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Tuning: E A D G B E
This is the REAL way to play the intro to Thunderstruck by AC/DC. I've literally never seen this tabbed
correctly on this site even once, so here it is in all its glory, both Angus and Malcolm's parts. When
Malcolm's rhythm guitar part enters, his guitar will be in the top line, while Angus' will be in the bottom.
At the bottom, I've also included a live variation on the rhythm guitar part.
IMPORTANT: There are NO hammer-ons or pull-offs in the intro. Angus Young picks every single note, both
on the album and in all live versions. The only reason people assume it may not be picked is because in the
song's music video, he has his right hand raised. This was just to make it more visually interesting. Music
videos, obviously, are mimed, and what you are still hearing is every note being picked. Listen close.
Angus' full intro (let all notes ring):
e|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
b|-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-|-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-|
g|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
b|-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-|-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-|
g|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
b|-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-|-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7-0-|
g|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
b|-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-|-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8-0-|
g|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!" (drums enter)
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!"
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!" (bass guitar enters)
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!"
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!"
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!"
Malcolm Young enters here.
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|----4------4-------4--4----4--------|---4-----4------4--4-----4-------|
D|--4--------4-------4-------4--------|-4-------4------4--------4-------|
A|-------2--------2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
* * PM PM PM PM * *PM PM PM PM
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!" (Brian Johnson joins "Thunder!" chant)
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|----4------4-------4--4----4--------|---4-----4------4--4-----4-------|
D|--4--------4-------4-------4--------|-4-------4------4--------4-------|
A|-------2--------2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
* * PM PM PM PM * *PM PM PM PM
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!"
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|----4------4-------4--4----4--------|---4-----4------4--4-----4-------|
D|--4--------4-------4-------4--------|-4-------4------4--------4-------|
A|-------2--------2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
* * PM PM PM PM * *PM PM PM PM
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!"
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|----4------4-------4--4----4--------|---4-----4------4--4-----4-------|
D|--4--------4-------4-------4--------|-4-------4------4--------4-------|
A|-------2--------2-------2-------2---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
* * PM PM PM PM * *PM PM PM PM
e|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|-12-0-10-0-9-0-10-0-9-0-7-0-9-0-5-0-|-7-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-5-0-4-0-|
G|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
"Thunder!"
End of intro.
Malcolm's Live at Donington variation:
This is Malcolm's slight variation on the rhythm from the AC/DC concert "Live At Donington".
See notes for **.
e|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|----4---(4)-4----4---4---(4)-4---|---4---(4)-4---(4)-4---4---(4)-4---|
D|--4-----(4)-4----4-----------4---|-4-----(4)-4---(4)-4-----------4---|
A|------2-------2--------2-(2)---2-|-----2-------2-----------2-(2)---2-|
E|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
PM **PM PM PM PM PM
Notes
** These notes don't ring for the first bar, but do for the rest of the song.
************************************
| * and () Let note ring
| PM Palm mute
************************************