Black Betty Guitar Tab

#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE------------------------------#
#  This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation    #
#  of the song. The owner of this website has not reviewed the contents of   #
#  this file. If you feel that the content of this file may be violating     #
#  copyright law, you may not use the information displayed here in any way. #
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

Artist: Spiderbait
Song: Black Betty
Album: Tonight Alright


Transcribed by Paul @ OzTabs (oztabs@bigpond.com)
& Petox (citizen_erased808@hotmail.com)



Tuning: Drop D (DADGBe)


banjo: this is as close as I can get
(with slide)
e-|----------------------------|
B-|----------------------------|
G-|--------------4p0-----------|
D-|-----3-0--0-0------3-0--0-0-|(x 5)
A-|-3p0------------------------|
D-|----------------------------|

e-|-------------------|-
B-|-------------------|-
G-|--/4~~~-2~~~-/4---|-
D-|-0-----------------|-
A-|-------------------|-
D-|-------------------|-



main:(0:11)
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------10----|
D|-10-12----10-12-x-10----|
A|-10-12----10-12-x--8----|
D|-10-12----10-12-x-------|


verse:
e|----|
B|----|
G|----|
D|-12-|
A|-12-|
D|-12-| x a few



next part: (0:43)
e|--------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|-------------------10~~~--------|-------------10--12-1210-----|
D|-10-12----10-12-x-10~~~--(x1)--|-10-12-12-12-10--12-1210-(x4)|
A|-10-12----10-12-x--8~~~--------|-10-12-12-12--8--10-108------|
D|-10-12----10-12-x--------------|-10-12-12-12------------------|

e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|-----------10-----------|
D|-10-12~~~~-10-------12--|
A|-10-12~~~~--8-------12--|
D|-10-12~~~~----------12--|



back to verse again




bridge (1:15):
e-|---------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------|
G-|-12b--12p10----10------------10-12b--12p10----10~~-|
D-|------------12----12p10-12-----------------12------|
A-|---------------------------------------------------|
D-|---------------------------------------------------|

e-|-------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|-10-10-10-10-12-1210-------10-------------------------------|
D-|-10-10-10-10-12-1210-10-12-10-12-/12---12---12-12-12-12----|
A-|--8--8--8--8-10-108--10-12--8-12-/12---12---12-12-12-12----|
D-|----------------------10-12----12-/12---12---12-12-12-12----|
						       *small lead riff on 2nd guitar here


(these next parts aren't written exactly, but if i were to do that it would make it even 
more confusing)
e-|-------------------------------|
B-|-------------------------------|
G-|-------------------------------|
D-|-------------------------------|
A-|-------------------------------|
D-|-0-0-0-0-10-0-0-0-0-10-0-10h12-| x8 with wah wah 
				   (slowly rock it from the closed to the open position)
e-|-------|
B-|-------|
G-|-------|
D-|-3-5-7-|
A-|-3-5-7-|
D-|-3-5-7-|

e-|-------------------------------|		e-|-------|
B-|-------------------------------|		B-|-------|
G-|-------------------------------|		G-|-------|
D-|-------------------------------|		D-|-3-5-7-|
A-|-------------------------------|		A-|-3-5-7-|
D-|-0-0-0-0-10-0-0-0-0-10-0-10h12-| x4  then    D-|-3-5-7-|


next lead part: (2:04)
e|--------------------------------------------------------------|-
B|-----12-10--------------12-10--------------12-10--------------|-
G|-----12-10--------------12-10--------------12-10--------------|-
D|-12-------12-12-12-12-------12-12-12-12-------12-12-12-12-|-
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|-
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|-

e|----------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------|
G|----10-12-12b13r12p10----10----10-|
D|-12-------------------12----12----|
A|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|

e|--------------------------------------------------------------|-
B|-----12-10--------------12-10--------------12-10--------------|-
G|-----12-10--------------12-10--------------12-10--------------|-
D|-12-------12-12-12-12-------12-12-12-12-------12-12-12-12-|-
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|-
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|-



bridge end: (2:19)
e|------------|
B|------------|
G|------------|
D|-3-5-10-12-|
A|-3-5-10-12-|
D|-3-5-10-12-|

bridge ending, guitar 2:
e|-----------------|
B|-10--10--10------|
G|-12b-12b-12b-12-|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
D|-----------------|



