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SICK OF MYSELF - Matthew Sweet
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Tabbed by: Rich Monahan
Tuning: Standard
I love this song. If you are reading this, then you - like me - have probably been desperately searching
for a decent tab of "Sick of Myself" for a long time. Every version I've ever come across is missing those
amazing lead parts, and they almost always get the chords a little bit wrong: the addition of that F# note
in the first chord of the riff really makes all the difference.
Thanks for all these years of free tabs, internet. This one's on me.
Intro:
e|--------|
B|--------|
G|--------|
D|--X-X-X-|
A|--X-X-X-|
E|--X-X-X-|
Main/Verse Riff:
B/F# F#5 E5
e|--------------------|
B|--------------------|
G|----4---------------|
D|----4---4-4-2-2-----|
A|----2---4-4-2-2-----|
E|----2---2-2-0-0-----|
Not the hardest riff in the world, but it does have a very specific timing. Don't let the first chord ring
for too long. Listen to the track to nail that strum pattern: down, up down up down.
Lead 1:
e|-----7---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------7---9p7--------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-8h9---------9-8-------6-8b------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------9-6-------9-6--4h6--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------7-6--4-2-----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Verse 1: Main/Verse Riff
You don't know
How you move me
Deconstruct me
And consume me
I'm all used up
I'm out of luck
I am starstruck
Pre-Chorus/Chorus:
Pretty much the same chords as the main/verse riff, but now you're playing the full versions of 'em:
B/F# F# E
e|----------2------0--|
B|--4-------2------0--|
G|--4-------3------2--|
D|--4-------4------2--|
A|--2-------4------1--|
E|--2-------2------0--|
B/F# F#
By something in your eyes
E B/F#
That is keeping my hope alive.
E F#
But I'm sick of myself when I look at you
B/F# E
Something so beautiful and true
E F#
In a world that's ugly and a lie
B/F# E
It's hard to even want to try
E F#
I'm beginning to think
Baby, you don't know...
Jump back into the Main/Verse Riff.
Lead 2:
e|-9h11-11--12p11-9-7--------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------9p6-------------4---4h6p4-----------------------------|
A|-------------------------9-7-4-4h6-----6-------4h6-2-----------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Verse 2: Main/Verse Riff
I'll take or leave
The room to breathe
The choice to leave you
I'll throw away
A chance at greatness
Just to make this
Pre-Chorus/Chorus:
Pretty much the same as the first time around, except there's a new progression over the "Baby, you
don't know" line, accompanied by this little lead part (let each note ring out on each chord):
Fig. 1
e|-------------------|
B|--12----11----7----|
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|-------------------|
E|-------------------|
B/F# F#
Dreams come into play
E B/F#
I don't know if I'll find a way
E F#
Cause I'm sick of myself when I look at you
B/F# E
Something so beautiful and true
E F#
In a world that's ugly and a lie
B/F# E
It's hard to even want to try
E F#
I'm beginning to think
B5 A#5 F# (with Fig. 1)
Baby, you don't know
E F#
I'm beginning to think
Baby, you don't know...
Solo: Main Riff
I have not tabbed out the solo note-for-note, sorry. But he is playing in B. The below is not a solo tab,
but it is a tabbed out version of the modes I use when playing the song live. Go for it:
e|------------------------------------------------------------------------7-9-11-12-14-|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------7-9-11-12-14--------------|
G|--------------------------------------------6-8-9-11-13-15---------------------------|
D|-----------------------------6-8-9-11-13-14------------------------------------------|
A|--------------6-7-9-11-13-14---------------------------------------------------------|
E|-7-9-11-12-14------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Solo ends on:
e|---7----5----4----2-|
B|--------------------|
G|-8----6----4----2---|
D|--------------------|
A|--------------------|
E|--------------------|
B/F# F#
There's something in your eyes
E B/F#
That is keeping my hope alive.
E F#
But I'm sick of myself when I look at you
B/F# E
Something so beautiful and true
E F#
In a world that's ugly and a lie
B/F# E
It's hard to even want to try
E F#
I'm beginning to think
B5 A#5 F# (with Fig. 1)
Baby, you don't know
E F#
I'm beginning to think
Baby, you don't know...
Outro: Main/Verse Riff
Use the same scale from the solo to create your three outro lead parts. Have fun!
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| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| br Bend release
| pbr Pre-bend release
| brb Bend release bend
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