Smoke On The Water
(Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice)
From "Machine Head", 1972
Key -
Rythym Symbols (above the bar):
Q - Quarter note
E - Eighth note etc.
g - Grace notes
. - Dotted note
- - Tied note
xR - Rest of duration x
Notes grouped within square brackets with a three above
are played as triplets.
Accents (below the bar):
> - Accent the note
. - Stacatto
Others (within the bar):
: - Repeat marks
| - Bar seperators
f - full bend
h - half bend
q - quarter bend
~ - vibrato
w - wide vibrato
p - pull off
h - hammer on
- slide down
/ - slide up
g - Ghost bend (bend to pitch, then strike note)
r - Release bend, note still ringin
Riff A -----------------
| 1-5 |
Q Q Q E E ER E ER E Q Q Q Q Q E E ER Q.-Q Q
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|----------------|
|--------------*----|----------------*--|--------------*-----|-------------*--|
:--------------X----|----------------X--|--------------X-----|-------------X--:
:-5---8---10------5-|---8---11--10------|--5---8---10-----8--|---5------------:
|-5---8---10------5-|---8---11--10------|--5---8---10-----8--|---5------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|---3------------|
>. >. > >. >. >. > >. >. > >. >
(* Hit pick ups with palm of right hand)
------------------- 1st Verse
| 6. Rh. Fill 1 (We all came out to........)
ER Q.-Q Q E E Q E E Q E E Q E E Q
|-------------------|-----------------------|----------|----------------------|
|-------------------|-----------------------|----------|----------------------|
|-------------------|-----------------------|-----%----|----------------------|
|----5--------------|--------5----------5---|-----%----|--------5---------3---|
|----5----------10-|-----5----------5------|----------|-----5---------3------|
|----3--------------|--3----------3---------|----------|--3---------1---------|
> > . . . .
(line to ... mo - bile,_____ we didnt)
E E Q E E Q E E Q E E Q E E Q E E Q
|-----------------------|-------|-----------------------|---------------------|
|-----------------------|-------|-----------------------|---------------------|
|-----------------------|---%---|------------------(3)--|---------------------|
|--------5----------5---|---%---|--------5----------5---|--------5---------3--|
|-----5----------5------|-------|-----5----------5------|-----5------3--3-----|
|--3----------3---------|-------|--3----------3---------|--3---------1--------|
. . . >. .
(have much time But Frank..... Mothers..... at the best....)
Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E
-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
-------5---------5-|-------5---------5--|-------------------|-------5--3------|
----5------5--5----|----5------5--5-----|-5--5--5---5--5--5-|-5--5--------3---|
-3---------3-------|-3---------3--3-----|-3--3--3---3--3--3-|-3--------------1|
. . . . . . . .
( But some ....... flare gun burned...........)
Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E Q Q E
-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
-------------------|--------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
-------5-----------|-------5---------5--|-5---------------5-|-------5--------3|
-5--5------5--5--5-|----5---------5-----|-5--5---------5----|----5--------3---|
-3---------3-----3-|-3---------3--------|-------3---3-------|-3--------1------|
. . . . . . . .
_______________________
end Rhy Fig 1 |
Q Q g E Q Q E
----------------------||
----------------------||
----------------------||
-------3h5---------5--||
-5--5-----------5-----||
-3-----------3--------||
. .
Chorus
(Smoke on.. wa -- ter a fire.. Smoke on.. wa -- ter--)
_______________________________________________________________________________
| Riff B. |
Q Q H Q Q H Q H.-----W Q Q H Q Q Q. E
--------------|--------------|---------|--------|--------------|--------------|
--------------|--------------|---------|--------|--------------|--------------|
---------5----|--------------|---------|--------|---------5----|--------------|
-----5--------|---------6----|---------|--------|-----5--------|---------6---X|
-3------------|-----6--------|-----5---|-(5)----|-3------------|-----6--------|
--------------|-4------------|-3-------|--------|--------------|-4------------|
> > > > > > >
let ring----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Riff A, 1st 3 bars + Rhy Fill 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solo (With 2nd guitar playing 16 bars similar to Rhy Fig 1)
RH Q Q
|----------------|
|----------------| (Played over last bar, Rhy Fill 1)
|----------------| (Played with neck pickup)
|---------12--15-| (2nd guitar comes in after this bar)
|----------------|
|----------------|
H------S S RE E E E Q. E E E E E E E E-----Q E E
|-------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------13gfr(13)p11q-----------11t-X-X-----|----12-15-15f~~~~~-15-14-|
|--12~~~~~~~-X------------|----12wwwwwwww----X-X--12-|-15----------------------|
|-------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------|
3
E E [S S S] E E E E E E E E E---Q E E
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|-------------------------------8-|
|-12-14--12h14p1210--12-10--8-10-|-10-10gf10gh10gf(10)~~~~~--X-----|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------X-----|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E E E E------E E E E S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|----------------~~~~~~~--8---------|------8-----------------------------------
|-11--11gf11--11gf--------11--8--11-|----8---11-10-8---------------------------
|-----------------------------------|-10f-------------11-10p8----10-8-7p5------
|-----------------------------------|-------------------------10----------8-7--
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------
E E E E E E E E E-S-S-E E E E E E E E E--S-E--S-E
