White Russian

White Russian - Lyrics and Music by Marillion

Transcribed by James Osgood jco100@tower.york.ac.uk

The song is played with a capo at the third fret. It is in 3/4 (waltz

time)

Legend

10b12 means bend from the tenth fret to the twelfth.

(10)b12 means pre-bend

20r18 means release bend

~ indicates vibrato.

/ means slide

\/ means dip one semitone with whammy bar.

p indicates pull off, and

h indicates hammer on.

After the initial synth chords, SR plays a few swelled in notes i.e.

fade in with a volume pedal or with the guitars volume control.

Where do we go from here Where do we go

e-------------------------------------------------------------------

B-----(11)b13~------------------------------------------------------

G------------------------------------(10)b12~-----------------------

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

A-------------------------------------------------------------------

E-------------------------------------------------------------------

go from here Where do we go from here

e-------------------10b11~------------------------------------------

B----------------------------------------------------------(11)b13--

G-------------------------------------------------------------------

D-------------------------------------------------------------------

A-------------------------------------------------------------------

E-------------------------------------------------------------------

Where do we go from here

e-------------------------------------------------------------------

B------------------18b20r18p16---18---(18)b20~---------------------

G-------------------------------------------------------------------

D-------------------------------------------------------------------

A-------------------------------------------------------------------

E-------------------------------------------------------------------

\/ \/ \/ vib. with bar

e---------------------------------11~~---|

B-------13-------13-------13------11~~---|

G-------12-------12-------12-------------| Repeat

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

A----3--------3--------3-------3---------|

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

Then we get the main riff, in 3/4. This part is written

in time. The first two notes are quavers and the second two

crotchets.

They boarded up the synagogues, Uzis on a street corner

e------3---3---|------3---3---|--------------|-------------|

B------4---4---|------4---4---|------6-------|----6--------|

G------5---5---|------5---5---|-----------8--|-------8-----|

D----5---------|----6---------|----7---------|--6----------|

A--3-----------|--3-----------|--3-----------|-------------|

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

Same until we get to the change, which is just arpeggios of Gm and EbM7

e--------3-----|--------3------|

B----------3---|----------3----|

G------------3-|------3-----3--|

D------5-------|----4----------|

A----5---------|--5------------|

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

The next different bit is at the point.

The more I see the more I hear the more I find fewer answers..

which has this little bit twice. Check the CD for the timing.

e--16-------15------|

B------18-------16--|

G-------------------|

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

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

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

After this bit we get some weird arpeggios. The first is Db with a

Bb bass, but the second - I'm not sure if this is right as the guitar

part is buried.

To calm down....

e--------4------|--------4------|--------3------|----------3--|

B----------6----|----------6----|----------4----|----------4--|

G------6-----6--|------6-----6--|------3-----3--|----------3--|

D----3----------|----3----------|----3----------|------3------|

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

E--6------------|--6------------|--6------------|--6----------|

Then the solo - this is the first time I've transcribed a fastish

solo, so no flames please if it's not 100% accurate. The | here do

not represent bar lines, merely a tidy way of ending the lines.

Tremelo picking--|

e--------------17-18-17-15-17-18-15----------------------------|

B----(18)b20------------------------18--15~--------------------|

G-------------------------------------------3--5-(5)b7r5p3-----|

D----------------------------------------------------------3h5~|

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

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

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

B--8p6p3--8p6p3--8p6p3--8p6p3--8p6p3--8p6p3--8/15--13--15/18--|

G-------------------------------------------------------------|

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

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

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

\/ A nice fast Gm scale

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

B--15----------------------------------------------------15---|

G------15--14-----15--14---------------------14--15--17-------|

D-------------------------17--15------15--17------------------|

A---------------------------------17--------------------------|

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

e----------15--17--18/20--18--20--(20)b22~~--|

B--16--18------------------------------------|

G--------------------------------------------|

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

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

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

The solo is followed by a fast version of the main riff,

played on distorted guitar. This is again written in time.

e--------3-----|--------3-----|--------------|-------------|

B--------4-----|--------4-----|--------6-----|---------9---|

G--------5-----|--------5-----|--------8-----|---------8---|

D--------5-----|--------6-----|--------7-----|---------6---|

A--3-3-3-3-3-3-|--3-3-3-3-3-3-|--3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3---|

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

Gm and EbM7 arpeggios are again played under the 'Where do we go

from here's, this time on distorted guitar.

Underneath the piano arpeggios at

' We buy fresh bagels..' we have

e--3--------------|--6--------------|

B--------3--------|--------3--------|

G-----8-----------|-----8-----------|

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

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

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

Then the outro solo

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

B-----------------------16b18----------------------------------|

G--(15)b17~-15--13--15---------(15)b17--15--13--12~-10--12--13-|

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

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

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

The F is a grace note

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

B---------------------------------16------| Repeat this bit.

G--10h12--8------8-10--12--13/15------15--|

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

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

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

e-13-15b16r15--------------------13--15b16r15-----15h16p15----|

B-------------14-------------------------------16----------16-|

G----------------15-13-12-------------------------------------|

D-------------------------15----------------------------------|

A-----------------------------17------------------------------|

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

e--15h16h18--(18)b20--(18)b20r18p16--18--15--16--18-(18)b20-----|

B---------------------------------------------------------------|

G---------------------------------------------------------------|

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

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

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

e-(18)b20r18p16--18---------------------------------------------|

B--------------------16b18----13--16--13------------------------|

G--------------------------15------------13\12------------------|

D----------------------------------------------13----13~--------|

A-------------------------------------------------15------------|

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

There is more, but for now, I've had enough. It carrys on in

a similar vein, all in Fm until the end.

Send flames etc to jco100@tower.york.ac.uk.