Riff 3 "So let the girl..."
Guitar fill for riff 3
Guitar 1
eb|------------------------|
Bb|------------------------|
Gb|-11-12-13-14~--6-7-8-9~-|
Db|------------------------|
Ab|------------------------|
Eb|------------------------|
eb|-------------------------|
Bb|--9b11--7----------------|
Gb|----------9--------------|
Db|------------10-9-7-9b10~-|
Ab|-------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------|
Guitar 2
eb|-------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|
Gb|----9-10-11~-------------|
Db|-12-----------7-9-10-11~-|
Ab|-------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------|
End guitar fill
Play Riff 1 Solo Rhythm
Solo
eb|-------------------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------------------|
Gb|-------------------------------------|
Db|-------------------------------------|
Ab|-------------------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------------------|
eb|-------------------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------------------|
Gb|-------------------------------------|
Db|-------------------------------------|
Ab|-------------------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------------------|
eb|-------------------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------------------|
Gb|-------------------------------------|
Db|-------------------------------------|
Ab|-------------------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------------------|
eb|-------------------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------------------|
Gb|-------------------------------------|
Db|-------------------------------------|
Ab|-------------------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------------------|
End Solo
Play Riff 2 "My heart is black..."
Play Riff 3 "Let the girl..."
Guitar fill for riff 3
Guitar 1
eb|------------------------|
Bb|------------------------|
Gb|-11-12-13-14~--6-7-8-9~-|
Db|------------------------|
Ab|------------------------|
Eb|------------------------|
eb|-12b14--12b14r12-11-|
Bb|--------------------|
Gb|--------------------|
Db|--------------------|
Ab|--------------------|
Eb|--------------------|
Guitar 2
eb|-------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|
Gb|----9-10-11~-------------|
Db|-12-----------7-9-10-11~-|
Ab|-------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------|
End guitar fill
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/blue_oyster_cult/cities_on_flame_tab_ver_5.html ]
Riff 1a (Guitar 2 plays notes in () )
eb|----------------------------------------------|
Bb|----------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------------|
Db|--------------------4-----2-----2-------------|
Ab|-4--7--4--------2-4---2-3---2-3---2h3p2p0-----|
Eb|-2--5--2----2-5---------------------------2p0-|
* * * * * * * *
eb|--------------------------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------4p2---5p2---5-6-|
Db|--------------------4-----2-----2-----4-----4-----|
Ab|-4--7--4--------2-4---2-3---2-3-------------------|
Eb|-2--5--2----2-5-----------------------------------|
* * * * * * * *
eb|-----------------------(----------------------9p7p5------)-|
Bb|-----------------------(-----------------5-7--------7--5~)-|
Gb|-----------------------(4p2---5p2---5-6------------------)-|
Db|---------4-----2-----2-(----4-----4----------------------)-|
Ab|-----2-4---2-3---2-3----------------4-4--4-4-----------2---|
Eb|-2-5--------------------------------2-2--2-2--2222-----0---|
* * * * * * * * * * * * ****
Riff 4
Guitar 1
eb|-----------------------|
Bb|-----------------------|
Gb|-----------------------|
Db|-----------------------|
Ab|-4--------4-[let ring]-|
Eb|-2--------2------------|
Guitar 2
eb|---------------------------------------------------|
Bb|-10p9p7-10p9p7-9p7p5-9p7p5-------------------------|
Gb|---------------------------9p8p6-9p8p6-9p8p6-9p8p6-|
Db|---------------------------------------------------|
Ab|---------------------------------------------------|
Eb|---------------------------------------------------|
Guitar 3
eb|-------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-11p9p6-11p9p6-9p8p6-9p8p6-----------------------------|
Db|---------------------------11p9p7-11p9p7-11p9p7-11p9p7-|
