Van Halen - Mean Streets
Tune down 1/2 step
t l t l t l t t l t l t l t t t (the t is for tapping, Ed
uses his thumb for the low
|--12--------12-----------12--------12--------| E string and his index
|--12--------12-----------12--------12--------| finger for the high E and B
|---------------------------------------------| strings, the l is for a
|-----*----*----*-------*----*----*-----------| left hand slap against the
|-----*----*----*-------*----*----*-----------| strings)
|-----*-12-*----*-12-12-*----*-12-*----12-12--|
{this intro is repeated about 6 times in a crecendo}
t p t p t p t p t t t t p h
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|-------12^5---------------------------^7--|
|--12^5------10^5-12^5---------------------|
|----------------------12-12--12--12^5-----|
t p t p p # p # #h t# t# t p h
|----------------------------------------------| (# are natural harmonics
|----------------------------------------------| created at approximately
|-----------------4^0(4)(5)--------------------| the fret(), t# are
|-------12^5^0(5)--------5^7(12)7(11)------^7--| harmonics tapped at the
|--12^5----------------------------------------| fret () )
|-------------------------------------12^5-----|
{repeat all of last two bars}
t p t p t p t p t t t t p h
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|-------12^5---------------------------^7--|
|--12^5------10^5-12^5---------------------|
|----------------------12-12--12--12^5-----|
t p t p p h p # h h t# t# t# t# t# p
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------^4^0(4)^5--------------------------------|
|-------12^5^0(5)---------5^7 (12)-(11)-(10)-(11)-(12)-^0--|
|--12^5----------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
h t# t# t# t# t# h p
|-----------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------^5^--|
|------------------------------------^5^--|
|-----------------------------------------|
|--^7--(10)--(11)--(12)--(12)--(14)-------|
|-----------------------------------------|
h t# p t# h t# p t# h t# p t# h t#
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|--^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)----|
|--^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)-^5-(17)-^7-(19)----|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
p h p sl feedback !!tremelo dives!!!!
|----------------------------------------------|
|--^5^7^5~4------------4--(4)------------------|
|--^5^7^5~4------4-----------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
(palm mute lightly) h p
|---------------------------------|----------------------------|
|---------------------------------|-------------0--------------|
|--5----------5-------------------|--5----------0--------------|
|--5-7---7--5---7---7------5^7^5--|--5-7--7-----0--------------|
|-----------------------7---------|----------7-----------------|
|---------------------------------|----------------------------|
h p # # # # # # # #
|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|-----------------(5)-------------(12)-----|
|--5----------5------------------|--5-----------------(5)---(7)--------(12)-|
|--5-7--7---5---7---7-----5^7^5--|--5-7--7----5-(5)------(7)---(12)---------|
|----------------------7---------|----------7-------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
palm mute.....
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|
|--5--------------------------|--5---------5--------------------|
|--5-7--7--5-5-7--7----5^7^5--|--5-7--7--5---7-7-5-5-5-5--------|
|--------------------7--------|--------------------------7-7-7--|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------|
(Ed uses an MXR Phase 90 and rubs
the palm of his hand against the
strings above the bridge pickup) At night
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|--5-----------------------|--*-*-*-*-*-*-*--5-----------------|
|--5-7--7--5-5-7--7-----5--|--*-*-*-*-*-*-*--5-----------------|
|--------------------7-----|--*-*-*-*-*-*-*--------------------|
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
I walk this stinkin' street,past the crazies on my block and I
A.H. palm mute....
|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|--3^0--0---------3^0---0----------|--3^0--0-----3^0--0-----------------|
|------------3--------------0---3--|----------3----------3-3-3-3^0-0-0--|
{this is similar for the rest of this and the other verses}
see the same old faces and I hear the same old talk.
And I'm searching for the latest thing, a break in this routine
I'm talkin some new kicks, one's like you ain't never seen.
this is
home___ this is
p p sl. p p sl.
|------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|-------------5----------------------|------------7-----------------|
|-------------5----------------------|------------7-----------------|
|--3^0-0-0-0--------------3^0-0-3~5--|--3^0-0-0-0--------3^0-0-3~5--|
|------------------------------------|------------------------------|
Mean street Yes, ah,
p p pick slide
|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|------------6--------------------|------------10-----------------|
|------------5------------10--12--|-------------9-----*~----------|
|-------------------------10--12--|-------------------*~----------|
|--3^0-0-0-0----------0-0--8--10--|--3^0-0-0-0--------*~----------|
|---------------------------------|------------------------12~----|
Home the only one I
p p sl. p slide
|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|------------5-----------------|------------7-------7-7--------|
|------------5-----------------|------------7-------7-7--------|
|--3^0-0-0-0--------3^0-0-3~5--|--3^0-0-0-0--------------------|
|------------------------------|-------------------------~15~--|
know______________ And we don't
|--------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----------3--------|-------------------------------|
|-----------2--------|-------------------------------|
|--2--------0--------|-------------------------------|
|--0-----------------|----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2----------|
|--------------------|----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0----------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/v/van_halen/mean_street_tab.html ]
worry 'bout tomorrow, 'cause we're sick of these four walls
Now what you think is nothin' might be something after all
Now you know this ain't no through street the end is dead ahead
The poor folks play for keeps down here, they're the living dead
{back to the chorus}-{play all but last bar}
(again use MXR Phase 90 - by the way a flanger is a close sound)
sl sl p p sl sl sl
|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|--8~10--10--------~10---7--7----------|------8~10-10-------------12~13-----|
|--------11--11-*--~-9---7--7--7^5-----|-----------11-*-11~12-----11~12-----|
|---------------*------------------7^5-|--------------*--9~10-----------0-0-|
|-10~12--------------------------------|--0-0-----------------0-0-----------|
|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
{this is played a total of four times with some improvization}
(solo begins on last bar and to save me a couple of hours, I would suggest
that you just improvize this in the A pentatonic minor scale)
See, a gun is real easy
< volume swell
|----------------------|---------------------------|
|----------------------|---------------------------|
|--5-------------------|--(5)----------------------|
|--5-------------------|--(5)----------------------|
|----------------------|---------------------------|
|----------------------|---------------------------|
in this desperate part of town
< volume swell
|----------------------|---------------------------|
|----------------------|---------------------------| {simulate these
|--7-------------------|--(7)----------------------| four bars for the
|--7-------------------|--(7)----------------------| rest of the
|----------------------|---------------------------| interlude}
|----------------------|---------------------------|
turns you from hunted into hunter
You go an' hunt somebody down
Wait a minute, Somebody said fair warning
Lord strike that poor boy down!
