Rush - Passage To Bangkok guitar tab

Rush - Passage To Bangkok guitar tab

Rush: A Passage to Bangkok
From the album 2112 (Mercury Records)
Copyright 1976 Core Music Publishing
Music By Lee and Lifeson
Lyrics by Peart

Comments/corrections to Branden Robinson 

Transcribed by Charles Grogan and Branden Robinson


Riff A (intro/verse)

    s  s     E  s  E  s  e   e +s  s  s  s
e:--------|----------------------------------------------------------|
B:--------|----------------------------------------------------------|
G:--------|o---------------------------------------------------------|
D:--------|o---------------------------------------------------------|
A:--------|--7-----5-----7s2-2-(2)-2---------------------------------|
E:--0--0--|-----0-----0---------------0--0---------------------------|

    E  s  E  s  e   e +e  s  s
e:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:------------------------------------------------------------------o|
D:------------------------------------------------------------------o|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--8--0--7--0--8s3-3-(3)-0--0---------------------------------------|

Riff B (played over second half of riff A)

    s  s  s  s  e  e  e  e  q
e:--10-10-10-10-9--9--------9----------------------------------------|
B:--8--8--8--8--7--7--10-10-7----------------------------------------|
G:--------------------7--7-------------------------------------------|
D:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------|

Riff C (played in harmony with riff A)

    q  q  s  E  q     q  q  s  E  q
e:-----------------|-------------------------------------------------|
B:--8--7--8--p7----|-------------------------------------------------|
G:--------------8--|--9--8--9--p8------------------------------------|
D:-----------------|--------------9----------------------------------|
A:-----------------|-------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------|-------------------------------------------------|
    AH----------------------------|

Riff D (pre-chorus)

    q  q  q  e  s  s     q  q  q  e  s  s
e:--------------------|-----------3--3--3----------------------------|
B:--------------------|--5--5--5--3--3--3----------------------------|
G:--9-s7-s9-s4--4--4--|--5--5--5--4--4--4----------------------------|
D:--9-s7-s9-s4--4--4--|--5--5--5--5--5--5----------------------------|
A:--7-s5-s7-s2--2--2--|--3--3--3--5--5--5----------------------------|
E:--------------------|-----------3--3--3----------------------------|

Riff E (chorus)

    q  e  e  e  e  e  e     e   e +q  +e  e  e  e
e:--2-----3-----7-----5--|-(5)-s2-(2)-(2)-3--2-----------------------|
B:--3-----5-----8-----7--|-(7)-s3-(3)-(3)-3--3-----------------------|
G:--2-----5-----7-----7--|-(7)-s2-(2)-(2)-2--2--0--------------------|
D:-----------------------|----------------------0--------------------|
A:-----------------------|-------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------|-------------------------------------------|

    q  e  e +e  e  e  e     q  e  e  e  s  s  s  s  s  s
e:-----------------------|-------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------|-------------------------------------------|
G:-----------------------|-----------7--7--7--7--7--7----------------|
D:--5--4--5-(5)-4--5--7s-|-s2--7-----7--7--7--7--7--7----------------|
A:--5--4--5-(5)-4--5--7s-|-s2--7-----5--5--5--5--5--5----------------|
E:--3--2--3-(3)-2--3--5s-|-s0--5-------------------------------------|

    q  s  s  e  e  e  e  e     e  e  e  e  h
e:--2--2--2--3-----7-----8--|-----7-----2--2-------------------------|
B:--3--3--3--5-----8-----8--|-----8-----3--3-------------------------|
G:--2--2--2--5-----7-----7--|-----7-----2--2-------------------------|
D:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|

    q  e  e +e  e  e  e     w    +w
e:-----------------------|-----|-------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------|-----|-------------------------------------|
G:-----------------------|-----|-------------------------------------|
D:--5--4--5-(5)-4--5--7s-|-s2--|-(2)---------------------------------|
A:--5--4--5-(5)-4--5--7s-|-s2--|-(2)---------------------------------|
E:--3--2--3-(3)-2--3--5s-|-s0--|-(0)---------------------------------|

