WWW.AZCHORDS.COM | Soundgarden - By Crooked Steps Tabs | Ver. 1
Soundgarden - By Crooked Steps
Tuning - Drop D
The heavy tone and odd time signature changes make 'By Crooked Steps' a cool
song to play. Great guitar layering by Chris and Kim, and interesting tones
throughout. Please rate/comment.
Updated 1/12/13 from Jimmy Kimmel performance footage.
Intro
e|-----------------|-----------|----------------|------------|
B|-----------------|-----------|----------------|------------|
G|-----------------|-12--------|----------------|------------|
D|---12------10----|-----------|---12------10---|-0----------|
A|-9----10h12---12-|-----------|-9----10h12--12-|------------|
D|-----------------|-----------|----------------|------------|
|------------|--------------------|
|------------|--------------------|
|------------|--------------------|
|------------|---12----12---------|
|-9---9------|-9---9h10-----------|
|------------|--------------10-12-|
Intro continues after sound effects w/ bass
Melody Riff, played 2x
e|------------------|-----------|
B|------------------|-----------|
G|------------------|-12~-------|
D|--------10----10--|-----------|
A|-9/11h12----12--12|-----------|
D|------------------|-----------|
Verse Riff - repeat throughout verses (5 beats per bar)
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-10h12-12-12-12------10h12-12-12-10h12-12-12-12------|
A|-10h12-12-12-12------10h12-12-12-10h12-12-12-12------|
D|-10h12-12-12-12------10h12-12-12-10h12-12-12-12------|
"I'm addicted to feeling,
Stealing love isn't stealing,
Can't you see that I understand your mind?"
"I'm a walking believer,
I'm a ghost and a healer,
I'm the shape of the home inside your mind"
(1:06) - Melody riff added
(1:14) Chorus Part 1 - changes to 4/4 time
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------8-8-8-8-----|
|-10h12-12-12-12-----8-8-8-8-8-----|
|-10h12-12-12-12-----6-6-6-6-6-----|
|-10h12-12-12-12-------------------|
Chorus Part 2 (1:16)
Guitar 1 4/4 time
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|-8h10-10-10-10----8h10-10-10-10---| continue below
|-8----8--8--8-----8----8--8--8----| with 2 parts
|----------------------------------|
Guitar 1 3/4 time
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|-8h10-10-10-10----10-10-10-10-|
|-8----8--8--8-----8--8--8--8--|
|------------------------------|
|
| Guitar 2
|------------------------------|------|
|--------------------6-5-------|------|
|------------------5-------5---|------|
|------------------------------|------|
|------------------------------|-5\3--|
|------------------------------|------|
Guitar 1 plays Verse Riff once, then repeats Part 1 and 2 above on Guitar 1
Chorus Lyrics, starting with Part 2 riff:
"Not looking for a brighter side,
Crooked steps will take me higher,
I don't care if you want to cry"
Verse 2 - Similar to Verse 1 (1:26)
"I'm a soldier for hire,
Killing all you admire,
And you live in the cloud but that will change"
(1:54) Chorus 2 - Similar to first time
(2:08) Short Solo
|------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-------10-13p10h13~~~~--------------|--------------------------10-|
|-12b14------------------12h14p12h14-|-9h10p9---------------9-12---|
|------------------------------------|--------10p9h10/12-----------|
|------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|------10h12_______/15--|----14----------16-------14--|
|---13------------------|-13----13~~~-13----13-13-----|
|-----------------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------------|
|-----------------------|-----------------------------|
Bridge - play this 4x
|-----------------------|------------------|
|-----------------------|------------------|
|-----------------------|------------------|
|-7h9-9-----------------|-7h9-9\-4---------|
|-------9-9--12________-|--------5---------|
|---------------10_____-|--------0---------|
Blood raining down,
Cuts a deep, deep river,
And we're diving
(2:41) on last time through bridge, play this in 2nd bar:
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-0---------------------| guitar 2 plays melody riff
|-5---------------------|
|-3---------------------|
(2:48) Bridge Pt 2 Riff - Guitar 3
|---------3----0-----3/8--------|
|-7--7----5----2-----5/10-------|
|-7--7----5----2-----5/10-------|
|-7--7----5----2-----5/10-------|
|-5--5----3----0-----3/8--------|
|-------------------------------|
"My crooked steps, right behind you"
Solo 2 - With Bridge Pt 2 riff and Verse Riff overlapping
|----------------------|---------------------|-----------10-----------------|
|-13\10----------------|---------------------|------10-10--13b15---13-10-10-|
|---------12-10-12~~~~-|-9h10p9--------------|-12b14------------------------|
|----------------------|-------12p10p9-10h12-|------------------------------|
|----------------------|---------------------|------------------------------|
|----------------------|---------------------|------------------------------|
|--------10~~~~~--------|
|-12h13-----------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
Continue playing Bridge Pt 2 riff and Verse Riff until 3:15
"By crooked steps,
Right behind you"
I'm a walking believer,
I'm a ghost and a healer"
(3:15) Guitars 1 & 2, play this 4x
|----------------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------------------|-----------------------|
|----------------------------|-----------------------|
|----12-12\10______----------|-----------------------|
|-10----------8-8-8--8p7h8p7-|-8p7h8p7h8p7-----------|
|----------------------------|------------12--10-12--|
"Can't you see that I understand your mind?"
Ending - play Verse Riff, guitar 2 plays these notes with bends
|-15______b16r----------|
|-13______b14r----------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
"By crooked steps, right behind you" (repeated)
KEY
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| r Bend release
************************************