sl
|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------~7----|
|--5----------------------------|--(5)---------------5--~7----|
|--5----------------------------|--(5)---------------5--~7----|
|--0------0-------0----0---0-0--|------0--0---0--0-0----------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------------|
sl
|------------------------------|--------------------------|
|--(7)-------------------------|--(7)---------------------|
|--(7)-------------------------|--(7)-------------7~5-----|
|--(7)-------------------------|--(7)-------------7~5-----|
|-------0----0---0----0---0-0--|-------0---0---0----------|
|------------------------------|--------------------------|
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|--(5)-----------------------|--(5)--------------------|
|--(5)-----------------------|--(5)--------------------|
|-------0---0---0---0---0-0--|------0---0----0----0----|
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
{again this is simulated through the outro with improvised leads on
top in A pentatonic minor}
Supplied by Greg J. Musi (musi+@pitt.edu)
-----
Mean Street (intro) ©1981 Edward Van Halen
Transcription by Mog (Christopher Volkstorf moggio@cais.net)
Not to sound egotistical, but i have seen this written SO MANY TIMES wrong,
even in the guitar mags, that i decided to make the world a better place by
making all the "Ed-heads" happy. This is REALLY how it goes. If you don't
agree, check out the famous US Festival video bootleg. Have fun!
I taught guitar for over six years and at one time or another was asked to
teach almost every VH tune, and since Ed was always my favorite, i had
already learned'em anyway! lemme know if you have any requests.
(I used the font "Courier" when I typed this out (on a Mac), so it will
look correct with that font)
Here is a "key" of sorts:
*
a fret number with * above it is a tap harmonic (example: 12(5) means
hold the 5th fret and tap the 12th. the 12s at the beginning are open
strings)
h = hammer on
p = pull off
t = tap w/ right hand1st finger
X = muted "thump" w/ left hand 2nd and 3rd fimgers
T= thumb (funk/slap)
s = slide
vib = vibrato
Play this section 5 or 6 times (the fade-in)
t T t T T t T t T T
-12---------------12------------------12-------------12--------------
-12---------------12------------------12-----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------X--12--X-------X--12--12--X---------X--12--X--------12--12----
Now to the insane tap-harmonic fest!
Keep in mind that all of the 5th fret notes are hammered with the left hand
index
finger-smack'em real hard! Again, check out the US Festival video if you can.
H H H p H
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------*-----------*--------------------------------
-----------*-----*-------12(0)--5-----12(5)--0--*------------------------
--*-------12(0)-12(0)--5-----------------------12(0)--5---*-----*------*-
-12(0)--5------------------------------------------------12(0)-12(0)---12(0)
H H H H p H
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------*---------*----------*-------------*-----*-
------------*----*-----------12(0)--5---12(5)--9---14(9)--5--7---12(7)-11(7)
--*--------12(0)-12(0)--5------------------------------------------------
-12(0)--5-----------------------------------------------------------------
Play the above section three times. The third time through, however, continue
the tap harmonics as follows:
p h (vib)
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--*------*-------*------------------------------------------------
-10(7)--11(7)---12(7)---0-------*------*-------*------*------*-----
---------------------------7--10(7)--11(7)---12(7)---12(7)--14(7)--
------------------------------------------------------------------
For the final phrase, angle your right-hand index finger parallel to the frets,
and tap across all three strings (B, G,and D strings). Use your left hand
ring finger for the 9th fret, and slide to the 7th. Use the first finger
for the 5th fret notes. This part is easier than it looks. Try to keep this
rhythm in mind: pull-off, tap, hammer, tap, pull-off, tap, hammer, tap
(etc)
s p h p h
---*-----------*-----------*---------*----------*---------*----
--21(9)----7--19(7)---5--17(5)---7--19(7)---5--17(5)---7--19(7)--
--21(9)----7--19(7)---5--17(5)---7--19(7)---5--17(5)---7--19(7)--
--21(9)----7--19(7)---5--17(5)---7--19(7)---5--17(5)---7--19(7)--
---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------
p h p h p (feedback, wang bar dives)
------*----------*--------*---------------*----------------------
--5--17(5)---7--19(7)----17(5)---7---5---(16)4--------------------
--5--17(5)---7--19(7)----17(5)---7---5---(16)4--------------------
--5--17(5)---7--19(7)----17(5)---7---5---(16)4--------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So there you have it- the coolest thing Ed ever came up with, i think!
