Chords for Gunslinger-Avenged Sevenfold (opening riff)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _
First thing we have to do is we have to get our acoustic guitar into drop D tuning.
Okay, the _ most common way of doing [D] this is to strike the fourth string, which is a D,
and let it sustain. _
Also strike the sixth string, which is [E] E,
and we're going to start tuning the sixth string down until it meets the pitch of our fourth string.
It will be an octave apart, but your ears should hopefully still let you know when it's sounding the same.
So here we go.
Now I like to use my pick and my [D] finger to strike them both at the same time.
I'm going to strike the fourth and the sixth strings simultaneously
and start tuning my sixth string, E, down to D.
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ It's of the utmost importance that you continue striking the strings as you're tuning down
so you can keep the strings going while you're tuning.
Otherwise, you just won't hear the string and you'll be tuning to nothingness.
_ _ That's how they should sound.
_ _ That's your fourth string.
This is your sixth string.
Fourth string, sixth string. _
Okay, let's [E] move on.
_ Okay, here's how it sounds.
Three and [Am] four and_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ [Am] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
[Am] _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ Now let's slow that down.
_ [D] Left hand first.
We're going to put our first finger on the second fret of the third string
and our third finger on the third fret of the second string.
This forms, and we're going to strike strings four, three, and two.
This gives us a power chord, a D power chord.
Our second finger would normally fret the second fret of the first string for a D chord,
_ but we're going to need it to do some fancy footwork up here.
So first thing we're going to do with our chord down _
is we're going to strike_
I think he strikes strings three and two _ first,
and then he goes back to the fifth string.
Second finger's going to go third fret, [C] fifth string,
and then you'll strike that string and bend up a little bit at [Am] the same time. _ _
_ Kind of like that. _ _ _ _
[A] So the first sequence will be striking strings three and two.
[Am] _
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _ So it's going to be strings three and two.
[Am] _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
All right.
Now moving on, hopefully that was clear enough.
_ _ [Am] _ [C#m] When I strike the first two notes, I'm striking [A] strings three and two,
and then the second note I'll [C] strike is the fifth string, third fret.
So that whole [A] thing at the beginning _ is_ Ah, [Am] sorry.
_ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ So right here now, I'm going to put my second finger on third fret, fourth string,
and I'm going to try to strike strings four, three, two,
down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up.
That's the second little bit.
[B] So let's add those two bits together.
So it's going to [Am] _ _ _
be_
_ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
Let's do that again.
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [Am] All right.
_ _ [A] _ _ [Dm] _ _ [Am] _ _
_ [A] _ Okay, so moving on.
Let's see.
So far we've [Am] done_
_ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
_ [A] Okay, now we're [C] back to our playing strings three and two.
[Am] _
_ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ [D] _ _
So he just mixes it up a little bit that second time.
So he'll strike strings three and [Am] two, fifth string.
_ _ _ [A] _ _
[Dm] _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _
[Dm] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [E] All right.
That's the second half.
So let's put it together slowly.
[A] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ [B] He just mixes up the sequence of these two notes [Dm] here,
third and second string, [D] and the third [C] fret of the fifth string,
and then the third [F] fret on the [D] sixth string.
He [B] just mixes up the sequence of the notes just a little bit.
It's a little bit complicated,
and I'm sorry if this explanation isn't detailed enough,
but really you should have some skills at playing rhythm guitar
before you're tackling this.
It's quite difficult for the beginner.
As far as the right hand goes,
I'm not going to talk much about that right now.
Just play it as best you can right now.
If I had my choice here, I'll show the way I would play it here.
_ Let's see.
All right, let's watch the right hand if we can.
There you are, baby.
So I would _ strike_
We start with_ _ _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ [D] _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ [D] _
[Am] Again.
_ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] It's kind of [A] hard to tell if he's using alternate picking
or if he's kind of mixing in down-down [Am] type deal.
So_ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [D] I [A] would recommend trying to get that alternate picking bit together.
Anyways, I hope this was remotely helpful,
and you take care.
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