Lightning Bolt - Dead cowboy
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Tuning: E A D G
Lightning Bolt - Dead Cowboy
Tuning: CGDA
I made a tab for “Dead Cowboy” a while back. At the time, I was trying to replicate the key of the studio
version but this required a weird tuning so I thought I’d make another tab using Brian Gibson’s usual
cello standard (CGDA). I guess you could call this a live version even though really the only change
is the key (which as I said in my other tab, I'm pretty sure Brian picks at random when performing
the song live. Also it seems that in certain live performances, his bass in in cello standard but up half
a step. I don't know why he does this).
A good video to help learn this song is Lightning Bolt’s performance at the Sinclair
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh2vf7kc8FU) if you skip to 49:50. You can hear the bass really clearly
and the camera-man focuses a lot on Brian Gibson’s playing.
BRIAN’S PEDAL SETUP:
So, Brian’s pedal setup has changed down the years but broadly speaking, it goes:
Bass > Digitech Whammy > Boss OC2 > Boss Bass Overdrive > Boss Super Overdrive > Delay Pedal >
Wah Pedal > Amps
He keeps the Overdrive pedal on for the full song as well as the Digitech Whammy to shift the pitch up
one octave. He then uses the Boss OC2 to shift the pitch back down two octaves (ie. one octave below
standard when combined). He presses both the Boss OC2 and the Bass Overdrive together to achieve those
really thick stabs of bass.
FINGERING PATTERN:
A big part of this song is achieving the galloping rhythm. Below is a standard bar of the song:
H H P H P
A|---------------------|--------------------------------|
D|---------------------|--------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------15-15--18-15----|
C|--15-15--18--15--15--|--15-15--18-15------------------|
I M I M I M I M
This is the rhythm for most of the song.
INTRO:
H P H P H P H P
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--13-13--16-13---13-13--16-13---13-13--16-13---13-13--16-13--|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------| x4
C|-------------------------------------------------------------|
I M I M I M I M (fingering pattern repeats)
A|-------------------------------------------------------------| |----------------|
D|--15-15--18-15---15-15--18-15---15-15--18-15---15-15--18-15--| |--16b-13-13-13--|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------| x4 |----------------|
C|-------------------------------------------------------------| |----------------|
(then a couple of wibbles using whammy)
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--10-10--13-10---10-10--13-10---10-10--13-10---10-10--13-10--|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------|
D|--8-8--11-8--8-8--11-8---8-8--11-8---8-8--11-8--|
G|------------------------------------------------| x2
C|------------------------------------------------|
(couple more wibbles using whammy)
VERSE 1:
A|---------------------|--------------------------------|
D|---------------------|--------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------15-15--18-15----| x64
C|--15-15--18--15--15--|--15-15--18-15------------------|
“What the world needs…”
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------15-15--18-15--| x32
C|--15-15--18--15--15--|--15-15--18-15----------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
(Again, he achieves this by pressing both the bass overdrive pedal and the OC2 pedal at the same time).
CHORUS 1 (I guess?):
A|---------------------|---------------------|
D|---------------------|---------------------|
G|---------------------|---------------------| x16
C|--15-15--18--15--15--|--15-15--18--15--15--|
(down an octave)
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------14-14--17-14--| x4
C|--14-14--17--14--14--|--14-14--17-14----------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|----------------14-14--17-14--|
G|--14-14--17--14--14--|--14-14--17-14----------------| x4
C|---------------------|------------------------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------12-12--15-12--| x4
C|--12-12--15--12--15--|--12-12--15-12----------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|----------------12-12--15-12--|
G|--12-12--15--12--15--|--12-12--15-12----------------| x4
C|---------------------|------------------------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
FIRST SOLO:
(up one octave)
H P H P H P H P (repeats)
A|--11-11--14-11---11-11--14-11---11-11--14-11---11-11--14-11--|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--10-10--13-10---10-10--13-10---10-10--13-10---10-10--13-10--|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9-|
D|------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------|
C|------------------------------------------------|
A|--8-8--11-8---8-8--11-8---8-8--11-8---8-8--11-8-|
D|------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------|
C|------------------------------------------------|
A|--7-7--10-7---7-7--10-7---6-6--9-6---6-6--9-6--|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------|
C|-----------------------------------------------|
A|--5-5--8-5---5-5--8-5---4-4--7-4---4-4--7-4--|
D|---------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------------------|
VERSE 2:
A|---------------------|--------------------------------|
D|---------------------|--------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------15-15--18-15----| x64
C|--15-15--18--15--15--|--15-15--18-15------------------|
