Song: Highly Strung
Artist: Orianthi
Tab: acatIRL (http://www.orianthi.com/user/default.aspx?mid=6578820)
Preface:
A beautiful song and insanely fun to play, took me a few hours to get this tabbed but here it is. Obviously it's not perfect, in fact it's
far from perfect, the way this tab will instruct you to play many of the parts are different from the way they are played in the video.
I think it will make some of the stuff easier to play but you'll likely miss some of the semi-techniques and semi-rhythms to perfectly
recreate this song with any kind of authenticity.
That isn't the goal of this tab, the goal is to give you, the casual guitar player a starting point, I strived to catch all the notes that I
heard, not so much the way they were achieved, that is why I intentionally don't include a legend for this tab, as I took extreme creative
liberties in the way I chose to play virtually everything (the "chorus" for example is definitely bends and not slides, but I write them as slides
to make it more readable), but I did play every note along with the cd (several times usually) and it did match for the most part or atleast
was close enough in the very fast, slurred parts.
If you want to perfectly recreate anything Vai related you're going to need a lot more than a tab, even if I was to tab every move and semi-tone
he uses, there are some things that simply cannot be tabbed and I expect the tremolo heavy parts to be a pure disaster as it really messes up
the pitch and makes it impossible for me to know for sure if the notes I'm tabbing are right or not. Again that's not the goal here. I didn't even
bother to make a marker for tremolo since it's used so liberally in this song, as far as this tab goes a vibrato is a vibrato, achieve it
however you want.
In fact that is probably the best way to use this tab. Take a section, listen to the album for the rhythm, watch the video to see how they're
played exactly and if you even want to play it like that, decide for yourself how to accomplish it. The main thing I'm providing is the pitch
that's heard, so you don't have to figure out everything yourself. I tried to catch all the little differences too but there are simply too many.
I also chose to ignore the fact that the video has Vai playing a 7 string and Orianthi's guitar doesn't have a tremolo. I wrote this for 2
standard tuned 6 string guitars one of which (vai's) needs to be 24 frets for the second chorus, but it's only a couple of notes so it's very
easy to compromise. It's been a fun journey getting to know this song, a spiritual, a mental, a personal one. I learned some new tricks and
would do it again in a heartbeat, but as of now I'm done working on it and leave it to you to perfect it. Have fun.
Song Structure
Main Riff
Verse I
Chorus I
Main Riff (only played once, the last 2 parts of it)
Verse II
Chorus II
Solo I
Solo II
Solo III
Solo IV
Bridge
Chorus III
Main Riff (played twice but it's the last 2 parts repeated and no chords at the end)
Ending
Main Riff
Orianthi (right channel)
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
---------------------55-------------------------
---------3-----------55----------3--------------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-33--5---3h5---5-5-3--------
---5-------------5---------5-------------5-3-3~-
Vai (left channel)
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
---------3-----------------------3-------------------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-----5---3h5---5-3---------------
---5-------------5---------5-----------5-3-1h3~-1h3~-
Orianthi (right channel)
------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------6----
---------------------55----------------------7--
---------3-----------55----------3---3h5/7------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-33--5---3h5---5------------
---5-------------5---------5--------------------
Vai (left channel)
------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------6----
---------------------------------------------7--
---------3-----------------------3---3h5/7------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-----5---3h5---5------------
---5-------------5---------5--------------------
Orianthi (right channel)
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
---------------------55-----------------------------
---------3-----------55----------3------------------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-33--5---3h5---5-5---3----------
---5-------------5---------5-----------5---5-3-3-3~-
Vai (left channel)
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------3-----------------------3-----------------------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-----5---3h5---5-5---3---------------
---5-------------5---------5-----------5---5-3-1h3~-1h3~-
Orianthi (right channel)
