If you check out the live performance of this song, you’ll notice it’s performed differently… but I think the version above sounds closer to the official video, which sounds nicer than the live performance.
This is “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, a song by Blue Oyster Cult released in 1976, which makes it close to 40 years old. Wow. There is also an Apollo 440 cover (1995) which I think is pretty decent.
The basic tune, which is in the key of C, goes:
A E A G
G B D G
F C D G
A E A G
This guitar tab is a pretty good rendition of the tune, so I’ll quote the main part below as-is (just added the string names at the left side):
Am G F G
e|-------------------------------------
B|-------------------------------------
G|-------2-0--------0--------0-------0-
D|-----2----------0--------0-------0---
A|---0----------2--------3-------2-----
E|------------3--------1-------3-------
Since only the top four strings of the guitar are used, the same tab can be used directly on bass guitar without any modifications.
If you’ve heard the Robin Schulz remix of Prayer in C by Lilly Wood and The Prick, or even the original, you’ll recognise the catchy guitar tune. As the name suggests, it’s in the key of C, and that means no sharps or flats. The tune goes something like:
This is not very different from other guitar tabs for this song out there, but it has the advantage that the notes are concentrated between the 5th and 8th fret, allowing you to play the tune without ever needing to slide your left hand.
"You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over." — Richard Branson