Killing Joke -- Communion
as recorded on Pandemonium

Transcription v1.1 2002/08/06 by Bob Read (for questions or corrections!, unixjavabob@yahoo.com) 
 
Tune DGCFAd low to high.

--Advice from Todd Wolfmeyer (fluwdot@earthlink.net):
--Note
--this is also best done with a heavier gauge of string like 12's 13's or whatever you want. It is also
--also advisable to use an orange Dunlop Tortex .60mm (rumored to be the kind Geordie uses) for the ultimate 
--articulate twang and howl.
--These riffs are played with incessant up down strokes (a key to Geordie's 
--masterful style). Just keep the strumming hand churning and let the fretting hand press 
--the rhythmic accents.

When I listen to this song, I hear 2 distinct guitar tracks.  
This transcription is basically a transcription of the version 
Geordie appeared to play live.


 Intro Riff (played high**)
d:-------------------------9---9--9--9--9--9--9--9-| 
A:-9--9--9--9--9-----------9---9--9--9--9--9--9--9-| 
F:-9--9--9--9--9-----12-12-10*-10-10-10-10-10-9--9-| 
C:-9--9--9--9--9-----11-11-11--11-11-11-11-11-10-10| 
G:-11-11-11-11-11----10-10-11--11-11-11-11-11-11-11| 
D:-9--9--9--9--9-----9--9--9---9--9--9--9--9--9--9-| 
   a   a  a a   a    a  a  a    a  a a   a    a  a
   du du du du du du du du du  du du du du du du du         d= down strokes, u= upstrokes
 a = accent, press the chord firmly.  When there is an upstroke or a downstroke with no "a",
     your fingers are still in position for the chord, but your fingers are not pushing down 
     hard enough to cause the strings to touch the frets ( similar to a harmonic )
*Pulling the string with your middle and ring fingers on the 3rd chord gives a nice bend to the riff
**This entire riff can be played low (on the 4th fret) instead of high on the 9th fret 
by moving all fingerings "up" one string.  Geordie appears to do this at the end of the song.  
For example, the first chord played high is 9-11-9-9-9-9..played low is 4-4-6-4-4-4.  I think 
the song sounds best with the first two chords in this riff played low and the second two
played high.  But in watching the videos, Geordie appears to play high most of the time.



 Riff A
d:-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--|Your middle finger is in position 10 on the G
A:-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--|string
F:-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-|
C:-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-|
G:-9--9--9--9--10-10-10-10-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-|
D:-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
   a  aa  a a  a  aa  a a  a  aa  a a   a aa a  a
   du du du du du du du du du du du du du du du du   d= down strokes, u= upstrokes
 a = accent, press the chord firmly.  When there is an upstroke or a downstroke with no "a",
your fingers are still in position for the chord, but your fingers are not pushing down hard enough
to cause the strings to touch the frets ( similar to a harmonic )


 Chorus Riff
d:-9--12----8--10-10-10-10-| 
A:-11-14----10-12-12-12-12-| can also be played one octave lower (F-bar chords
F:-11-14----10-12-12-12-12-| instead of A-bar chords) way down the neck.  But Geordie
C:-11-14----10-12-12-12-12-| plays it high like this.
G:-9--12----8--10-10-10-10-|
D:-9--12----8--10-10-10-10-|
   a   a    a   a  a a  a  
   du du du du du du du du    d= down strokes, u= upstrokes
 a = accent, press the chord firmly.  When there is an upstroke or a downstroke with no "a",
your fingers are still in position for the chord, but your fingers are not pushing down hard enough
to cause the strings to touch the frets ( similar to a harmonic )

 Bridge Riff -- keep the rhythm from the "Intro Riff".  This riff is basically a drawn-out,
longer version of the chorus riff
d:-9---------|-11---------|-9---------|-12--------|-8---------|-10---------
A:-9---------|-11---------|-11--------|-14--------|-10--------|-12---------
F:-10--------|-12---------|-11--------|-14--------|-10--------|-12---------
C:-11--------|-13---------|-11--------|-14--------|-10--------|-12---------
G:-11--------|-13---------|-9---------|-12--------|-8---------|-10---------
D:-9---------|-11---------|-9---------|-12--------|-8---------|-10---------
   2 measures  2 measures   1 measure   1 measure   1 measure   1 measure

 Harmonic Riff
d:---------------------------------|
A:---------------------------------| Geordie plays these with his little finger
F:-----------------------------3333| You'll have to practice and maybe mute the G
C:-----------------------------3333| string to get the right picking rhythm. Also, Geordie
G:-4--4--4--4*-4---4--4--4--3333333| plays variations off this riff, such as moving to the
D:-44444444444444444444444443333333| 3rd string instead of the 4th string (marked by *)
   hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
   dudududududududududududududududu    d= down strokes, u= upstrokes

 h= Harmonic, hold finger firmly on string but do not press string to the finger board. 
     This is to achieve the "squelch sound" harmonic. Only fully press the note when the harmonic
     symbol is 'not' directly underneath the note.  

 m=mute, mute the string with your ring finger so you are plucking it with your pick but the harmonic is not coming through
  

Here's the order to play them in!
Synth interlude
intro Riff 3x 
Riff A
intro Riff 3x
Riff A
intro Riff
intro Riff 4x vocals start here
Riff A 2x
Chorus Riff 2x vocals
intro Riff 2x
intro Riff 4x vocals
Riff A 2x
Chorus Riff 4x vocals
intro Riff
Riff A 
intro Riff
Riff A 
intro Riff 4x vocals (slight harmonic variations by Geordie here)
Riff A 2x
Chorus Riff 4x
Bridge Riff
Chorus Riff 8x
Harmonic Riff 6x
Harmonic Riff 8x (violin solo)
Chorus Riff 8x vocals
intro Riff 3x (played on 4th fret, eg 4-4-6-4-4-4, instead of 9th fret 9-11-9-9-9)
intro Riff (fading out)