Its Been Awhile Tab

It's Been Awhile
Written and performed by Staind
From the album "Break the Cycle"
Transcribed by Halfdan Baadsvik (halfdan@eskobar.nu)
 
Mike uses a baritone guitar.  For those who don't know what
that is,  it means the six lowest strings on a seven string
guitar  is  put on a six string guitar. Just like Aaron and
Jhonny,  he also tunes his strings a half step down  making
the tuning (from low to high) Ab Db Ab Db Gb Bb.
Aaron uses  an  acoustic guitar in standard Eb tuning.  Low
to high Eb Ab Db Gb Bb eb.
Note that  in  this  transcription  I've  written the chord
names after  their  sounding, not fingering  (Like  if  you
finger an E chord, it will sound as Eb when tuned down).
 
 
   Intro/Verse :
       G#sus4                   B
 
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-------7-----9--7-----(7)-------------5--4--------------|
Db|-------------------7---------5--5--5--------5-----------|
Ab|----7-----7------------------3-----3--------------------|
Db|----7-----7------------------^-----^--------------------|
Ab|--------------------------------------------------------|
   (Put most weight             ^     ^
      on the Ab string on these strums...)
 
       F#                  G#7sus4
                                        P
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-------0-----0----------------------7^5-----------------|
Db|----------4-----4--0----------5----------5--------------|
Ab|----5----------------------7-----7----------7-----------|
Db|----5-------------------7-------------------------------|
Ab|--------------------------------------------------------|
 
   A friend tells me that the verse picking goes like this :
       G#sus4              B
 
Bb|-------------8--7----------------7--8-------------------|
Gb|-------7------------------------------------------------|
Db|------------------------5--5--5-------------------------|
Ab|----7-----7-------------3-----3-------------------------|
Db|----7-----7---------------------------------------------|
Ab|--------------------------------------------------------|
 
       F#                  G#7sus4
                                        P
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|-------0-----0----------------------7^5-----------------|
Db|----------4-----4--0----------5----------5--------------|
Ab|----5----------------------7-----7----------7-----------|
Db|----5-------------------7-------------------------------|
Ab|--------------------------------------------------------|
 
I don't know if he's right.  I can hear those notes  on  the
7th  and  8th frets, but  it  might  be  a  synth or another
guitar. Play what you think sounds better.
 
   Intro/Verse (acoustic) :
       G#sus4                 B
 
eb|-------------0----------------------0-------------------|
Bb|-------------3----------------------1-------------------|
Gb|-------2-----------2----------0--------0-----0----------|
Db|-------2-----------2------------------------------------|
Ab|----0-----0-----0-----0----3-----3--------3-------------|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
 
       F#                     G#7sus4
 
eb|-------------3----------------------0-------------------|
Bb|-------------3----------------------3-------------------|
Gb|----0-----0-----0-----0-------2--------2----------------|
Db|-------0-----------0-------0-----0--------0-------------|
Ab|--------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
 
 
   Chorus :
     G#sus4      B            F#           C#
 
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------7--7\5--5\4-4/--|
Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---|
Ab|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--5--5\3--3\2-2/--|
Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---|
Ab|--------------------------------------------------------|
      "And everything I can't remember..."              ^
                         (Slide to eardefined position here)
                         (No slide the last time)
 
Aaron strums these chords :
 
G#sus4 - x02230
B      - x32010
F#     - 320033
C#     - xx0232
 
 
   Bridge :
     F#           C#           G#sus4/B G#sus4
 
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------|
Ab|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------|
Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0--10--------7---7--7-7---------|
Ab|--------------------------------------------------------|
 
   Another electric guitar plays :
      F#         C#            G#sus4/B G#sus4
      v          v                           Hold- - - - -|
Bb|------------------------------------------5-----5-------|
Gb|--12~~-9/12\9\7-7~~-7/9\7\------------------7-----7-----|
Db|---x---x--------x---x------10-----------------5-----5---|
Ab|--10~~-7/10\7\5-5~~-5/7\5\--x-------------------------7-|
Db|---------------------------10--------7------------------|
Ab|-------------------------^------------------------------|
              (Eardefined slide)
 
Aaron plays :
 
F#       - 320033
C#       - xx0232
G#sus4/B - x32230 <(Not really sure if this  chord is in the
                    real song or not, but  it  sounds pretty
                    nice with it in)
G#sus4   - x02230
 
   Halfway through the verse picking pattern,  Mike ends the
   song on this chord : F#maj6 - x5540x
 
   Aaron ends on : F#maj6 - 3540xx
 
 
If you  don't  want  to  tune to a baritone,  simply tune to
standard Eb with dropped Db and play like this :
 
