Alter Bridge - "Show Me A Sign"
From "AB III"
Tuning: Drop Db
tabbed by jjhand
Mark said this song was one of his favorites while recording AB III.
The ringing chords & heavy parts make this song fit perfect with lyrics
describing a struggle with faith & hopelessness. A few things in the tab
came from a good youtube cover- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY44HDVCpuk
Please rate or comment.
Intro - Clean Guitar, vol knob turned down
Db Gbsus/D
eb|------------------------|----------------------|
Bb|------------------------|---------1------------|
Gb|-------------0-2----0-2-|-2b3r2---0------------|
Db|-----0------------------|---------0------------|
Ab|------------------------|----------------------|
Db|-0-----0-2-3------------|-------1--------------|
Db D(b5)
eb|------------------------|----------------------|
Bb|------------------------|----------------------|
Gb|-------------0-2----0-2-|-2b3r2---0------------|
Db|-----0------------------|---------1------------|
Ab|------------------------|---------0------------|
Db|-0-----0-2-3------------|-------1----------12\-|
Main Riff - Heavy Guitar
eb|------------------------|--------------------------------|
Bb|-----3------------------|---------1----------------------|
Gb|-----2-------0-2----0h2-|-2b3r2---0----3--2--0-----------|
Db|-----0-------0-0----0---|---------0-----------3-2-0------|
Ab|------------------------|--------------------------2-1-0-|
Db|-0-----0-2-3------------|-------1------------------------|
eb|------------------------|--------------------------------|
Bb|-----3------------------|---------1----------------------|
Gb|-----2-------0-2----0h2-|-2b3r2---0----3--2--0-----5-3-0-|
Db|-----0-------0-0----0---|---------3-----------3-2-0------|
Ab|------------------------|--------------------------------|
Db|-0-----0-2-3------------|-------1------------------------|
eb|------------------------|--------------------------------|
Bb|-----3------------------|---------1----------------------|
Gb|-----2-------0-2----0h2-|-2b3r2---0----3--2--0-----------|
Db|-----0-------0-0----0---|---------0-----------3-2-0------|
Ab|------------------------|--------------------------2-1-0-|
Db|-0-----0-2-3------------|-------1------------------------|
eb|------------------------|--------------------------------|
Bb|-----3------------------|--------------------------------|
Gb|-----2-------0-2----0h2-|-2b3r2---0----------------------|
Db|-----0-------0-0----0---|---------1----------------------|
Ab|------------------------|---------0----------------------|
Db|-0-----0-2-3------------|-------1------------------------|
Verse - Clean, Let Strings Ring
eb|-----------------------|-------------------|-----------------------|
Bb|-----------------------|-------------------|-----------------------|
Gb|-------0----------0----|-------0-----------|-------0----------0----|
Db|---7----------5--------|-----4-------------|---7----------5--------|
Ab|-----0----------0------|---0---------------|-----0----------0------|
Db|-10---------8----------|-0-----------------|-10---------8----------|
"A trail of tears beyond redemption Just a word and nothing"
eb|-----------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
Bb|-----------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
Gb|-------0------0---0----|-------0----------0----|-------0-----------|
Db|-----4----------4------|---7----------5--------|-----4-------------|
Ab|---0--------0----------|-----0----------0------|---0---------------|
Db|-0---------------------|-10---------8----------|-0-----------------|
"more no more I must reveal I am falling"
eb|-------------------------|-----------------------|
Bb|-------------------------|-----------------------|
Gb|-2------0-2-3--------2-0-|-2b3r2-----------------|
Db|-3----------1------------|-0---------------------|
Ab|-------------------------|-----------------------|
Db|-------------------------|-----------------/12\--|
"To the dark I now am born"
For Prechorus - Play the Main Riff Again (first 4 bars)
"So if you hear this cry"
Chorus - Play twice:
Guitar 1
eb|------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
Bb|------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
Gb|------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
Db|-8--------8-------|-8-------8---------|-0----------------------|
Ab|-8--------8-------|-8-------8-8-7~----|-0----------------------|
Db|-8--------8-------|-8-------8-8-7~--3-|-0----------------------|
|
| Guitar 2
eb|------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
Bb|------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
Gb|-7------7-9-----9-|/10---10-9---------|-9------9---------------|
Db|------------------|-------------------|---------10-10-10-10-10-|
Ab|------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
Db|------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
1 "Show me a sign, give me meaning Lead me to life let me know"
2 "Why all the lies I'm believing Have led me so far, far from home"
Chorus - cont'd, 4th bar before repeat
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-12---------------------------------|
|-10---------------------------------|
|-10---------------------------------|
|
| Guitar 2 / Lead
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-12~--12-12~------------------------|
|-10~--10-10~------------------------|
|--------------10-12-14--15-14-12-10-| <- these notes are first time only
Transition to Verse 2 (Guitar 1 plays first two bars of Verse 1 2x):
Guitar 2 (two parts combined here)
eb|---------------------------------|------------------------|
Bb|-------5-------5-------6-5-------|------6-5-----5---------|
