Smashing Pumpkins - Tristessa Chords & Tabs

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Tabbed by Brian McCall 

TRISTESSA
=========

by Smashing Pumpkins on the album Gish
written by William P. Corgan

*1

G1 distortion

|--------------------------------------------------------X-X-X-X--------|
|--------------------------------------------------------X-X-X-X--------|
|----------13-13-------------11-11-------------13-13-----X-X-X-X--11-11-|
|----------X--X--------------X--X--------------X--X------X-X-X-X--X--X--|
|----------11-11-------------9--9--------------11-11-----X-X-X-X--9--9--|
|-0---0-0-----------0---0-0-----------0---0-0------------X-X-X-X--------|

G2 Distortion

|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------11p7--------------9p5---------------11p7---------------9p5-|
|-0---0-0-----------0---0-0-----------0---0-0-------------------------|

Repeat *1 through lyrics until:

*2

G1

  pm----------------------------| repeat... Slide last time only before *3-|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-5-7-7--5-7-5-7-5-7-5-------------------------------------------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------------(X\)--------------------------|

G2

  pm-------------------------------------------------------------------| repeat...
|-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X---------------------------------------|
|-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X---------------------------------------|
|-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X---------------------------------------|
|-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X---------------------------------------|
|-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X---------------------------------------|
|-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X-X-X-X-X-X---------------------------------------|

  ^this is close to providing the rhythmic guitar noise in this part.
   palm mute while fret-muting with your other hand near the nut.

Repeat *1 then *2

*3

Both Guitars:

|-0--0----3--3----5--5-----------6--5-3-0--0----3--3-----8----8--8--8--|
|-0--0----3--3----5--5-----------6--5-3-0--0----3--3-----8----8--8--8--|
|-1--1----4--4----6--6--X-X-X-X--7--6-4-1--1----4--4-----9----9--9--9--|
|-2--2--X-5--5--X-7--7--X-X-X-X--8--7-5-2--2----5--5-----10---10-10-10-|
|-2--2--X-5--5--X-7--7--X-X-X-X--8--7-5-2--2----5--5--5--10---10-10-10-|
|-0--0--X-3--3--X-5--5--X-X-X-X--6--5-3-0--0--0-3--3--3--8----8--8--8--|

  Repeat *3 then:

*4

Both guitars

 Surely I knew...Surely I knew...Surely I knew................
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------2------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------2------------|
|-----------------------------------------4--------------2------------|
|---------2---------------0---------------2--------------0------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

*Solo

|-------------------------------------------17-17-16-----14hbr--------|
|-17-17-17-15-17-17-17-15-17-17-17-15-17-15---------------------14p12-|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-13---11-13-11\9--11-11-13-13-14-14-16-16-\-16-16-16-14-16-14-16-----|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------9--9--11-11-12-12-14-14----------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

   ...sorry, that's all I know.  Other guitar plays *1 behind this.

repeat *1 and *2 then:

*end

G1 [repeat *2 half as long (listen to the CD) then this]

 pm-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------X\--|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-X\--|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-X\--|

G2

|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------13131313141414141616161619191919----|
|------------------------------------X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X\-|
|------------------------------------11111111121212121414141417171717-X\-|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------X\-|

Both guitars:
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/s/smashing_pumpkins/tristessa_tab.html ]
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------13-13-------------------------------------------------------|
|---------X--X--------------------------------------------------------|
|---------11-11-------------------------------------------------------|
|-0---0-0-------------------------------------------------------------|

Note:  An alternate way of playing this (It's the way I play it, but
       I've not seen them play this live so I don't know how Billy plays
       it) is with one guitar as follows:

|--------------------------------------------------------X-X-X-X--------|
|--------------------------------------------------------X-X-X-X--------|
|----------13-13-------------11-11-------------13-13-----X-X-X-X--11-11-|
|----------X--X--------------X--X--------------X--X------X-X-X-X--X--X--|
|----------11-11-------------9--9--------------11-11-----X-X-X-X--9--9--|
|-0---0-0--X-h12----0---0-0--X-h10----0---0-0--X-h12-----X-X-X-X--X-h10-|

Lyrics:

Plant (pledged?) your faith
my heart embraced
struggle to renew

Blurry mind
so hypnotized
fast enough who..

