Scratching The Surface


----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SCRATCHING THE SURFACE - Saga ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by: J.Gilmour/J.Crichton Album: "Heads Or Tales" (1983, Maze Records/Canada) Guitarist: Ian Crichton Tabbed by: Anne Drury Email: zerofret_ad@hotmail.com Date: July 19, 2007 INTRO: (2x) E --|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B --|o---------------------------------|---------------------------------o| G --|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D -5|--5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--| A -3|o-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-o| E --|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1ST VERSE: (follow staves as numbered) C F E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| A -3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. So you won't tell me where you've been up to now 3. You're well on your way, but never leaving the chair 5. Watching widely to glimpse the full view 7. You say that you see me, well, I see you, too, I 9. Scratching the surface and you can't get away, You've G F (G) E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| A -3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. I don't know, they've seen you come and go, oh 4. Playing scenes on TV screens 6. While the hours have their hands all over you 8. look behind, what do you find, all but an empty room 10.travelled far, and so far you have nothing to say (Play the bracketed G chord only the last time through, with line 10.) CHORUS: (follow staves as numbered) Am G Em F G E ------------------------------------|------------------------------------| B -----12--13-12----------------------|-----12--13-12---------------13--12-| G -14------------14-12------12--14-12-|-14------------14-12---12-14--------| D -----------------------12-----------|------------------------------------| A ------------------------------------|------------------------------------| E ------------------------------------|------------------------------------| 1. Scratching the surface, You better come up for air 2. Scratching the surface, You better come up for air Am G Em F G E ------------------------------------|------------------------------------| B -----12--13-12----------------------|-----12--13-12-------13~----12~-----| G -14------------14-12------12--14-12-|-14------------14-12----------------| D -----------------------12-----------|------------------------------------| A ------------------------------------|------------------------------------| E ------------------------------------|------------------------------------| 2. A new experience to get you there 4. Strapped to the media, a ma - chine to fear 1. C F 2. G F E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| 2x D -5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| A -3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2ND VERSE: (played same as 1st Verse) You're onto something, then it slips right away It's in your hand, follow through right in, in front of you You say that you hear me, well, I hear you, too My secret is no secret outside of the tube So you won't tell me what you've done up to now You're watching me, I'm watching you decide, oh Scratching the surface, you can't get away You tried so hard, and so far you have nothing to say Play CHORUS, then: C E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| 2x D -5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| A -3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GUITAR SOLO: (the chord through the whole solo is C) E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G -12^w-12-10---12^w---12----------|-12^w-12-10---12^w---12-10-9-----| D ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| A ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G -12^w-12-10---12^w---12----------|-12^w-12-10---12^w---12-10-9-----| D ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| A ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------|-----------------------------3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -2-----3-----5---=---=---=-------|-=---=---~-~-~-------------------| A ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------|-----------------------------3-3-| (bar vibrato) E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -2-----3-----2-=-=\\-(0)---=-----|-=---=---~-~-~-------------------| A ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------|-----------------------------3-3-| (bar vibrato) E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -2-----3-----5-=-//(7)---=---=---|-=---=---=--r5-------------------| A ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------|-----------------------------3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -2-----3-----2-=-=\\-(0)---=-----|-=---=---~-~-~-------------------| A ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| (bar vibrato) _ E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| | B ---15----13----------------------|---------------------------------| | G ------15---------12----\/15------|---------------------------------| | D ---------------------------------|---15--14~-------------0-2-------| | A ---------------------------------|----------------------3---3------| | E ---------------------------------|-------------------3-3-----3-----| | . ... ... | |2x E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| | B ---15----13----------------------|------------------------------(8)| | G ------15---------12----\/15------|----------0-2--------------------| | D ---------------------------------|---0-2-3-3-------------0-2-------| | A ---------------------------------|----------------------3---3------| | E ---------------------------------|-------------------3-3-----3-----| | . . . .. . . ... ... _| E ---------------------------------| B /17-8/17----------------------17-| G -----------19p17~--------17h19---| D ---------------------------------| A ---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------| E ------------------------------------------------------------| B -18p17--------17-20p17--------17-18p17--------17-20p17------| G ------19p17-19--------19p17h19--------19p17h19--------19p17-| D ------------------------------------------------------------| A ------------------------------------------------------------| E ------------------------------------------------------------| E ------------------------------------------------------------| B ---17-18p17--------17-20p17---------------------------------| G -19--------19p17h19--------19p17---e-t-c--------------------| D ------------------------------------------------------------| A ------------------------------------------------------------| E ------------------------------------------------------------| E ---------------------------------------------15-17-18-20-20-18-17-------| B ------------------------------------15-17-18----------------------20-17-| G 15-15-15-15-14-12----------12-14-17-------------------------------------| D ------------------14-14-15----------------------------------------------| A ------------------------------------------------------------------------| E ------------------------------------------------------------------------| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + E ---------------------------------| B -20^w----------------------------| G ---------------------------------| D ---------------------------------| A ---------------------------------| E ---------------------------------| (Scratching the surface...) Play CHORUS OUTRO: C F E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| A -3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G F E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D -5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5=--5-5-5=--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| A -3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3=--3-3-3=--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-| E ---------------------------------|---------------------------------| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scratching the surface (oh) (Repeat the 4 measures of the Outro to fade) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: -Bar lines indicate measures of 4/4 time. -In this tab, dots (...) under a staff indicate that the note or chord should be palm muted. -The tabbed part for the Intro and the Verse is a keyboard part transcribed for guitar. -The part in measures 20-21 of the guitar solo tabbed as -8/17-8/17 isn't actually done using slides. It's done with a trem bar, but I couldn't figure it out exactly, so opted to just write in the notes being played. ^...bend (w=whole tone) h...hammer on r...release bend p...pull off /...slide up =...hold note or chord o ~...vibrato o...repeat (the measures between the symbols) Trem bar symbols: //...raise bar to indicated pitch \\...lower bar to indicated pitch \/...depress bar, strike note, then allow bar to come back up to the pitch of the fretted note (This file is the transcriber's own work and represents their interpretation of the song.)