Van Halen - "Big River"
From "A Different Kind of Truth"
Tuning - Eb (all strings down 1 fret)
tabbed by jjhand
Clean Intro
eb|-2h3p2p0--3p2p0------------|-2h3p2p0------------------|
Bb|-----------------3---------|----------3p0-------------|
Gb|---------------------------|--------------0-----------|
Db|-2--------0----------------|-0---------------4--------|
Ab|-----------------3---------|----------3------2--------|
Eb|---------------------------|--------------------------|
Main Riff (w/ Distortion)
eb|-----------------------|------------------------|
Bb|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|------------------------|
Gb|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4--------------------|
Db|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7--5--5p4p0------|
Ab|-----------------------|-------------------0----|
Eb|-----------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------------|--------------------------|
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|--------------------------|
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4----------------------|
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7PH----------------|
|-----------------------|-----------3p0-3h5-3p0-0--|
|-----------------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|-------------------------|
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4---------------------|
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7---5--5p4p0------|
|-----------------------|--------------------0----|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|
|-----------------------|--------------------------|
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|--------------------------|
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4-------------0--------|
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7-5----------------|
|-----------------------|------------0-3qb-3qb--0--|
|-----------------------|--------------------------|
Verse Riff
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------4--5-5/7-5--4-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
Repeat Main Riff
"Oh Big River, Oh Yeah"
Play Verse Riff Again with slight changes
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------5h7-5h7p5-4-0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-----------*************-|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7---10-10-8--8--7-| * w/ slight
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------| trem bar bends
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
Repeat Main Riff (0:55)
Verse 2:
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-3------3-----3----|-7-7-7-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-----------2-----2-------|--------------5--3--2--3-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--8PH~~~------| <- use trem bar
|-4~~~---------|--------------| vibrato for
|-2~~~---------|--------------| horse sound
|--------------|--------------|
Repeat Main Riff
Play Verse Riff 2 Again, but ending changes again:
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------|
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-3------3-----3----|-7-7-7-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------|
|-----------2-----2-------|--------------5--3--2----|
|-------------------------|-----------------------3-|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|
|-2------------|-2\____-------| dive bar, lower note gradually
(1:48) Bridge to Solo
|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------4PH\_/-------|
|------------------------|------------------7\6/7-|
|-------7~--------7---7\-|-------7----------------|
|-0-0-0-----0-0-0--------|-0-0-0------------5\4/5-|
|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------|-------------*-*---*--*------|
|-------7~--------7---7\-|-------7-----7-7p5-7--5------|
|-0-0-0-----0-0-0--------|-0-0-0-----------------------|
*slight harmonics
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/v/van_halen/big_river_tab.html ]
Solo
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-9b12r-9p7--9--7h9p7-9~--|-7h9p7--------------14b16|
|----------9--------------|-------9-7h9p7\5-9~~~----|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------15-17|
|-14p12---14b16r-12---14b16r-12---14b16r-12---14-16-----|
|------14----------14----------14----------14-----------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-17---15-14h15p14---15-14----|-----19_p15--19p15--19p15--19p15---|
|-----------------17-------/x-|-----------17-----17-----17-----17-|
|-----------------------------|-/16-------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
|-------------------15---12-------------|
|-16~-16p14\12-14b16--b16--b16-14-14p12-|
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
all TP notes
|----------17--------17-19-22-|-22b24-22-22b24-22-22b24-b24~~~---|
|-17--19-20--17-19-20---------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|------------------------------/12\|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
|-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T8p3p0-T8p0h3-T8-T8p3p0-T8-|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-T12p3p0-T12p0h3-T12-T12p3p0-T12p0h3-T12-T10p3p0-T10p0h3-T10-T10p3p0-T10-|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T7p3p0-T7p0h3---------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------7PH_b___r-5--|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------|---------------------|
|----------------------------|---------------------|
|---------------slight harm--|---------------------|
|--------------10-10-10-10~~-|-------5---5-4-------|
|-------7--------------------|---------------7-6~--|
|-0-0-0----8-8---------------|-3-3-3---------------|
|----------------------------|------------------------|---------|
|----------------------------|------------------------|---------|
|---------------slight harm--|------------------------|---------|
|--------------10-10-10-10~~-|-------5---9-9---5-4-2--|---------|
|-------7--------------------|-----------x-x---x-x-x--|---------|
|-0-0-0----8-8---------------|-3-3-3-----7-7---3-2-0--|-0-------|
|----------|-10-14p12p10--------------------------------|
|----------|------------15-15p12p10---------------------|
|-7--------|-----------------------14-12p10\9-10-9------|
|-7--------|--------------------------------------14-12-|
|-5--------|--------------------------------------------|
|----------|--------------------------------------------|
Back to Main Riff (rhythm plays this through end of song)
Lead Guitar End Part (2:58-3:16 on Main Riff repeat, play 2x)
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|
|-7b8---7~~~----|-7h8-7-----------|-7b8---7~~~---|-------------10~---|
|---------------|-------9-9-7-6---|--------------|-9-7h9p7-6---------|
|---------------|---------------7-|--------------|-----------7-------|
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|
Continue Lead (3:17)
|------15------------|-------17-15-17b19-15-17~-|
|-15b17--15~~--15b17r|-13-----------------------|
|--------------------|---14---------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|------17-20p17---17---------------|------------------------12--|
|-20b22--------b22--r20---17h20p17-|-18h17\15--15\13p12---------|
|-----------------------19---------|---------17--------14-------|
|----------------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------------|---------------------x\5----|
|-15\12/15\12-17--17\-----|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|-14h17p14~~----------------|
|-------------------------|------------0\(-5)______/--|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------------|
|----8--10b12r--------------------|--------------------------------|
|-10-----------10h13p10~---7h10p7-|--7h10p7-10p7-------------------|
|-------------------------9-------|-9------------9-9b11r-7-9-7-----|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------9-9~|
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
play Lead Guitar End Part again and fade out
KEY
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
|\_/ dive tremelo bar and release, note the number of frets to lower note in ()
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| PH pinch harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| r Bend release
| __ Hold note or bend before changing pitch
************************************
