Lesson - Tabs

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Guitar Tabs & Lesson Notes

Tuning = Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb,

Click here to tune up

Lesson Introduction from Jeff Fiorentino

In these "Vh'izing Originals" lessons I want to not only teach you some Van Halen go to techniques, sounds, and arrangements, but I also want you to understand that the VH guitar style can be a creative spring-board and is transferable into any style your want, hopefully your own style of course.. It's not about the Phase 90 or the Flanger, it's about the approach to the fretboard. Van Halen takes a very free spirited approach to music, this allows for a limitless creative process. My hope for these lessons as we embark on this series of original Van Halen influenced materials is that you not only learn some cool riffs and solos to impress your friends with but also you take the creative process I'm going to talk a lot about on the video lessons and in the lesson text and run with it to create your own music.

All this being said, please listen to this lesson's song example a few times before diving into the tabs and video lesson so that you can get the absolute most out of this guitar lesson.

Enjoy the lesson and as always CRANK IT UP!!

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Suffer the Bitches

JFRocks Guitar TAB Transcription
Transcribed by: Erica Reese and Jeremy D. Miller
Lesson notes by: Jeff Fiorentino

Copyright © 2013 JFRocks All rights reserved.
Unauthorized reproduction or use is prohibited.

Song Intro

This intro part is a fairly difficult free-time feeling riff structure. You need to have of the Funk feel used in the Mean Street interlude, blended with an Unchained style riff, and all of it needs to be kept in perfect or near perfect time.

>Phase 90 wired through the amp's FX Loop>>

**This setup is used throughout the song with varying levels of reverb, i.e. the solo's and stand-alone intro and interlude parts
have higher reverb levels than the main verse and chorus rhythms etc.

E_________10---12_12_______ 10--12_12__x_x__15--17____________
B____________________x_x__10--12_12__x_x_________x_x_x_x___
G_________7-----9__9__ x_x________________________x_x_x_x___
D___________________ _____________________________________
A_________________________________________________________
E__0x_0x__________________________________________________

*Remember notes in BOLD are picked, notes it non-bold are either pull-offs or hammer-ons etc.

E___________________________________________________________________
B__8^1~>with slight release>__7-8-10-8-7-10-8-7__________________________________
G_________________________________9^1/2*hold bend slightly then release it quickly>9-7______
D___________________________________________________________________
A___________________________________________________________________
E___________________________________________________________________

E_________10---12_12_______ 10--12_12__x_x__15--17________________________
B____________________x_x__10--12_12__x_x_________x_x_x_x_______________
G___________________ x_x________________________ x_x_x_x_ 7~~*let ring out____
D___________________ ____________________________________7~~*let ring out____
A_____________________________________________________________________
E__0x_0x______________________________________________________________

*Stand-alone main theme riff - (No band yet)

Down-stroke all low "E" string hits..

E_______10---12_12_____________________________________________________________________________
B__x_x_______________________________ 10-9~~___________6-5_____________________________________
G__x_x__7-----9__9_____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~_______5--7___7--12____12~~_--slide down & away--__
D_____________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~_____5_____7______12_ 12~~_--slide down & away--__
A_____________________________________________________________________________________________
E__________________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x__________________________________________________________

E_______10---12_12________________________________________________________________
B__x_x______________________________ 10-9~~____________6-5___8-5____8__7~~_______
G__x_x__7-----9__9____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~_______________7__7~~_______
D____________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~______5_____5__7__7~~_______
A________________________________________________________________________________
E__________________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_____________________________________________

E_______10---12_12_________________________________________________________________
B__x_x______________________________ 10-9~~_______________________________________
G__x_x__7-----9__9____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~____________ 3~___5~___7~~___
D____________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~___*band enters___3~___5~___7~~___
A_________________________________________________________________________________
E__________________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x______________________________________________

E__________________________________________________________________
B__________________________________________________________________
G__________________________________________________________________
D__________________________________________________________________
A__<begin with bar depressed and slowly bring the pitch up, sharply stopping it to transition into the main theme riffing<<0____
E___________________________________________________________________

Main Song Kick-in - Chorus riff

The chorus riff doesn't really change too much throughout this song.. It's not an easy riff by any means, but it is easier to do in the main song than it is in the stand-alone parts during the intro and pre-solo... Watch the timing, and be sure you're Down-Stroking the chunking low "E" string hits...

