'Inwards' by Big Country - Guitar Tutorial

Song lyrics:

Chords: show

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                                     Big Country - Inwards

                         Album - The Crossing(1983)

From: [email protected]

The second track from the bands debut album was a staple of their 80's
live shows. I've tried to concentrate on the 2 main guitar parts that
run throughout the song (these are also pretty much the ones employed
when the song was played live). However, in an effort to make life
harder for myself I took on tabbing the 3 guitar parts that make up the
outro - that'll teach me! The song is in A.

h - hammer on
p - pull off
/ - slide up
 - slide down
~ - vibrato
PM- palm mute

Guitar 1 - Stuart Adamson
Guitar 2 - Bruce Watson

CHORDS FOR RHYTHM GUITAR - Guitar 2

  A       C#m     D       E       F#m
E|---5---|---4---|-------|-------|---2---|
B|---5---|---5---|---7---|---9---|---2---|
G|---6---|---6---|---7---|---9---|---2---|
D|---7---|---6---|---7---|---9---|---4---|
A|---7---|---4---|---5---|---7---|---4---|
E|---5---|-------|-------|-------|---2---|

INTRO - Guitar 1 plays the 12 bar intro backed up by the palm muted
        picking of Guitar 2 which continually repeats the same riff.


  Guitar 2
  [PM.............]
E|-0-0-2-5-0-0-7-5-|
B|-----------------|
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|


  Guitar 1
   
E|----------|----------------|------------|-------------------|
B|----------|----------------|------------|-------------------|
G|------5-7-|----------------|-------9-11-|-------------------|
D|-5-7------|-5-7------------|-9-11-------|-9-11--------------|
A|----------|------5h7p5h7p5-|------------|-------9h11p9h11p9-|
E|----------|----------------|------------|-------------------|

  
E|--------------|-----------------------|
B|--------------|-----------------------|
G|--------11-14-|-----------------------|
D|-11-14--------|-11-14-----------------|
A|--------------|--------11h14p11h14p11-|
E|--------------|-----------------------|

PRE-VERSE - Just before the 1st verse kicks in Guitar 1 repeats the
            following riff twice whilst Guitar 2 strums the chords
            marked.

  C#m(Gtr 2)           C#m
  Guitar 1
E|--------------------|-------------------|
B|------9-10-9--------|-12------10------9-|
G|----9--------9----9-|----9-------9------|
D|-11------------11---|------11------11---|
A|--------------------|-------------------|
E|--------------------|-------------------|

1ST VERSE - Guitars 1 & 2 double-up both repeating this riff 16 times.


  Guitar 1 & 2
E|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-------7-----|
A|-0-4/5---54-|
E|-------------|

CHORUS - Guitar 1 plays the following sequence twice followed by the
         PRE-VERSE riff, again repeated twice. Guitar 2 strums the
         chords marked.

  A(Guitar 2)      D            F#m                 D
  Guitar 1
E|---------9------|-------10--|----------9--------|----------10-------|
B|------10---10---|-------10--|----10----10-10----|----10----10-10----|
G|----9---------9-|-/11---11--|-11-11-11----11-11-|----11-------11-11-|
D|-11-------------|-/12---12--|-11----11-------11-|-12----12-------12-|
A|----------------|------------|-9-----9--------9--|-12----12-------12-|
E|----------------|------------|-------------------|-10----10----------|

BRIDGE - Guitar 2 picks out the repeated palm muted riff from the
             intro whilst Guitar 1 slides up to the following notes.


  
E|---------|---------|----------|---------|
B|-/10~~~~-|-/14~~~~-|-/10--/14-|-/17~~~~-|
G|---------|---------|----------|---------|
D|---------|---------|----------|---------|
A|---------|---------|----------|---------|
E|---------|---------|----------|---------|

2ND VERSE - as per 1st Verse


CHORUS - As per previous Chorus except that this time Guitar 1 plays
         the following bars after playing the PRE-VERSE riff twice.
         Again Guitar 2 strums the chords marked.