Rhythm under solo

    (4/4 time)
    e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e     e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e
e:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G:o-4--4-----4-----4--4-----|----------------------------------------|
D:o-4--4-----4-----4--4-----|--4--4-----4-----4--4-------------------|
A:--2--2-----2-----2--2-----|--4--4-----4-----4--4-------------------|
E:--------------------------|--2--2-----2-----2--2-------------------|

                               (7/8 time)                          x4
    e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e     e  e  e  e  e  e  e
e:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G:--------------------------|-----------------7---------------------o|
D:--5--5-----5-----5--5-----|--7--7-----7-----7---------------------o|
A:--5--5-----5-----5--5-----|--7--7-----7-----5----------------------|
E:--3--3-----3-----3--3-----|--5--5-----5----------------------------|

    (4/4 time)
    e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e     e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e
e:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G:--4--4-----4-----4--4-----|----------------------------------------|
D:--4--4-----4-----4--4-----|--4--4-----4-----4--4-------------------|
A:--2--2-----2-----2--2-----|--4--4-----4-----4--4-------------------|
E:--------------------------|--2--2-----2-----2--2-------------------|

                               (7/8 time)             (2/4 time)
    e  e  e  e  e  e  e  e     e  e  e  e  e  e +e    +h
e:--------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
B:--------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
G:--------------------------|-----------------7-(7)-|-(7)------------|
D:--5--5-----5-----5--5-----|--7--7-----7-----7-(7)-|-(7)------------|
A:--5--5-----5-----5--5-----|--7--7-----7-----5-(5)-|-(5)------------|
E:--3--3-----3-----3--3-----|--5--5-----5-----------|----------------|

Solo

Rhythm not strictly notated; instead approximate measure markers are
present.  The numbers above the tab staves indicate which iteration of the
underlying B5/F#5/G5/A5/D5 progression is being played.

    1                   |                 |           |                   2
e:----------------------------------------------10-12-10----10------------|
B:--10----------------------------------12~--12----------12----12b15r12~--|
G:---9b11r9-7-7b9r7---7-\-4h7p4h7p4h7p4-----------------------------------|
D:------------------9-----------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                        |                    |
e:------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:--14p12----12----------12-10--------------------------------------|
G:-------h13----14b16r14-------11-9-11-9b11r9~-9b11--(9)b11r9b11r9--|
D:------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                              AH-------------------

          |                    3
e:-----------------------------|
B:-----------------------------|
G:--9-8-7----------------------|
D:--------9-8-7----------------|
A:--------------9-8-7----------|
E:--------------------11-10-9--|
AH continued--------------|

                |           |               |                              4
e:-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G:------------------------------------------------------------------7---7--|
D:--------------------------------------------------------------7-9---9----|
A:----------------------------------------------------------9-9------------|
E:--7-7--7--7-7h9-9--9--9-9h10-10--10--10-10s12-12-12-12-12----------------|

                                             |                              |
e:-------------------------------------------7-9-10-10b12r10-7-7h10p7----7--|
B:--------------------7-10-10b12r10-7---7-10-------------------------h10----|
G:--9b11r9p7---9-9b11-----------------9-------------------------------------|
D:-----------7--------------------------------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                                 |
e:--------10-----------------------------------------------|
B:--10-12----12b15r12--12-12-12--10h12-12-12--12p10----10--|
G:-------------------------------------------------h11-----|
D:---------------------------------------------------------|
A:---------------------------------------------------------|
E:---------------------------------------------------------|

              5
e:--------------------------------------------------------------------|
B:--10p7-------------10------10------10------10-10---------10-10------|
G:------9p7---7-9b11----9b11----9b11----9b11-----9b11-9b11-----9b11-/-|
D:---------h9---------------------------------------------------------|
A:--------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:--------------------------------------------------------------------|

         | correct this              |                                    |
e:------------------17----------------------------------------------------|
B:------------17b19----(19)r17p15----15-------15-------15-------15--------|
G:--(11)-/-16--------------------h16----14b16----14b16----14b16----14b16--|
D:------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------------------------------------------|