*Guitar 2 enters here..

E_______10---12_12________________________________________________________________
B__x_x______________________________ 10-9~~____________6-5___8-5____8-7___10~_____
G__x_x__7-----9__9____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~_____________________7~______
D____________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~______5_____5_____7__________
A________________________________________________________________________________
E__________________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_____________________________________________

E__________________________________________________
B_____6-5___8-5____8-7___ 8__7~~____________________
G__5____________________7__7~~____________________
D__5_____5_____5_____7__7__7~~____________________
A__________________________________0>w.b slow dive>>>_____
E__________________________________________________

Guitar 2

/// = Trem or speed pick

E__12///____14///_15/////___12///_14///_15///_17///_17^1~__14///_15///_17///_19///_20^1___
B__15^1///_____________________________________________________________________________
G______________________________________________________________________________________
D______________________________________________________________________________________
A______________________________________________________________________________________
E______________________________________________________________________________________

Verse Riff

The verse riff is tricky too.. Lot's of open string pull-offs. It's not that the riff itself is difficult to fret, it's more a case of the timing is everything. We delve into what I call "VH Timing" quite a bit here at JFRocks.com.. VH timing and sensibility means you need to feel the music and swim around the groove, rather than be so tight with it that it sounds stale, or too progressive rocky.. VH style is not precision music, it's feel music..

E________________________________________________________________________________
B________________________________________________________________________________
G________________________________________________________________________________
D_________________________5___________ 5______________________5___________3__5____
A___________________7-0__________7-0___5____7--slide down--____7-0_________7-0___ 3__5____
E__---random hand slide--__0_____0______0_____0____0___________0_____0_____0____ 0_________

**Notes in (parenthesis) are tapped.

E_________________________________________________________________________________________
B_________________________________________________________________________________________
G______________________________________________________________________________(9)^1-7~~__
D__________5___________ 5_____________________________________(9)-5-7_(9)-5-7_(9)-5___________
A____7-0__________7-0___5____7---2---7-(9)-5-7_(9)-5-7_(9)-5-7_(9)-5-7_____________________________
E__0_____0______0_____0____0______________________________________________________________

E______________________________________________________________________
B______________________________________________________________________
G_______________________________________9^1~~w.b~~~-0>w.b dive>>___________
D__________5___________ 5______________________________________________
A____7-0__________7-0___5____7--slide down--__________________________________
E__0_____0______0_____0____0___________________________________________

E_______________________________________
B_______________________________________
G_______________________________________
D__2_____4_____5_____7__________________
A__0_____2_____3_____5__________________
E_______________________0>w.b fast dive>>>______

Chorus Riffing - #2

Pretty much the same as the other chorus riff, however it ends slightly different. Reason being, as with anything Van Halen style, when we're recording this stuff for you guys it sounds like Van Halen did it because we're recording like Van Halen. I don't have a song idea, I have a riff and groove and we just play the damn thing, and however it comes out it comes out.. That's really the sentiment I want you to take forward in all of your guitar playing, but it's especially important if the Van Halen sound and vibe is what you're after.

E_______10---12_12________________________________________________________________
B__x_x______________________________ 10-9~~____________6-5___8-5____8-7___10~_____
G__x_x__7-----9__9____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~_____________________7~______
D____________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~______5_____5_____7__________
A________________________________________________________________________________
E__________________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_____________________________________________

E_________________________________
B__6-5___8-5____8-7___ 8__7~~______
G____________________7__7~~______
D_____5_____5_____7__7__7~~_______
A_________________________________
E_________________________________

Verse #2

Similar to verse 1, but again the fills and ending etc. change..

