'You Take My Breath Away' tab guide

Words and music by Freddie Mercury

piano accompaniment arranged for fingerpicking/classical guitar.

Two versions. The first one is in the original key and very hard
to play. The second one is transposed down by one halfstep and easier
to play. For this latter you can use a capo to keep the original key.

Version 1 (c-minor)

pre-intro
|------------------------------------------|
|-11-----------------11---8----11----11----|
|-8------------------8---------8-----8-----|
|-10-10------10---10-10-----10----10----10-|
|------------------------------------------|
|-8------------------8--8------------------|

"intro figure":
|------------------8------------------8-----11-10----8-----|
|-8------8-9----------------8-9---------8---------11---8---|
|------8--------10---8----8--------10-----8--------------8-|
|---10-------12--------10-------12-------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|-8------------------8-------------------------------------|

repeat intro figure ((with more busy bass))


Verse
|---------------8-----------------11----|
|-8----8----6---6---8---8---9------9----|
|-8----8----7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-10-10-10----|
|---10---10-----------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
|-8---------8-------8-------8-----------|

repeat intro figure

|-------4---------|----|-------4-----11---11---|
|-6---6---8---8---|----|-6---6---8---11---11---|
|-7-7-----8-8---8-|-0/-|---7-----8-8----8------|
|-----------------|-/0-|-----------------------|
|-----------------|----|---------6-------------|
|-7-------8-------|----|-6---------------------|

|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-4---4---4---4---6---6---6---6-4-------4-4---4-1-------1-4---6---|
|-5---5---5---5---7---7---7---7-3-----3---3---3-2-----2---2-------|
|---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---5---5-----5---5-4---4-----4-------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-6---------------6---------------3---------3-----2---------2-----|

|--------------------------|
|-4-----1-----------4------|
|-1-----1-----1-----1------|
|-3-----3------------------|
|--------------------------|
|-1-1-1---1-1---1-1--------|

repeat Intro figure


2nd Verse
|-8----8-8-8---8-8-----8---------11----|
|-8----8-8-6---6-6-8---8---9------9----|
|-8----8-8-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-10-10----10-|
|---10---------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|-8--------8-------8-------8-----------|

repeat intro figure

|-------4---------|----|-------4-----6---11---|
|-6---6---8---8---|----|-6---6---8-----8-11---|
|-7-7-----8-8---8-|-0/-|---7-----8-8----------|
|-----------------|-/0-|----------------------|
|-----------------|----|---------6------------|
|-7-------8-------|----|-6--------------------|


|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-4---4---4---4-6-----6---6---6---4-----4-4---4-4-------1-4---6---|
|-5---5---5---5-7-----7---7---7---3---3---3-----------2---2-------|
|---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---5-----5---------4-----4-----4-|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-6---------------6---------------3---------3-----2---------2-----|
                *     *   *   *
Tab omits Bb notes (D-8) at the marked (*) points.
(Also in the variant phrases.)

|----------------------------|
|-4-----4-----4---4------4---|
|-1-----1-----1---1------1---|
|-3-3-3-3---3-3-3-3------3---|
|----------------------------|
|-1--------------------------|

repeat intro figure


Bridge
|-------------------------------------------------|
|---------4---6-----------4---6-----------4---6---|
|-7-----7-5---7---7---7---5---7-------7---5---7---|
|-8---8-----6---6-8---8-----6---6-----8-----6---6-|
|---8---------------8---8-----------8---8---------|
|-6------(6)------6------(6)------6---------------|

|-----6---11------------11---6---11---|
|-----8---11---8--------11---8---11---|
|---8---8----8---8----8----8---8----8-|
|-------------------------------------|
|-6-----------------6-----------------|
|-------------------------------------|

|-----4-----------0-------0---0--------------------1-------1-------|
|-4---4---4---4---------1-1---1----4-----1-4---4---3-----3---3-----|
|-5---5---5---5-----0h3---3---3----1---1---5---5---4-1h4---1---4p1-|
|---6---6---6---6-----------5---5----3-----6---6-------------------|
|-----------------3------------------------------------------------|
|-4------------------------(3---3)-1---------3---4-----------------|

|---------------------------------|
|-4-----4-4---6-4-------1-4---4---|
|-3---3---3-----3-----2---2-------|
|---5---5-5---5-----4-------4---4-|
|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----2---------------|

