Tab for The Smiths - William It Was Really Nothing (live)
This is mostly going off of The Smiths live version, though I've thrown in some backing rhythm guitar tab
Capo on 2nd fret.
Part I: Intro (a little different from recorded version)
Gadd9 (once, let ring) F#m(once) Bm (once) Note: the Gadd9 can also be played down lower,
F#|-3----------------------7---------8-------------| F#|--3----| <- like this but the other
C#|-5----------------------8---------10------------| C#|--1----| way is easier to transition
A |-5----------------------7---------9-------------| A |--2----| to the Dmaj7 chord in the
E |-3----------------------9---------10------------| E |--3----| next sequence of chords
B |-3----------------------7---------8-------------| B |-------|
F#|------------------------------------------------| F#|-------|
Gadd9 Dmaj7 F#m Bm Gadd9 Dmaj7 F#m Bm (once, let ring)
F#|-3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7-7-7--8--7--5---|--3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7--5-----------------|
C#|-5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--8-8-8-8-8--5--5--5---|--5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--8-8-8--5-----------------|
A |-5-5-5-5-5--4-4-4-4--7-7-7-7-7--5--5--5---|--5-5-5-5-5--4-4-4-4--7-7-7--5-----------------|
E |-3-3-3-3-5--5-5-5-5--9-9-9-9-9--5--5--5---|--3-3-3-3-5--5-5-5-5--9-9-9--7-----------------|
B |-3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7-7-7------------|--3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7--7-----------------|
F#|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
hit this E note here!
Gadd9 Dmaj7 F#m / Bm Gadd9 Dmaj7 F#m Bm
F#|-3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7-7-10--8--7--5---|--3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7--5--5-5-5---------|
C#|-5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--8-8-8-8-8---5--5--5---|--5-5-5-5-5--5-5-5-5--8-8-8--5--5-5-5---------|
A |-5-5-5-5-5--4-4-4-4--7-7-7-7-7---5--5--5---|--5-5-5-5-5--4-4-4-4--7-7-7--5--5-5-5---------|
E |-3-3-3-3-5--5-5-5-5--9-9-9-9-9---5--5--5---|--3-3-3-3-5--5-5-5-5--9-9-9--7--7-7-7---------|
B |-3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7-7-7-------------|--3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3--7-7-7--7--7-7-7---------|
F#|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
Part II: This is the last "this town has dragged you down" part. For the D and A chords, if you
don't want to play the single notes, just bang out the D & A barre chords at the 3rd fret.
Gadd9(down lower) Gmaj7 D A Gadd9 A(open hi E string)
F#|-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--0--0-0-0--0-0-0---------------------------3--3-3-3--3-3-3--0--0-0-0--0-0-0----|
C#|-1--1-1-1--1-1-1--1--1-1-1--1-1-1------5-----------3--------1--1-1-1--1-1-1--3--3-3-3--3-0-0----|
A |-2--2-2-2--2-2-2--2--2-2-2--2-2-2----5---4-----------4------2--2-2-2--2-2-2--4--4-4-4--4-4-4----|
E |-3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3--3-3-3--3-3-3----------5----5------5----3--3-3-3--3-3-3--5--5-5-5--5-5-5----|
B |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
F#|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Part III: The B major/ D / E sequence. I will tab out the finger picking line AND a rhythm guitar
the finger picking line
B D (C chord shape, 1st fr) E (slide C chord shape to 3rd fret)
F#|--------------------------------------------------------0---------------------------0------------|
C#|---5---------5--------5---------5--------1-------1--------1----------3-------3--------3----------|
A |-------6---6---6----------6---6---6--------0-------0-------------------0-------0-----------------|
E |-7---7---7---------7----7---7------------------2-----2---------------------4-----4---------------|
B |---------------------------------------3---------------------------5-----------------------------|
F#|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
The B / D / E sequence finger picking line (continued)
B D E (strike once, let ring)
F#|--------------------------------------------------------0----------0-----------------------------|
C#|---5---------5--------5---------5--------1-------1--------1--------3-----------------------------|
A |-------6---6---6----------6---6---6--------0-------0---------------0-----------------------------|
