Guitar Tab for Schism

#681

Transcribed by Preston Sumner (bonch@stupid.com)
Added to toolshed.down.net: 07/22/01 22:18:24

Author/Artist: Tool
Title: Schism
Album: Lateralus
Transcribed by: Preston Sumner
Email: bonch@stupid.com
Date: 7-22-01


Here's how I play "Schism."  I can also play "The Patient," so I'll tab 
that out too if people like this one.  I haven't seen the other tabs at 
t.d.n. yet.  Hope mine compares with the others!


I've never done a tab before, so I hope my style isn't too unusual for 
you!


h      - hammer-on
p      - pull-off
pm     - palm-muted
\ or / - slide to that note


Drop-D tuning


Use the album to figure out the exact timing of notes and how many 
times to play each part.  Not hard, really.




The intro:
G|--3--2-/5-/7----\3--2-/5-/7----|
D|--3--3-/5-/8----\3--3-/5-/7----|
A|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
little distortion




For completeness, here's the bassline that plays underneath it:
D|--0--3-/5-/8----\3--3-/5-/8---0--|
A|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|




If necessary, you can play both lines together on one guitar (easier if 
you fingerpick):

G|--3--2-/5-/7----\3--2-/5-/7------|
D|--3--3-/5-/8----\3--3-/5-/7------|
A|---------------------------------|
D|--0--3-/5-/8----\3--3-/5-/8---0--|




Main bass riff plays a few times, and the guitar eventually fades in 
and starts playing this counterpoint riff:
D|--0-5-7-8---0---7---0---0-5-7-8---0---7---0---10--0---|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
      h h pm  pm  pm  pm    h h pm  pm  pm  pm  pm  pm
distorted




Right before going into the verse, gradually ease up on the palm-
muting.  If you listen to the album, you'll hear that Adam plays the 
last D-note at least three times and keeps them ringing as the lyrics 
start.  In fact, it sounds like he plays a D-octave chord going in:
G|-7-|
D|-0-|
A|---|
D|---|


He plays it again at the "Pure intention juxtaposed..." part.




At the "Celebrating..." part, he plays this, keeping the notes ringing:
B|-8---|
G|---7-|
D|-----|
A|-----|
D|-----|




Few seconds later at the "Testing our..." part, also keeping the notes 
ringing:
B|-10---|
G|----7-|
D|------|
A|------|
D|------|




"The light that fuels...":
D|----------10---9-------------10---9---12-----|
A|--0-10-12----0---0---0-10 12----0---0----0---|
D|---------------------------------------------|
      h  h               h  h
all palm-muted




The last time you play that part, start easing up on the palm-muting 
(the "crippling our  communication..." part), then play it this for the 
next few measures:
D|----------10---9-------------10---9---12-----|
A|--0-10-12----0---0-0-0-10 12----0---0----0---|
D|---------------------------------------------|
      h  h               h  h 
As you can see, it's just a variation on the previous riff.




For the next verse, play the "light that fuels..." part we just did 
before.  Ease up on the palm-muting again at the "rediscover 
communication..." part.  Again, play the riff directly above.  On the 
second-to-last note (12th fret of the high D), Adam seems to slide the 
note down before going into the next part.




Next comes the cool heavy part:
D|--0----------3----------5---3----------3---5--5-----------|
A|--0----0--0--3----3--3--5---3----3--3--3---5--5--------3--|
D|--0----0--0--3----3--3--5---3----3--3--3---5--5--0-3-5----|
         pm pm      pm pm          pm pm             h h




On the fourth time, Adam adds a little hammer-on part:
D|--0----------3----------3-5-3----------3---5--5-----------|
A|--0----0--0--3----3--3--3-5-3----3--3--3---5--5--------3--|
D|--0----0--0--3----3--3--3-5-3----3--3--3---5--5--0-3-5----|
         pm pm      pm pm   h      pm pm             h h




Remember that part in the video when the man falls towards the 
camera?  That chord Adam hits is:
G|--12--|
D|--12--|
A|--10--|
D|------|




Then we go into the verses again, playing the counterpoint riff, should 
look familiar:
D|----------10---9-------------10---9---12-------------9----7-------------
9----7---10-----|
A|--0-10-12----0---0---0-10 12----0---0----0---0-10-12----0---0---0-
10-12----0---0----0---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------|
      h  h               h  h                    h  h               h  h
all palm-muted




"strengthen our communication...":
Same pattern as before.  Gradually let off the palm-muting, and play 
the riff we played before for this part.




