Blood Brothers by Iron Maiden guitar tab (text):

Artist: Iron Maiden (written by Steve Harris)

Title: Blood Brothers

Album/Source: Brave New World

Tab Author: Colonel Psycho (psycho@TarantulaDev.com)





IRON MAIDEN -- BLOOD BROTHERS

-----------------------------



This happens to be the first tab I've written and posted, which may

explain why I have made an effort to lay out the tab neatly, :)

The first scales I learnt were G major and G pent. so I was playing

around in these scales and accidently played the lead melody riff.

Since I reckon Iron Maiden are great, and Brave New World is, like,

one of the best metal/rock albums of all time, I HAD to try and play

the whole thing.  Eventually, I got everything except the first solo

(it's way too fast for my ears to catch, never mind play!).  But,

you'll be pleased to know the awesome second solo (near the end of

the track) isn't as hard to play as it sounds, you just have to get

the string-bends and timing right.



Note: this tab does not ACCURATELY portray timing.  Listen to the

song, as the tab notes are layed out to ROUGHLY portray timing!



This song is in the key of G-major, and frequently uses the scales

Gmaj 4 and Gmaj 5.  Below are these two scale positions.  Learn them

well if you don't know them already, in both directions!





G-major scale: position 4



e |----------------------------------------10-12---------|

b |-------------------------------10-12-13---------------|

g |-----------------------9-11-12------------------------|

D |---------------9-10-12--------------------------------|

A |-------9-10-12----------------------------------------|

E |-10-12------------------------------------------------|





G-major scale: position 5



e |-------------------------------------------12-14-15---|

b |----------------------------------12-13-15------------|

g |-------------------------11-12-14---------------------|

D |-------------------12-14------------------------------|

A |----------12-14-15------------------------------------|

E |-12-14-15---------------------------------------------|





BACKGROUND INFO

---------------



It is designed for 3 guitars.  "Guitar A" refers to an acoustic,

"Guitar B" refers to the first electric (always with strong

distortion), and finally "Guitar C" refers to the second electric

(typically clean using rear pickup, occasional light distortion).



The song contains 12 riffs.  Here's a short description of each,

in order of appearance:



RIFF A -- Intro: Guitar A

RIFF B -- Intro lead and misc melody: Guitar C

RIFF C -- Same as Riff A, but slightly different rhythm!

RIFF D -- Verse rhythm: Guitar B, also bkgnd orch strings

RIFF E -- Chorus: Guitar A and B

RIFF F -- Break: Guitar A and B

RIFF G -- Pre-solo interlude (mutation of Riff B): Guitar C

RIFF H -- First solo (NOT TABBED!) -- Guitar C

RIFF I -- Post-solo interlude: Guitar C

RIFF J -- 2nd verse rhythm: Guitar A

RIFF K -- 2nd verse lead (over Riff J): Guitar C

RIFF L -- Second solo riff: Guitar C





SONG TABS

---------



   [ KEY ]



       -  h = hammer-on (do note without picking string)

       -  ^ = string bend

       -  ~ = tremolo (fingered or with wh. bar; your choice)

       -  / = slide (up or down)

       -  etc = placeholder for rhythm pattern in chord





RIFF A



[ This sounds odd at first, like the guitar should

  be playing the end bit lower (ie tuning it all

  down).  But believe me, the bass goes lower not

  the guitar.                                      ]

.

.

D |---------------------------5---5------7------|

A |-----2---2------5------3-----3-----5-----5---|

E |-0-----0-----3-----3-5-----------------------|



   repeat above 3 times, then this...

.      (same, but last two pwr chords in opposite order)

.

D |---------------------------7---7------5------|

A |-----2---2------5------5-----5-----3-----3---|

E |-0-----0-----3-----3-5-----------------------|







RIFF B



e |---------------------------------------------|

b |------------13----12-10-12----10----10-------|

g |-9-------------------------------12----12-11-|

D |------10-12----------------------------------|

A |---------------------------------------------|

E |---------------------------------------------|



e |---------------------------------------------|

b |------------13----12-10-12----10-------------|

g |-9-------------------------------12----12-11-|

D |------10-12-------------------------12-------|

A |---------------------------------------------|

E |---------------------------------------------|







RIFF C



   [ same pwr chords as riff A, just a different rhythm ]







RIFF D



all palm-muted



e |-----------------------------------------------------|

b |-----------------------------------------------------|

g |---------------------------5-5----5---5-7-7----7---7-|

D |-2-2----2---2-5-5----5---5-5-5----5---5-7-7----7---7-|

A |-2-2----2---2-5-5----5---5-3-3----3---3-5-5----5---5-|

E |-0-0----0---0-3-3----3---3---------------------------|



   repeat above 3 times, then this...

       (same, but last two pwr chords in opposite order)



e |-----------------------------------------------------|

b |-----------------------------------------------------|

g |---------------------------7-7----7---7-5-5----5---5-|

D |-2-2----2---2-5-5----5---5-7-7----7---7-5-5----5---5-|

A |-2-2----2---2-5-5----5---5-5-5----5---5-3-3----3---3-|

E |-0-0----0---0-3-3----3---3---------------------------|







RIFF E



Chorus riff.  Get the rhythm right by listening to the song.

The chords are, curiously, the same as the chords for 

The Wicker Man (from the same album)...



e |-----------------------------------------|

b |-----------------------------------------|

g |-9---------5--------------------7--------|

D |-9-etc-----5-etc-----5----------7-etc----|

A |-7---------3---------5-etc------5--------|

E |---------------------3-------------------|







RIFF F



The break riff ("There are times that I feel I'm afraid for

the world, there are times I'm ashamed of us all...")



e |------------------------------------|

b |------------------------------------|

g |-7--------9-----------------5-------|

D |-7-etc----9-etc----5--------5-etc---|

A |-5--------7--------5-etc----3-------|

E |-------------------3----------------|







RIFF G



Same as Riff B, just different timing.