**Notes in (parenthesis) are tapped.

E____________________________________________________________________
B____________________________________________________________________
G____________________________________________________________________
D__________5___________ 5_____________________________________________
A____7-0__________7-0___5__(9)-5-7_(9)-5-7_(9)-5-7_(9)^1/2-7~~-0>w.b dive>>______
E__0_____0______0_____0_______________________________________________

E__________________________________________________________________
B__________________________________________________________________
G__________________________________________________________________
D___________5___________ 5______________________5___________3__5____
A_____7-0__________7-0___5____7--slide down--____7-0_________7-0___ 3__5____
E___0_____0______0_____0____0___________0_____0_____0____ 0_________

E__________________________________________________________________________
B__________________________________________________________________________
G_______________________________________9^1 w.b>down>>>__2^1 a.h~w.b~~-0>w.b dive>>>__
D__________5___________ 5___________________________________________________
A____7-0__________7-0___5____7--slide down--______________________________________
E__0_____0______0_____0____0_______________________________________________

E___________________________________________________________
B___________________________________________________________
G___________________________________________________________
D__2_____4_____5_____7______________________________________
A__0_____2_____3_____5______________________________________
E_______________________0>w.b fast dive>>>_*let fade into pre-solo interlude riffing___

Pre-Solo Interlude Riffing

The pre-solo interlude is really really free-time and really really tricky.. If you're off, or loose the vibe even just a little bit, you will not only lose your audience, but you'll also be off in general when the hi-hats come in mid-way through.. With anything Van Halen, there is always this balance between coolness, and musicality. What I mean by that is if you watch Eddie play on stage he looks loose, cool, and collected, and the riffing he's doing seems to follow suit. In reality it would sound like total crap if he wasn't also a good musician keeping good time. Free-time doesn't mean totally free, it just means to stay loosely within the constraints of your song's groove.. Keep that in mind as you play along with the "Suffer the Bitches" mp3...

E_________10---12_12_______ 10--12__x_x_x_x__15--17____________
B____________________x_x__10--12__x_x_x_x_________x_x_x_x___
G_________7-----9__9__ x_x_________________________ x_x_x_x___
D___________________ _______________________________________
A__________________________________________________________
E__0x_0x___________________________________________________

*Remember notes in BOLD are picked, notes in non-bold are either pull-offs or hammer-ons etc.

E___________________________________________________________________
B__8^1~>with slight release>__7-8-7___7-8-7___7-8-7___7__________________________
G_______________________10_____ 10_____10___9_9~w.b~~~~-0>w.b fast dive>>____
D___________________________________________________________________
A___________________________________________________________________
E___________________________________________________________________

E_________10---12_12_______ 10--12__x_x_x_x__15--17____________
B____________________x_x__10--12__x_x_x_x_________x_x_x_x___
G_________7-----9__9__ x_x_________________________ x_x_x_x___
D___________________ _______________________________________
A__________________________________________________________
E__________________________________________________________

E________________________________________________________________
B___8^1>slow release> 8__7-8-7-8^1^^1.5>really slow release of bend until it fades away- then slide it away>>_
G________________________________________________________________
D________________________________________________________________
A________________________________________________________________
E________________________________________________________________

*Stand-alone MODIFIED main theme riffing

E___10---12_12________________________________________________________
B________________________________ 10-9~~________________________x_x__
G___7-----9__9_____________________ 9_9~~________5~_______7~~___ x_x__
D_________________________________9_9~~____x_x_5~___x_x_7~~________
A____________________________________________________________________
E______________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_____________________________________

E___10---12_12__________________________________________________________________
B________________________________ 10-9~~_______________________________________
G___7-----9__9_____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~___5--7_7~~___ ________________
D_________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~___5--7_7~~___________________
A______________________________________________________________________________
E______________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x________________________________--random hand slide--___

