BEAT IT
As recorded by Michael Jackson
(From the 1983 Album THRILLER)
Words and Music by Michael Jackson
E5 D5 C5
x 7 9 9 x x x 5 7 7 x x x 3 5 5 x x
Gtr I (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) - '(elec. w/dist.)'
Gtr II (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) - '(elec. w/dist.)'
Gtr III (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) - '(Eddie Van Halen)'
Gtr IV (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) - 'Gtr. 2 (dist. off)'
Intro
Moderately Q=132
N.C.(Em) (D)
4/4
Gtr I
1/2 step down
~~
Wx13 H Q E E +E E E E Q. a E
|-------------|-------------|--------------------|
|-------------|-------------|--------------------|
|-------------|-------------|--------------------|
|-------------|-------------|---------5-2----2h4-|
|-------------|-------------|-------2------------|
|-------------|-----------0-|-(0)-3--------------|
(Em) (D) (Em)
Gtrs I, II
~~
+E E q q E E +E E E E Q. a E H Q E S S
|-----------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|-----------------|--------------------|---------------x-x-|
|-(4)-2-0--0------|---------5-2----2h4-|-(4)-2-0-------x-x-|
|-----------------|-------2------------|-------------------|
|---------------0-|-(0)-3--------------|---------------0---|
+E E q Q E E
(D) (Em)
Gtr II
PM-----| PM| ~ PM| PM|
S S S S E S S E Q S S E S S E E +Q +E E
|-------------------------------|------------------------|
|-------------------------------|--7------7--------------|
|--x--x-x-x-12-x-x-12--9----x-x-|--7--x-x-7-7-(7)--(7)s3s|
|--x--x-x-x-12-x-x-12--9----x-x-|-----x-x---7-(7)--(7)S3S|
|-------------------------------|------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------|
|
| Gtr I
| ~~~
| +E E E E Q. a E +E E q q E E
|-------------------------------|------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------|
|-------------------------------|------------------------|
|--------------5----2-----2h4---|-(4)-2---0----0---------|
|------------2------------------|------------------------|
|-(0)---3-----------------------|----------------------0-|
(D)
PM| PM| ~ PM| PM| ~~~~~~
e S S E S S E Q S S E S S E E +Q. +E
|-----------------------------|------------------------||
|-----------------------------|--7------7--------------||
|-12--x-x-12-x-x-12--9----x-x-|--7--x-x-7-7-(7)---(7)\-||
|-12--x-x-12-x-x-12--9----x-x-|-----x-x---7-(7)---(7)\-||
|-----------------------------|------------------------||
|-----------------------------|------------------------||
|
| ~~~
| +E E E E Q. a E +E E q H
|-----------------------------|------------------------||
|-----------------------------|------------------------||
|-----------------------------|------------------------||
|------------5----2-----2h4---|-(4)-2---0--------------||
|----------2------------------|------------------------||
|-(0)-3-----------------------|------------------------||
Verses
$
E5 D5 E5 D5
Gtr I
E E q q E E q q H E E q q E E q q H
|---------------|------------|---------------|------------|
|---------------|------------|---------------|------------|
|---9-9--9----7-|-7--7-------|---9-9--9----7-|-7--7-------|
|---9-9--9----7-|-7--7-------|---9-9--9----7-|-7--7-------|
|---7-7--7----5-|-5--5-------|---7-7--7----5-|-5--5-------|
|---------------|------------|---------------|------------|
C5 D5 E5 D5
E E q q E E q q H E E q q E E q q H
|---------------|------------|---------------|------------|
|---------------|------------|---------------|------------|
|---5-5--5----7-|-7--7-------|---9-9--9----7-|-7--7-------|
|---5-5--5----7-|-7--7-------|---9-9--9----7-|-7--7-------|
|---3-3--3----5-|-5--5-------|---7-7--7----5-|-5--5-------|
|---------------|------------|---------------|------------|
E5 D5 E5 D5
Gtr IV
PM----------------------------------------------------------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|---2-0-2-0-2---2-|-4-2-0-2-4-2-0-2-|---2-0-2-0-2---2-|-4-2-0-2-4-2-0-2--|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|
| Gtr I
| E E q q E E q q H E E q q E E q q H
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|---9-9---9-----7-|-7---7-----------|---9-9---9-----7-|-7---7------------|
|---9-9---9-----7-|-7---7-----------|---9-9---9-----7-|-7---7------------|
|---7-7---7-----5-|-5---5-----------|---7-7---7-----5-|-5---5------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
C5 D5 E5 D5 (Em)
Gtr I
PM--------------------------------------------------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Q E E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
|---2-0-2-0-2---2-|-4-2-0-2-4-2-0-2-|---2-0-2-0-2---2-|-4-2-0-2---------||
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------0--||
|
| E E q q E E q q H E E q q E E q q H
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
|---5-5---5-----7-|-7---7-----------|---9-9---9-----7-|-7---7-----------||
|---5-5---5-----7-|-7---7-----------|---9-9---9-----7-|-7---7-----------||
|---3-3---3-----5-|-5---5-----------|---7-7---7-----5-|-5---5-----------||
