Karn Evil 9 Chords & Tabs
Awesome song. Not too difficult, but can get incredibly confusing with key changes and
not. Hopefully it'll make sense.
He uses a 5 string bass, but you only need to fifth string for one note in the whole
so it can be played easily on a four string. I'll just tab it out with the regular 4
but make a note of where the lower B string is used.
As far as rhythm, each little - is a 16th note, with one extra at the beginning and end
a bar. I'll put a [tri] below triples (the three notes corresponding to the T, R, and I).
INTRO
Keys/Vocal
"Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside
There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along
Come inside, the show's about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart"
Bass comes in:
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
|-6----------------|-6----------------|
CHORUS
"You gotta see the show..."
|------------------|------------------|
|-------------86---|------------------|
|-6-------6-----8--|-----7------------|
|-----6------------|-5-------5--------| x2
VERSE 1
"Right before your eyes..."
|------------------| |------------------|
|-----6------------| |------------------|
|-------------44-6-| |-----6------------|
|-4-4-----44-------|x3 |-4-4-----4--------|
PRE CHORUS
"Come inside, the show's about to start..."
|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|------------------|-8------------6----|-------------------|
|------------------|---------------86--|-------------------|
|-6----------------|-----------------8-|-6-----------------|
[tri]
|-8-----------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
CHORUS
"You gotta see the show..."
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
|--6-----6---------|-----7------------|
|-----6------------|--5-----5---------| x2
BRIDGE
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|---------64-------|------------------|
|------------------|-----------654----|------------------|
|------------------|--------------34--|-4-4--------------|
|------------------|
|---------64-------|
|-----------654----|
|--------------34--|
|------------------|------------------| |------------------|
|------------------|---------64-------| |------------------|
|-------------44-6-|-----------654----| |-------------44-6-|
|-4-4-7---44-------|-4-4-7--------34--| x12 |-4-4-7---44-------|
PIRATEY GUITAR SOLO
[this is where is gets complicated]
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|-------4-6~~---64-|-----------4-6-64-|
|------------------|---4-6------------|-------4-6--------|
|-5---4---2--------|-5----------------|-5-4-2------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|-6--4--3----------|-4--6--4----------|
|-7-6-4-------6----|------------------|------------------|
|-------7-6--------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|
|-5--6--8----------|
|---------6--------|
|------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/e/emerson_lake_palmer/karn_evil_9_btab.html ]
| ------------------|------------------|------------------|
|*(7)---------------|(7)---------------|------------------|
| ---------0--------|-0-------0--------|-4-------4--------|
|*------------------|------------------|------------------|
[parenthesis are harmonics]
|------------------ |
|------------------*|
|-4-------4-------- |
|------------------*| x2
|----3-------------|------------------|------------------|
|---3--6-----------|------------------|------------------|
|-4-----764---4----|-2-------2--------|-1-------1--------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|-6---4------------|------------------|
|------------------|---------8---7----|-6-------6--------|
|-5-------5--------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|-6----------------|
|-6-------6--------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|
VERSE 2
drums/vocals
"Soon the Gypsy Queen in a glaze of vaseline
Will perform on guillotine, what a scene, what a scene"
|------------------| |------------------|
|-----6------------| |------------------|
|-------------44-6-| |-----6------------|
|-4-4-----44-------|x3 |-4-4-----4--------|
VERSE TRANSITION
|------------------|------------------|
|---------4---2-2--|---------11--1-1--|
|-6-6-4-4--4-------|-2-2--------------|
|------------------|-----2-2----------|
~~~~NOTE: the above is actually:~~~~
G|------------------|------------------|
D|---------4---2-2--|------------------|
A|-6-6-4-4--4-------|-2-2--------------|
E|------------------|-----2-2----------|
B|------------------|---------44--4-4--|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Roll up..."
|-33---------------|------------------|------------------|
|---3313-----------|-666666-----------|-888888-----------|
|-------3-2-1------|-------6-5-4------|-------8-7-6------|
|-------------3-21-|-------------6-54-|-------------8-76-|
|------------------|------------------|
|---------2--------|------------------|
|-6---4-------2----|-4----------------|
|------------------|---4--------------|
VERSE 3
"Performing on a stool..."
| ------------------| |------------------ |
|*-----6------------| |------------------*|
| -------------44-6-| |-----6------------ |
|*-4-4-----44-------|x3 |-4-4-----4--------*| x2
ENDING
"Come and see the show..."
|------------------|
|-4-4-5--6---------|
|------------------|
|------------------| x2
|------------------|------------------|
|-4-4-5--7--7-7--7-|---7-7------------|
|---------7--7-7---|-7--7-7-----------|
|------------------|------------------|
drum fill
|------------------| |-4----------------|
|-4----------------| |------------------|
|----4--5-------7--| |----4--5-------7--|
|----------5--7----|x4 |----------5--7----|x2
|------------------|
|-4----------------|
|----4--5-------7--|
|----------5--7----| x2
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|-7--7-7--7--7-7---|------------------|------------------|
|--7--7-7--7--7-7--|-4-4--44-4-444-4--|--44-4-44---------|
|------------------|------------------|---------7-7--77--|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|------------------|---6---6---6---6--|------------------|
|-7-777-7--77-7-77-|-4---4---4---4----|-4----------------|
"See the show!"
END