E |-7---7---7---------7----7---7------------------2-----2-------------4-----------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------3---------------------------5-----------------------------|
F#|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-OR you can play-
The B / D / E sequence rhythm guitar (somewhat of an interpretation - it sounds good)
B B*(some chord) D (C chord shape) E (slide C chord shape to 3rd fret)
F#|-0--0-0-0--0-0-0---0--0-0-0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0--0-0-0--------------------|
C#|-5--5-5-5--5-5-5---7--7-7-7--7-7-7------1--1-1-1--1-1-1------3--3-3-3--3-3-0--------------------|
A |-6--6-6-6--6-6-6---6--6-6-6--6-6-6------0--0-0-0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0--0-0-0--------------------|
E |-7--7-7-7--7-7-7---6--6-6-6--6-6-6------2--2-2-2--2-2-2------4--4-4-4--4-4-4--------------------|
B |----------------------------------------3--3-3-3--3-3-3------5--5-5-5--5-5-5--------------------|
F#|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
The B / D / E sequence rhythm guitar (continued)
B B* D E (strike once, let ring)
F#|-0--0-0-0--0-0-0---0--0-0-0--0-0-0------0--0-0-0--0-0-0------0----------------------------------|
C#|-5--5-5-5--5-5-5---7--7-7-7--7-7-7------1--1-1-1--1-1-1------3----------------------------------|
A |-6--6-6-6--6-6-6---6--6-6-6--6-6-6------0--0-0-0--0-0-0------0----------------------------------|
E |-7--7-7-7--7-7-7---6--6-6-6--6-6-6------2--2-2-2--2-2-2------4----------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------3--3-3-3--3-3-3------5----------------------------------|
F#|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Part IV: the great Pre-Chorus finger picking line
make these chord shapes for the finger picking
Gsus4 G Dsus2
F#|--6-- --5-- --8---|
C#|--6-- --6-- --5---|
A |--5-- --5-- --7---|
E |--3-- --7-- --5---|
B |----- ----- ------|
F#|---- ----- ------|
the finger picking line hit the A note, 8th fret
Gsus4 G / Dsus2 A6 G A6
F#|-----6-----6-----6--------5------5--------5---------8------8----8---7--77--5--7-----|
C#|-------6-----6-----6--------6------6----8---------5------5----5-----5--55--6--5-----|
A |---------5--------------------5-----------------7------7------------7--77--5--7-----|
E |---3-----------3--------7------------7--------5---------------------5--55--7--5-----|
B |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
F#|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Part V: Chorus ("William...") The G, D, and A major chords are a C chord shape,
with your pinky on the high e string as follows...
G D G A Bm(add9) F#6
F#|-8-8-8-88-/3-3--3-/8-8-8-88--/10-10--10---7--5-7--5---7--5-5--5------|
C#|-6-6-6-66-/1-1--1-/6-6-6-66--/8--8---8----5--5-5--5---5--5-8--5------|
A |-0-0-0-00-/0-0--0-/0-0-0-00--/0--0---0----5--5-5--5---5--5-5--5------|
E |-7-7-7-77-/2-2--2-/7-7-7-77--/9--9---9----7--7-7--7---6--6-6--6------|
B |-8-8-8-88-/3-3--3-/8-8-8-88--/10-10--10------------------------------|
F#|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G D G A Bm(add9) F#6 Bm7 Bm (let ring)
F#|-8-8-8-88-/3-3--3-/8-8-8-88--/10-10--10---7--5-7--5---7--5-5--5---5--5-7--5----5--------------|
C#|-6-6-6-66-/1-1--1-/6-6-6-66--/8--8---8----5--5-5--5---5--5-8--5---5--5-5----5--5--------------|
A |-0-0-0-00-/0-0--0-/0-0-0-00--/0--0---0----5--5-5--5---5--5-5--5---5--5-5-------5--------------|
E |-7-7-7-77-/2-2--2-/7-7-7-77--/9--9---9----7--7-7--7---6--6-6--6---5--5-5-------7--------------|
B |-8-8-8-88-/3-3--3-/8-8-8-88--/10-10--10-------------------------------------------------------|
F#|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
or you can pick out the arpeggio for these last chords
Bm(add9) F#6 Bm7 Bm (let ring)
F#|---------------------------------------------------------------------------5---------------------|
C#|----------------------------------------------5----------5----------5------5---------------------|
A |--------------------------------------------5---5------5---5------5---5----5---------------------|
E |------------------------------------------7----------6----------5-------5--7---------------------|
B |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
F#|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Repeat Part IV and Part V two more times to end the song. That's it. Corrections are welcome.