|-------------------------|
|-4-----1-------------4---|
|-1-----------1-------5---|
|---3-3---3-3---3-3---6---|
|---------------------8---|
|-1-----------------------|

repeat intro figure

Solo
|-8-----8--8-8---8-------8--(13)13-11----|
|-8-----8--8-6---6---8---8---9------9----|
|-8-----8--8-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-10-------10-|
|---10-10-10-----------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|-8----------8-------8-------8-----------|

|-------8--8-8---8-------8--(13)13-11----|
|-8-----8--8-6---6---8---8---9------9----|
|-8-----8--8-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-8-10-------10-|
|---10-----------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|-8----------8-------8-------8-----------|

|-------------------------------------------------|
|---------4---6-----------4---6-----------4---6---|
|-7---7---5---7---7---7---5---7---7---7---5---7---|
|-8---8-----6---6-8---8-----6---6-8---8-----6---6-|
|---8---8-----------8---8-----------8---8---------|
|-6------(6)------6------(6)------6---------------|

|-----6---11-6----------6---11-6-----|
|-8---8--------8---8----8--------8---|
|---8---8-8------8---8----8-8------8-|
|------------------------------------|
|-6----------------6-----------------|
|------------------------------------|

2nd Bridge (second half)
|-----------------0-0-0-0---0-0-------------------1-...-|
|-4-4-4-4---4-----1-1-1-1---1-1---4-------4---4---3-...-|
|-5-5-5-5---5-----3-3-3-3---3-3---1---1---5---5---4-...-|
|-6-6-6-6---6---6-----------------3-3---3-6---6---------|
|-----------------3-------3-----------------------------|
|-4-------4---4-------------------1---------3---4---...-|

|---------------------------------|
|-4-----4-4-6---4---------4---4---|
|-3---3---3-3---2-----2-5-----2---|
|---5---5-5-5-------4-------4-----|
|---------------------------------|
|-3-----------3---2---------------|

|------------------------|
|-4-----1------------4---|
|-1-----1-----1------5---|
|-3-----3------------6---|
|--------------------8---|
|-1-1-1------------------|

repeat intro figure

Tr: PD april 2002

Note: At several places the use of your thumb (left hand) may
result in an easier play.

The "intro figure" you can play like this:

|-----------------8-...|
|-8------8-9-----------|
|------8-----7-10------|
|---10-----------------|
|----------------------|
|-8--------------------|


Note the pre-downbeat emphasyses, and the tempo changes which you have
to learn from the record.
Most of this tab was transcribed using the piano-only version availbale
on "The Eye". It's more or less accurate, tad simplified. You
can simplify it further. I admit I had to "bluff" much in the
last (half-)Bridge (omitted in the Eye-version).

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

Version 2 (b-minor)

pre-intro
|-----------------------------------|
|-10-------------10---7---10---10---|
|-7--------------7--------7----8----|
|-9--9-----9---9-9------9----9----9-|
|-----------------------------------|
|-7--------------7--7---------------|

"intro figure":    (played with barre)
|-----------------7----------------7-----10-9----7-----|
|-7-----7-8---------------7-8--------7--------10---7---|
|-----7--------9----7---7--------9-----7-------------7-|
|---9-------11--------9-------11-----------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------|
|-7-----------------7----------------------------------|

repeat intro figure


Verse
|-------------7---------------10---|
|-7---7---5---5---7---7---8---8----|
|-7---7---6-6-6-6-7-7-7-7-9-9-9----|
|---9---9--------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|-7-------7-------7-------7--------|

repeat intro figure

|-------3---------|----|-------3-----10---10---|
|-5---5---7---7---|----|-5---5---7---10---10---|
|-6-6-----7-7---7-|-0/-|---6-----7-7----7------|
|-----------------|-/0-|---------0-------------|
|-----------------|----|-0---------------------|
|-6-------7-------|----|-----------------------|
                                    pinky barre

|-----------------0---0---0---0-------------------------------0---|
|-3---3---3---3---2---2---2---2-3-------3-3---3-0-------0-3-------|
|-4---4---4---4---2-0-2-0-2-0-2-2-----2---2---2-1-----1---1-------|
|---5---5---5---5---------------4---4-----4---4-3---3-----3-------|
|-0---------------0-----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------2---------2-----1---------1-----|
                                                  ^  Thumb  ^
                                      (Also in the variant phrases)