Gb|-5---5---7-5-7-----5---------7-5-|---7--------7-----------|
Db|---7-----------------------------|------------------------|
Ab|---------------------------------|------------------------|
Db|---------------------------------|------------------------|
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/a/alter-bridge/255732.html ]
|---------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------5-------5-------6-5-------|-------------13--------------|
|-5---5---7-5-7-----5---------7-5-|----/12-10~-----9b10r9b10r9~-|
|---7-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|---------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|---------------------------------|--switch to neck pickup------|
Verse 2 - Same as Verse 1, except 2 ending bars are repeated
Lyrics:
"Cutting anguish not forgotten
Eternal life will not be mine, tonight
But if I wake to find perdition
At least I know the fault was mine
At least I know the fault was mine"
Play Main Riff for 4 bars
Play Chorus Again
Break - w/ flange-like effects, Guitar continues to play this during solo
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|--------------------------|----------------------12-------11--------|
|-------8------------------|-------8------------12-------11----------|
|---7-7-----7--------------|---7-7-----7-----------------------------|
|-6-----------0------------|-6-------------10--------9---------------|
|-------------0------------|-------------0---------------------------|
Short Solo - Use heavy fuzz overdrive to get right harmonic-like sound
|-11-10---------------|-10------/14~~---|(14)---------14-15~--14-15-|
|------13-11-10-11-13-|-----------------|-----------15--------------|
|---------------------|-----------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------|-----------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------|-----------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------|-----------------|---------------------------|
|-17----17b18r17~~~-----15-|-14b15r14b15r14-----------------|
|--------------------------|----------------15b16r15~~~-----|
|--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------|--------------------------------|
Bridge
|----------------------|---------------------|------------------------|
|----------------------|------3--3-----------|------------------------|
|----------------------|-3----3--3-----------|------------------------|
|-1----1----1--1-------|-3----3--3---3--3-3--|-7----7----7-7--7--7-7--|
|-1----1----1--1-------|-1----1--1---3--3-3--|-5----5----5-5--5--5-5--|
|-1----1----1--1-------|-------------3--3-3--|-5----5----5-5--5--5-5--|
1. "When the fire inside is gone"
2. "And all that I once had is lost"
3. "To the darkness I am born"
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|-7----7----7-7--7--7-7--|
|-5----5----5-5--5--5-5--|
|-4----4----4-4--4--4-4--|
Spooky Part - Use Delay pedal
4:03 4:09 4:15 4:21
|-----------------|----------------|-pb17r15---------|-17/22-----------|
|-13b15r13--------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-12b13~~~-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
* Lyrics are 1st Verse
On last spooky note, Rhythm guitar (#1) palm mutes open Db chords
Play Chorus 2x
Outro Solo (with Chorus in background from Guitar #1)
4:47
|-------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|-10--13------------|-------------10-13-10--10-|--------------------------|
|-10--12b14r12-10---|-10h12~~~~~----------13---|-pb13r12_b13-12b14-10~~---|
|----------------12-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
-10-13-10--10-|-10-----------10-----------10-----------13b15-13~-10---------------|
---------13---|-13b15--10-10-13b15--10-10-13b15--10-10-------------13-10----------|
--------------|---------------------------------------------------------b13r12-10-|
--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
4:57
|-------------13-15p13--13----------13----|-13-----13---------------------------|
|---------/15---------15--13--13-15-------|-16b18--16b18-r\15~~-x-x-17p13-17p13\|
|-12~~-10-------------------14---------14-|-------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|\10-13p10--10-------------------------------------------------|
|---------13--12p10-13p12-10--12--10---------------------------|
|---------------------------12--12--12p11p10-------------------|
|-------------------------------------------12p11p10-12--10--8-|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------18b20-|-18-17-15-----15-15---15-15---15-15--------------|
|--------------x-10---x-------|---------18b20-----b20-----b20-------------------|
|--------------x-10---x-------|------------------------------------10--9-7------|
|--------------x-10-----------|-------------------------------------------10-9--|
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
|-10b12-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
Ending - rhythm guitar starts at #
-----------|---------------------|---------------------|-----------|
-----------|---------------------|---------------------|-----------|
-----------|------#3-------------|-(3)---------3-------|-----------|
-----------|-0----#3-------------|-(3)---------3-------|-0---------|
-8-7-5-----|-0----#1-------------|-(1)---------1-0~----|-0---------|
-------5-3-|-3-------------------|-------------------3-|-0---------|
|--------------|---------------|
|--------------|---------------|
|-5------------|-3-------------|
|-5------------|-3--hold-out---|
|-3------------|-1-------------|
|--------------|---------------|
KEY
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| r Bend release
************************************