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------6-----
---------------------55----------------------7~~-
---------3-----------55----------3---3h5/7-------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-33--5---3h5---5-------------
---5-------------5---------5---------------------
Vai (left channel)
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------6-----
---------------------------------------------7/--
---------3-----------------------3---3h5/7-------
-5---3h5---5-5-3---3-----5---3h5---5-------------
---5-------------5---------5---------------------
Both
-------
-------
-------
-5-5-3-
-5-5-3-
-3-3-1-
Verse I
(0:23)
Orianthi (right channel)
-----------------------------------
-9^-6-6---6-8-6-9^-----------------
--------5--------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-------------------------------------
-------------------9^-6-6------------
--------------------------7-5--------
------------------------------7-5----
----------------------------------5--
-------------------------------------
(0:27)
Orianthi (right channel)
---------------------------------------
--/15----------13----------------------
------14-12-14----14~------------------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
---------------------17^*-13---------13----
-----------------------------15-13------15-
-----------------------------------14------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
(0:31)
Orianthi (right channel)
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
-9-------------10-------------------
---10-12-10-12----------------------
-----------------12-----------------
------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-------------------------------------
---------------------8---------------
-----------------------9-10-9-7----7-
--------------------------------10---
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
(0:35)
Orianthi (right channel)
-------------------8-12----12-15-17^~-------------
-----------6-8--10------13------------------------
--------/7----------------------------------------
----3-5-------------------------------------------
-/5-----------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
--------------------8-12-15/17-20p18p17-20p18p17-20~-
-------------6-8-10----------------------------------
-----------7-----------------------------------------
-------3-5-------------------------------------------
-----5-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
Chorus I
(0:44)
Orianthi (right channel)
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-9/10-9----11/12-11----------7/8-7-------------------
--------10----------12----12-------8-10/12-10-8---10-
-----------------------12-----------------------8----
Vai (left channel)
----------------------------------------------------------------
-12/13-12-----14/15-14------------------------------------------
----------12-----------14----14--14/15-14-----------------------
--------------------------14--------------15-17/19-17-15----17--
---------------------------------------------------------15-----
----------------------------------------------------------------
(0:52)
Orianthi (right channel)
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-16/17-16----18/19-18--------21-22-21/22-21----
----------17----------19-/21----------------22-
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
--------------------------17-18/-/17-15------
-/17-15----17/18-17---------------------17---
--------16----------18/19--------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
(0:59)
(both playing the same thing here, only Vai adds the ghost note)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-13h15-15-13h15-15-13h15-15-15^~-15h17-17-15h17-17-15h17-17-17^~-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------(22)--
-18h20-20-18h20-20-18h20-20-20^~-20h22-22-20h22-22-20h22-22-22^~-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Verse II
(1:17)
Orianthi (right channel)
---------------------------------------------
-15^-15-13-----------------------------------
-----------14-12-10-12~~---------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-------------------------^17p15-15-13----^13~-
--------------------------------------15------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
(1:21)
Orianthi (right channel)
------------------------------------------------------
-18^-17-15----18^-------------------------------------
-----------17----------17----17~----------------------
-----------------19-17----19--------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
--------------------------------15^-15^-15^-15-13----
--------------------------------------------------15-
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
(1:25)
(There is a pick scratch here on both guitars that I'm not tabbing
first one scratches up the fretboard, second goes down it, both on
the first string.)