“What the world needs…”
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------15-15--18-15--| x32
C|--15-15--18--15--15--|--15-15--18-15----------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
CHORUS 2:
A|---------------------|---------------------|
D|---------------------|---------------------|
G|---------------------|---------------------| x16
C|--15-15--18--15--15--|--15-15--18--15--15--|
(down an octave)
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------14-14--17-14--| x4
C|--14-14--17--14--14--|--14-14--17-14----------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|----------------14-14--17-14--|
G|--14-14--17--14--14--|--14-14--17-14----------------| x4
C|---------------------|------------------------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|------------------------------|
G|---------------------|----------------12-12--15-12--| x4
C|--12-12--15--12--15--|--12-12--15-12----------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
A|---------------------|------------------------------|
D|---------------------|----------------12-12--15-12--|
G|--12-12--15--12--15--|--12-12--15-12----------------| x4
C|---------------------|------------------------------|
| down | | |
| one | | |
|----- oct. ------| |------(up an octave)-------|
SECOND SOLO:
(up one octave + delay pedal)
H P H P H P H P (repeats)
A|--10-10--14-10---10-10--14-10---10-10--14-10---10-10--14-10--|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9--|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------| x2
C|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--12-12--16-12---12-12--16-12---12-12--16-12---12-12--16-12--|
G|-------------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
D|--9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9---9-9--12-9--|
G|-------------------------------------------------| x2
C|-------------------------------------------------|
(Then he repeats this again but an octave higher? Possibly using his fifth string?)
A|--14-10-12-10--14-10-12-10--14-10-12-10--14-10-12-10--|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
C|------------------------------------------------------|
A|--12-9-10-9--12-9-10-9--12-9-10-9--12-9-10-9--|
D|----------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
C|----------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
D|--16-12-14-12--16-12-14-12--16-12-14-12--16-12-14-12--|
G|------------------------------------------------------|
C|------------------------------------------------------|
First time:
A|--15----15----15----15----14----14----12----12-----|
D|-----12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12--|
G|---------------------------------------------------| Repeat
C|---------------------------------------------------|
Second time:
A|--14----14----14----14----15----15----15----15-----|
D|-----12----12----12----12----12----12----12----12--|
G|---------------------------------------------------|
C|---------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------5-5-5-5-------------5-5-5-5-------------5-5-5-5-------------5-5-5-5--|
D|--0-0-0---------------0-0-0---------------0-0-0---------------0-0-0-------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| down | | up | | down | | up | | down | | up | | down | | up |
| one | | one | | one | | one | | one | | one | | one | | one |
| oct. | | oct. | | oct. | | oct. | | oct. | | oct. | | oct. | | oct. |
A|---------3-2-0---------15-13-12------------------------10--12--|
D|--0-0-0---------0-0-0------------0-0-0---5--7---0-0-0----------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|---------------------------------------------------------------|
(octave jumps continue)
A|---------5/9---------17/21---------10-9-7---------22-21-19--|
D|--0-0-0-------0-0-0----------0-0-0----------0-0-0-----------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------|
C|------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------10/14---------12/9---------10/7---------9/5--|
D|--0-0-0---------0-0-0--------0-0-0--------0-0-0-------|
G|------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------0---------2---------3---------5---------7---------9---------10---------12--|
D|-0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0------0-0-0------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
C|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------12--------12---------12--------12---------12---------12--|
D|--0-0-0-----0-0-0------0-0-0-----0-0-0------0-0-0------0-0-0------|
G|------------------------------------------------------------------|
C|------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-12-12-12-12-16-16-14-14-17-17-16-16-14-14-14-14--10-10-10-10-9-9-9-9-10-10-5/7-|
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| x2
C|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------|
D|--17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-19-19-19-19-19-19-19-19--| |-17-17-17-17-16-16-14-14-|
G|---------------------------------------------------| x2 |-------------------------|
C|---------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--12-12-12-12-16-16-16-16-14-14-14-14---0-0-0-0-4-4-4-4-2-2-2-2--|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------| x16
C|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--0--0---0-0-0-0---0--0---0-0-0-0---0--0---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
C|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
******************
I = Index finger
M = Middle finger
H = Hammer on
P = Pull off
b = Bend
/ = Slide
******************