City of Blinding Lights (Live) -- Guitar Tab

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discothequeLP

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I finally got a chance to tab this baby out. It's a gem


Code:
U2 -- City of Blinding Lights (Live)


Tabbed by DiscothequeLP (discothequelp@gmail.com) 
March 25, 2005




Alright, this one is tabbed from the Brooklyn Bridge performance. Edge uses 2 delays, one short delay (around 200 ms probably) and one 

longer delay afterwards (around 440 ms). Edge also uses a slide on his middle finger. To get it to sound right, you really need a Herdim or 

Herdim-like pick to get that scratchy sound that makes the delay even louder. 


Tune down 1/2 a step.





Intro/Verse


Play this part with the slide, and keep hitting the notes up and down (if you listen to the live version, you'll be able to hear it)

   
    (palm muted)
e|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-10-10-10--10-10-10--10-10-10-10--9-9-9-9/12--12--9--9/10--10-10-10-10--|
g|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
d|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
a|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|





Intro pt.2 / Post-chorus riff

Let these notes ring, maybe shake the slide a ltitle bit


e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
b|-15--14----10/12-12/15--14\10----10/12-12/15--14--12\-7----|
g|-----------------------------------------------------------|   2x
d|-----------------------------------------------------------|
a|-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|






Verse



The verse riff is this riff again

e|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-10-10-10--10-10-10--10-10-10-10--9-9-9-9/12--12--9--9/10--10-10-10-10--|
g|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
d|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
a|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|



But Edge adds this at the end


(palm muted, let the delay ring out)

e|-----12------12-------12-----
b|-10------10------10------10--
g|-----------------------------
d|-----------------------------
a|-----------------------------


For the first verse, play these two parts twice.

For the second verse, instead of playing that short little bit at the end of the second repetition, Edge plays this:



e|----------------------------------------------|
b|---------------------------------------5------|
g|-6--7--6--4---6--7--6--4----------------------|  2x
d|---------------------------2--2---4--------4--|
a|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|






Pre-Chorus



e|--10--8--7---8--7------7---------------|
b|-------------------10----10---8--7--7--| 
g|---------------------------------------|  2x
d|---------------------------------------|
a|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
   
   And I, miss you. . . 









Chorus



e|------------------------------------------------10-10-10-10--12-12-12-12--14-14-14-14--10-10-10-10--|
b|--12-12--10---12-12--10---12-12--10--12-12--10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10--| 
g|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|   3x
d|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
a|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|





Bridge


Alrght, this part gets a little tricky if you're not good with a slide.




          (slide this down slowly)
               \/ 
e|-----------------------|
b|-----------------------|
g|-----------------------|  4x
d|--/14\---/7--/9----\---|
a|-----------------------|
E|-----------------------|

                Time. . . 


Outro



e|--------------------------|
b|-12--12-10--12-10--12-10--|
g|--------------------------|  repeat it a lot
d|--------------------------|
a|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|







Intro
Post-chorus
Verse 1
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Post-Chorus
Verse 2
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Post-Chorus
Bridge
Chorus 2x
Post-Chorus
Outro





Those are all the parts, listen to the recordings first so that you can understand what i'm talking about. Good Luck.
 
I play the muted part this way:

e}----------------
b}----10---------
g}-----9----------
d}---------------- 8 TIMES
a}----------------
E}----------------


e}----------------
b}-----9----------
g}-----9---------
d}---------------- 3 TIMES
a}----------------
E}----------------

e}----------------
b}----12---------
g}-----9----------
d}---------------- 3X
a}----------------
E}----------------

e}----------------
b}-----9----------
g}-----9----------
d}---------------- 1 X
a}----------------
E}----------------

e}----------------
b}---10----------
g}---11-----------
d}---------------- 8X
a}----------------
E}----------------

e}----12---12---12--12--9-
b}----10---10---10--10--10-
g}----11---11---11--11--11
d}----------------
a}----------------
E}----------------

Then back to the begining.....

Sorry if the tab is confusing, first try, but this is dead on with the proper delay! Let me know of any other tips!

DOWN 1/2 STEP FOR LIVE
 
Last edited:
thanks. i've been trying to find this song for such a long time

but i have a question. it might seem slightly off topic, but when I tried to play the intro riff with the slide, the other string plays too under the slide. maybe I just need more practice. but any tips on how to control the slide as well as Edge does??

sorry in advance for the slightly off-topic question :slant:
 
I may be wrong, but I think he uses his "invention" for this song, as well as on Sometimes... It is a slide, but it's just like a big metal ring on his finger and is only as big as a wedding band. Remember they had to invent it. So maybe you should cut your slide ;) jk
 
youtooellen said:
thanks. i've been trying to find this song for such a long time

but i have a question. it might seem slightly off topic, but when I tried to play the intro riff with the slide, the other string plays too under the slide. maybe I just need more practice. but any tips on how to control the slide as well as Edge does??

sorry in advance for the slightly off-topic question :slant:

i had the same question? i think it has to do with the "invention", also i have a glass slide, they do make slight differences no?
 
what i do, i use a regular slide, but since you only gotta slide on one string you angle the slide so that the corner of the slide touches the string, and the slide doesn't touch the other strings. not perfect but it works
 
I'm fairly sure there is no delay in this song. After listening to it closer... there may be a little bit of delay but only during parts where he plays the intro riff... but that's it.
 
