DON'T BRING ME DOWN
As recorded by Electric Light Orchestra
(From the 1979 Album DISCOVERY)
Words and Music by Jeff Lynne
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Jeff Lynne - Electric Guitar'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Jeff Lynne - Synthesizer'
Intro
Q=116
N.C.
4/4
Gtr I (El. Gtr.)
Wx2 H E E +E E
|------------|------------------|
|------------|------------------|
|------------|--------7b9r(7)-5-|
|------------|------------------|
|------------|------------------|
|------------|------------------|
W +H +E E +E E a W +H +E E +E E
|----------|----------------------|------------|----------------------||
|----------|----------------------|------------|----------------------||
|----------|------------7b9r(7)-5-|------------|------------7b9r(7)-5-||
|-7--------|-(7)----(7)-----------|-5h7--------|-(7)----(7)-----------||
|----------|----------------------|------------|----------------------||
|----------|----------------------|------------|----------------------||
1st Verse
N.C.
a W +H +E E +E E a W +H +E E E E
|------------|----------------------|------------|-------------------|
|------------|----------------------|------------|-------------------|
|------------|------------7b9r(7)-5-|------------|--------------5-7--|
|-5h7--------|-(7)----(7)-----------|-5h7--------|-(7)----(7)-7------|
|------------|----------------------|------------|-------------------|
|------------|----------------------|------------|-------------------|
W +H +E E +E E W +W
|----------|----------------------|----------|--------|
|----------|----------------------|----------|--------|
|-7--------|-(7)----(7)-7b9r(7)-5-|----------|--------|
|----------|----------------------|-7--------|-(7)----|
|----------|----------------------|----------|--------|
|----------|----------------------|----------|--------|
W H E E E E W +H +E E +E E
|----------|----------------|----------|-----------------------||
|----------|----------------|----------|-----------------------||
|----------|--------7b9-7-5-|----------|------------7b9r(7)-5--||
|----------|----------------|-7--------|-(7)----(7)------------||
|----------|----------------|----------|-----------------------||
|----------|----------------|----------|-----------------------||
2nd Verse
N.C.
a H. E E Q Q E E +E E H. E E +Q Q E E E E
|---------------|-8b10-----------------|---------8-5-|-(5)-------------|
|-------------5-|----------------------|-------------|-----------------|
|---------------|------------7b9r(7)-5-|-------------|-------------5-7-|
|-5h7-------7---|----------------------|-7-----------|-----------7-----|
|---------------|----------------------|-------------|-----------------|
|---------------|----------------------|-------------|-----------------|
H. +E S +S H E E +E E H +E E E E +E E Q H
|---------------------|------------------|----------------8b9-|-(8)-----------|
|---------------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------|
|-7-------(7)-7b9-(7)-|--------7b9r(7)-5-|----------7b9-------|---------------|
|---------------------|------------------|-7----(7)-----------|---------------|
|---------------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------|
|---------------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------|
W H E E E E H H H E E E E
|----------|----------------|-----------|---------------||
|----------|----------------|-----------|---------------||
|----------|--------7b9-7-5-|-----------|---------------||
|----------|----------------|-7---------|---------------||
|----------|----------------|-----------|---------------||
|----------|----------------|-----------|--------0-1-2--||
Chorus
F#m/A A
E S S E S S E S S E S S E E S S S S E E E E
|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-0-1-2-|
|
| Gtr II (Synth. arr. for Gtr.)
