Band: The Strokes
Song: Hard To Explain
Album: Is this it?
Guitarist(s): Albert Hammond Jr.
Nick Valens
Tabbed By: Tomsk
Standard Tuning
I saw these guys bang this one out on 'Saturday Night Live' so i tabbed it how
they played it. The song is played with two guitarists, but Albert plays more of
the lead.... I've tabbed evrything I can hear in this song, still a bit of loose
rhythm guitaring I haven't done, so anybody like to add that they're more than welcome too!
s = slide
b = bend
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
x = muted with palm
Intro - downstrokes
G Em G
e|--33333333---22222222---3333333333333333----|
B|--33333333---00000000---3333333333333333----|
G|--00000000---00000000---0000000000000000----|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
main riff by Albert
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------7---------|
G|---5--7--7s9----------7--5--9--5----5--9--5-|
D|--------------7b---5------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------7b-----5--|
G|----------------------7--5--9--5------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------|
G|----0---2---2s4---2-----0---2---2s4---2-----|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
(bass fill )
( )
( e|-----------------------------------------------------------------| )
( B|-----------------------------------------------------------------| )
( G|-----------------------------------------------------------------| )
( D|-----------------------------------------------------------------| )
( A|-------------------------2-2-2-2---------------------------------| )
( E|--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--------3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-5-5-5-5-| )
( )
during this bass fill Albert plays this at 12th fret
e|---x----------------------------------------|
B|---x----------------------------------------|
G|---x----------------------------------------| X 32
D|---x----------------------------------------|
A|---x----------------------------------------|
E|---x----------------------------------------|
G Em G
e|--33333333---22222222---3333333333333333----|
B|--33333333---00000000---3333333333333333----|
G|--00000000---00000000---0000000000000000----|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
was an honest man
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------7---------|
G|---5--7--7s9----------7--5--9--5----5--9--5-|
D|--------------7b---5------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
ask me for the phone
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------7b-----5--|
G|----------------------7--5--9--5------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
tried to take control
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------|
G|----0---2---2s4---2-----0---2---2s4---2-----|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
oh, i don't see it that way
i don't see it that way
bass fill, palm muting on 12th fret....
G Em G
e|--33333333---22222222---3333333333333333----|
B|--33333333---00000000---3333333333333333----|
G|--00000000---00000000---0000000000000000----|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|
we shared some ideas
Riff again...
then pre-chorus
Albert slides up to this:
e|----10--|
B|-3s-12--| and plays this through
G|----12--| pre-chorus and chorus
D|----12--|
A|----10--|
E|----10--|
While Nick plays this:
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------------------------------------|
raised in carolina (she said), im not like that
trying to remind her, when we go back
chorus
e|--------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------|
D|--9--12--9--10--9---(x2)------9--------------(x2)-|
A|----------------------------10--10--12--10--------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
Remember other e|-10-
guitarist is still B|-12-
playing this like G|-12-
a madman! -> D|-12-
A|-10-
E|-10-
The last bit of the chorus misses out the last note, thats where all the instruments stop
on the line 'you're right it's true' and 'it's hard to explain' (last lyric of song).
Then it goes back to G, Em, G (intro)
Enjoy
This is a great song, and great to play- especially in a band.
Thats about everything. Any questions, comments, corrections please post.
[email protected]
Thank you!