                                  DONE
e:------------------------------------|
B:--12-12-10----10-12b4r12p10---------|
G:-----------11---------------9-\-7~--|
D:------------------------------------|
A:------------------------------------|
E:------------------------------------|

Fill 1 (riff E)

e:--14-14-15--15-15-15-14--|    e:----------5---------------5------|
B:--15-15-15--15-15-15-15--|    B:------7-----7---------7-----7----|
G:--14-14-14--14-14-14-14--|    G:----7---7-----7-----7---7-----7--|
D:-------------------------|    D:--7-------------7----------------|
A:-------------------------|    A:---------------------------------|
E:-------------------------| or E:---------------------------------| (live)
                                    PM--------------------------|

Fill 2 (riff E)

e:-------------------------|
B:-------------------------|
G:-------------------------|
D:----------0-0-1-1-2-4----|
A:--0-0-4-4----------------|
E:-------------------------|

Fill 3 (riff E)

e:-----------------------------|
B:-----------------------------|
G:-----------------------------|
D:--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--|
A:--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--|
E:--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|

Riff F

e:-----------------2-----------|
B:-----------------3-----------|
G:-----------------2-----------|
D:--5--4-5--4-5-7--0-----------|
A:--5--4-5--4-5-7--0-----------|
E:--3--2-3--2-3-5--2-----------|

Remarks:

This song is in E minor except during the chorus, where it's D major. It
uses 4/4 time except during the solo, where it goes into a bizarre game of
meter shifting (notated above).

The main riffs are played with some minor ad lib rhythmic variations
throughout the song.  Generally the riffs are notated as they first appear.

The solo and fills have no length/measure notation yet.

Some people may not like some of the chord voicings I've used; leave out
the thirds if you're playing with a lot of saturation.

The live version (from _Exit...Stage Left_) has some differences. The
harmony part is reworked; Alex simply plays the higher voice, without
any artificial harmonics. The high riff (B) in unison with some mess
Neil does on weird cymbals and bells is missing -- Neil does it alone.
The pick-up A5 chord before the D5 in the chorus is also absent except at
the very end of the song, and the power chord section in riff E is less
busy in general.  Geddy played the rhythm guitar part on his double-neck
live, and in addition to adding some ad lib fret-hand muted "scuffs"
between most of the measures, the last D5 chord before the pattern
repeats is often followed by a C#5 a half-step lower, as a transition
to the B5 following.  Naturally, some of the solo is different, as
parts of it sound like they were improvised in the studio, so they were
improvised live as well.  This is mainly the stuff during and after the
"unison" part with the rhythm chords, and before the series of unison
bends in the tenth and fifteenth positions. Features of the live solo
(improvements, as far as I'm concerned) include putting a little more
melody in the unison part, and a really long bend. If someone would like
to tab the live solo, be my guest.

Tablature explanation:

| - bar line, merely a separator when length notation absent

|----|
|----|
|o--o|  repeat
|o--o|
|----|
|----|

w  - whole note
h  - half note
q  - quarter note
e  - eighth note
s  - sixteenth note
t  - thirty-second note
x  - sixty-fourth note

Captial lengths indicate dotted notes, + indicates tied note

Length notations with no information below them indicate rests

Duplets, triplets, and their ilk are indicated by "---3---" and similar
constructs above the note lengths

h  - hammer on
p  - pull off
tr - trill
b  - bend (use tremolo bar for downbend)
r  - release bend
s  - slide
/  - slide up
\  - slide down
~  - vibrato
t  - tap (with strumming hand)
x  - fret-hand muting

+  - wah pedal back
o  - wah pedal forward

() optional note, or note held from previous articulation
<> natural harmonics
[] artificial (pinch) harmonics
NH natural harmonics
AH artificial (pinch) harmonics
TH tapped harmonics
PM palm mute