E___10---12_12______________________________________________________________________
B________________________________ 10-9~~___________________________________________
G___7-----9__9_____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5____7h__ __5h______12h____7h>w.b down>>_
D_________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5__7h____5h_____12h_____7h__________
A__________________________________________________________________________________
E______________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x___________________________________________________

E___10---12_12_______________________________________________________________________
B________________________________ 10-9~~____________________________________________
G___7-----9__9_____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~___3~__5~__7~~___ ________________
D_________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~___3~__5~__7~~___________________
A___________________________________________________________________8-0>w.b slow dive>>>___
E______________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x____________________________________________________

SOLO

The solo is something I just went with and improvised on the spot.. It keeps with the Van Halen 1 "On fire" kind of vibe of
the song.. Reverb is cranked...

*Solo is done over a slightly toned down "Chorus Main Theme Riff"

E_________________________________________________________
B______________________________________10^1~>slow release>10____
G__<w.b into<7h>w.b back down slightly>>>>________________________________
D__<w.b into<7h>w.b back down slightly>>>>___**pick scrap**_____________________
A_________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________

**Remember only notes in BOLD are picked. Notes in non-bold are acted upon by hammer-on, pull-off, or whammy bar (w.b) action.

E________________________________________________________________________________________________
B__7-10-7-0____7-10-7-0____7-10-7-0____7-10-7-0____7___________________________________________________
G_________10________ 10________ 10_______ _10___9^1>release>9-7-w.b9-7-w.b9-w.b7-w.b9-7-w.b9-7-w.b9_w.b9^1>rel>9-7-9^1_
D________________________________________________________________________________________________
A________________________________________________________________________________________________
E________________________________________________________________________________________________

E________________________________________________________________
B________________________________________________________________
G__6_7_6_7-9-7-6_7-9-7-6_7-9-7-6_7-9-7-6______________________________
D__________________________________7-9-7-6_7-9-7__7________________
A_____________________________________________9__9-7---5^1~~----2__
E________________________________________________________________

**Notes in parenthesis are tapped..

E_____________________________________________________________________(12)-7-10_________(12)-7-10__
B____________________________________________________(12)-7-10_(12)-7-10_________(12)-7-10___________
G_____________________________________(12)-7-9_(12)-7-9____________________________________________
D______________________(12)-7-9_(12)-7-9___________________________________________________________
A__2---9_(12)-7-9_(12)-7-9__________________________________________________________________________
E_______________________________________________________________________________________________

E__________(12)-7-10__________(12)-7-10__________(12)-7-10_______________
B__(12)-7-10_________(12)-7-10__________(12)-7-10__________(12)^1-10~~___
G___________________________________________________________________
D___________________________________________________________________
A___________________________________________________________________
E___________________________________________________________________

//// = Trem or speed picking

E_______________________________________________________________________________________
B_______________________________________________________________________________________
G_______________________________________________________________________________________
D_______________________________________________________________________________________
A_______________0///__2///__3///__5///__7///_9///_10///_12^1~----17^1.5*hold the P.O.-0>w.b slow dive>>>___
E__--random hand slide--_________________________________________________________________________

Verse #3 - Post Solo

Not too different from the other verses, but again different fills and ending etc.

E_____________________________________________________________________________________________
B_____________________________________________________________________________________________
G_________________________________________12-w.b-14-12-w.b-14-12-w.b-14-12-w.b-14-12--___________________
D__________5___________ 5_____________________________________________________________________
A____7-0__________7-0___5_____7--slide down--______________________________________*muted_5-7-5-0-5-7-5-0__
E__0_____0______0_____0____0__________________________________________________________________

E___________________________________________________________________
B___________________________________________________________________
G___________________________________________________________________
D__________5___________ 5____________________________________________
A____7-0__________7-0___5____7--slide down--_______________________________
E__0_____0______0_____0____0___________0-1----19_19/////~~~-0>w.b dive>>___

E_______________________________
B_______________________________
G_______________________________
D__2_____4_____5________________
A__0_____2_____3________________
E____________________0>w.b dive>>>___