Wonder...where you are.
Tristessa

Soul take soul
as I take eye
I will wait for you

What you believe
you'll wish to recieve.
Who to believe in who?
You.

Hang on...to your life.
Tristessa

I love you true
Surely I knew (do?)
I love you true
Surely I knew
Surely I knew
Surely I knew


Do you ever wake up and find yourself alone?
Do you ever wake up far from home?
What you believe
you'll wish to recieve.
Who to believe in who?
Tristessa
Tristessa
Tristessa


Thanks to Don BC@aol.com for help with the pre-"I love you true" riff.


Trisstessa TAB by Smashing Pumpkins
13-4-95 ----  Reposted 21-5-95
Transcribed by Adam Morris
From: benmo@deakin.edu.au (BENJAMIN JAMES MORRIS)


h= hammer on
p=pull off
b= bend
r= release bend
v=vibrato

Rhythm Fig 1.

|---------------------|    Repeat this as neccessary for
|---------------------|    Verse 1 This is the repeating
|-----11---------9----|    rhythm pattern throughout
|---------------------|    the song.
|------9---------7----|
|-0-0----0--0-0-------|


Rhythm Fig 2.

|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--2--2-2-5--5-5-7--7-7-8---7-5-2-|-2--2-2-5--5-5-/10-10-10-10-10-10-10-|
|--2--2-2-5--5-5-7--7-7-8---7-5-2-|-2--2-2-5--5-5-/10-10-10-10-10-10-10-|
|--0--0-0-3--3-3-5--5-5-6---5-3-0-|-0--0-0-3--3-3-/-8--8--8--8--8--8--8-|

  Play this twice for the chorus, and then after that play these chords...

|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|-9----7----9----7---|
|-7----5----7----5---|


>This is all I can figure out right now, I hope you can understand it.
>If anyone can work out that little section after the verses, or ANY
>of the solo PLEASE e-mail me and tell me what you think.
>Any comments or correction most welcome  -   benmo@deakin.edu.au

I've reposted my earlier one with the start (only the start sorry) of
the solo.  Here is my attempt at it.

|-------------------------------17b-r(17)-15b---------------------------|
|-17-15h17-17-15h17-17-15h17-17-----------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------13--11h13p12p11vvvvvv--|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

HELP ME OUT A BIT, I have given you a bit of the solo, maybe that will
help you to work it out.

ADAM MORRIS
^^^^^^^^^^^
benmo@deakin.edu.au

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 21:31:57 -0500 (EST)
From: "Eric Dave Lovullo" 

I know that everyone expects all the new MCIS tabs.  But I haven't really seen
a good Tristessa tab out there.  It lacks solo but I don't have the patience.


Intro(and most of the song)
-------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------|
----12*------------------9*----------------|
-------------------------------------------|
----10*------------------7*----------------|
----------0---0---0------------0---0---0---|

The stars mean bend a quarter step and return

Second part
------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------|
2-2--2--2--2--2--2--2---------------------|
2-2--2--2--2--2--2--2---------------------|
0-0--0--0--0--0--0--0---------------------|
Palm mute throughout.
Add some funky notes here and there and let off on the palm muting.  Listen to
the recording for correct rhythyms.

Back to intro
back to second part

Bridge
 E     G      A       E    D    b
---------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------|
--9----12-----14-----------------------------|
--9----12-----14------14---12----9-----------|
--7----10-----12------14---12----9-----------|
----------------------12---10----7-----------|
                     Pm-----------\----------|
Play this once
then the second time just play  E, G, A
thrid time repeat all of it
fourth time play the E, G, A then this
  E          D           b           A
-----------------------------------------------------------|
-----------------------------------------------------------|
--9----------7-----------4---------------------------------|
--9----------7-----------4-----------7---------------------|
--7----------5-----------2-----------7---------------------|
-------------------------------------5---------------------|

Solo using the intro voicing's underneath

Then the second part.

Then end  with a quick repeat of the intro voicings.

This tab is quite weak but it's voicing should be very close to what Billy
might actually be playing.  You really never know.

Someone might be kind enough to add the solo but there usually a waste of time.
Just find the right key, and make some shit up.  If you have enough effects and
have decent speed you'll make it sound cool.  Many people who arent guitarists
would not even know if it's not really technical.