'Tightrope' by Vaughan Stevie Ray - Guitar Tutorial

            Stevie Ray Vaughan - Tightrope - Live From Austin, Texas DVD
As transcribed by: Brennan Lentz

Key:
~ = vibrato
b = bend - bend the note before this to the note after it
/ = slide up from the note before it to the note after
 = slide down from the note before it to the note after
x = muted note
() = ghost note - most likely a note that is still being held or a note
     that sounds by accident or that was not supposed to be played

Intro: (play with style - Vaughan used his middle/bridge pickups to play
this part, and kicked it to the bridge for the solo)

Eb---------------------------------0--------------------------------------|
Bb-----------------------(2)----------------------------------------------|
Gb------------------------2-----------2b4b2-----------------------2-------|
Db----6-9--------7-77-----2-----2-----------2----6-9--------7-77--2-----2-|
Ab--9-----5-7----6-66-----0--------------------9-----5-7----6-66--0-----2-|
Eb------------7--7-77--------3--0------------------------7--7-77-----3--0-|

Verse Chords:

Eb--------5------7------|
Bb--7-----5------7------|
Gb--6-----6------7------|
Db--7-----7------6------|
Ab--6-----x------x------|
Eb--7-----5------0------|
    T     T      T

Chorus Chords:

Eb------------7-------------|
Bb------------7-------7-----|
Gb---7--------7-------6-----|
Db---6---or---6-------7-----|
Ab---7--------x-------6-----|
Eb---0--------0-------7-----|
                      T

Solo: (he kicks on his second Tubescreamer at this point for a raunchy,
thick, bassy overdrive....I love it!)

Eb----------------------------------7-----------------------------(19)--|
Bb----------------------------------------------------------------(19)--|
Gb------------------9b11b9--7--9b11---9b11b9---------7b1/4--------(19)--|
Db--------7---7~-9----------------------------9-7-9---------9-7----------|
Ab-----9----9---------------------------------------------------9--------|
Eb--7--------------------------------------------------------------------|
    T
Eb---------------7----------7---------------------7---7---7--10b12--10-7-|
Bb--------10b12~---7------7---------------------7---7---7----------------|
Gb-------------------9b11-----9b11--7~-9---9B11--------------------------|
Db---------------------------------------9-------------------------------|
Ab-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb-(1)/7--(7)------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-----------------------------7---7----------7---7---7---7-10-7h9p7------|
Bb-10-7----------------------7---7---7--10b12---7---7---7------------10-7-|
Gb------9b11b9---7~-9---9b11----------------------------------------------|
Db-------------9------9---------------------------------------------------|
Ab------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-7----(7)--(7)--------------------------------------7-------------------|
Bb--7--(10)-(10)------------------------------------7---7-10/12--12----12-|
Gb----9b11---11--11b9-7-----7-9--7~----------7-9b11-----------------11----|
Db----------------------9-9--------9p7---7-9------------------------------|
Ab-------------------------------------9----------------------------------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-10-----------10-12-10b--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14--|
Bb----12~-12-12-----------------------------------------------------------|
Gb------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Db------Sometimes he catches the B and G strings in his bend,-------------|
Ab------which produce the overtones that you hear in this section.--------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14--|
Bb------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb------Remember that the third note in each part is hit while holding----|
Db------the bend from the 12th fret to the 14th fret.---------------------|
Ab------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-14--12b14-14--12b14-14--12b14b12-10----12--12b14b12-10-12-10-----------|
Bb-------------------------------------12-----------------------12-10-12--|
Gb------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Db------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Ab------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-------10-12-10b11-------------------------------------12h14------------|
Bb-12-12-------------3/(9)--12-12~----12-12----12-14b16-(14)---14b15b14---|
Gb---------------------------------13-------13----------------------------|
Db------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Ab------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb--------------14b17--14-12------------------------12-14---------------|
Bb----12-12------------------15-12~-12~----12-14b16-------14b15b14------|
Gb-13-------13-------------------------13-------------------------13---|
Db----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Ab----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb------10--------------------------------------(14)/19~19-19~19-19~19---|
Bb-9h12----12p97-10-7-10b12-12b10---------------------------------------|
Gb---------------------------------9b11b9-7------------------------------|
Db------------------------------------------9-7--------------------------|
Ab-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-19~19-19b22--------------------------7---7-------7---------------------|
Bb------------------------------------7---7---10b12---10--(10)(10)(10)----|
Gb-------------(slides)--7~9-7---9b11--------------------9b11---9---7--9--|
Db-----------------------------9------------------------------------------|
Ab------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb----------------------------------------------------------7-------------|
Bb--------------------------------------------------------7---10----------|
Gb-7----------7-9-9b11-11b9-7-9-7-----7-9-9b11-7~9---9b11--------9b11-9-7-|
Db---9-7-9--9---------------------9-7--------------9----------------------|
Ab------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Eb-------------------------------------0---------------------------------|
Bb-------------------------------(2)-------------------------------------|
Gb-----9-7------------------------2------2b4b2--------------------2------|
Db-9-7-----9-7---6-9--------7-77--2---2--------2---6-9-------7-77-2---2--|
Ab-------------9-----5-7----6-66--0--------------9-----5-7---6-66-0---2--|
Eb-----------------------7--7-77----3-0--------------------7-7-77---3-0--|


A few notes about this tab:

I made this tab for myself so I could learn the song (and especially the
solo) better, simply because I love it so much! I wasn't planning on
uploading it to any tab sites, but some of my friends convinced me and I
might as well if I'm helping someone out. This is one of my favorite
SRVaughan solos of all time, so I just had to transcribe it. Also, those of
you who know the song will know/easily figure out the order and what not.
I just gave you what to play, not when to play it. Also, you'll notice the
lack of his second solo. Basically that is because he was just improvising,
doing the same things he did in the first solo.The first solo is the one
that you will hear on various recordings, which is why I felt it to be more
significant. If you haven't figured it out yet, the solo is in Bbminor
pentatonic, with some extensions to the 12th and 14th frets. Those of you
who can master this solo can easily improvise over that key for the second
solo. Have fun with this one. I have been studying Vaughan's style for many
years now (and built his guitar! Check here for more information on this
project: http://www.geocities.com/vaughanabe13/projectSRVindex.html) so I
definately know what I'm doing. This tab is probably about 97-99% accurate
to the version performed on the Live from Austin, Texas DVD. However, it is
not perfect. If any of you experts out there (I'm only 16, hehe) find
mistakes in the solo and what not, please email me at Vaughanabe13@aol.com
with suggestions on how to fix it or make it better. Also email me with any
questions or comments regarding this song or Vaughan in general (including
his guitar, which I have studied immensely for 2 years and know like the
back of my hand).

-Brennan Lentz