Final Chorus Riffing & Outro

The final chorus riffing is what it is, however the outro takes us in the classic early Van Halen direction of ending the song on a tension chord/pitch.. All we need to do is listen to "Little Dreamer" off VH 1 to hear this concept in action.. I've chosen to end our track on a "D#5" which of course is 1/2 step above the expected "D" chord.. This is really a cool thing to do even in non-Van Halen style music.. They teach you in music school that psychologically what doing something like this does is leave the audience hanging and wanting to resolve the tension, so what do they do?? They listen to the song again... It's a dirty trick, but based on the over 30 Thousand downloads "Suffer the Bitches" had gotten at the time of this transcription (probably more by now) it seems to have worked...

E___10---12_12_____________________________________________________________________________
B________________________________ 10-9~~___________6-5_____________________________________
G___7-----9__9_____________________ 9_9~~___9--5_5~_______5--7___7--12____12~~_--slide down & away--__
D_________________________________9_9~~___9--5_5~_____5_____7______12_ 12~~_--slide down & away--__
A_________________________________________________________________________________________
E______________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x__________________________________________________________

E_______10---12_12_____________________________________________________________________________
B__x_x_______________________________ 10-9~~_9_________6-5_____________________________________
G__x_x__7-----9__9_____________________ 9______9_9--5_5~_______5--7___7--12____12~~_--slide down & away--_
D______________________________________________9--5_5~_____5_____7______12_ 12~~_--slide down & away--_
A_____________________________________________________________________________________________
E__________________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x__________________________________________________________

*Guitar 2 enters here.. (ALSO GUITAR 1 RIFFING CHANGES FOR FINAL ENDING LEAD IN)

E_______10---12_12_________________________________________________________________
B__x_x_______________________________ 10-9~~_9_________6-5___8-5___10-7____8__7~___
G__x_x__7-----9__9_____________________ 9______9_9--5_5~____________________7__7~___
D______________________________________________9--5_5~_____5____5______7__________
A_________________________________________________________________________________
E__________________0x_0x_0x_0x_0x_0x______________________________________________

E_________________________________
B_____6-5___8-5____10-7___ 8_7______
G__5_____________________7_7______
D__5_____5_____5______7___________
A_________________________________
E_________________________________

Guitar 2

/// = Trem or speed pick

E__12///____14///_15/////___12///_14///_15///_17///_17^1~__14///_15///_17///_19///_20_20^1~~___
B__15^1///__________________________________________________________________________________
G___________________________________________________________________________________________
D___________________________________________________________________________________________
A___________________________________________________________________________________________
E___________________________________________________________________________________________

**Final Ending - Guitar 1

h (x) = Tap harmonic - NOTE - Let the chord hit and all tap harmonics ring out....

E_______________________________________________________________________
B__8~__________________________h(20)____________________________________
G__8~_*let chord ring out___________h(20)______h(20)_______________________________
D__8~________________h(20)________________h(20)~~~w.b fast wiggle vibrato~_*let fade____
A_______________________________________________________________________
E_______________________________________________________________________

**Final Ending - Guitar 2

h (x) = Tap harmonic - Note that where it says to bend the harmonic, you're bending the 6th fret 5th string as the harmonic is sounding out..

E______________________________________________________________________________________________
B______________________________________________________________________________________________
G______________________________________________________________________________________________
D______________________________________________________________________________________________
A___6~____h(11)^1/2>release harmonic bend___h(13)^1/2>release harmonic bend___h(18)^1>hold bend slightly then release harmonic bend_____6___
E__________________________________________________________________________________________6___

End

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"Suffer the Bitches" (Vh'izing Original Songs - Part 6)
Arranged & Written by:	Jeff Fiorentino
Performed by:	Jeff Fiorentino (Guitar), Mick (Bass)
Transcribed by:	Erica Reese with lesson notes by Jeff Fiorentino
Engineered by:	Mick the Mixer & Jeff Fiorentino


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