At 3:15 into the song, play this part over and over until you reach the 
breakdown:
D|-----------10---9---12-----|
A|---0-10 12----0---0----0---|
D|---------------------------|
      h  h                




The last you'll play before hitting the breakdown will be:
D|-----------10---9-----|
A|---0-10 12----0---0---|
D|----------------------|
      h  h                




Breakdown part:
Let the last A-note of the previous part ring.  There is an echo delay 
on this part (you can hear it when he does the hammer-on).  You can 
try and fake it if you want, but this is what Adam actually plays:
D|--9--------12-------9--------14-------7--------9---------5--------7-----
5-----7------|
A|-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0------0--0-----0--0-----0-
----0-----0---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------|
       pm pm    pm pm    pm pm    pm pm    pm pm     pm pm    pm 
pm    pm    pm    pm




There's a part where he does a hammer-on:
D|--9--------12-------9--------14-------7--------7-9-------5--------7-----
5-----7------|
A|-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0------0--0-----0--0-----0-
----0-----0---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------|
       pm pm    pm pm    pm pm    pm pm    pm pm   h pm pm    pm 
pm    pm    pm    pm




At 4:18, you can hear another variation he does:
D|--9--------12-------9--------10-------7--------9---------5--------7-----
5-----7------|
A|-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0------0--0-----0--0-----0-
----0-----0---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------|
       pm pm    pm pm    pm pm    pm pm    pm pm     pm pm    pm 
pm    pm    pm    pm




Later he does the above variation but with a hammer-on, same place 
as before.  Just listen to the album to hear when he does which parts.  
Not too hard to figure out, really!




Near the end of the breakdown, he starts playing this build-up riff:
D|--9--------12-------9--------12--------9-----9-----|
A|-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0------0-----0--|
D|---------------------------------------------------|
       pm pm    pm pm    pm pm    pm pm     pm    pm




Play that twice, then do the hammer-on part we've learned from the 
previous riffs.  Hear it at 5:12 into the song?  Then go right into the 
above riff again.  Build it up nicely.




After that, we play this once:
G|-----5\----2-----7----|
D|--3-----0-----5-----5-|
A|----------------------|
D|----------------------|




Then play this a couple of times:
G|-------------------------------------5\----2-----7----|
D|----------------------------------3-----0-----5-----5-|
A|-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
The droning open A note is the part under Maynard's vocals.  Hope 
you're listening to the song as you follow this tab!




Then this part once:
D|-----7--7~---------------3--3------------5--5-----|
A|-----5--5~---------------1--1----3--3----3--3--3--|
D|--0--0---------------------------3--3-------------|
          on this chord, keep strumming it and bending it




And then you play this really cool riff a few times:
D|-------------------------------------/5--|
A|---------5------5--------0--------3--/3--|
D|--0---0------7-----0--5-----0--3---------|




You'll end on this:
D|-------------------------------|
A|---------5------5--------0-----|
D|--0---0------7-----0--5-----0--|




And then go right into this ("I know the pieces fit" chant):
A|--3----0----2----0----0----3----0----2----0----3----0----0----|
D|--3----0----2----0----0----3----0----2----0----3----0----0----|
all palm-muted




On the last measure in which you play the above part:
A|--3----0----2----0----0----3----0----2----0----3---0-0-0-0--|
D|--3----0----2----0----0----3----0----2----0----3---0-0-0-0--|
all palm-muted
alternate pick the last four chords




And then this:
D|--3---------2--------------3---------2---------3------------|
A|--3---0-0---2---0-0-0-0----3---0-0---2---0-0---3---0-0-0-0--|
D|--3---0-0---2---0-0-0-0----3---0-0---2---0-0---3---0-0-0-0--|
        pmpm      pmpmpmpm       pmpm      pmpm      pmpmpmpm
alternate pick the palm-muted chords




Adam plays something when he transitions into this next riff.  It's a bit 
hard to hear, but it sounds like another hammer-on riff, probably like 
the one at the beginning of the part below.




Final outro riff:
A|--------------5------------7--5-5-5-3--|
D|----0---0-5-7----0---0-3-5-7--5-5-5-3--|
            h h          h h
all palm-muted
alternate pick last four chords




The last riff is a little hard for me to decipher.  This rendition sounds 
accurate to me, but it's still the part I'm least sure about.


Sorry if there are any stupid errors in this tab which I missed.