RIFF H



The impossibly fast solo-riff...

I can't tab this.  If anyone can, let me know and POST IT!







RIFF I



e |---------------------------------------------|

b |-----12---10---12---------13---12------10----|

g |-9----------------------------------------12-|

D |---------------------------------------------|

A |---------------------------------------------|

E |---------------------------------------------|



repeat a whole bunch of times, then slide the first

note -- the 9th fret on g -- down to second fret at

the end (you'll hear it when you listen to the song)







RIFF J



.

.

D |---2-2---2-2---7-7---5-5-|

A |-0-----0-----5-----3-----| (x2)

E |-------------------------|



.

.

D |-------------------------|---2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2-|

A |---2-2---5-5---2-2---5-5-|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|

E |-0-----3-----0-----3-----|-------------------------|







RIFF K



The lead that kicks in after over Riff J after J has been

played once.  This is very difficult and takes practise;

in my opinion it is harder than the second solo riff.

Each "|---" to "---|" is three eighth beats, but the tab

is only rough; it's just to give some idea of the timing.



e |------------------|--------------|-10---------|

b |---------------10-|-12---10---12-|------12-10-|

g |-9-11-12-11-12----|--------------|------------|

.

.    ^^^^ FAST BIT!



e |-------------|--------------|-----------|

b |-12----------|-10----h12~~~~|~~-10---12-|

g |------10-----|--------------|-----------|

D |---------12--|--------------|-----------|

.

.



e |-10----------|-------------|-----------|

b |-------12-10-|-12----10----|-10~~~~~~~~|

g |-------------|----------12-|-----------|

.

.



e |------------|----------------|--------------|

b |~~~-----10--|-12/13---12--10-|-12----10-----|

g |----12------|----------------|-----------12-|

.

.



e |------|------------|------------|------------|---------|

b |------|------------|------------|------------|---------|

g |-9~~~~|~~~~-9---11-|-12----11-9-|-11----9----|-9-------|

D |------|------------|------------|---------12-|-----9~~~|

A |------|------------|------------|------------|---------|

E |------|------------|------------|------------|---------|



e |----------|-----------|-----------|-------|---------|

b |----------|-----------|-----------|-------|---------|

g |--------9-|-12---11-9-|-11---9----|-9-----|----9-11-|

D |~~~-12----|-----------|--------12-|-------|---------|

A |----------|-----------|-----------|-------|---------|

E |----------|-----------|-----------|-------|---------|



e |-----------|-----------|-------|--------|

b |-----------|-----------|-------|--------|

g |-12---11-9-|------9-11-|-9~~~~~|~~~~~~--|

D |-----------|-12--------|-------|--------|

A |-----------|-----------|-------|--------|

E |-----------|-----------|-------|--------|







RIFF L



The second solo-riff, near the end.  Light distortion, but

plenty of gain will get that 'naturally semi-harmonic'

sound you want for this.  Timing note: each | to | is one

whole bar (2/2).



e |-12---12~~~~10-|-12---10-h12---12---14-|

b |---------------|-----------------------|

.

.



e |-15---14-12-------12-14-|-12~~~~~--18/19~~~~|

b |------------15----------|-------------------|

.

.



e |-19~~~-17-15-14---15-14-|---------12-14-|

b |------------------------|-15~~~~--------|

.

.



e |-14/15---14-12-------12-14-|-12~~~~~~-----12^---|

b |----------------15---------|--------------------|

.

.



e |----------------------12---------12----|

b |-14-12----12----12-14-------15---------|

g |-------14----14------------------------|

.

.



e |-12~~~~----19~~~~~-|-19-15-17-15-17-19-17-15-19~~~~-17-15-17-|

b |-------------------|-----------------------------------------|

.

.



e |-12~~~~~~~----|---12--------------|

b |--------------|-------------------|

.

.                    ^^ slowly dive with the whammy bar

                         (or slide, but the bar is better)







SONG STRUCTURE

--------------



If you make head from tail of my tab by listening to the song,

the structure is pretty self-explanitory based on the short

descriptions at the top of this tab (the "background info"

section)





LYRICS

------



No tab is complete (in my opinion) without the lyrics...



  And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life

  What do think you'd expect you would see?

  Just like a mirror refleting the moves of your life

  And in the river reflections of me



  Just for a second a glimpse of my father I see

  And in a movement he beckons to me

  And in a moment the memories are all that remain

  And all the wounds are re-opening again



    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS

    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS



  And as you look all around at the world in dismay

  What do you see? Do you think we have learned?

  Not if you're taking a look at the war torn affray

  Out in the street where our babies are buried



    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS

    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS



  There are times when I feel I'm afraid for the world

  There are times I'm ashamed of us all

  When you're floating all over the emotion you feel

  And reflecting the good and the bad



  Will we ever know what the answer to life really is?

  Can you really tell me what love is?

  Maybe all the things that you know that are precious to you

  Can be slipped away by fate's soft hand



    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS

    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS



  When you think that we've used all our chances

  And the chance to make everything right

  Keep on making the same old mistakes

  Make some tipping the balance of reason

  When we're living our lives on the edge

  Say a prayer on the book of the dead...



    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS

    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS

    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS

    WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS, WE'RE BLOOD BROTHERS



  And if you're taking a walk though the garden of...

                  life...