[TAB & CHORDS] The Man Who Sold The World

This guide will show you exactly how to play the classic song written by David Bowie and covered by artists such as Nirvana and Midge Ure.

CHORD SETUP

We need chords!
This song uses 5 total chords and 2 picking sections.
Thankfully, we can store both picking segments on chord 6.
COOL TIP!: If you click on a chord note that's already been placed, that note will disappear from the chord! That is how we achieve 5< note chords in this song, buy removing the 1st string.

1 - A


2 - D (You can remove the D on the second string if you'd like, I just think it makes it sound warmer!)


3 - F


4 - C


5 - C#


6 - Picking Arrangement (Fun fact! This as a horrible chord would be called A7sus(b9,b13)..Yeah)

CHORD SEQUENCE

I am assuming QWERTY is bound to the strings for this tutorial.
Every time you see a tabbed picking arrangement for this song, it will ALWAYS mean switch to CHORD 6.
Code tags are used to preserve spacing for tabbed sections.

Intro

W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q- X5
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--

Verse 1
1-2
1-3
4-1
2-4

Chorus 1
4-3
5-3
4-3
5

Interlude 1
(Play the riff OR the chords)

W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q- X5
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--

1-2
3-2

Verse 2
1-2
1-3
4-1
2-4

Chorus 2
4-3
5-3
4-3
5

Interlude 2
(Play the riff OR the chords. This Interlude ends EARLY!)

W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q- X3
W--W--Q----W-E-W-

1-2

Chorus 3
4-3
5-3
4-3
5

Outro
1-2-3-2 X3
1-2-3

Outro Solo
This can be played instead of the chords, or might sound cool if you get a buddy
to play along with you.
The timing and amount of the solo notes is not super important, you can freestyle them as long as they fit the groove.
The outro of both the boeiw version and nirvana version particularly demonstrate this well.

W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q-- X2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--
Y----Y--Y--T--T----R--R--------R--R--T--Y----Y--------Y----Y--
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--
Y----Y--Y--T--T----R--R--------R--R--T--Y----Y--------Y----Y--
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--

CHORDS WITH LYRICS

Intro
NC = No Chord

NC                                        NC
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--
3                                         2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--



Verse 1
                    1                            2
We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when
                   1                            3
Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend
                     4                       1
Which came as a surprise, I spoke into his eyes
                     2                      4
I thought you died alone, a long long time ago
 
 
Chorus 1
4            3
Oh no, not me
   5             3
We never lost control
        4       3
You're face to face
         5                     
With the man who sold the world
 
 
Interlude 1
1                                         2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--
3                                         2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--
 
Verse 2
                         1                          2
I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home
                         1                            3
I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed
                     4                        1
I gazed a gazeless stare, we walked a million hills
                   2                      4
I must have died alone, a long long time ago
 
 
[Chorus 2]
                3
Who knows, not me
  5              3
I never lost control
        4       3
You're face to face
         5                      
With the man who sold the world
 
 
[Interlude 2]
1                                         2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W-
 
 
[Chorus 3]
    4           3
Who knows, not me
   5               3
We never lost control
        4        3
You're face to face
         5                      
With the man who sold the world
 
 
[Solo]
1                                         2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--
3                                         2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--

1             2                         3
Y----Y--Y--T--T----R--R--------R--R--T--T----T--------T----T--
2
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--

1             2                         3
Y----Y--Y--T--T----R--R--------R--R--T--T----T--------T----T--
2                                         1
W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--W--Q----W-E-W--Q--W--

COOL TIPS & OTHER SONGS

For more songs, check out my other guides RIGHT HERE!

I use a program called JoyToKey to map the up n down strum on a guitar hero controller to the QWERTY keys on my keyboard to produce a more consistent strumming effect.
You can set a delay between the keycommands to make it sound like youre really dragging a pick (or your mouse) through the strings.
This is also possible with other controllers too!

Listen to the original recording or the Nirvana unplugged version for timing changes.

[maksim_white_tick]

YEEEEEEES THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BOWIE'S SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SamiTheSeaBunny]

entropy's my zero 2

[Kaczor24]

kept you waiting huh?

[KPbICKA II]

Thanks

[SenpaiHans. -w-]

"You're pretty good"

[UNWORTHY]

I don't have this gane but this is cool
Big Balls metel geer

[SlammedUrMum69]

nice

[Ro1kiee]

What a thrill...

[vanaisa._.]

Now do you remember, who you are? What you were meant to do?

[professionalatsomething]

snake? SNAKE? SNAAAAAAAKE!!!1!!11!