This is one of Tull's lesser known songs, featured only on the live album, Bursting Out, from an Italy show
in 1978. Besides a video of a band covering this tune, I have yet to find sheet music or tabs
available for free to the public. Satchel, a student of mine, and I decided to transcribe it. Forgive us
if the part in the tab is the Organ, but other than that....CONUNDRUM!
Jethro Tull – Conundrum (written by Martin Barre)
Intro e|--------------------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------------------|
G|-----------7/9\\-------------------7-9-10---|
D|-9--------------------------7-9-10----------|
A|-----10-7------------7-8-10-----------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
Part 1
e|--------------------------------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------5-----7---------------5---------------|
D|-3-----7----------5-----7-----------5-7-----------------|
A|-3-----7----------3-----5---3-5-3-5-------8-5-7-2-3-----|
E|-1-----5--------------------------------------------1---|
e|---------------------------------------------|
b|---------------------------------------------|
G|-------7-----------5-------------------------|
D|-3-----7-----7-----5-------------2/4\2-------|
A|-3-----5-----7-----3---3-5/7\5---------------|
E|-1-----------5-------------------------------|
Interlude Riff 1 e|----------------------|
b|----------------------|
G|---------------7-9-10-|
D|--------7-8-10--------|
A|-7-8-10---------------| (sixteenths)
E|----------------------|
Part 2
e|--------------------------------------------3-3p2p0------|
b|----------------------------3---3---------2--------------|
G|------------------5-----7-----5---5-4-2-4-----------4----|
D|-3-----7----------5-----7---------------------------4----|
A|-3-----7----------3-----5---------------------------2----|
E|-1-----5-------------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------------|
b|---------------------------------------------|
G|-------7---------4-4h6p4-2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D|-5-----7---------4-4-----2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2—|
A|-5-----5-------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------------|
Interlude Riff 2
-----------------10-12-13-|
--------10-12-13----------|
9-10-12-------------------|
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
--------------------------|
**Repeat Part 1
**Repeat Interlude Riff 1
**Repeat Part 2
Part 3 /
e|-------- |---------------------------------------------------|
b|-------- |---------------------------------------------------|
G|-------- |------------6-7-9-11---9---7---6---9---7---6-------|
D|-------- |--------7-9------------------------------------9---|
A|-------- |-7-9-10--------------------------------------------|
E|-0-2-3-- |---------------------------------------------------|
\ \
e|------------------------------|
b|------------------------------|
G|-9-7-6-----7-6----------------|
D|-------9-------9-7---9-7-6----|-x3
A|---------------------------9--|
E|------------------------------|
/
e|------------------------------------------------------|
b|------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------6-7-9-11---9---7---6---9---7---6-------|
D|-----------7-9------------------------------------9---|
A|----7-9-10--------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|
e|-12-10-9-7---10-9-7------7----------------------------------------|
b|--------------------10-----10-9-7~~~~~-10-----12-----10-----------|
G|------------------------------------------11-----11-----11--9-11--|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------| x2
A|------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-12-10-9-7---10-9-7------7---------------------------------------|
b|--------------------10-----10-9-7~~~~~-7-------8---7-------------|
G|-------------------------------------------9-----------------5-7-|
D|-------------------------------------------------------5-7-9-----|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|(1:23)
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-4p2p0-------2p0-----------------------------------4-2---2/7~~~~~~--|
D|-------4p2p0-----4p2p0---2p0-----------------4-2--------------------|
A|-----------------------4-----4p2p0-----3-2--------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------3-2------------------------------|
Part 4 e|--------------5----------------------------------|
b|-0------5-7-8-----0-5-7-8-----7----------5---5---|
G|--------------------------7----------------7-----|
D|--------------------------------7----------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
e|------------------7-9-----10---12\\---|
B|-----9-7------------------------------|
G|---------7------9---------------------|
D|---9-------7--------------------------|
A|-7-----------10-----------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|
Part 5
e|-----------------------------5-------5---------------------------------|
b|-----------------------5-7-8---8-7-8---7-------------------------7-9-10|
G|-6---6h7p6-4~~~----6-7-------------------7—8-6-8-8/9---865-6-8-9-------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Part 4 e|------------------------------------------------0---0--|
b|-5-----5-7-8-8h10p8h10p8-0-5-7-8-----7------------3----|
G|---------------------------------7---------------------|
D|---------------------------------------7---------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|(1:54)
e|---------------|------------------7-9-----10---12\\---|
b|---5p3p0-------|-----9-7------------------------------|
G|--------4p2p0--|---------7------9---------------------|
D|-------------2-|---9-------7--------------------------|
A|---------------|-7-----------10-----------------------|
E|---------------|--------------------------------------|
**Repeat Part 5
Interlude Riff 3 e|-12-13-15---|
b|------------|
G|------------|
D|------------|
A|------------|
E|------------|
Part 1 alteration
e|---------------------------------------------|
b|---------------------------------------------|
G|-------7-----------5-------------------------|
D|-3-----7-----7-----5-------------2/4\2-------|
A|-3-----5-----7-----3---3-5/7\5---------------|
E|-1-----------5-------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------|
b|------------------------------------------|
G|---------------7-9-10--9-7----------------|
D|--------7-8-10--------------10-9--7-------|
A|-7-8-10-----------------------------10--8-|
E|------------------------------------------|
Solo
e|-12~~~~~--12-10----------10-12-10----------10------|
b|----------------13-12-13----------13-12-13---------|
G|---------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------13/14-|
A|---------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|
e|-5p3p0-5p3p2p0---|-0---------------|----------------------|
b|---------------3-|---3p0-----------|-5--3-----------------|
G|-----------------|-------2p0-------|-------5--4--5--4--2--|
D|-----------------|-----------4p2p0-|----------------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
e|---------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------|
G|-4-5-2-------0h2-----4-5-7-4-5-7-4-5/9-|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
e|-15-13-12h13p12----12--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------15----15-13h15p13-12h13p12----12-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------14----14-12h14p12-10h12p10-10-12-14-12-10h12p10-9---------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Part 6
e|---------------------------------------------|
b|---------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------2p0-------------|
D|-2-------2-2-2h3p2p0-2-----------4p0-2h4p2p0-| x8
A|---------------------------------------------|
E|---0---0---------------0---0-----------------|
e|---------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------3p1p0---1p0-----|
G|-2-------2-2-2h3p2p0-2-------------2-----2p0-|
D|---------------------------------------------| x2
A|---0---0---------------0---0-----------------|
E|---------------------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------1---------------|
G|-(0)---------------------------3p2p0-3p2p0---|
D|-------------------------------------------3-|
A|---------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------
B|-----------------------
G|-(3)-------------------
D|-----------------------
A|-----------------------
E|-----------------------
(3 minute drum solo. . . no other instruments play)
**Repeat Part 4
**Repeat Part 5
Outro
/
e|-------- |---------------------------------------------------|
b|-------- |---------------------------------------------------|
G|-------- |------------6-7-9-11---9---7---6---9---7---6-------|
D|-------- |--------7-9------------------------------------9---|
A|-------- |-7-9-10--------------------------------------------|
E|-0-2-3-- |---------------------------------------------------|
\ \
e|------------------------------|
b|------------------------------|
G|-9-7-6-----7-6----------------|
D|-------9-------9-7---9-7-6----|-x2
A|---------------------------9--|
E|------------------------------|
/
e|-12-10-9-7---10-9-7------7--------|
b|--------------------10-----10-9-7-|
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------| x2
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|
e|------------------------||
B|-------------10-9-7-----||
G|--------------------9---||
D|------------------------||
A|------------------------||
E|------------------------||