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
Chorus
(D) (Em)
Gtr I
~~
+E E E E Q. a E +E E q q E E
||---------------------|-----------------|
||o--------------------|-----------------|
||---------------------|-----------------|
||----------5-2----2h4-|-(4)-2-0--0------|
||o-------2------------|-----------------|
||--(0)-3--------------|---------------0-|
(D) (Em)
~~
+E E E E Q. a E +E E q Q E E
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|---------5-2----2h4-|-(4)-2-0---------|
|-------2------------|-----------------|
|-(0)-3--------------|---------------0-|
(D) (Em)
~~~
+E E E E Q. a E +E E q q E E
|------------------------|--------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------|
|----------5--2------2h4-|-(4)-2--0---0-------|
|--------2---------------|--------------------|
|-(0)-3------------------|------------------0-|
|
| Gtr IV
| q q q q q q q q
|------------------------|--------------------|
|-12----12---12---12-----|-12----12--12--12---|
|--x-----x----x----x-----|--x-----x---x---x---|
|--9-----9----9----9-----|--9-----9---9---9---|
|------------------------|--------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------|
To Coda
(D) (Em)
~~~
+E E E E Q. a E +E E q Q E E
|------------------------|----------------------||
|------------------------|---------------------o||
|------------------------|----------------------||
|----------5--2------2h4-|-(4)-2--0-------------||
|--------2---------------|---------------------o||
|-(0)-3------------------|------------------0---||
|
| q q q q q q q q
|------------------------|----------------------||
|-12----12---12---12-----|-12----12--12--12----o||
|--x-----x----x----x-----|--x-----x---x---x-----||
|--9-----9----9----9-----|--9-----9---9---9-----||
|------------------------|---------------------o||
|------------------------|----------------------||
D.S. al Coda
(D) (Em) (D)
Gtr I
~~ ~~
+E E E E Q. a E +E E q q E E +E E E E Q. a E +E E q H
|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|----------------||
|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|----------------||
|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|----------------||
|---------5-2----2h4-|-(4)-2-0--0------|---------5-2----2h4-|-(4)-2-0--------||
|-------2------------|-----------------|-------2------------|----------------||
|-(0)-3--------------|---------------0-|-(0)-3--------------|----------------||
Interlude
&
(E5)
E E q q E E q q H E E q q E E q q H
||----------------|------------|---------------|-------------||
||o---------------|------------|---------------|------------o||
||----------------|------------|---------------|-------------||
||----------------|------------|---------------|-------------||
||o---------------|------------|---------------|------------o||
||----0-0--0----0-|-0--0-------|---0-0--0----0-|-0--0--------||
Gtr III
W W
||--------------------------|---------------------|
||o-------------------------|---------------------|
||--------------------------|---------------------|
||--------------------------|---------------------|
||o-------------------------|---------------------|
||--------------------------|---------------------|
|
| Gtr II
| PM| PM| ~ PM| PM| ~~~~~~
| E S S E S S E Q S S E S S E E +Q Q
||--------------------------|---------------------|
||o-------------------------|---------------------|
||----x-x-12-x-x-12-9---x-x-|-12-x-x-12-9-(9)-----|
||----x-x-12-x-x-12-9---x-x-|-12-x-x-12-9-(9)-----|
||o-------------------------|---------------------|
||--------------------------|---------------------|
|
| Gtr I
| E E q q E E q q H
||--------------------------|---------------------|
||o-------------------------|---------------------|
||--------------------------|---------------------|
||--------------------------|---------------------|
||o-------------------------|---------------------|
||----0----0------0-----0---|--0------0-----------|
\3___\7____/0___________
W H E +Q S S
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------------------o||
|-------------------------|--------------0---(0)----0h==2b3====||
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------------------o||
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|
| PM| PM| ~ PM| PM| ~~~~~~~
| E S S E S S E Q S S E S S E E +Q Q
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------------------o||
|---x-x-12-x-x-12-9---x-x-|-12-x-x-12-9-(9)--------------------||
|---x-x-12-x-x-12-9---x-x-|-12-x-x-12-9-(9)--------------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------------------o||
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|
| E E q q E E q q H
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------------------o||
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------|------------------------------------||
|-------------------------|-----------------------------------o||
|---0----0------0-----0---|--0------0--------------------------||
Guitar Solo
