Coldplay - Speed Of Sound guitar tab
Here's the selection from the album X&Y that you've all been waiting for...I guess. Heck, its
the single. In my opinion, one of the stronger songs on the album.
TUNING
_____________
|6|5|4|3|2|1|
-------------
|E|A|D|G|B|E|
-------------
INTRO: If you listen carefully, a guitar is doubling the piano part, which goes like this.
A Em D
E-0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------------
B---3---------------3---------------3---------------3-------------
G-------2-----2---------0-----0---------0-----0------------------- (2x)
D-------------------------------------------------------4-----4---
. . . . ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' .
VERSE: The G's in the verse are especially prevalent in later verses (Buckland's lead in later
verses brings it out)
A Em G D
How long before I get in? Before it starts, before I begin?
A Em G D
How long before you decide? Before I know what it feels like?
A Em G D
Where to? Where do I go? If you never try, then you'll never know.
A Em G D
How long do I have to climb? Up on the side of this mountain of mine?
(* interesting note for any combination Phish/Coldplay fans out there (I know you exist); this verse progression is the same as the chorus progression of "Pebbles and Marbles" from Round Room)
INTRO: 2x
SECOND VERSE: No guitar in the first two lines, then..
A Em G D
E------------5-\\3-----------3---------------3-\\2-----------2-//5-
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G----------6---\\4---------4---------------4---\\2-----------2-//6-
D--7-----------------------------5-------------------------4-------
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
(How long am I gonna stand? with my head stuck under the sand.)
A Em G D
E-(5)--------5-\\3-----------3---------------3-\\2-----------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G-(6)------6---\\4---------4---------------4---\\2-----------------
D--------------------------------5---------------------------------
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
(I'll start before I can stop, before I see things the right way up.)
PRE-CHORUS:
G A Bm
E----5-----5-----5---5-----5-----5---5-----5-----5---5-----5-----5-
B------------------------------------------------------------------ (2x)
G-/7-----7-----7--/6-----6-----6---4-----4-----4--/4-----4-----4---
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
(All that noise, and all that sound)
(All those places I got found)
(* note that the timing system here points out the stressed beats on the drums ('))
CHORUS:
G Bm
And thoughts go flying at the speed of sound,
D G
To show you how it all began.
G Bm
Thoughts came flying from the underground,
F#m G
if you could see it then you'd understand.
INTRO: 2x
THIRD VERSE: (first two lines have some heavily distorted chords that I can't hear the exact
voicings of (though they are pretty much forms of A Em G D.) But the next two lines have
something similar to the second verse.
A Em G D
E------------9-\\12---------12--10----------10-\\14---------14-\\9-
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G----------9---\\12-------12--------------12---\\14-------14---\\9-
D--7---------------------------------------------------------------
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
(The sign that I couldn't read, or a light that I couldn't see, )
A Em G D
E-(9)--------9-\\12---------12--10----------10-\\14----------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G-(9)------9---\\12-------12--------------12---\\14----------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
(Some things you have to believe, but others are puzzles, puzzling me.)
PRE-CHORUS: 2x
SECOND CHORUS: Here's what I can pick out from the lead..
G Bm D G
E---------10------------10---7------------10------------10---------
B-----1012----1210-710p7---------7-----710----10p7-8h108----10--h8-
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
G Bm F#m G
E---------10------------10---7-------------9------------10---------
B-----1012----1210-710p7---------7-----7h9----10---8h108----10--h8-
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
F#m G
E----------9-------------14--10--------14--10------
B------7h9----10p7-101210--------12101210----------
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
BRIDGE: strum a D, wait 3 measures, then
E------------(feedback)---------------|---------10------
B-------------------------------------|--------10-------
G---------12------11\9/11-------------|-------11--------
D-------------------------------------|------12---------
PRE-CHORUS VARIATION:
G A Bm E
E----5-----5-----5---5-----5-----5---5-----5-----5h4-------4-----4-
B------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0---------0-----0----- (2x)
G-/7-----7-----7--/6-----6-----6---4-----4-----4--/4-----4-----4---
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
(All those signs, I knew what they meant. Some things you can't invent.)
(Some get made, and some get sent)
FINAL CHORUS: The lead is the same as in the second chorus
G Bm
And thoughts go flying at the speed of sound,
D G
To show you how it all began.
G Bm
Thoughts came flying from the underground,
F#m G
if you could see it then you'd understand.
F#m (OUTRO)
ah, when you see it then you'll understand?
OUTRO:
G A D Em Bm/F# (bass plays an F#)
E--7---------------9--------------10--------------12--------------14----------------
| ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
|
E--------14--10----------14--10-----------------------------------
B--101210--------12101210-------------------------------------
G----------------------------------2--(ring)--------------
D----------------------------------0------------------
; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . ' ; . ' . . ' . '
If you want to strum along, here's some voicings I like to use:
chords: EADGBE
--------------
A x02220
Bm x24432
D x00232
E 022100
Em 022000
F#m 244222
G 320003
send comments, questions, to
Peter House
rockhouse67@hotmail.com
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