| W W
|-2-----------------------|-0-------------------|
|-2-----------------------|-2-------------------|
|-2-----------------------|-2-------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------|---------------------|
F#m/A A
E S S E S S E E E E E E S S S S E E E E
|---------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-0-1-2--|
|
| W W
|-2-------------------|-0--------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2--------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2--------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------|----------------------|
F#m/A A
E S S E E E S S E E E E S S E E S S E E
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
|
| W W
|-2-------------------|-0-------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
E/B
E S S E E E E E E E S S S S S S E E E E
|-------------------|---------------------------||
|-------------------|---------------------------||
|-------------------|-------------------7b9-7-5-||
|-------------------|---------------------------||
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|--7--7-7-7-7-7-7-7---------||
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------||
|
| W +H. Q
|-4-----------------|-(4)-----------------------||
|-5-----------------|-(5)-----------------------||
|-4-----------------|-(4)-----------------------||
|-------------------|---------------------------||
|-------------------|---------------------------||
|-------------------|---------------------------||
3rd & 4th Verses
A/C#
H. E E +E E Q E E E E H. E E Q. E E E E E
||----------7-8b9-|-(8)----------------|---------8b8.5-5-|--5--------------|
||o---------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||----------------|------------7b9-7-5-|-----------------|-------------5-7-|
||--7-------------|--------------------|-7---------------|-----------7-----|
||o---------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||----------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|
| W +W W +W
||--5-------------|-(5)----------------|-5---------------|-(5)-------------|
||o-5-------------|-(5)----------------|-5---------------|-(5)-------------|
||--6-------------|-(6)----------------|-6---------------|-(6)-------------|
||----------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||o---------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
||----------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D
W H E E +E E H. E E +E E Q H
|----------|--------------------|-----------8b9-|-(8)-----------|
|----------|--------------------|---------5-----|---------------|
|-7--------|----------7b9r(7)-5-|---------------|---------------|
|----------|--------------------|-7-------------|---------------|
|----------|--------------------|---------------|---------------|
|----------|--------------------|---------------|---------------|
|
| W +W W +W
|-5--------|-(5)----------------|-5-------------|-(5)-----------|
|-7--------|-(7)----------------|-5-------------|-(5)-----------|
|-7--------|-(7)----------------|-6-------------|-(6)-----------|
|----------|--------------------|---------------|---------------|
|----------|--------------------|---------------|---------------|
|----------|--------------------|---------------|---------------|
1.
C G/B D/A A/C#
W H E E E E W +H E E +E E
|----------|----------------|----------|----------------------||
|----------|----------------|----------|---------------------o||
|----------|--------7b9-7-5-|----------|----------7b9r(7)-5---||
|----------|----------------|-7--------|-(7)------------------||
|----------|----------------|----------|---------------------o||
|----------|----------------|----------|----------------------||
|
| W H H W +W
|-3--------|-3----2---------|-5--------|-(5)------------------||
|-5--------|-3----3---------|-5--------|-(5)-----------------o||
|-5--------|-4----2---------|-6--------|-(6)------------------||
|----------|----------------|----------|----------------------||
|----------|----------------|----------|---------------------o||
|----------|----------------|----------|----------------------||
Chorus
2.
A/C# F#m/A
W +E E Q E E E E E S S E S S E S S E S S
|----------|------------------||--------------------------|
|----------|------------------||--------------------------|
|----------|------------------||--------------------------|
|-7--------|-(7)--------------||--------------------------|
|----------|------------------||--------------------------|
|----------|------------0-1-2-||-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--|
|
| W +E E Q H W
|-5--------|-(5)--------------||-2------------------------|
|-5--------|-(5)--------------||-2------------------------|
|-6--------|-(6)--------------||-2------------------------|
|----------|------------------||--------------------------|
|----------|------------------||--------------------------|
|----------|------------------||--------------------------|
A F#m/A A
E E S S S S E E E E E S S E S S E E E E E E S S S S E E E E
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-0-1-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-0-1-2-|
|
| W W W
|-0-------------------|-2-------------------|-0-------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
F#m/A A
E S S E E E S S E E E E S S E E S S E E
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
|
| W W
|-2-------------------|-0-------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|
|-2-------------------|-2-------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
E S S E E E E E E E S S S S S S E E E E
|-------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------7b9-7-5-|
|-------------------|---------------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|--7--7-7-7-7-7-7-7---------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|--0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------|
|
| W +W
|-4-----------------|-(4)-----------------------|
|-5-----------------|-(5)-----------------------|
|-4-----------------|-(4)-----------------------|
|-------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------|---------------------------|
|-------------------|---------------------------|
5th Verse
N.C. N.C.
