Mysterious Ways by U2 guitar tab (text):

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[3 files]

From: hallmattegr.msu (Matthew Jon Hall)
Subject: mysterious_ways.tab (Correction)
Date: Tue, 4 Jul 1995 20:24:51 -0400 (EDT)

Mysterious Ways
---------------
by U2
transcribed by Matt Hall


This tab comes with a long-winded introduction.  Sorry, just clip it off before
you print it.

I bought my first guitar about 10 months ago.  6 months later I bought a
Boss MT-2 MetalZone (nice pedal by the way).  Still, I couldn't play
Mysterious Ways and make it sound even close to being right.

The problem was two-fold.  First off, the tab file that I got from Nevada
sounds nothing like it's supposed to on my guitar.  I'm wondering if anybody
else has made it work and if not, how does the original tabber have his
guitar tuned?

Secondly, this song has never (to my knowlege; and I own the Zoocoustic
bootleg) been played by U2 acoustically.  There's a reason for that--
it would sound horrible.

I actually solved the second problem first.  I recently bought a DigiTech
RP-10 and after toying with it for a few days I found a factory preset that
sounded similar to Edge's setup on M.W.  I quickly whipped out my printout
of the tab from Nevada.  I still couldn't get it to sound right.  But
being such a novice, I figured that the tab was right and it was still a
problem with my setup.  So I tweaked the factory preset until I got closer
to Edge's sound.  Still, no luck.

Finally I started playing around with the chords from Nevada and listening
to the CD as I played.  After a couple hours of modification, I have finally
come up with a setup and tablature that is correct.  I even watched the
ZooTV video version of the song and did a freeze frame on Edge's hands.  Yep,
barre chord at the 7th fret. :)

My guitar is tuned down a half-step as usual.  Edge's might be too since my
version sounds identical to his.

For those of you who have an RP-10 or something similar, here's my program.

Based on "Classic 70s Dirt" Preset (renamed to "Mysterious Ways" of course):

Phaser -> BigVerb
(Comp Dist NGt -> MLvL PEQ CabEm -> Pha 2x3 Big -> 4x2 MMIX)

Compression:    10 Amount, 4 Level
Distortion:     Grunge Type, 1.0 Gain, 4.0 Level
Noise Gate:     On
Phaser:         90 Level, 66% Regeneration, 0.80Hz Speed, 80 Depth, Sine
Cabinet:        Off
PEQ:            various

I think the important thing is the phaser.  And keep in mind that I haven't
even been playing guitar for a year now and have only owned my RP-10 for a
couple days so these settings could use some further tweaking.

Now for the tab.  I don't have the entire song or the solo, but if you get
the intro part to work, you can easily figure out the rest of it.


            e |-------------------x--x----x--x-----------|
            B |-------------------x--x----x--x-----------|
            G |----8---------8----x--x----x--x--(7h9)----|
            D |----9---------9----x--x----x--x---7h9-----|
            A |----9---------9----x--x----x--x-----------|
            E |----7---------7----x--x----x--x-----------|


The notes in paranthesis and sorta optional.  You can also play the barre
chord as a power chord (i.e. don't play the G string) and it sounds alright.
The rest of the the song is just variations around the the 7th fret E-shape
barre chord.  Remember that the hammer on after all the muting stuff is based
on a 7th fret A-shape barre chord.  Here are some more riffs to play around
with in case you can't come up with other parts of the song on your own.


            Verse?

            e |------------------------------------------|
            B |----9-9-9----7-7-7----5-5-5----7-7-7------|
            G |----9-9-9----7-7-7----5-5-5----7-7-7------|
            D |----9-9-9----7-7-7----5-5-5----7-7-7------|
            A |----7-7-7----5-5-5----3-3-3----5-5-5------|
            E |------------------------------------------|


            "She loves you, you don't know why..."
            (each of these sounds like the start of the intro)

            e |------------------------------------------|
            B |------------------------------------------|
            G |----8-8---10-10----11-11----13-13---------|
            D |----9-9---11-11----12-12----14-14---------|
            A |----9-9---11-11----12-12----14-14---------|
            E |----7-7----9--9----10-10----12-12---------|

            There's some sort of solo or interlude that follows
            this part somewhere.  It seems to be based on the
            12th fret E shape barre chord that the above riff
            finishes on.


Well, that's most of it.  I'm not good enough to play the solo yet but if
somebody else has it, feel free to add to this.  As for the version that is
on Nevada right now, it may have some parts that are correct (the chords
are probably right) but I just can't get it to sound right.

If anybody uses this and has ANY comments (good or bad) or corrections, I'd
love to hear about it.  I'm hoping that this will be useful to somebody but
I wouldn't be surprised if somebody flames me because they think the existing
version is correct. :)


----

VERSION 2

Matt (hallmattegr.msu)


From: M.Leggettherts.ac.uk (Mad Maff)
Subject: TAB: U2 - Myst Ways Live+Solo

The Nevada tab doesn't quite seem right, so I thought I'd have a go at
this tabbing game.  P.S. whoever wrote the original, I am not discrediting
you, Post is better than no Post.

MYSTERIOUS WAYS (live with solo) - U2
This is for people learning to play the guitar (inc. me)
I know this is not going to be *very* acurate, but someone posted REQing
for live solos, and I sort of worked this out.
This is basically so I understand it myself, but if it helps others (and
they let me know, by sending me an E-mail & their fav. song name) then
thats cool.
The basic sound, I call it the chowowow, is created by using a wah peddle
If you have not got one, go out and get one (go for a second hand one - Yes
I am a student, better sound, for a lower price).  All you need after that
is some sort of distortion, the "overdrive" on my tiny amp works quite well.