Ab|-------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|-------------------------------------------------------|
Riff 5 (Solo Rhythm)
x2
eb|------------------|
Bb|------------------|
Gb|------------------|
Db|------------------|
Ab|-7------9------4--|
Eb|-5----0-7----0-2--|
* *
eb|--------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------|
Db|--------4----------------4------|
Ab|-4------2----4----4------2------|
Eb|-2----0------2----2----0------0-|
* * *
x2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|-444444444444-------4-6-7-|
Ab|--------------4-6-7-------|
Eb|--------------------------|
************
Solo
eb|---------------------------------|
Bb|---------------------------------|
Gb|--2~--4~-----4b6-[4]-[4]6r4-2----|
Db|--2~--4~----------------------4~-|
Ab|---------------------------------|
Eb|---------------------------------|
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|-4b6-[4][4][4]-4-2-4-2----|
Db|-----------------------4~-|
Ab|--------------------------|
Eb|--------------------------|
eb|--------------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------------|
Gb|--2~--4~--------2-4-2-----------------|
Db|--2~--4~-----4~-------4--2------------|
Ab|---------------------------4-2--------|
Eb|----------\\-------------------4--2~~-|
eb|----------------------------------------|
Bb|----------------------------------------|
Gb|-11p9-11~--11p9-11~--11p9-11~--11p9-11~-|
Db|----------------------------------------|
Ab|----------------------------------------|
Eb|----------------------------------------|
eb|---------------------------12b14-12b14~~-|
Bb|-12b14-12-10--12b14-12-10----------------|
Gb|-----------------------------------------|
Db|-----------------------------------------|
Ab|-----------------------------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------|
eb|-17b19-17b19-17b19r17-14------------------------|
Bb|-------------------------17-17b19-17b19-17b19~~-|
Gb|------------------------------------------------|
Db|------------------------------------------------|
Ab|------------------------------------------------|
Eb|------------------------------------------------|
eb|-----------------------------------------------------|
Bb|-10-12p10-10-12p10-10-12p10-10-12p10\----------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------------8-9-11-|
Db|---------------------------------------7-9-11--------|
Ab|-----------------------------------------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------|
eb|------------------------------------7-9-11-12b14~-12b14~~------|
Bb|-10p9p7-10p9p7-10p9p7-10p9p7-7-9-10----------------------------|
Gb|---------------------------------------------------------------|
Db|---------------------------------------------------------------|
Ab|---------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|-----------------------------------------------------------X\\-|
End Solo
Ending: (Guitars 2 & 3 play notes in () & [] )
eb|---------------------------------(----------------------9p7p5---)-|
Bb|---------------------------------(-----------------5-7--------7-)-|
Gb|---------------------------------(4p2---5p2---5-6---------------)-|
Db|-------------------4-----2-----2-(----4-----4-------------------)-|
Ab|-4--7--4-------2-4---2-3---2-3----------------4-4--4-4------------|
Eb|-2--5--2---2-5--------------------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--2-2--2222------|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ****
eb|-------------[5-5\]-|
Bb|-(5~----------7-7\)-|
Gb|--------------------|
Db|--------------------|
Ab|--2--4--6--2--4-4---|
Eb|--0--2--4--0--2-2---|
*
Notation:
10^ = bend a quarter step.
10b11 = bend a half step.
10b12 = bend a full step.
10b12r10 = bend and release.
[10]12 = pre-bend.
[10]12r10 = pre-bend and release.
{14} = pick the 14th fret while holding the most
previous bend.
<17> = touch the string above the 17th fret while
previous note(s) is(are) still ringing.
10b13* = tremolo bar bend, from the 10th fret to the 13th fret.
7d4* = tremolo bar dive, from the 7th fret to the 4th fret.
12~* = tremolo bar vibrato.
x = mute with fret-hand
* = palm mute
X\\ = pick slide
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
~ = vibrato
t = finger tap
/ = slide up
\ = slide down
h. = natural harmonics
a = artificial harmonics
(9) = ghost note
tm = trem picking
tr = trill
