Staind - Its been awhile

It's Been Awhile Written and performed by Staind From the album "Break the Cycle" Transcribed by Halfdan Baadsvik (halfdan@eskobar.nu) Mike uses a baritone guitar. For those who don't know what that is, it means the six lowest strings on a seven string guitar is put on a six string guitar. Just like Aaron and Jhonny, he also tunes his strings a half step down making the tuning (from low to high) Ab Db Ab Db Gb Bb. Aaron uses an acoustic guitar in standard Eb tuning. Low to high Eb Ab Db Gb Bb eb. Note that in this transcription I've written the chord names after their sounding, not fingering (Like if you finger an E chord, it will sound as Eb when tuned down). Intro/Verse : G#sus4 B Bb|--------------------------------------------------------| Gb|-------7-----9--7-----(7)-------------5--4--------------| Db|-------------------7---------5--5--5--------5-----------| Ab|----7-----7------------------3-----3--------------------| Db|----7-----7------------------^-----^--------------------| Ab|--------------------------------------------------------| (Put most weight ^ ^ on the Ab string on these strums...) A friend tells me that the verse picking goes like this : G#sus4 B Bb|-------------8--7----------------7--8-------------------| Gb|-------7------------------------------------------------| Db|------------------------5--5--5-------------------------| Ab|----7-----7-------------3-----3-------------------------| Db|----7-----7---------------------------------------------| Ab|--------------------------------------------------------| I don't know if he's right. I can hear those notes on the 7th and 8th frets, but it might be a synth or another guitar. Play what you think sounds better. Intro/Verse (acoustic) : G#sus4 B eb|-------------0----------------------0-------------------| Bb|-------------3----------------------1-------------------| Gb|-------2-----------2----------0--------0-----0----------| Db|-------2-----------2------------------------------------| Ab|----0-----0-----0-----0----3-----3--------3-------------| Eb|--------------------------------------------------------| F# G#7sus4 eb|-------------3----------------------0-------------------| Bb|-------------3----------------------3-------------------| Gb|----0-----0-----0-----0-------2--------2----------------| Db|-------0-----------0-------0-----0--------0-------------| Ab|--------------------------------------------------------| Eb|--------------------------------------------------------| Chorus : G#sus4 B F# C# Bb|--------------------------------------------------------| Gb|----------------------------------------7--7\5--5\4-4/--| Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---| Ab|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--5--5\3--3\2-2/--| Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---| Ab|--------------------------------------------------------| "And everything I can't remember..." ^ (Slide to eardefined position here) (No slide the last time) Aaron strums these chords : G#sus4 - x02230 B - x32010 F# - 320033 C# - xx0232 Bridge : F# C# G#sus4/B G#sus4 Bb|--------------------------------------------------------| Gb|--------------------------------------------------------| Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------| Ab|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------| Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0--10--------7---7--7-7---------| Ab|--------------------------------------------------------| Another electric guitar plays : Aaron plays : F# - 320033 C# - xx0232 G#sus4/B - x32230 <(Not really sure if this chord is in the real song or not, but it sounds pretty nice with it in) G#sus4 - x02230 Halfway through the verse picking pattern, Mike ends the song on this chord : F#maj6 - x5540x Aaron ends on : F#maj6 - 3540xx If you don't want to tune to a baritone, simply tune to standard Eb with dropped Db and play like this : Intro/Verse : G#sus4 B eb|-------------0------------------------------------------| Bb|-------3--------3-----(3)-------------------------------| Gb|-------------------2------------------5--4--------------| Db|----2-----2------------------5--5--5--------5-----------| Ab|----0-----0------------------3-----3--------------------| Db|--------------------------------------------------------| Alternative verse : G#sus4 B eb|-------------3--2----------------2--3-------------------| Bb|-------3------------------------------------------------| Gb|--------------------------------------------------------| Db|----2-----2-------------5--5--5-------------------------| Ab|----0-----0-------------3-----3-------------------------| Db|--------------------------------------------------------| Chorus : G#sus4 B F# C# eb|--------------------------------------------------------| Bb|--------------------------------------------------------| Gb|----------------------------------------7--7\5--5\4-4/--| Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---| Ab|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--5--5\3--3\2-2/--| Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---| Bridge : F# C# G#sus4/B G#sus4 eb|--------------------------------------------------------| Bb|--------------------------------------------------------| Gb|--------------------------------------------------------| Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------| Ab|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------| Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0--10--------7---7--7-7---------| ...and : End the song on F#maj6 - 5540xx I feel sympathy for people who don't want to tune back and forth all the time, so here's how to play without the dropped Db : Intro/Verse : G#sus4 B eb|-------------0------------------------------------------| Bb|-------3--------3-----(3)-------------------------------| Gb|-------------------2------------------5--4--------------| Db|----2-----2------------------5--5--5--------5-----------| Ab|----0-----0------------------3-----3--------------------| Eb|--------------------------------------------------------| Alternative verse : G#sus4 B eb|-------------3--2----------------2--3-------------------| Bb|-------3------------------------------------------------| Gb|--------------------------------------------------------| Db|----2-----2-------------5--5--5-------------------------| Ab|----0-----0-------------3-----3-------------------------| Eb|--------------------------------------------------------| Chorus : G#sus4 B F# C# eb|--------------------------------------------------------| Bb|--------------------------------------------------------| Gb|----------------------------------------7--7\5--5\4-4/--| Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---| Ab|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--5--5\3--3\2-2/--| Eb|--5---5--5----8----8---8---3---3--3--3------------------| Bridge : F# C# G#sus4/B G#sus4 eb|--------------------------------------------------------| Bb|--------------------------------------------------------| Gb|---------------7---7--7-7-------------------------------| Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------| Ab|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------| Eb|--3---3--3-3----------------8--------5---5--5-5---------| ...and : End the song on F#maj6 - 3540xx If that still ain't enough (good God!), just play the tabs written in standard Eb in standard E (low to high E A D G B e). This will make the song go from the key of G# to A. The chords will change from : to : G#sus4 - Asus4 B - C F# - G C# - D G#sus4/B - Asus4/C Good luck playing this great song. And "Remember, the Force will be with you. Always." Questions, comments etc. to halfdan@eskobar.nu