Knocking on Heavens door Guns and Roses

I include my rendition of Slash's first solo in this transcription. I

think it's fairly accurate. I play a variation of the first solo because

people recognize it, but the second solo I improvise; and I don't feel like

figuring it out since Slash always plays something different in concert anyway.

Key: H - hammer-on

/ - slide

P - pull-off

^ - half bend

^^ - full bend

~ - vibrato

(ACK! Did we decide on a standard somewhere for ASCII tab notation. Could

someone send me a copy of the article since I apparently missed it.)

This is the picking at the very beginning of the song. The picking varies

throughout, and you should do whatever feels best instead of trying to

restrict yourself to how it sounds on record. GN'R is constantly mutating

this song in concert anyway (even doing it with a reggae beat).

-3---3--------------2-0-------|-----------------0--------------------|--------

-3-----3---3------3-----3---3-|----------1--------------1------------|--------

-0-------0------2---------2---|-0------0---0----------0---0-0------0-|--------

-0------------0---------------|-0-2----------2------2-------0-2------|--------

------------------------------|--H---3-----------------------H---3---|--------

-3----------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------

This is the picking for the first line. Again, the picking will vary

throughout the song.

-3--------------2-------2-0-------|-0-----H-------0----------------------|

-3---3-------3--3-------3-------0-|-1----0-1-------------1---------------|

-0---0-----0----2----2-------2----|-2--2-----2---------2---2------0---0--|

-0---0-----0----0----0------------|-2----------2-----2-------0-2----2----|

----------------------------------|-0-------------------------H----------|

-3--------------------------------|--------------------------------------|

Song goes like this:

Twice with picking G5 D C

Twice just power chords G5 D C

Verse 1 (with picking)

Mamma take this badge from me

I can't use it anymore

It's getting dark, too dark to see

Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door

Chorus (if you're really concerned about playing it like the

CD, listen to it for rhythm. But this song has been done by so

many people so differently that you might as well give it your own

feel.)

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door,

Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door,

(no lyrics)

Ooh, knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Ooh yeah

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah

First Guitar Solo

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

----^^---P---------15--^------~~~~~~~~~~~~------------

-12-14-14-12-14-------14-12-12-------------------12---

------------------------------------------13/14-------

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

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

---------------P------------P--------P------------------15----

15/17---15---13-12-13/15--13-12---13--12----------12-13----13-

-------------------------------------------~~~~~~~------------

-----------------------------------------14-------------------

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

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

G ^^ D ^^ ^^ C

--~~~-------15-17--17--17--17--15-----------------------------

12---15/17----------------------------------------------------

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

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

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

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

G ^^ ^^ D C

--20-20-19-20--19-20--20-20-20---~~~~~----------------------------------

-------P-----------------------17------^^----^^-------------------------

---------------------------------------19-19-19-19-^-----^--------------

---------------------------------------------------19-19-19-19----------

---------------------------------------------------------------17--17---

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

Additional lyrics:

Mama, put my guns in the ground

I can't shoot them anymore

That cold black cloud is comin' down

Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door

Basically there are lots of "knockin' on heaven's door"s throughout the rest