Formed in California in the late ’90s, Avenged Sevenfold has become one of the most prominent metal bands on the scene. The current lineup includes M. Shadows on vocals, Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates on guitar, and Johnny Christ on bass.

After the death of drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan in late 2009, the members of Avenged Sevenfold entered the studio with Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy to finish the tracks for the band’s fifth album, Nightmare. The title track was released as the first single in May of 2010 and gave their fans a first listen to the sound of the band with Portnoy. Avenged Sevenfold will tour through the remainder of 2010 with Portnoy on drums, and, along with Disturbed, will headline the first annual Uproar Festival.

CLICK THE TAB FOR A LARGER VIEW

INTRO
The first section of the Intro is in 12/8. This time signature means that there are twelve beats per measure and each eighth note gets one beat. For the first eight measures, the synth bells (arranged here for guitar) play mostly in a dotted quarter-note pulse. Each dotted quarter note equals three eighth notes.

After the synth bells, Gtr. 2, Gtr. 3 and Gtr. 4 come in with a two-measure phrase that is mostly in octaves until the last part of the second measure. Here, Gtr. 2 (with a wah pedal) and Gtr. 4 play a run in octaves while Gtr. 3 plays a harmonized part in between them. The drums match the rhythm of the riff played by Gtr. 5 and Gtr. 6. The number 9 over the beams indicates that there are nine notes per beat, or a nonuplet. The harmonized guitars and rapid-fire riffs continue until the vocals come in and the time signature changes to a more straight-ahead 4/4. The tempo increases while Gtr. 3 and Gtr. 4 play some Van Halen-approved whammy bar tricks with harmonics. The harmonic, indicated as 3.25, is played approximately 1/4 the distance between the third and fourth frets.

VERSE
During the first Verse, Gtr. 5 plays Rhy. Fig. 2, which serves as the main riff and is doubled by Gtr. 6. In measure nine, Gtr. 3 and Gtr. 4 play Riff C, a short, chromatic riff that gives contrast to the grinding Rhy. Fig. 3 that is played by Gtr. 5 and Gtr. 6. For the last measure of Rhy. Fig. 3, place your index finger on the third fret of the 6th string for the F and then use your ring finger for the G at the fifth fret and your pinky finger for the A♭ at the sixth fret.

CHORUS AND INTERLUDE
In the Chorus, Gtr. 5 and Gtr. 6 jump up to the rhythm slashes notated above the staff. The chord diagrams for these parts are shown at the beginning of the transcription. Gtr. 3 plays Riff D and Gtr. 4 plays Riff D1 during this section. The riffs are exactly the same for the first four measures. The next four measures are nearly identical, with the exception of Gtr. 3 going to octave Es in the sixth measure while Gtr. 4 plays C octaves. The time signature switches back to 12/8 in the Interlude after the second ending in the Chorus. The indication of Tempo I means to go back to the original tempo from the beginning of the Intro. Gtr. 3 and Gtr. 4 play a harmonized melody and then they hand off to Gtr. 7, who pairs up with Gtr. 8 to set things up for the Guitar Solo.

CLICK THE TAB FOR A LARGER VIEW

GUITAR SOLO
The Guitar Solo opens with Gtr. 9 playing a blazing 32nd-note run that is shown in Fig. 1. Begin with your ring finger playing the high A on the 1st string at the 17th fret. Start the next run in 14th position with your pinky finger playing the G on the 4th string. Most of the rest of the lick is played in position until the shift down to the 13th fret for the last two notes of the measure. This shift prepares you for the held A% note on the 1st string, as well as the flurry of notes that finish the second measure.

A few measures later, Gtr. 3 and Gtr. 4 join Gtr. 9 for a two-measure lick that is played in octaves. The unique thing about this passage is that Gtr. 3 is using a DigiTech Whammy pedal. The Whammy pedal is set to replicate the note played an octave above when the treadle is depressed (toe down). After Gtr. 9 plays another two-measure melody, all three guitars come back in with a four-measure section that is tremolo picked as sixteenth-note sextuplets.

Gtr. 3 and Gtr. 4 play a harmonized line shown in Fig. 2. The line mixes the D Dorian scale (D–E–F–G–A–B–C) with some chromatic passing tones. For the Gtr. 3 part, begin in seventh position with your middle finger on the F on the 5th string. After the slide up to the B natural on beat two, remain in ninth position until beat four. Then move to tenth position for the big slide at the end of the first measure. Here is where the chromatic passing tones come in. Since the guitars are played in harmony, the contour of the melody must remain the same in each part. In the last two measures of the phrase, each guitar plays a fournote ascending chromatic phrase that ends on a target note and then immediately descends. In the last measure of the phrase, the two parts cross with Gtr. 4 playing the higher part and Gtr. 3 playing the lower part.

INTERLUDE
During the Interlude, Gtr. 3 and Gtr. 4 take a different approach to their dual leads. This time Gtr. 3 starts a sixteenth-note phrase on beat 1 and then Gtr. 4 plays nearly the exact same phrase, but begins one beat later. This technique creates some contrary motion with two lines of music moving in different directions. In beat 2 of the second measure, Gtr. 3 plays a chromatic line that leads to a high B% on the 1st string that is harmonized with a high G played by Gtr. 4.

Want more? Check out these cool links at guitaredge.com
• Get more Avenged Sevenfold tab at guitarinstructor.com
• Get cool Avenged Sevenfold gear at oldglory.com
• Download “Nightmare” on iTunes
• Get the Avenged Sevenfold tab book at musicdispatch.com
• Check out Avenged Sevenfold online at avengedsevenfold.com

Add Comment

Name

Email (will not be published)

Personal Web site/Blog URL

Subject

Comment

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Enter the letters you see in the image.

Click to get a new image.