  D(Guitar 2)               D
  Guitar 1
E|-------------------------|----------------------|
B|-------10-12-10----------|-14-------12-------10-|
G|----11----------11----11-|----11-------11-------|
D|-12----------------12----|-------12-------12----|
A|-------------------------|----------------------|
E|-------------------------|----------------------|

  F#m                       F#m          E
  [PM...............................................]
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|
B|-------14----------14----|-------14----------12----|
G|----14----14----14----14-|----14----14----13----13-|
D|-16----------16----------|-16----------14----------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------------|

  D                         C#m
  [PM.........................................]
E|-------------------------|-------------------|
B|-------10----------10----|------9--------9---|
G|----11----11----11----11-|----9---9----9---9-|
D|-12----------12----------|-11-------11-------|
A|-------------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------------|-------------------|

MID-BREAK/2ND VERSE REPEAT - The song now enters a 'quiet bit' as
                      Guitar 2 plays the following palm muted riff.
                      After playing it 3 times the 2ND VERSE is
                      repeated. Instead of playing the verse as before,
                      this time Guitar 2 carries on repeating it's riff
                      a further 4 times. Guitar 1 plays nothing.


  Guitar 2
  [PM...................................]
E|-------------------|-------------------|
B|-------------------|-------------------|
G|-------------------|-------------------|
D|-0-0-12-0-0-11-0-0-|-9-0-0-14-0-0-11-0-|
A|-------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------|-------------------|

  [PM...................................]
E|------------------|--------------------|
B|------------------|--------------------|
G|------------------|--------------------|
D|-0-0-12-0-0-9-0-0-|--------------------|
A|------------------|-12-0-0-12-0-0-12-0-|
E|------------------|--------------------|

1ST VERSE REPEAT - The 1ST VERSE is now repeated with a different
                   backing. Guitar 2 plays the riff from the INTRO
                   repeatedly but without the palm mute. Guitar 1
                   repeats(roughly) the following 4 bars 4 times.


  Guitar 1
E|----------|----------|-12----12-----|-12----12---12-|
B|-/10------|----------|---1010--1010-|---1010--10----|
G|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|
D|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|
A|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|
E|----------|----------|--------------|---------------|

CHORUS - As before although this time the chorus is played twice. The
         second time Guitar 1 plays the following twice.


  A(Guitar 2)      D
  Guitar 1
E|---------9------|----------10-------|
B|------10---10---|-------10----10----|
G|----9---------9-|----11----------11-|
D|-11-------------|-12----------------|
A|----------------|-------------------|
E|----------------|-------------------|

  F#m                D
E|----------9-------|----------10-------|
B|-------10---10----|-------10----10----|
G|----11---------11-|----11----------11-|
D|-11---------------|-12----------------|
A|------------------|-------------------|
E|------------------|-------------------|

OUTRO - Guitars 1 & 2 play the original riff from VERSE 1 16 times
        although Guitar 1 replaces bars 4, 8, 12 & 16 with the
        following marked bars. A third guitar part enters at the
        fifth bar.

  Bar 4           Bar 8            Bar 12            Bar 16
  Guitar 1
E|----------|   E|-----------|   E|------------|   E|-----------|
B|----------|   B|-----------|   B|------------|   B|-----------|
G|----------|   G|-----------|   G|------------|   G|-----------|
D|-/9--7--6-|   D|-/11--9--7-|   D|-/9-999-7-6-|   D|-/11--9--7-|
A|----------|   A|-----------|   A|------------|   A|-----------|
E|----------|   E|-----------|   E|------------|   E|-----------|


  Guitar 3
E|-17-------|-16--14--12-|-12h14------|-------------|
B|----------|------------|-------14~~~|--12-14------|
G|----------|------------|------------|--------14~~~|
D|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
A|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
E|----------|------------|------------|-------------|