Orianthi (right channel)
---------(scratch)----------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
----------------------------(scratch)---------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
(1:28)
(there is a ton of tremolo on both ends during this part)
Orianthi (right channel)
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-5h7p5---5h7p5---7h8p7---7h8p7---9h10p9----9h10p9----
-------8-------8-------9-------9--------12--------12-
-----------------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-8h10p8---8h10p8---10h11p10----10h11p10----12h13p12----12h13p12----
--------8--------8----------12----------12----------14----------14-
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
(1:30)
Orianthi (right channel)
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
-9-10-10-13-10-12-12-14-12-14-14-15-15-17---
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
--------------------------------------------
--12-13-13-15-13-15-15-17-15-17-17-18-18-20-
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
(1:33)
Orianthi (right channel)
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
-19-21-21-22-21-22-21-21-21h22~-------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-17-19-19-20-19-20-19-19-19h20~-------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
Chorus II
(need a 24 fret guitar to play Vai's part here)
(1:37)
Orianthi (right channel)
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/o/orianthi/highly_strung_tab_ver_2.html ]
-----------------------------------------------------
-12/13-12----14/15-14--------------------------------
----------12----------14-14/16-14~-(14)/15-14^-14----
--------------------------------------------------15-
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-19/20-19----21/22-21-17-17h19-17-(17)/18-18-17----
----------20------------------------------------18-
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
(1:42)
Orianthi (right channel)
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------17-16----18/19-18----------21~-22-22-21-----
-17/19-17-15----17--------17----------19-19/21--------------22~-
-------------15-------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-------------------19/20-19-----21/22-21----------24~-24^-24------
-20/22-20-18----20----------20~----------22-22/24------------24^~-
-------------17---------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
(1:50)
(both play this part, identical to the first chorus ending)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-13h15-15-13h15-15-13h15-15-15^~-15h17-17-15h17-17-15h17-17-17^~-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------(22)--
-18h20-20-18h20-20-18h20-20-20^~-20h22-22-20h22-22-20h22-22-22^~-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Solo I
(Vai repeats that one part during the whole solo)
Orianthi (right channel)
(2:00)
---------------------------/12-12-------10-10---------
-12~-10h12p10----12---------------12-12-------10-10/p-
--------------12----9-/(2)----------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
(2:05)
--------------------------------------
-10^-10-8-----8^----------------------
----------9-7-7^-(9)------------------
---------------------7/9-7-5-----5----
-----------------------------7-5---7~-
--------------------------------------
(2:07)
----------------------------------
----------------------------------
----------------------------------
----X5-X5-X5-X7-X8-8-7~--5---7/9~-
-X7------------------------7------
----------------------------------
(2:10)
------------------------
--------------------5---
----5---5---5-7-5-7---7-
-X7---7---7-------------
------------------------
------------------------
(2:12)
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
-/9^-/11^-/12^-/14^-/16^-16^-16^~~--
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-----------------
-----------------
---------------7-
---7---5---7-----
-5---5---5---5---
-----------------
Solo II
(Orianthi repeats that one part during the whole solo)
Vai (left channel)
(2:16)
-------------------------13^----
-14^-14-13-15~~-15-13-15-----15-
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
(2:20)
--------------------------------------------------------
-13h15p13h15-13-15-13-12~-/12-13-12---------------------
------------------------------------13-13-15-12^~~/10~~-
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
(2:24)
--------------------------------------
-11^/12~-11-------------11------------
------------12-10-10-12----12-10-12^~-
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
(2:26)
----------------------------------------
-13-11---------------13-11--------------
-------12-10-10h12~--------12-10-10h12~-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
(2:28)
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
-(12)/------------------------------------------
-------9h10p9h10p9h10p9h10p9h10p9h10p9h10p9h10p-
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
(2:29)
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-10-8-10p8h10p8-8/10-8-10-8----------
----------------------------10-8/10~-
Orianthi (right channel)
-------------
-------------
-----0-----0-
-----5-----3-
-5-5---5-5---
-------------
Solo III
(Vai repeats that one part during the whole solo)
Orianthi (right channel)
(2:32)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------15--------
--------------------------------------14-16-17-16-14-14/16----16/14~-
-----------------14-16^17v16-14-16-17--------------------------------
-7-9-10-9~-7/14~-----------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(2:37)