W W W W
|----------||----------|----------|------|
|----------||----------|----------|------|
|----------||----------|----------|------|
|----------||----------|----------|------|
|----------||----------|----------|------|
|----------||----------|----------|------|
D A/C#
W H. E +E H E E +E E W
|----------|-----------------|--------------------|------|
|----------|---------7b8r(7)-|--------------------|------|
|----------|-7-------7b9r(7)-|----------7b9r(7)-5-|------|
|----------|-----------------|--------------------|-7----|
|----------|-----------------|--------------------|------|
|----------|-----------------|--------------------|------|
|
| Gtr II
| W W +W W
|----------|-5---------------|-(5)----------------|-5----|
|----------|-7---------------|-(7)----------------|-5----|
|----------|-7---------------|-(7)----------------|-6----|
|----------|-----------------|--------------------|------|
|----------|-----------------|--------------------|------|
|----------|-----------------|--------------------|------|
C/E G/D D A/C#
E +E Q H W W W
|--8b9-(8)---------|----------|-----------|------|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
|
| +W W H H W
|-(5)--------------|-8--------|-7----5----|-5----|
|-(5)--------------|-8--------|-8----7----|-5----|
|-(6)--------------|-9--------|-7----7----|-6----|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
|------------------|----------|-----------|------|
Interlude
F#m/A
H E E E E H +E E Q
|-------------------||----------------|
|-------------------||o---------------|
|-------------------||----------------|
|-------------------||----------------|
|-------------------||o---------------|
|------------/5-4-3-||--2----(2)-0-2--|
|
| +H +Q. E W
|-(5)----(5)--------||--2-------------|
|-(5)----(5)--------||o-2-------------|
|-(6)----(6)--------||--2-------------|
|-------------------||----------------|
|-------------------||o---------------|
|-------------------||----------------|
1.,2. 2.
A A E/B
H +E E E E 3x H. Q H. +E S S
|------------------||--------------|----------------------|
|-----------------o||--------------|----------------------|
|------------------||--------------|----------------------|
|------------------||--------------|----------------------|
|-----------------o||--------------|----------------------|
|-/5----(5)-5-4-3--||-/5-------5\--|-0-------(0)-[2]-[2]--|
|
| W 3x W W
|--0---------------||--0-----------|-4--------------------|
|--2--------------o||--2-----------|-5--------------------|
|--2---------------||--2-----------|-4--------------------|
|------------------||--------------|----------------------|
|-----------------o||--------------|----------------------|
|------------------||--------------|----------------------|
6th Verse
A/C#
E S S +E E +E E +E E H +E E Q
|---------------------------------------||------------8b9--|
|---------------------------------------||----------5------|
|-----------------------------7b9r(7)-5-||-----------------|
|---------------------------------------||-7----(7)--------|
|---------------------------------------||-----------------|
|-[2]-[2]-[4]-([4])-[5]-([5])-----------||-----------------|
|
| H. Q W
|--4------------------------------------||-5---------------|
|--5------------------------------------||-5---------------|
|--4------------------------------------||-6---------------|
|---------------------------------------||-----------------|
|---------------------------------------||-----------------|
|---------------------------------------||-----------------|
H E E +E E H +E E E E
|--5-----------------|----------10b12---10b10.5-|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|----------7b9r(7)-5-|--------------------------|
|--------------------|-7----(7)-----------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|
| +W W
|-(5)----------------|-5------------------------|
|-(5)----------------|-5------------------------|
|-(6)----------------|-6------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
|--------------------|--------------------------|
D
E E E E E E E E H. E +E
|-----8---5---------|-----------------|
|-------------------|---------7b8r(7)-|
|---------------5-7-|-7-------7b9r(7)-|
|-------------7-----|-----------------|
|-------------------|-----------------|