E5 D5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
+E +Q. +E +E Q +E Q. +E E Q
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|-(2)b4==(2)----(2)r(2)s7---|-(7)-7(14)----(7)s9-9(14)--|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|
| Gtr I
| E E q q E E q q H
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------9--9---9--------7-|--7--------7---------------|
|---------9--9---9--------7-|--7--------7---------------|
|---------7--7---7--------5-|--5--------5---------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/m/michael_jackson/beat_it_tab_ver_9.html ]
E5 D5
~~~~ T T T T
|-----5-----| |------6-------|
+E. S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|------------15p10h14-15p14p12p10h14-15p14p12p10h14-15p|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|-(9)s==12---------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|
| E E q q E E
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|-----9----9-----------9-----------------------7-------|
|-----9----9-----------9-----------------------7-------|
|-----7----7-----------7-----------------------5-------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
T T
|--------7--------| |--------7---------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S +S E E E. +S
|-14p12p10-----------------------------------------------------|
|----------14-15p14p12p10h14-15p14p12p10-(10)-12h13p12--(12)s==|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|
| q q H
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--7--------------------7--------------------------------------|
|--7--------------------7--------------------------------------|
|--5--------------------5--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
C5 D5
|--3--| |--3--| |--3--| |--3--|
E E S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|---------------12h19p15p12----12-------------12-------|
|-20---12h15h19-------------19----19p15p12h15----19p15p|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|
| E E q q E E
|------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|----5--5--------------5-----------------------7-------|
|----5--5--------------5-----------------------7-------|
|----3--3--------------3-----------------------5-------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
\1/
|--3--| |--3--| |--3---|
S S S S S S S S E +S S E +E +S S S
|-------12----------12-------------------------------------------|
|-12h15----19p15p12----12----------------15b17==(15)r(15)p12h15--|
|-------------------------14b15r(14)--12-------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|
| q q H
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|--7-----------------7-------------------------------------------|
|--7-----------------7-------------------------------------------|
|--5-----------------5-------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E5 D5
\2.5___
T T
a E T T T T S S E +S +S S S +E +E
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|-19s22p15p12-19s22p15p12----------------------------------|
|-------------------------14b16==(14)r(14)p12p0-(0)-(0)----|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|
| E E q q E E
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|--------9-----------9-------------9-----------------7-----|
|--------9-----------9-------------9-----------------7-----|
|--------7-----------7-------------7-----------------5-----|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
/0______________________\1/
~~~
+E +E E +S S E +S S +Q
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|-(0)--(0)-[9]b11r(9)p7h9-(9)--7-(7)--|
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|
| q q H
|-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
|--7--------7-------------------------|
|--7--------7-------------------------|
|--5--------5-------------------------|
|-------------------------------------|
E5 D5
\1 /0_____\1___/0_________
+E a E +S S S S +S S S S +E. +S
|--------------------------------------------|
|------3s5-(5)p3p0h5--(5)p3p0h5---(5)----(5)p|
|-(7)\---------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|
| E E q q E E
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------9--9----------9---------------7-----|
|--------9--9----------9---------------7-----|
|--------7--7----------7---------------5-----|
|--------------------------------------------|
E5 D5
\1___/0________________________________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
|-3--|
S S E +E E E a a Q +E. +S E E E E S S E +E. T T
|--------------------------------------|--------12-------12----15b17-(15)---12------|
|-3p0h5---(5)p3p0----------------------|-----------15b17----12-----------------12---|
|---------------------[2]b4===(2)-(2)rs|=16-/13-------------------------------------|
|-------------------x------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|-----------------x--------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|
| q q H E E q q E E
