• Song:

    White Russian

  • Artist:

    Marillion

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: James Osgood 

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.
Show more