-small lead riff-(1:31)
e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-----------|
A|-5p3p0-----|
D|-------3~~-|



outro:(2:58)
e|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|
G|-------------10--12-1210-|
D|-10-12-12-12-10--12-1210-|
A|-10-12-12-12--8--10-108--| x8
D|-10-12-12-12--------------|

(3:14)"BAMBALAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMB!"
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------------------10-----------|
D|-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-10--------12|
A|-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12--8--------12|
D|-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-----------12|




lead during outro: (2:58) not quite sure about this, its hard to hear
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|-12b13-12p10----10------|
D|-------------12----12---|
A|------------------------| x a few
D|------------------------|

(3:14)
e|------------|
B|------------|
G|------------|
D|-12

Source: http://www.guitarmasta.net/s/spiderbait/310744.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Kyle Wanna Be	#1 by Kyle Kom at Oct 22, 1974 at 12:26 PM EST
	if l find out who gives these cheap bands permission to cover classic rock songs... l'll give them a smack

No Picture FUCK Rhythm Player	#2 by FUCK OFF at Jun 15, 1977 at 7:22 AM EST
	I know for a fact it was Leadbelly who first RECORDED it. And then Ram Jam took it on to where it became more popular.

No Picture CHUNK ZIZZLE Rhythm Player	#3 by CHUNK ZIZZLE at Mar 25, 1982 at 4:03 AM EST
	Top choice of a cover song by Spiderbait and good to see that it gave their career a good ol' kick start back to what they were like in the mid-late 90s.

No Picture Dan Professional Badass	#4 by Dan Hudspith at Sep 5, 1987 at 1:01 AM EST
	lynard skynard sings it better!! but w//e...it still sounds good!! it always makes me smile!!

No Picture Brian Average	#5 by Brian Dempsey at Sep 7, 1992 at 1:00 PM EST
	Leadbelly created some great songs. And the people who cover his songs well just give the man justice. This is my favorite 'Black Betty' Cover. Makes you just want to get up and scream along with the song.

No Picture Jarrett Lead Player	#6 by Jarrett Sandlin at Jul 18, 1993 at 10:37 AM EST
	Actually, this song is about Three things, if you think about it. I believe, originally, the song was meant to be about a woman. Possibly noting that she kind of......drives him nuts. It's also been noted that this song has been used to describe various cars, yes....Car's, the big things that go vroom vroom. Also, some people think that it's actually about a shotgun, it would make sense, shotgun, black, boom boom, bambalam. Either way, Spiderbait did a near perfect cover of this song.

No Picture Tommy Wanna Be	#7 by Tommy Tang at Jan 16, 1994 at 10:04 AM EST
	no, it was originally a leadbelly song and heaps of ppl have covered it over the years. I think this is one of the better covers turning a tale of a prostitute? (I think) into a fast adrenaline-packed pumping song.

No Picture The Random Rock Average	#8 by The Random Rocker at Sep 16, 2001 at 4:43 AM EST
	oh i thought lynard skynard was the orignal...i really like this song regardless who sings it cuz it has GREAT energy! lol!

No Picture sebastian Average	#9 by sebastian daalmeijer at Sep 13, 2002 at 2:43 PM EST
	if l find out who gives these cheap bands permission to cover classic rock songs... l'll give them a smack

No Picture Manu Professional Badass	#10 by Manu at Jun 15, 2003 at 8:46 PM EST
	I really dont care what this song is about cuz i think its about nothing. I just like it because one of my friends sometimes he talks really 'ghetto' sometimes and you cant really understand him so i think this song is kinda what he sounds like sometimes like "blambalamlamasdlkhasdf". lol. just a thought....