   Intro/Verse :
       G#sus4                   B
 
eb|-------------0------------------------------------------|
Bb|-------3--------3-----(3)-------------------------------|
Gb|-------------------2------------------5--4--------------|
Db|----2-----2------------------5--5--5--------5-----------|
Ab|----0-----0------------------3-----3--------------------|
Db|--------------------------------------------------------|
       F#                  G#7sus4
                                        P
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|------------------------------------3^1-----------------|
Gb|-------0-----0----------------0----------0--------------|
Db|----------4-----4--0-------2-----2----------2-----------|
Ab|----5-------------------0-------------------------------|
Db|----5---------------------------------------------------|
 
   Alternative verse :
       G#sus4              B
 
eb|-------------3--2----------------2--3-------------------|
Bb|-------3------------------------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Db|----2-----2-------------5--5--5-------------------------|
Ab|----0-----0-------------3-----3-------------------------|
Db|--------------------------------------------------------|
       F#                  G#7sus4
                                        P
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|------------------------------------3^1-----------------|
Gb|-------0-----0----------------0----------0--------------|
Db|----------4-----4--0-------2-----2----------2-----------|
Ab|----5-------------------0-------------------------------|
Db|----5---------------------------------------------------|
 
   Chorus :
     G#sus4      B            F#           C#
 
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------7--7\5--5\4-4/--|
Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---|
Ab|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--5--5\3--3\2-2/--|
Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---|
 
 
   Bridge :
     F#           C#           G#sus4/B G#sus4
 
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------|
Ab|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------|
Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0--10--------7---7--7-7---------|
 
...and :
 
      F#           C#          G#sus4/B G#sus4
      v            v                         Hold- - - - -|
eb|------------------------------------------0-----0-------|
Bb|--------------------------------------------3-----3-----|
Gb|--12~~-9/12\9\7-7~~-7/9\7\--------------------0-----0---|
Db|---x---x------x-x---x------10-------------------------2-|
Ab|--10~~-7/10\7\5-5~~-5/7\5\--x---------------------------|
Db|---------------------------10--------7------------------|
 
End the song on F#maj6 - 5540xx
 
 
I feel sympathy for people who don't want  to  tune back and
forth  all  the  time,  so here's  how  to  play without the
dropped Db :
 
   Intro/Verse :
       G#sus4                   B
 
eb|-------------0------------------------------------------|
Bb|-------3--------3-----(3)-------------------------------|
Gb|-------------------2------------------5--4--------------|
Db|----2-----2------------------5--5--5--------5-----------|
Ab|----0-----0------------------3-----3--------------------|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
       F#                  G#7sus4
                                        P
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|------------------------------------3^1-----------------|
Gb|-------0-----0----------------0----------0--------------|
Db|----------4-----4--0-------2-----2----------2-----------|
Ab|----5-------------------0-------------------------------|
Eb|----3---------------------------------------------------|
 
   Alternative verse :
       G#sus4              B
 
eb|-------------3--2----------------2--3-------------------|
Bb|-------3------------------------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Db|----2-----2-------------5--5--5-------------------------|
Ab|----0-----0-------------3-----3-------------------------|
Eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
       F#                  G#7sus4
                                        P
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|------------------------------------3^1-----------------|
Gb|-------0-----0----------------0----------0--------------|
Db|----------4-----4--0-------2-----2----------2-----------|
Ab|----5-------------------0-------------------------------|
Eb|----3---------------------------------------------------|
 
   Chorus :
     G#sus4      B            F#           C#
 
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------7--7\5--5\4-4/--|
Db|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--0--0----0---0---|
Ab|--7---7--7---10---10--10---5---5--5--5--5--5\3--3\2-2/--|
Eb|--5---5--5----8----8---8---3---3--3--3------------------|
 
 
   Bridge :
     F#           C#           G#sus4/B G#sus4
 
eb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|---------------7---7--7-7-------------------------------|
Db|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------|
Ab|--5---5--5-5---0---0--0-0---7--------7---7--7-7---------|
Eb|--3---3--3-3----------------8--------5---5--5-5---------|
 
...and :
 
      F#           C#          G#sus4/B G#sus4
      v            v                         Hold- - - - -|
eb|------------------------------------------0-----0-------|
Bb|--------------------------------------------3-----3-----|
Gb|--12~~-9/12\9\7-7~~-7/9\7\--------------------0-----0---|
Db|---x---x------x-x---x------10-------------------------2-|
Ab|--10~~-7/10\7\5-5~~-5/7\5\--x---------------------------|
Db|----------------------------8--------5------------------|
 
End the song on F#maj6 - 3540xx
 
 
If that still  ain't  enough (good God!), just play the tabs
written   in   standard  Eb  in  standard  E  (low  to  high
E A D G B e). This will make the song go from the key of  G#
to A. The chords will change from :     to :
 
                             G#sus4   - Asus4
                             B        - C
                             F#       - G
                             C#       - D
                             G#sus4/B - Asus4/C
 
Good luck playing this great song.
And "Remember, the Force will be with you. Always."
 
Questions, comments etc. to halfdan@eskobar.nu
X