|-------------------------|------------------------|-----------------/-----|
|-------------------------|------------------------|----------------/------|
|----------5-----8--7--5--|-3fr-(3)~~~~-5--3--2--3-|-2--3--2--0-----(0)-----|
|-5--8--7-----8-----------|------------------------|------------------------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
. . . . . . . . > . . . . . . . > (drop pitch
2.5 steps with
trem and return
to pitch)
behind Gradual Gradual
beat--| 3 Bend Bend
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E [Q Q Q] Q E E E E E E E Q--E
|-----3h--3-3-------------------|-----------------------|-3--------3--6--8f---|
|---3---6h----6-5p3-------------|------------------3--6-|----3--6-------------|
|-5f----------------6p5-3---5-3-|-5f--5f--5f--5f--------|---------------------|
|-------------------------5-----|-----------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|
|-------------------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|
> . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E E E E Q. E E S S S S S S S E E E E RE E-Q. E---
|-8h-8--6--8---------------|---------8-------8---8--10-|-11-13-----13f~~~~13--|
|-------------8~~~~~~~~--8-|-11----8---11--8---11------|----------------------|
|--------------------------|----10h--------------------|----------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|
--E E E E Q RE E E E E E Q. ER E E S-S E E E Q
|(13)f13-13f13-13fwwww-13-|13gf13-10---------------|-----------------------|
|-------------------------|----------13-13f~~~~~~~-|----6------------------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|-5f----5ghr3q--5--3h---|
|-------------------------|------------------------|---------------------5-|
|-------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|
^ ^ ^
Half Ghost bend Quarter Half
and release bend bend
Bridge pickup, guitar 2 plays Riff A
E E E E H------E E E E E E E [Q Q Q] E RS S RE E--
|-----8--6--8--8----|(8)f8--8--8h-f8--8--8-|-8--8--8--8----8q-----|
|-/8----------------|----------------------|--------------------6-|
|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
Grad bend 1/2 Release Release bend to
bend, and re-bend quarter
Palm Mute-------------------------------------------------------
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|---------5---------------5-----|---------5---------------5-----|
|-----5-------x-------5-------5-|-----5-------5-------5-------5-|
|-3---------------3-------------|-3---------------3-------------|
Palm Mute-------------------------------------------------------
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|---------5---------------3-----|---------5---------------5-----|
|-----5-------5-------3-------3-|-----5-------5-------5---------|
|-3---------------1-------------|-3---------------3-----------3-|
Q Q H Q Q H Q E E-H--------W
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-----------5-------|-------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|------5------------|-----------6-------|-------------------|-----------------|
|-3-----------------|------6------------|----------5--------|(5)--------------|
|-------------------|-4-----------------|-3----3------------|-----------------|
Q Q H Q Q H
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-----------5-------|-------------------|
|------5------------|-----------6-------|
|-3-----------------|------6------------|
|-------------------|-4-----------------|
Riff A - four times
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outro - Organ Solo
E E E E H E E E E-Q E E
|-------------------|------------|-----------------------|
|-------------------|------------|-----------------------|
|-------3-----------|------%-----|-3---------------------|
|-3--5--3--3--5-----|------%-----|-3--5--3--5------3-----|
|-3--5-----3--5-----|------------|----5--3--5------3--5--|
|-------------------|------------|-----------------------|
E E E E-Q E E E E E E-Q E E E E E E-Q E E
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|-3--------------------|-3--------------------|-3h-5-----------------|
|-3--5--3--5------3--5-|-3--5--3--5------3--5-|-3h-5--3--5-----3-----|
|----5--3--5------3--5-|----5--3--5------3--5-|-------3--5-----3--5--|
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
Begin to fade.......
E E EE RE E RE E RE E RE E RE E E E Q Q Q E E
|------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------|
|------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-3----------------------|-------------------------|---------------------|
|-3--5--3--5-----5-----5-|-----5-----5-----5--3--4-|-5----5----5----5--5-|
|----5--3--5-----5-----5-|-----5-----5-----5--3--4-|-5----5----5----5--5-|
|------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------|
RE E RE E RE E RE E E E E E RE E RE E RE E RE E RE E RE E
|-------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-3----------------------|-------------------------|
|-----5-----5-----5-----5-|-3--5--3--5-----5-----5-|-----5-----5-----5-----5-|
|-----5-----5-----5-----5-|----5--3--5-----5-----5-|-----5-----5-----5-----5-|
|-------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn''t have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
They burned down the gambling house
It died with an awful sound
Funky & Claude was running in and out
Pulling kids out the ground
When it all was over
We had to find another place
But Swiss time was running out
It seemed that we would lose the race
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
We ended up at the Grand Hotel
It was empty cold and bare
But with the Rolling truck Stones thing just outside
Making our music there
With a few red lights and a few old beds
We make a place to sweat
No matter what we get out of this
I know we''ll never forget
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
From - Guitar For The Practicing Musician - December 1990