The Mars Volta - Luciforms
Tabbed by - notthemessiah
This is the final song off their fifth album Octahedron, it's one of the best on the
and it's good to hear a good solo on this song on what is comparatively a stripped down and
basic album to their others. I've done my best with this and am open to any criticism
corrections.
Intro/Verse - No guitar
Chorus: Repeat the following two riffs
Guitar 1 - Sounds to me like theres some sort of octave pedal here, which is very likely
omar, so I've written the riff in two different octaves, choose which one sounds best
you!
e |-------------------------|
B |--13----11----------11---|
G |-----12----12-10-12------|
D |-------------------------|
A |-------------------------|
E |-------------------------|
or
e |-------------------------|
B |-------------------------|
G |-------------------------|
D |--10----8---------8------|
A |-----10---10-8-10--------|
E |-------------------------|
Guitar 2 -
e |----------------------8------8----|
B |------8-----8----8-11---8-11------|
G |--10b---10b-----------------------|
D |----------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------|
End of Chorus:
Guitar 1 - I've just written the lower octave this time, i'm sure you can figure it out
if you want.
E |---------------------|
B |---------------------|
G |---------------------|
D |--10----8------------|
A |-----10---8-10-------|
E |---------------------|
Guitar 2 -
e |------------------------|
B |----11--9--8------8-----|
G |--------------10--------|
D |------------------------|
A |------------------------|
E |------------------------|
Verse 2 - During this verse Omar does this trick where he uses the volume knob on his
like many would use their volume pedals to take the attack away and create that eerie warm
on each note. He's just playing notes from the Cminor pentatontic scale and sliding out
them. What I've written is the notes he plays in this section.
e |-------------------8\---------------------------------13---15--------|
B |--11b---13b---15b------8~-----------------------11b------------------|
G |----------------------------10\-8------------------------------------|
D |-------------------------------------10\-----------------------------|
A |-------------------------------------------10br----------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------------------4\---|
Repeat Chorus
Bridge:
Guitar 1 - The guitar has a cool wah/phaser efect on it and holds these chords for a
each. I'm not sure if its both the bass and guitar playing the run at the end of the four
or just the bass, but i've included it anyway.
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |------------8--------------------------------------------------------|
D |--10--4--7-----------------------------------------------------------|
A |------------6--8-6-5-------------------------------------------------|
E |--8---2--5-----------------------------------------------------------|
Guitar 2 - Is making some freaky sounds in the background I can't quite make out. But
sound like they have heavy vibrato and some bends occasionally, I just make up some
from the Cminor pentatonic scale.
Solo! - I've done my best here! It's not spot on accurate but it gives you an idea of
he's playing and where...I hope at least... Guitar 1 continues same chords as in the
above.
Guitar 2 - lots of wah-wah in this.
e |----------------------------8----------------------------------------|
B |-8h11p8h11p8h11p8h11p8h11p8---11p8----------8------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------10-8-10b---10p8----8--------------|
D |---------------------------------------------------10---10-8---------|
A |-------------------------------------------------------------10------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/t/the_mars_volta/luciforms_tab.html ]
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |--8----8h10p8-----------10--------8h10p8-10/12-10-8h10p8---------8-10|
A |----10--------10-8h10p8----8h10p8------------------------10—8h10-----|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
I can’t quite hear the next bit, there’s heaps of wah and it sounds almost atonal. I
it up again here @5:40:
Tremolo picked
e |----10----11--10-11-13-13~----------13-15-11-13-10-11-8----8---------|
B |-13----13-----------------------------------------------10---8-11----|
G |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |------------------8-----8-7-7-------------8----8-10--8-8-------------|
G |-10bp0-10-8-10-11-------------8-8----8h10---10-----------8-8---------|
D |----------------------------------10---------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
e |-----------------------------------------------------10-8-7----------|
B |-7h8h10p8p7h8h10p8p7h8h10p8p7h8h10p8p7h8-10/13-10~----------10-8-----|
G |---------------------------------------------------??------------10-9|
D |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
Again I lose track of what he’s doing but regain it here @6:05:
e |--------------------------------------------9-----9-----7-----7------|
B |-7h8p7-7--------7h8p7-7-----------------6-7---6-7---6-7---6-7--------|
G |---------8-8-8----------8-8-8----?????-------------------------------|
D |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |-7-7-6-6-6-6-6~---6br-8----------------------------------------------|
G |----------------8-------10-8-10-8------------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------------10—8h10p8----10b-8h10p8-10~-------|
A |---------------------------------------------10----------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
e |-------------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------------|
G |-8-10-/12-10-8-10p8-----8-10-12~-----|
D |--------------------10---------------|
A |-------------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------------|
There’s a whole lot of random noises and effect and some keyboard licks running here.
the music comes back in at 7:20
Guitar 2 – Is playing the same riff from the chorus.
e |----------------------8------8----|
B |------8-----8----8-11---8-11------|
G |--10b---10b-----------------------|
D |----------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------|
Guitar 1 - is playing in unison (mostly) with the keys. Listen to the song for the timing.
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------10--7-8----7------------------------------|
D |-8-10/12------7-8----8-10----------10---8--10-8-7--------------------|
A |---------10-------10------------------------------10-------8---------|
E |-----------------------------------------------------10-11-----------|
e |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------7-------------7-----------10-8-7----------------|
D |--10-8-7----7---8-10---10-8-7--------10-8-10----------10-------------|
A |---------10-------------------10-------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------------------------------------|
e |--15-13-11-13---------------|
B |-----------------11--\7-----|
G |----------------------------|
D |----------------------------|
A |----------------------------|
E |----------------------------|
Hold and finish on the last note.
Hope that's easy enough to follow! enjoy!