|-------------------|-----------------|
|
| +W W
|-(5)---------------|-5---------------|
|-(5)---------------|-7---------------|
|-(6)---------------|-7---------------|
|-------------------|-----------------|
|-------------------|-----------------|
|-------------------|-----------------|
A/C#
E +Q. +E E +E E H. E E
|--------------------------|---------8b9----|
|--------------------------|----------------|
|--7b9r(7)---(7)-7b9r(7)-5-|----------------|
|--------------------------|-7--------------|
|--------------------------|----------------|
|--------------------------|----------------|
|
| +W W
|-(5)----------------------|-5--------------|
|-(7)----------------------|-5--------------|
|-(7)----------------------|-6--------------|
|--------------------------|----------------|
|--------------------------|----------------|
|--------------------------|----------------|
C/E G/D D A/C#
H. Q W H E E +E E H. E E
|--5--------------|----------|------------------|-----------8--|
|-----------------|----------|------------------|---------5----|
|-----------------|----------|--------7b9r(7)-5-|--------------|
|-----------------|----------|------------------|-7------------|
|-----------------|----------|------------------|--------------|
|-----------------|----------|------------------|--------------|
|
| +H +Q. E W H H W
|-(5)----(5)------|-8--------|-7----5-----------|-5------------|
|-(5)----(5)------|-8--------|-8----7-----------|-5------------|
|-(6)----(6)------|-9--------|-7----7-----------|-6------------|
|-----------------|----------|------------------|--------------|
|-----------------|----------|------------------|--------------|
|-----------------|----------|------------------|--------------|
A/E
+E +E Q E E +E E W +H +E E +E E W
|-(8)b9-(8)----------------|-----------|------------------------|-------|
|--------------------------|-----------|------------------------|-------|
|----------------7b9r(7)-5-|-----------|--------------7b9r(7)-5-|-------|
|--------------------------|--7--------|--(7)-----(7)-----------|--7----|
|--------------------------|-----------|------------------------|-------|
|--------------------------|-----------|------------------------|-------|
|
| +H. Q W +H +H W
|-(5)----------------------|--9--------|--(9)-----(9)-----------|--9----|
|-(5)----------------------|-10--------|-(10)----(10)-----------|-10----|
|-(6)----------------------|--9--------|--(9)-----(9)-----------|--9----|
|--------------------------|-----------|------------------------|-------|
|--------------------------|-----------|------------------------|-------|
|--------------------------|-----------|------------------------|-------|
D/F# A/E
+H +E E E E W +H +E E E E W
|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|-------|
|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|-------|
|---------------5-7-|-/7--------|--(7)----(7)-7b9-7-5-|-------|
|--(7)----(7)-7-----|-----------|---------------------|--7----|
|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|-------|
|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|-------|
|
| +W W +W W
|--(9)--------------|-10--------|-(10)----------------|--9----|
|-(10)--------------|-10--------|-(10)----------------|-10----|
|--(9)--------------|-11--------|-(11)----------------|--9----|
|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|-------|
|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|-------|
|-------------------|-----------|---------------------|-------|
C/E G/D D
+H H W H E E +E E W
|------------------|----------|------------------|------*|
|------------------|----------|------------------|------*|
|------------------|----------|--------7b9r(7)-5-|------*|
|--(7)-------------|----------|------------------|------*|
|------------------|----------|------------------|------*|
|------------------|----------|------------------|------*|
|
| +H +Q. E W H H W
|--(9)-----(9)-----|-8--------|-7----5-----------|------*|
|-(10)----(10)-----|-8--------|-8----7-----------|------*|
|--(9)-----(9)-----|-9--------|-7----7-----------|------*|
|------------------|----------|------------------|------*|
|------------------|----------|------------------|------*|
|------------------|----------|------------------|------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