The shape that you make the chowowow with, is
	 EADGBE
chowowow 686766  -- Use your index finger to "bar" on the sixth fret

Now if holding this pattern is o.k. for you, try moving it to different
places on the board, as this is basically all Edge does throughout the song

After chowowow theres a sound that goes chucka-chowah, the chucka part is
played by lifting your fingers, so that you do not fret, but mute the
strings.  The -chowah is played by moving the chowowow shape down two half
steps to the 4th fret, and slide up to 5th fret as you play it. O.K. I'll
try and tab it now.

This is called RIFF A

   with extensive use of wah peddle
E--6---6-----x---x---4/5-----
B--6---6-----x---x---4/5-----
G--7---7-----x---x---5/6-----
D--6---------x---x---4/5-----
A--8---------x---x---6/7-----
E--6---------x---x---4/5-----
   |	     |	     |
   chowowow  chucka -chowah

Get the idea ? O.K. The Song is

RIFF A (x8)
6th -- Means play that shape on the sixth fret
    -- There is no guitar during the verses
Johnny ...
with ..
let ..
to ..
you've ..
eating ..
you've ..
from ..

6th
Shes ..
11th
you're ..
6th
shes ...
11th
when ..

6th	       11th			  11th 9th
It's ..
	     4th
She ...
   REPEAT ABOVE

RIFF A (x4)
6th

verse

6th
She's ..
11th
She ..
6th			   11th
She ..

6th	       11th			  11th 9th
It's ..
	     4th
She ..
REPEAT ABOVE


I can't remember if this 16-18 stuff is in the live version or not.

Guitar Solo:
 E-16-18-16-18-16-18-16-18-16-18-------
 B-------------------------------------
 G-------------------------------------
 D-------------------------------------
 A-------------------------------------
 E-------------------------------------
  (Repeat above riff 5 times)

 E-10-10-10-10-10-10-11-10--8----------
 B-------------------------------------
 G-------------------------------------
 D-------------------------------------
 A-------------------------------------
 E-------------------------------------
  (Repeat above riff 6 times) (Give plenty of wah peddle on this)

Now for an approximation of the *live* solo.

E-------------------|--------------------
B-12/18-18-18-18-16-|-14-13-14-13-11-9---
G-------------------|--------------------
D-------------------|--------------------
A-------------------|--------------------
E-------------------|--------------------
 *Play this 3 times*

E-------------------|----------------18-16-15-16-18--
B-12/18-18-18-18-16-|-12/18-18-18-18-----------------
G-------------------|--------------------------------
D-------------------|--------------------------------
A-------------------|--------------------------------
E-------------------|--------------------------------
 *Play this 2 times*

E----18----18----18----18----18----18----20(bend)-18-16-15-16-15-13-
B-18----18----18----18----18----18----------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Scott A. Yanoff 


U2

Mysterious Ways     (From the album "Achtung Baby")
---------------

Capo 8th Fret!! (Heavy distortion recommended)

Intro/transitions: (Repeated about 9 times)
E--------------------------------------
B------11-11---------------------------
G------10-10---------------------------
D----8--8--8---------------------------
A-11-----------------------------------
E--------------------------------------
  (Note: the above is basically the Bb chord played on a few strings)

(Note: chords given below generally are played by an organ in background)

Johnny ...
Bb

With ..
	  Eb

Let ..
Bb

To ...
   F

You've ..
Bb

Eating ..
Eb

You've ..
Bb

>From ..)
	      F	
    
Chorus: (the chorus basically just switches back between the Bb and Eb chords)
E--------------11-11-|-----------------
B------11-11---11-11-|-----------------
G------10-10----8--8-|-----------------
D-------8--8---------|-----------------
A--------------------|-----------------
E--------------------|-----------------
         (Bb)  (Eb)

(So, when you see Bb or Eb, play the above chord formations, respectively)

She's ..
Bb

You're ..
Eb

She'll ..
Bb

When ...
Eb


It's ..
Bb 		      		    Eb

She ..
Db	     Ab

It's ..
Bb		      		    Eb

She ..
Db 	     Ab
    
verse
    
bridge

chorus
    
Guitar Solo:
 E-16-18-16-18-16-18-16-18-16-18-------
 B-------------------------------------
 G-------------------------------------
 D-------------------------------------
 A-------------------------------------
 E-------------------------------------
  (Repeat above riff 5 times)

 E-10-10-10-10-10-10-11-10--8----------
 B-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11----------
 G-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10----------
 D-------------------------------------
 A-------------------------------------
 E-------------------------------------
  (Repeat above riff 6 times) (Note: this is just a "play" on the Bb chord)

Bridge: (Strum each chord once, and let ring)
One day you'll look back
Bb-minor       Eb

And ..
           Bb-minor

Where

You ..
         Ab

By ..
        Bb

While

You ..
          Eb

There

And ..
        Db

Follow ..
Ab

    
It's ..
She ..
It's ..
We ..
Spirit ..
She ..
She ..
Lift ..
Db               Ab                   Bb


CHORD FORMATIONS:   (Remember the capo on 8th fret!)
Bb   x  x  8 10 11 10 (D chord formation)
Eb  11 10  8  8 11 11 (G/D chord formation)
F    x  8 10 10 10  x (A chord formation)
Db   9 11 11 10  9  9 (E chord formation, bar first finger across 9th fret)
Ab   8 11 10  8  9  x (C chord formation)
Bb-m x  x  8 10 11  9 (Dm chord formation)