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

repeat Intro figure


2nd Verse
|-7---7-7-7---7-7-----7-------10---|
|-7---7-7-5---5-5-7---7---8---8----|
|-7---7-7-6-6-6-6-7-7-7-7-9-9----9-|
|---9------------------------------|
|----------------------------------|
|-7-------7-------7-------7--------|

repeat intro figure

|-------3---------|----|-------3-----------10---|
|-5---5---7---7---|----|-5---5---7---10----10---|
|-6-6-----7-7---7-|-0/-|---6-----7-7(/)-11------|
|-----------------|-/0-|---------0--------------|
|-----------------|----|-0----------------------|
|-6-------7-------|----|------------------------|


|---------------0-----0---0---0-------------------------------0---|
|-3---3---3---3-2-----2---2---2---3-----3-3---3-3-------0-3-------|
|-4---4---4---4-0---0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2---2---2-----------1---1-------|
|---5---5---5-----------------------4-----4---------3-----3-----3-|
|-0---------------0-----------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------2---------2-----1---------1-----|

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

repeat intro figure


Bridge
|-------------0---------------0---------------0---|
|-2-----2-3---2---2---2---3---2-------2---3---2---|
|-2---2---4-----0-2---2---4-----0-----2---4-----0-|
|---2-------5-------2---2---5-------2---2---5-----|
|-0------(0)------0------(0)------0---------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|

|-----5---10-----------10---5---10---|
|-----7---10---7-------10---7---10---|
|---7---7----7---7---7----7---7----7-|
|-0----------------0-----------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
when doing the pinky barre it's easier if you release your
middle finger from the B-string.

|-----3--------------------------------------------0-------0-------|
|-3---3---3---3---4-----0-0---0----3-----0-3---3---2-----2---2-----|
|-4---4---4---4-------2---8---8----0---0---4---4---3-0h3---0---3p0-|
|---5---5---5---5-4-4-----7---7------2-----5---5-------------------|
|-----------------2---------9---9----------------------------------|
|-3--------------------------------0---------2---3-----------------|

|---------------------------------|
|-3-----3-3---5-3-------0-3---3---|
|-2---2---2-----1-----1---1-------|
|---4---4-4---4-----3-------3---3-|
|---------------------------------|
|-2---------2-----1---------------|

|-------------------------|
|-3-----0-------------3---|
|-0-----------0-------4---|
|---2-2---2-2---2-2---5---|
|-------------------------|
|-0-------------------0---|

repeat intro figure

Solo
|-7---7-7-7---7-------7--(12)12-10---|
|-7---7-7-5---5---7---7---8------8---|
|-7---7-7-6-6-6-6-7-7-7-7-9--------9-|
|---9-9-9----------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-7-------7-------7-------7----------|

|-----7-7-7---7-------7--(12)12-10---|
|-7---7-7-5---5---7---7---8------8---|
|-7---7-7-6-6-6-6-7-7-7-7-9--------9-|
|---9--------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|-7-------7-------7-------7----------|

|-------------0---------------0---------------0---|
|-2---2---3---2---2---2---3---2---2---2---3---2---|
|-2---2---4-----0-2---2---4-----0-2---2---4-----0-|
|---2---2---5-------2---2---5-------2---2---5-----|
|-0------(0)------0------(0)------0---------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|

|-----5---10-5----------5---10-5-----|
|-7---7--------7---7----7--------7---|
|---7---7-7------7---7----7-7------7-|
|-0----------------0-----------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|

2nd Bridge (second half)
|-------------------------------------------------0-...-|
|-3-3-3-3---3-----0-0-0-0---0-0---3-------3---3---2-...-|
|-4-4-4-4---4-----8-8-8-8---8-8---0---0---4---4---3-...-|
|-5-5-5-5---5---5-7-7-7-7---7-7---2-2---2-5---5---------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-3-------3---3---7-------7-------0---------2---3---...-|

|---------------------------------|
|-3-----3-3-5---3-------0-3---3---|
|-2---2---2-2---1-----1-------1---|
|---4---4-4-4-------3-------3-----|
|---------------------------------|
|-2-----------2---1---------------|

|------------------------|
|-3-----0------------3---|
|-0-----0-----0------4---|
|-2-----2------------5---|
|------------------------|
|-0-0-0--------------0---|

repeat intro figure


Advice:
First practice the tricky chord changes:
7x977x > 7xx657
7x977x > 6xx653
Author: PD
Last update: 03/21/2007