System of a Down
Snowblind (Black Sabbath Remake/Tribute)
thelordofguitar
Tuning: Tune to drop-D and then tune every string down 2 semitones to drop-C
(CGCFAD) like all SOAD songs
p.m. = palm mute
\ = slide down
<10> = touch harmonic
other notation explained in context
This song does NOT contain any open string natural harmonics. They are all
touch harmonics. Details on getting the right sound proceed each riff.
Snowblind is in 4/4 time except for the bridge, which changes to 6/8 time.
Tab scale: one "-" between notes = 16th note beat except where noted.
Heavy distortion on all riffs except where noted.
Preverse / Intro Riff
---------------------
p.m._____________________________________________________________
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
F|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|-5-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
F|-3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---|-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---|
C|-3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---|-5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5---|
G|-1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1---|-3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
Verse Riff
----------
To play the verse's touch harmonics you fret the C string at either the 12th
or the 10th fret with your index, then lightly touch the string over the fretbar
3, 4 or 5 frets higher as noted with your pinky. You will have to pick the touch
notes fairly hard.
To pull off the muted picking between harmonics just hold the harmonic and palm
mute, it will completely silence the note.
For the two measures with harmonics, the numbers ABOVE the C indicate what note
you should be fretting. The numbers on the C itself show at which fret to touch
the string for the harmonic. Pick normally during the 2nd and 4th measures.
p.m._______________________________
D|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
F|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
fret 12 12 10 12
C|-<17>-x-x-<16>-x-x-x-x-<13>-<16>--x-x-|-101010--10--1010--10--10--7---10|
p.m._______________________________
D|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
F|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
fret 12 12 10 12 *
C|-<16>-x-x-<16>-x-x-x-x-<14>-<17>--x-x-|-101010--10--1010--10--10--7---10|
*The last time you play before the chorus lift off the palm mute about here.
And yes, those are all 10's.
Chorus Riff
-----------
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
F|-7-----\-5-----------------------|---------------------------------|
C|-7-----\-5-------5-------7-------|-8---8---8---8---10--10--10--10--|
G|-5-----\-3-------5-------7-------|-8---8---8---8---10--10--10--10--|
C|-----------------5-------7-------|-8---8---8---8---10--10--10--10--|
Interlude Riff
--------------
Very light distortion and strong palm muting.
p.m._____________________________________________________
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/s/system_of_a_down/snowblind_tab_ver_6.html ]
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|-----6---8-6-----8---6-6-8-6-----|-----5---6-5-----6---5-5-6-5-----|
F|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
p.m._____________________________________________________
D|---------------------------------|-----*---------------------------|
A|-----3---5-3-----5---3-3-5-3-----|-----2---3-2-----3---2-2-3-2-----|
F|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
*The last time you play this riff before the bass solo, play this last measure
without muting and with increasingly harder picks.
Bridge Riff
-----------
Time changes to 6/8. The bass plays a solo riff twice that is very similar
to this one but half the length. After four measures, the guitar joins in.
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
F|-------------------------|-------------------------|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
G|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
F|-------------------------|-------------------------|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
G|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
F|-------------------------|-------------------------|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
G|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-------0---3---0---3---|
D|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|-*-----------------------|
F|-------------------------|-----5-------5-------5---|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0---5-------5-------5---|
G|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0---3-------3-------3---|
C|-0-------0---3---0---3---|-0-----------------------|
*Last time playing this riff repeat the last measure three times.
Outro Riff
----------
This riff is played at the very end as a variation on the interlude. Use
lighter palm muting and you shouldnt have to unmute to hear the harmonics.
The touch harmonics are done exactly as in the verse, but this time
every one of them is positioned 2.2 frets above the fretted note. The tab
has an H at every location of these. So if you see 6H, fret at 6, touch at
about 8.2 and pick hard to hear the harmonic.
Very light distortion, like the interlude.
p.m._______________________________________________________
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|-----6---8---6---H6--6---8---6---|-----5---6---5---H5--5---6---5---|
F|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
p.m._______________________________________________________
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|-----3---5---3---H3--3---5---3---|-----2---3---2---H2--2---3---2---|
F|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
Song Structure
--------------
Preverse/Intro x 2
Verse x 3
Chorus x 2
Preverse/Intro x 2
Verse x 3
Chorus x 2
Preverse/Intro x 2
Interlude x 6
(Bass Solo)
Bridge x 3
Chorus x 2
Preverse/Intro x 2
Verse x 3
Chorus x 2
Preverse/Intro x 2
Interlude x 6
Outro x 2
End it by picking the muted high C string in 8th note increments:
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|
F|---------------------------------|
C|-x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---|
G|---------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------|
Enjoy.