Last edited:
there is a lot of delay. . . stereo delay . there's a short delay thats around 300-320 ms (as opposed to the 200-something i said in the tab above) and a long delay at 450 or something. i don't know what exact delay units Edge uses for this song, but im guessing either the tc2290 or the korg sdd-3000
 
Why don't I hear any delay when listening to the song? Is it only when he plays the opening riff? The part where he plays slide has no delay.
 
Last edited:
I can hear it now... Kind of hard to tell on some parts though. I have my regular crappy pedal set to 420ms delay since it doesn't have many options, and it sounds good now. Anybody else think that the newer songs are easier to play and figure out than the older?
 
Pre chorus is dead on and in my opinion the coolest part of the song.( And I'm gonna...) Nice tab. Not sure about that chourus though. It's probably right but my amatuer ass can't play it to where it sounds right. Any tips? Talking about the "Oh you look" part
 
The only problem with the tab seems to be during the chorus.

he's also hitting the open E (Db) String along with the B string up at the 12/10 frets. It's like the main riff from "I Will Follow" where he plays the open E string as well. same idea.
 
Am i'm missing out on something or does everyone else know how edge gets the super clean ultra sustain on the main riff?
 
updated!

Code:
U2 -- City of Blinding Lights (Live)


Tabbed by DiscothequeLP (discothequelp@gmail.com) 
March 25, 2005 -- UPDATED: June 10, 2006




Alright, this one is tabbed from the Brooklyn Bridge performance. Edge uses 2 delays, one shorter delay (around 330ms -- dotted 8th 
note) and one longer delay afterwards (around 440 ms -- quarter note). Edge also uses a slide on his middle finger. To get it to sound 
right, you really need a Herdim or Herdim-like pick to get that scratchy sound that makes the delay even louder. 


Tune down 1/2 a step.





Intro/Verse


Play this part with the slide, and keep hitting the notes up and down (if you listen to the live version, you'll be able to hear it)

   
    (palm muted)
e|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-10-10-10--10-10-10--10-10-10-10--9-9-9-9/12--12--9--9/10--10-10-10-10--|
g|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
d|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
a|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|





Intro pt.2 / Post-chorus riff

Let these notes ring, maybe shake the slide a ltitle bit


e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
b|-15--14----10/12-12/15--14\10----10/12-12/15--14--12\-7----|
g|-----------------------------------------------------------|   2x
d|-----------------------------------------------------------|
a|-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|






Verse



The verse riff is this riff again

e|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-10-10-10--10-10-10--10-10-10-10--9-9-9-9/12--12--9--9/10--10-10-10-10--|
g|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
d|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
a|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|



But Edge adds this at the end


(palm muted, let the delay ring out)

e|-----12------12-------12-----
b|-10------10------10------10--
g|-----------------------------
d|-----------------------------
a|-----------------------------


For the first verse, play these two parts twice.

For the second verse, instead of playing that short little bit at the end of the second repetition, Edge plays this:



e|----------------------------------------------|
b|---------------------------------------5------|
g|-6--7--6--4---6--7--6--4----------------------|  2x
d|---------------------------2--2---4--------4--|
a|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|






Pre-Chorus



e|------0------0------0------0---------------0------0-----0-----0-----|
b|--15-----13-----12-----13-----12--10---12-----10-----8-----7-----7--| 
g|--------------------------------------------------------------------|  2x
d|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
a|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
   
   And I, miss you. . . 









Chorus



e|---------------------------------------------------------10-10-10-10--12-12-12-12--14-14-14-14--10-10-10-10--|
b|-12-12-12--10--12-12-12--10--12-12-12--10--12-12-12--10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10--10-10-10-10--| 
g|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|   3x
d|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
a|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|





Bridge


Alrght, this part gets a little tricky if you're not good with a slide.




          (slide this down slowly)
               \/ 
e|-----------------------|
b|-----------------------|
g|-----------------------|  4x
d|--/14\---/7--/9----\---|
a|-----------------------|
E|-----------------------|

                Time. . . 


Outro



e|--------------------------|
b|-12--12-10--12-10--12-10--|
g|--------------------------|  repeat it a lot
d|--------------------------|
a|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|







Intro
Post-chorus
Verse 1
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Post-Chorus
Verse 2
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Post-Chorus
Bridge
Chorus 2x
Post-Chorus
Outro





Those are all the parts, listen to the recordings first so that you can understand what i'm talking about. Good Luck.
 
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