E|-17-17161616----|-16-16h17-16-14-12-|----------|----------|
B|-------------17-|-------------------|----------|----------|
G|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|
D|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|
A|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|
E|----------------|-------------------|----------|----------|


E|-17-------|-16--14--12-|-12h14------|-------------|
B|----------|------------|-------14~~~|--12-14------|
G|----------|------------|------------|--------14~~~|
D|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
A|----------|------------|------------|-------------|
E|----------|------------|------------|-------------|

OUTRO CONTINUED - Confused!?! You will be! Guitar 3 plays the next bar
                  6 times whilst Guitar 2 strums the C#m chord - this
                  changes to a D chord at the fifth bar.In the meantime
                  Guitar 1 brings up the rear playing the same guitar
                  part that followed the chorus after the 2nd verse.
                  After playing this through Guitar 1 then repeats the
                  bars from the F#m chord onwards twice before ending
                  by repeating the last bar in this sequnce whilst
                  Guitar 2 strums the C#m chord. Blimey, anybody get
                  that....I'm of to catch some Z's.


  C#m(play D chord fifth & sixth time)
  
E|-2119-1917-17/19-19/21-|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------|

  F#m                                   E
E|-212119-1917-1716-16/17-|-1716-1614-1412-12-|
B|---------------------------|----------------------|
G|---------------------------|----------------------|
D|---------------------------|----------------------|
A|---------------------------|----------------------|
E|---------------------------|----------------------|

  D                   E
E|-141412-129-9/12-|-129-9/12-129-9/12-12-|
B|-------------------|------------------------|
G|-------------------|------------------------|
D|-------------------|------------------------|
A|-------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------|------------------------|

  F#m                            E
E|-141412-129-9/12-|-129-9/12-129-9/12-12-|
B|-------------------|------------------------|
G|-------------------|------------------------|
D|-------------------|------------------------|
A|-------------------|------------------------|
E|-------------------|------------------------|


  D                   E
E|-141412-129-9/12-|-129-97-7/9-9/7-7-|
B|-------------------|--------------------|
G|-------------------|--------------------|
D|-------------------|--------------------|
A|-------------------|--------------------|
E|-------------------|--------------------|

  F#m                            E
E|-141412-129-9/12-|-129-9/12-129-97-7-|
B|-------------------|----------------------|
G|-------------------|----------------------|
D|-------------------|----------------------|
A|-------------------|----------------------|
E|-------------------|----------------------|

  D              C#m
E|-997-75-5/7-|-75-5/7-75-52-2p0-|
B|--------------|---------------------|
G|--------------|---------------------|
D|--------------|---------------------|
A|--------------|---------------------|
E|--------------|---------------------|

  C#m               C#m
E|/9-75-5/7-75--|5/7-75-52-2p0-|
B|-----------------|----------------|
G|-----------------|----------------|
D|-----------------|----------------|
A|-----------------|----------------|
E|-----------------|----------------|

  C#m          C#m          C#m          A[let ring]
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|
B|-2----------|------------|------------|-2----------|
G|-------4--2-|------------|------------|-2----------|
D|------------|-4--2-------|-4--2-------|-2----------|
A|------------|-------4--2-|-------4--2-|-0----------|
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|
Chords: show

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Tags: classic uk pop, new romantic, new wave, new wave pop, scottish new wave, scottish rock
How to play other songs of the artist "Big Country"?

440a
07.11.2022, 14:51
Wow, this looks amazing! I learned how to play it a long time ago and haven't played it in ages. It's great that you took the time to work out all of the details - thanks for doing this, it really is an underappreciated gem from this band.
440a
01.10.2023, 02:51
Wow, this looks amazing! I learned how to play it a long time ago and haven't played it in ages. It's great that you took the time to work out all of the details - thanks for doing this! This is definitely an underrated gem from this band.
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