This was all tabbed by ear. it sounds just right but let me know what you think, Bohemian Rhapsody - words and music by Freddie Mercury Brian Mays sound consits of a treble boost pedal , vox ac 30 and a brian may special guitar. The Brian May guitar was an outstanding design it allows you to put any pickups in phase out of phase. it was a great invention by him and his dad. Lots of Brian May's tone comes from the guitar and lets not forget his fingers. The vox ac 30 is still on sale now but a very clean sounding amp and in order to achieve that Brian May sound your going to to push the amp and add a treble boost pedal. Brian Mays sound is very unique and trying to recreate is sound can take a very long time. Right now to the song, the first time you here Brian May's guitar its a thunderous 5 4 3 the low e with intense vibrato. |---------------------| |---------------------| |---------------------| |---------------------| |---------------------| |---5----4----3-------| I noticed on the live version he played a bit extra which is somthing like this. |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |---------------------------------| |----------------------1----------| |---------------3~-------2--------| |---4--3---2-3-------------3--1-1-| This is a great solo and if you have the burns brian may guitar set the middle and neck pickups out of phase. you could also add the bridge pickup to add a deep sound. if you havent just mess around with your equipment and do whatever sounds best to you. |--------------------------------| |------------------11--8--11b13--| |-----10b12==r10p8---------------| |-8-8----------------------------| |--------------------------------| |--------------------------------| Make sure you bend those and let them ring out. listen to the original and copy the bends. |----------------------------------------| |---13~--15--16--13~--15--16--16b18===r16| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| |------------------------15--16--18-18b20| |---------------------18-----------------| |-----------------17---------------------| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| Now we have the run , the quick hammer ons and pull offs create this the sort of special effects of this run. make sure you hit the 18 string once after releasing it before you go into the run if you want to sound like the recording. |-20rb18-16-15-16-15h16p15----15-------------------------------------| |--------------------------18----18-16-15---16-15h16p15----15--------| |-------------------------------------------------------17----17--15-| |--------------------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------------------| |--------------------------------------------------------------------| Now we have 2 short average fast runs. |----------------15-16-18-|----------------15-16-18--18b20--| |-------15-16-18----------|-------15-16-18------------------| |-15-17-------------------|-15-17---------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------------| |-------------------------|---------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-15-16-13~~--15-16-13~~--15-16---16b18---| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |------------13---|---------------------------------| |-----------------|------14----14-14-14-14-\7-------| |---10-12-13------|-13------------------------------| |-----------------|---------------------------------| |-----------------|---------------------------------| |-----------------|---------------------------------| after you hit the 14th fret of B string for the last time slide up and play this just give a small flick to the 6th and quick pluck the 7th fret of the D string. |-------------------| |-------------------| |----------5h6p5----| |-----------------7-| |-------------------| |-------------------| I hope you the best with the first solo, just keep at it. now for the rock section |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------------------8-----------------| |--6-------3-5-6--6-------3----6-------3-5-6-8-------5----8-----------------| |----3-4-6----------3-4-6---6----3-4-6---------5-6-8---8--6-----------------| Then we have that fantastic fast run after the power chords and lyric so you think you can stone me and leave me to die. |------------------------| |------------------------| |-8-8-------------------6| |-8-8--8--8~-6-8 6-------| |-6-6--8------------8----| |------6--------------9--| |------------| |------------| |------8--8-8| |----8-8--8-8| |----8-6--6-6| |----6-------| then we have rising power chords like this |-----------| |-----------| |-----------| |--6--6-5--3| |--6--6-5--3| |--4--4-3--1| Then we play a power chord on the next string and play 2 other small runs |------------------------| |------------------------| |-3---------------------3| |-3------3/5---3--------3| |-1--------------5--3---1| |---------------------1--| |----------------------| |----------------------| |----------------------| |-------3--5--3--------| |-3/5-----------5------| |--------------------1-| then we basically keep changing power chords till the main rock riff starts again |-------| |-------| |-----3-| |-3---3-| |-3---1-| |-1-----| x 2 now we play the same riff as the start with a bit extra at the end |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |--6-------3-5-6--6-------3----6-------3-5-6-8---------5--6-8-| |----3-4-6----------3-4-6---6----3-4-6---------5-6-8----------| Now we get a seiries of runs. these are hard to play because on the recording it seems like brian plays a run stops , then records the next thats why they seem so fast. i have also read that they are lowered an octave with the record gear but i cant see that. there are 4 runs and i will include them all here, i think they go somthing like this number one - basically three notes stop , next three notes stop and continue. these are fast with very short stops after 3 notes are played |--------------------------------| |--------------------------------| |-------------------5~-----5--6~-| |------6--8~--6--8-------8-------| |----9---------------------------| |--------------------------------| Number two - this is like a scale and its played like this |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------6---6--8--9-| |-------------6--8--9----9---------| |----6--8--9-----------------------| |----------------------------------| Number three |----------------------------| |----------------------------| |--------------------------3-| |----------------3-4-3-4-6---| |----------4--6--------------| |-4--6--7--------------------| as you can see with these runs you may need to use your pinky finger a fair bit. number four - shortest run because the piano takes over at the end. |--------------------------| |--------------------------| |--------------------------| |---------------------5--6-| |-------5-----5--6--8------| |--6--8----8---------------| if you managed to get through those runs give it a nice power chord |---| |---| |--3| |--3| |--1| |---| hit that chord with a downstroke twice Now for the wonderful harmonic outro. First part sounds like this |-------------| |-------8--11-| |-----8-------| |---8---------| |-------------| |-------------| |-------------| |----------11-| |-------10----| |----12-------| |-13----------| |-------------| |-----------| |------8--11| |---8-------| |10---------| |-----------| |-----------| note - the last time brian hits the 11 fret of the B string he very slightly bends the string, you may want to add this or not. The next part i am a bit unsure about, i think its somthing like this brians tone is so full of harmonics its hard to tell at this point. |14b--14--12--14--14b| |--------------------| |--------------------| |--------------------| |--------------------| |--------------------| I am probley wrong about that part but its somthing like that. now for the final parts pluck the thirteen fret twice then slide down to 15 and up to 11. listen to the end of the recording part to get idea of tone for this bit. |-------------------| |---13--13 / 15 \ 11| |-------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------| |-------------------| Now the anyway the wind blows final outro. you need to turn your gain down and if possible use a neck pickup to get that flute sound. |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| |---15--15--\13-13-\12--12~--12\-9~------------9~~| |-------------------------------------10--8--7----| |-------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------| Thats it. hope you had fun looking through this tab, i may have made a few spelling or tab errors because it typed this out fast. any problems just leave it the comments and i sort it out. many thanks victory |