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|-7--------7---------------------------|------9--9--------9---------------7---------|
|-7--------7---------------------------|------9--9--------9---------------7---------|
|-5--------5---------------------------|------7--7--------7---------------5---------|
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
~~~~~~~~ T
E +S S Q +E. +S S S S S
|----------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------15p8h13-|
|-14b15r(14)p12-14--(14)-(14)\-----------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|
| q q H
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|--7-------------7-----------------------|
|--7-------------7-----------------------|
|--5-------------5-----------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
C5 D5
T T T T T T T T T
|-----5-----| |-----6------| |-------7-------| |--------7---------|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-15p8h12-----------15p8h12---------15p8h12---------15p8h12---------14h17p===|
|-----------15p8h12---------15p8h12---------15p8h12---------15p==12----------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|
| E E q q E E
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------5-------5---------------5----------------------------7-------------|
|---------5-------5---------------5----------------------------7-------------|
|---------3-------3---------------3----------------------------5-------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
T T ~~~~~~~~
|3-| |3-|
E S E S E.S E E Q
|-h10-17p10-17p10s8-----0-12------|
|-------------------h9/-0-15b17===|
|-------------------h9/-----------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|
| q q H
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|---7-----------7-----------------|
|---7-----------7-----------------|
|---5-----------5-----------------|
|---------------------------------|
E5 D5 (Em)
~~~~~~~ TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP
+E E Q Q. E +Q Q +E Q.
|-(12)--12-14--15-----17-|-(17)--19--(19)-21b24======|
|-(15)r------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|
| E E q q E E q q Q E E
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|------------------------|---------------------------|
|--------9--9---9------7-|---7----7------------------|
|--------9--9---9------7-|---7----7------------------|
|--------7--7---7------5-|---5----5------------------|
|------------------------|-------------------------0-|
Out-Chorus
(D) (Em)
TP TP~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+H +E +Q. +E E H.
||--(21)-------(21)-(21)------|-(21)r----------------|
||o---------------------------|----------------------|
||----------------------------|-------x\-------------|
||----------------------------|----------19\---------|
||o---------------------------|----------------------|
||----------------------------|----------------------|
|
| ~~~~
| +E E E E Q. a E +E E q q E E
||----------------------------|----------------------|
||o---------------------------|----------------------|
||----------------------------|----------------------|
||-----------5---2--------2h4-|--(4)--2---0---0------|
||o--------2------------------|----------------------|
||---(0)-3--------------------|--------------------0-|
(D) (Em)
W W
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|
| ~~
| +E E E E Q. a E +E E q Q E E
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|--------------------|-----------------|
|---------5-2----2h4-|-(4)-2-0---------|
|-------2------------|-----------------|
|-(0)-3--------------|---------------0-|
(D) (Em)
Gtr IV
q q q q q q q q
|------------------------|--------------------|
|-12----12---12---12-----|-12----12--12--12---|
|--x-----x----x----x-----|--x-----x---x---x---|
|--9-----9----9----9-----|--9-----9---9---9---|
|------------------------|--------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------|
|
| ~~~
| +E E E E Q. a E +E E q q E E
|------------------------|--------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------|
|------------------------|--------------------|
|----------5--2------2h4-|-(4)-2--0---0-------|
|--------2---------------|--------------------|
|-(0)-3------------------|------------------0-|
(D) (Em)
q q q q q q q q 4x
|------------------------|----------------------||
|-12----12---12---12-----|-12----12--12--12----o||
|--x-----x----x----x-----|--x-----x---x---x-----||
|--9-----9----9----9-----|--9-----9---9---9-----||
|------------------------|---------------------o||
|------------------------|----------------------||
|
| ~~~
| +E E E E Q. a E +E E q Q E E 4x
|------------------------|----------------------||
|------------------------|---------------------o||
|------------------------|----------------------||
|----------5--2------2h4-|-(4)-2--0-------------||
|--------2---------------|---------------------o||
|-(0)-3------------------|------------------0---||
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
