Megadeth: The Skull Beneath The Skin transcribed by: Russ Elton (webmaster@abysslord.com) edited by: Jordan Baker PLEASE DO NOT COPY THIS TAB TO ANOTHER SITE WITHOUT AUTHORS' PERMISSION. THANK YOU! Date last modified: February 11, 2007 Find more Megadeth tabs, including the most updated version of this tab, at: The Vault of Deth: The Ultimate Megadeth Guitar Tab Collection http://abysslord.com/megadeth/ Tuning: 1/4 step down Intro (Picking speeds up throughout) e|-----2-5p2-------3-6p3-------4-7p4-------5-8p5---| B|---4-------4---5-------5---6-------6---7-------7-| G|-5-----------6-----------7-----------8-----------| D|-------------------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------------| e|-----6-9p6--------7-10p7--------8-11p8-------9-12p9---| B|---8-------8----9--------9---10--------10--11------11-| G|-9-----------10------------11------------12-----------| D|------------------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------------| e|-----10-13p10------11-14p11------12-15p12------13-16p13---| B|---12--------12--13--------13--14--------14--15--------15-| G|-13------------14------------15------------16-------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------| A|----------------------------------------------------------| E|----------------------------------------------------------| e|-----14-17p14------15-18p15------16-19p16------17-20p17---| B|---16--------16--17--------17--18--------18--19--------18-| G|-17------------18------------19------------20-------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------| A|----------------------------------------------------------| E|----------------------------------------------------------| e|-----18-21p18------19-22p19------20-23p20---23\-| B|---20--------20--21--------21--22--------22-----| G|-21------------22------------23-----------------| D|------------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------| e|-----------------------------------------| B|-----------------------------------------| G|-----------------------------------------| D|-9--------9--------9--------9------------| A|-7--------7--------7--------7------------| E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------X\\-| Riff 1 e|---------------------------------------| B|---------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------| D|-9--------------7-9---------------10-9-| A|-7-7-8-9-10-8-9-5-7--7-8-9-10-8-9--8-7-| E|---5-6-7--8-6-7------5-6-7--8-6-7------| x3 e|-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------------| G|-------------------------------------| D|--------------7-9---------------10-9-| A|-7-8-9-10-8-9-5-7--7-8-9-10-8-9--8-7-| E|-5-6-7--8-6-7------5-6-7--8-6-7------| e|-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------------| G|-1h2p1----1h2p1----2h3p2----2h3p2----| D|-------22-------22-------33-------33-| A|-------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------| e|-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------------| G|-3h4p3----3h4p3----4h5p4----4h5p4----| D|-------44-------44-------55-------55-| A|-------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------| Riff 2 (Solo Rhythm) e|-------------------------------| B|-------------------------------| G|-------------------------------| D|-----4---5-------------4-------| A|-----2---3-----5-------2-----3-| E|-0-0---0---0-0-3-0-0-0---0-0-1-| * * * * * * * * * * Solo (MUstaine) e|-17p12--12-12-12-17p12--12-12-12-17p12--12-| B|------15--------------15--------------15---| G|-------------------------------------------| ---| D|-------------------------------------------| | A|-------------------------------------------| | E|-------------------------------------------| | | e|-16p12--12-12-12-16p12--12-12-12-16p12--12-| |--> Play 3x B|------15--------------15--------------15---| | G|-------------------------------------------| | D|-------------------------------------------| ---| A|-------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------| e|-17p12--12-12-12-17p12--12-12-12-17p12--12-| B|------15--------------15--------------15---| G|-------------------------------------------| D|-------------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------| e|-16p12----17p0-----------------------------------| B|-------15------11-13p0---------------------------| G|-----------------------10-12p0-------------------| D|-------------------------------10-12p0-----------| A|---------------------------------------11-12-11~-| E|-------------------------------------------------| End Solo Riff 2a x3 e|-------------------------------| B|-------------------------------| G|-------------------------------| D|-----4---5-------------4-------| A|-----2---3-----5-------2-----3-| E|-0-0---0---0-0-3-0-0-0---0-0-1-| * * * * * * * * * * e|--------------------------------| B|--------------------------------| G|--------------------------------| D|-----4---5-------------4--------| A|-----2---3-----5-------2-----3/-| E|-0-0---0---0-0-3-0-0-0---0-0-1/-| * * * * * * * * * * x3 e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|-9-----9---------9-----9---------| A|-7-----7---------7-----7---------| E|---000---0-0-0-0---000---0-0-0-0-| *** * * * * *** * * * * e|----------------------| B|----------------------| G|----------------------| D|-9-----9---------4----| A|-7-----7---------2--3-| E|---000---0-0-0-0----1-| *** * * * * Riff 3 e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|-10\9-x-x-9--x-x-x-7-x-----------| A|--8\7-x-x-7--x-x-x-5-x-8-x-9-x-x-| E|-----------------------6-x-7-x-x-| e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|-10\9-x-x-9--x-x-x-7-x-x---------| A|--8\7-x-x-7--x-x-x-5-x-x-8/9-8/9-| E|-------------------------6/7-6/7-| Riff 4 e|-------------------------| B|-------------------------| G|-------------------------| D|---------------------16~-| A|--------14-----------14~-| E|-0--0-0-12--0--0-0-0-----| * * * * * * * e|--------------------------| B|--------------------------| G|--------------------------| D|--------15~---------------| A|--------13~-----------16\-| E|-0--0-0------0--0-0-0-14\-| * * * * * * * Play Riff 4 Solo Rhythm Solo (Mustaine) e|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|-12-9-------------15-12-----------| D|------11-8--------------14-11-----| A|-----------10~----------------13~-| E|----------------------------------| e|-----6-9p6---------9-12p9----------12-15p12----------15-18p15----| B|---8-------8----11--------11----14----------14----17----------17-| G|-9-----------12--------------15----------------18----------------| D|-----------------------------------------------------------------| A|-----------------------------------------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------------------------------------| e|-------------------------------------| B|-------------------------------------| G|-15-12--------------18-15------------| D|-------14-11---------------17-14-----| A|-------------13~-----------------16~-| E|-------------------------------------| e|-------9-12p9----------12-15p12----------15-18p15----------18-21p18----| B|----11--------11----14----------14----17----------17----20----------20-| G|-12--------------15----------------18----------------21----------------| D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| e|-----------------------------------| B|-14-11-------------17-14-----------| G|-------12-9--------------15-12-----| D|------------11~----------------14~-| A|-----------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------| e|-------12-15p12----------15-18p15----------18-21p18----------21-24p21----| B|----14----------14----17----------17----20----------20----23----------23-| G|-15----------------18----------------21----------------24----------------| D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| e|-9p6-------6-10p7--------7-11p8-------8-12p9-------9-| B|-----8---8--------9----9-------10--10-------11--11---| G|-------9------------10-----------11-----------12-----| D|-----------------------------------------------------| A|-----------------------------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------------------------| e|-13p10------10-14p11------11-15p12------12-15tm/-| B|------12--12--------13--13--------14--14---------| G|--------13------------14------------15-----------| D|-------------------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------------| e|-22b24--{22}~--{22}~--{22}~-...-| B|--------------------------------| This fades out on original studio version, G|--------------------------------| but is played throughout verse on remix/remaster D|--------------------------------| and when it's played live. A|--------------------------------| E|--------------------------------| End Solo Play Riff 3 "Seething in agony..." Final time play this: e|-----------------------------------------| B|-----------------------------------------| G|-----------------------------------------| D|-10\9-x-x-9--x-x-x-7-x-x-----------------| A|--8\7-x-x-7--x-x-x-5-x-x-8/9-8/9\-2----2-| E|-------------------------6/7-6/7\-0----0-| Riff 5 e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|-0h2---2-----0h2-0h2---2-----2p0-| A|-0h2---2-----0h2-0h2---2-----2p0-| E|-----0---0-0---------0---0-0-----| * * * * * * "Prepare the patient's..." e|----------------------| B|----------------------| G|----------------------| D|-5-----5-----5p0-4----| A|-5-----5-----5p0-2--3-| E|---0-0---0-0--------1-| * * * * "...to peel away..." Riff 6 e|------------------------| B|------------------------| G|------------------------| D|-------4---3------------| A|-------2---1-----5------| E|-00000---0---000-3-0000-| ***** * *** **** Play Riff 5 "Now you're drawn..." Play Riff 6 "My skull beneath..." Riff 6a (Solo Rhythm) e|--------------------------| B|--------------------------| G|--------------------------| D|----------------9\7-------| A|-------8/9\8----7\5-----5-| E|-00000-6/7\6--0-----6h7---| ***** * Solo (Mustaine) e|-----------------------------------| B|-----------------------------------| G|-----------------------------------| D|-----------------------------------| A|-----------------------------------| E|-[bass plays intro to solo]-----5/-| e|-----------------------------------| B|-----------------------------------| G|--------------------------12-14-15-| D|-------------------12-14-----------| A|----------12-14-15-----------------| E|-12-14-15--------------------------| e|-----------------------------------------12-15-17-x----17b19------| B|--------------------------------12-15-17--------------------------| G|-15-14-12---------------------------------------------------------| D|----------15-14-12------------------------------------------------| A|-------------------15-14-12---------------------------------------| E|----------------------------12--------------------------------3-0-| e|-24b26-24b26-24b26-24b26-24b26r24-24-| B|-------------------------------------| G|-------------------------------------| D|-------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------| e|-24-22-20----------------20------------------------| B|----------24-22-20-22-24----24-22-20-20------------| G|----------------------------------------22-21-22~~-| D|---------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------------| e|-16p12----12-17p13----13-18p14----15-19p16----16-| B|--------14----------15----------17----------18---| G|------15----------16----------18----------19-----| D|-------------------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------------| e|-20p17----17-21p18----18-22p19----19-23p20----20-| B|--------19----------20----------21----------22---| G|------20----------21----------22----------23-----| D|-------------------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------------| e|-23b24-23b24-23b24-23b24-23b24-24b26----(26)r24-24~~----| B|--------------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------------0-| D|--------------------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------------------| E|--------------------------------------------------------| e|-----------16tm\\--\\--\\--\\--\\--\\--\\--0-| B|-22tm\\----16tm\\--\\--\\--\\--\\--\\--\\--0-| G|---------------------------------------------| D|---------[steady gliss to final notes]-------| A|---------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------| End Solo Ending: e|-----------------------| B|-----------------------| G|-----------------------| D|-----------------------| A|-------8/9\8----5----2-| E|-00000-6/7\6-00-3-00-0-| ***** ** ** "My skull beneath the skin!" Notation: 10^ = bend a quarter step. 10b11 = bend a half step. 10b12 = bend a full step. 10b12r10 = bend and release. [10]12 = pre-bend. [10]12r10 = pre-bend and release. {14} = pick the 14th fret while holding the most previous bend. <17> = touch the string above the 17th fret while previous note(s) is(are) still ringing. 10b13* = tremolo bar bend, from the 10th fret to the 13th fret. 7d4* = tremolo bar dive, from the 7th fret to the 4th fret. 12~* = tremolo bar vibrato. x = mute with fret-hand * = palm mute X\\ = pick slide h = hammer-on p = pull-off ~ = vibrato t = finger tap / = slide up \ = slide down h. = natural harmonics a = artificial harmonics (9) = ghost note tm = trem picking tr = trill