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-14-12-14-14^-14v-12-------12~-----------------
---------------------14-12-----14-12----12-14~-
-------------------------------------14--------
-----------------------------------------------
(2:41)
-18^1818^1818^1818^1818V1818V18V-18^-17-15-
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
(2:44)
---------19-----17-------------19-----17-------------19-----17-------------19-----17----
-1717-20----20-----20--1717-20----20-----20--1717-20----20-----20--1717-20----20-----20-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2:46)
-------17---------------------------------------------------
-20-20----20-17-17----------------20------------------------
-------------------19-16-16-19/21---------------------------
-------------------------------------19^/17-------19----17~-
--------------------------------------------19-19----19-----
------------------------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-----------------
-----------------
---------------7-
---7---5---7-----
-5---5---5---5---
-----------------
Solo IV
(Orianthi repeats that one part during the whole thing)
(This solo has a ton of tremolo acrobatics, as one would expect)
Vai (left channel)
(2:49)
--------------------------------------
------------------6~~6~6~6~6~6~-------
-7^v~-7^~-7^~-7^~--------------7~5~7~-
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
(2:53)
-----13~------------------------------
-/15~---15~---------------------------
------------7~-5~---------------------
------------------8~-7~-5~------------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
(2:55)
-13p10p8-13p10p8-15p10p8-15p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-15p10p8-15p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-10-13-10-8-10~-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2:59)
-13-11h13p11-11h13p11p10---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------13------------------------------------------------
----------------------------/13-12-13-15-13--------------------------------
--------------------------------------------15-----------------------------
-----------------------------------------------15-14-15-17-15-14-----------
-----------------------------------------------------------------15~15~15~-
Orianthi (right channel)
-------------
-------------
-----0-----0-
-----5-----3-
-5-5---5-5---
-------------
Bridge
(These parts go back and forth like the verses)
(3:09)
Orianthi (right channel)
-/10~--------------------------
-----12-10----10---------------
-----------12----11-9-7--------
------------------------9-7----
----------------------------5~-
-------------------------------
(3:12)
Vai (left channel)
---------------------5-7-10~-
-----------8---5-7-8---------
---------7---7---------------
---5-7-9---------------------
-7~--------------------------
-----------------------------
(3:14)
Orianthi (right channel)
-/14~12-------------------------
--------13-12-10-7/8------------
---------------------7-5--------
-------------------------9-7----
-----------------------------9~-
--------------------------------
(3:16)
Vai (left channel)
--------------7--------7-9-10-12-13~-
-------7-8-10---7-8-10---------------
---7-9-------------------------------
-9~----------------------------------
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
(3:18)
Orianthi (right channel)
-13~10-------------10-------------------------------
-------13-11-11-13----13----------------------------
-------------------------/12-10--10-----------------
------------------------------------12-10-----------
------------------------------------------13-12-11~-
----------------------------------------------------
(3:20)
Vai (left channel)
-------------------------------10-13-------10-13-15~-
-------------------------11-13-------13-11-----------
---------8-10-12-8-10-12-----------------------------
----8-10---------------------------------------------
-10~-------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
(3:22)
Orianthi (right channel)
-15~-(15)p12-----------12------------------------
-------------15--13-15----15-13------------------
--------------------------------12-9-------------
-------------------------------------12-10-------
-------------------------------------------12-10-
-------------------------------------------------
(3:24)
(These parts are played at the same time)
Orianthi (right channel)
---------------------8h10p8------------10h12p10-------------12h15p12-------------15h17p15-------17/19~-
-----8h10p8-----8/10--------10-8-10/13----------13-10-13/15----------15-13-15/17----------17-15--------
-7/9--------9-7----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-12-------------12-15-12----------15-17-------------17-19-----------17-19-22-19----19-20-22-22-19-19-------19-22-
----15-12-13-15----------14-15-17-------17-17-18-20--------20-17-20-------------20-------------------20-18-------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chorus III
(3:31)
Orianthi (right channel)
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-16/17-16----18/19-18--------20-21-20/21-20----
----------17----------19-/20----------------21-
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
---------------------------17-18/-18-15----
-/17-15----17/18-17---------------------17-
--------16----------18-/19-----------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Ending
(4:00)
Orianthi (right channel)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-15/-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Vai (left channel)
-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-13p10p8-17/-
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
