Rush - The Big Money guitar tab
Big Money
from "Power Windows"
transcription by pat@jaameri.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patrick M. Ryan)
performance notes:
Alex tunes his guitar up a full step for this song. This was confirmed,
I believe, in an interview. The strings, from bottom to top, are tuned to:
F#, B, E, A, C#, F#. One can still play this song with the standard
tuning but the harmonics in the solo sound sweeter (and are easier to
play) with the alternate tuning. Obviously, one can get the same effect
with a capo on the 2nd fret.
This transcription assumes the alternate tuning. Most of the song
is just "power" chords. The fingered chord will appear first with
the real chord following it in parens. For instance, this first chord
of the song is a B played like an A. It will look like: A(B).
Harmonics appear on the staff in parens.
As with all tabs, we assume that the reader has heard the song and
can pick up the exact rhythms by ear.
Corrections/modifications to me,
pat@jaameri.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patrick M. Ryan)
intro
A(B) D(E) A(B) D(E)
-0------2-3-2--------------0---------------2-3-2------------
-2------3-3-3--------------2---------------3-3-3------------
-2------2-2-2------0-------2---------------2-2-2-----0------o
-2------0-0-0----2---2-0---2---------------0-0-0---2---2-0--o
-0-------------------------0-------0-3-0--------------------
-------------------------------0-3--------------------------
A(B) (fast strum) D(E) C(D)
-2-3-2-------------0--------9----------------2-3-2---0----------------
-3-3-3-------------2-------10----------------3-3-3---1----------------
-2-2-2-----0-------2--------9----------------2-2-2---0----------------
-0-0-0---2---2-0---2--------7----------------0-0-0---2----------------
-------------------0--------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(muffle strings w/ palm)
-------------------------|-------------------------
-------------------------|-------------------------
-----0--------0-----0----|-----0-------0-----0----- repeat 4 times
-0-0---0-----------------|-0-0---0-----------------
---------3-3----------3--|---------3-3---------3---
----------------3-3------|---------------3-3-------
riff [A]
---------------------
---------------------
-----0-----0-----0---
-0-0-----------------
-------3-3-----------
-------------3-3-----
"Big money goes ...."
D(E) C(D) F(G) G(A) D(E) C(D) F(G) G(A)
------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
-7----|-5----|-6----|-8----|-7----|-5----|-6----|-8----|
-7----|-5----|-5----|-7----|-7----|-5----|-5----|-7----|
-7----|-5----|-3----|-5----|-7----|-5----|-3----|-5----|
-5----|-3----|------|------|-5----|-3----|------|------|
------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
"Big money pull a ....
(scuff chords)
A(B) G(A) C(D) D(E) A(B) G(A) C(D) D(E)
------|------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
------|------|-5----|-8-7--|------|------|-5----|-7----|
-6----|-4----|-5----|-7-7--|-6----|-4----|-5----|-7----|
-7----|-5----|-5----|-7-7--|-7----|-5----|-5----|-7----|
-7----|-5----|-3----|-5-5--|-7----|-5----|-3----|-5----|
-5----|-3----|------|------|-5----|-3----|------|------|
"Sometimes ..."
----------------------|----------------------|
----------------------|----------------------|
-----0-----0-----0----|-----0-----0-----0----|
-0-0---0--------------|-0-0---0--------------|
---------3---------3--|---------3---------3--|
-------------3-3------|-------------3-3------|
"It's the power and the glory..."
----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
---1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1--|---1---1---1---1---1---1---1---1--|
-0---0-------------------0---0----|-0---0-------------------0---0----|
---------3---3--------------------|---------3---3--------------------|
-----------------3---3------------|-----------------3---3------------|
----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
riff [A] once, then same structure for second verse
(after 2nd chorus)
riff [A] 4 times, then solo: (add a little flanger or chorus)
D(E) (let ring)
-2---3------|--------------------------------------------------------
-3---3------|-----------(12)-------------------(7)-------------------
-2---2------|---------------(12)----(12)----------(7)----------------
-0---0------|------(12)---------(12)--------(7)------(7)-------------
------------|-------------------------------------------(7)----------
------------|--------------------------------------------------------
~~~ ~~~~
-------------------------|----------------------12------------------
-(12)---------(7)--------|-------------------------12-13-12----12---
-----(12)--------(7)---9-|-5-7-7-5-7-5-5-7-5----------------14------
---------(12)------------|------------------------------------------
-------------------------|------------------------------------------
-------------------------|------------------------------------------
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ (feedback)
-15-15-14-12-----------------------------15----------------
--------------15-12-13-15----15---13_12--------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
(up full step) ~~~~
------------------------------------15-----------------------
-15/-15/-15-13_15-13-12----12_13_15--------------------------
------------------------14-----------------14_12_11-12_11_9--
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~ ~~~~
------(7)------(7)---(7)--|------------------------------------------
--(7)-------(7)---(7)-----|------(12)--------(12)------(7)------(7)--
--------------------------|----------(12)----(12)---------(7)---(7)--
--------------------------|--(12)--------(12)-------(7)------(7)-----
--------------------------|------------------------------------------
--------------------------|------------------------------------------
E(F#) D(E) C(D)
----------------|------------------------------------------------
----------------|-9--9-9--7--7-7--6--6-6---7--7-7--9-9-9--7-7-7--
-5-5-5-9-7-5-9--|-9--9-9--7--7-7--6--6-6---7--7-7--9-9-9--7-7-7--
----------------|-9--9-9--7--7-7--6--6-6---7--7-7--9-9-9--7-7-7--
----------------|-7--7-7--5--5-5--4--4-4---5--5-5--7-7-7--5-5-5--
----------------|------------------------------------------------
--------------------|
--------------------|
--------------------|
------------4-5-7---|
------4-5-7---------|
--5-7---------------|
(chorus)
"It's the power & the glory, it's ....
etc....
"Big money got ....
(pause)
repeat riff [A] until fade-out
