Nine Inch Nails - Hurt

Transcription for fingerpicking on acoustic guitar based on the original dissonant version on "The Downward Spiral". I chose the notes in the chords such as to match the "ugly" sound of the song, instead of modifying to the nearest clean maj/min variants [which sounds to me more like the Johnny Cash cover]. Chord list ========== The list of chords is a bit complicated because there's many variants and unusual names. Some of the chords may be uncomfortable, or sound "wrong". On the left side of the list you have the chord names [like A, Aaddb5[no3], Asus2,...] and on the right side how they are played [like "x02220"]. The "x02220" tells you which frets to hold, from the lowest string to the highest string. 'x' means that the string is silent, '0' means that you play the open string, '1' means that you hold the first fret, '2' the second fret, and so on. For example, "Aaddb5[no3] x0x240" means: for the chord "Aaddb5[no3]", don't play the low E string, play the open A string, don't play the D string, hold fret 2 on the G string, hold fret 4 on the B string, and play the open high E string. A x02220 Aaddb5[no3] x0x240 Asus2 x02200 Badd11[no5] x2x440 Bbm x13321 Bm x24432 Bmadd11 x24430 Bo12 x24x31 Bsus4 x24400 Dadd9 xx0252 Dadd#9 xx0262 D11[no3,no5] xx0020 Dsus2 xx0230 E7[no3] xx243x G6 355000 G+6[no3] 3xx040 Some comments about the chord names: - 'o' in the name 'Bo12' is shorthand for 'dim'. 'Bo12' expanded means "B chord with a minor Third and diminished Fifth and an added [perfect] Twelfth [= Fifth]". Another way to write this might be: Bdimadd5. - 'no3'/'no5' mean that a chord has no Third/Fifth - '+' is shorthand for 'aug' - figuring out the chord names was complicated, so I can't guarantee that they're all right - see wikipedia's "chord names and symbols [popular music]" for more info The Song ======== [Intro] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] x 4 [Verse] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 I hurt myself to- day to see if I still feel Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 I focus on the pain, the only thing that's real Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 The needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Aaddb5[no3] Try to kill it all away, but I remember everything [Chorus] Badd11[no5] G+6[no3] Dadd#9 Aaddb5[no3] Badd11[no5] G+6[no3] Dadd#9 Aaddb5[no3] Badd11[no5] G+6[no3] Dadd#9 Aaddb5[no3] What have I become? My sweetest friend Badd11[no5] G+6[no3] Dadd#9 Asus2 Everyone I know goes away in the end [Verse] Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 I wear this crown of shit upon my liar's chair Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Beneath the stains of time the feelings dis- appear Dsus2 E7[no3] Bo12 Dsus2 E7[no3] Aaddb5[no3] You are someone else - I am still right here [Chorus] Badd11[no5] G+6[no3] Dadd#9 Aaddb5[no3] What have I become? My sweetest friend Badd11[no5] G+6[no3] Dadd#9 Asus2 Everyone I know goes away in the end [End Verse] *slide up Notes ===== In the verses, the notes are picked individually in sequence. In the chorus, you can play the notes simultaneously with three or four fingers until "... And you can have it all", and from there play the chords in single powerful down-strokes. The end verse is also played with down-strokes [not returning to the sequential picking from the other verses]. In the verses, before it switches to Aaddb5[no3], you should probably keep the ring finger on d' on the B string all the time. I omitted a d'' [string 1, fret 10] in the verses [see E7[no3]] in the original that is only playable in a higher position, but it sounds okay to play nothing, a d' or maybe an f' in its place. In the chorus, you might want to replace Dadd#9 with Dadd9, which is easier on the ears and on the hand. The progression for the ending is a crude approx of the real ending, with the sudden heavy distorted bass and electric effects and so on. You might try and hit the strings as hard and ugly as you can to match the spirit. ;] In the end verse, maybe try hitting the lowest strings more [going for a power-chord-ish sound, like B5/G5/A5]. The chords at the end at "I would find a way" are all one single stroke. The "Bbm-Bm" indicates that you strike a Bbm and than slide the fingers one fret to Bm.