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Tablature Data

American Idiot by Green Day

Guitar tab submitted by: foreignobject
Views: 10

Performed by:Green Day
Composers: Billie Joe Armstrong, Frank Wright, Michael Pritchard

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28 Comments Below See 5 other versions of this guitar tab

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This song is Published by ALFRED PUBLISHING CO., INC. and displayed here with permission.
All rights reserved.

Mxtabs [http://www.mxtabs.net]
Tabbed By Mitch Kesek (foreignobject1@hotmail.com)
Green Day
American Idiot (Title Track)
Guitarist: Billie Joe Armstrong
Recorded with: Gibson Les Paul Junior w/ Humbuckers

Watch for Billy Joe Armstrong (and more punk acts) in the upcoming movie 
\"Live Freaky! Die Freaky\" as Charlie Manson.

Rate me well, and when you\'re done, go and check to see if I have any tabs pending approval. 
If it\'s worth it, approve \'em! 
It\'s a fairly easy song, all power chords except for the solo.
I\'m pretty sure this is 100% right. The notes below the tabs are the power chords played. 
The solo is played on one string at a time. Not two. I know for a fact.

UPDATES--> 
-September 7th, 2004. I added the outro, and the second half of the main 
riff. See if you can spot the difference. :P
-September 14th. Someone (killbilly1982) has brought to my attention 
finally that my string notes were in the wrong order on the left. 
Thanks for pointing that out. =D
-September 22nd. Added the solo rhyme. Many people think 
the solo is played on two strings when the actual fact is that there\'s a rhyme.
-October 2nd. Added the pre-chorus slide and a comment.
-October 13th. Fine, it was recorded with a Gibson Les Paul Junior! Quit emailing me you morons.
-October 21st. Changed all of the \"~\"s to \"v\"s because the squiggly thing is hard to notice from a dash. It means Vibrato, so you know. Also fixed solo and added high pitched thing in the main riff.
-October 21st. Within 20 minutes of posting my above update i\'ve gotten 4 emails asking what a vibrato is. Just wiggle the string really fast a bunch of times, not like a bend at all.
-Nov. 16th. This tab is now one hundred percent complete. No more updates. Quit emailing me and don\'t add me to MSN messenger. GO SEE GREEN DAY TOMORROW IF YOU\'RE IN VANCOUVER.

Main Riff
e|--------------------------|---------------------[5]-|
B|--------------------------|---------------------[5]-|
G|-------666------6---------|-------666------6----[5]-|
D|-666---666--44--6--6---4--|--666--666--44--6--6-----|
A|-666---444--44--4--6---4--|--666--444--44--4--6-----|
E|-444--------22-----4---2--|--444-------22-----4-----|
   G#5  C#5  F#5 C#5 G#5 F#5   G#5  C#5 F#5 C#5 G#5

Chorus
e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|
G|-12/--66666666------------88888888------------|
D|-12/--66666666--66666666--88888888--66666666--|
A|-10/--44444444--66666666--66666666--66666666--|
E|----------------44444444------------44444444--|
   F#5      C#5        G#5        D#5        G#5 

e|------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------------|
G|--------66666666--------------88888888----------|
D|--------66666666---66666666---88888888----------|
A|--------44444444---66666666---66666666----------|
E|-------------------44444444---------------------|
             C#5         G#5        D#5

Solo
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------4---6--8--6-4v|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------44-444-44-44----|
G|--10-10-10-10-10-10-10--8-6--888888/10-8-6-5---3-3-3-5-6-5-333-----------------|
D|--x--x--x--x--x--x--x---x-x--xxxxxx-x--x-x-x---x-x-x-x-x-x-xxx-----------------|
A|--8--8--8--8--8--8--8---6-4--666666/8--6-4-3---1-1-1-3-4-3-111-----------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------44/9v-|
G|---10-10-10-10-10-10-10--8-6--888888/10-8-6-5---3-3-3-5-6-5-333-------|
D|---x--x--x--x--x--x--x---x-x--xxxxxx-x--x-x-x---x-x-x-x-x-x-xxx-------|
A|---8--8--8--8--8--8--8---6-4--666666/8--6-4-3---1-1-1-3-4-3-111-------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Rhythm Rhyme (for solo)
e|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|--66666666------------88888888------------|
D|--66666666--66666666--88888888--66666666--|
A|--44444444--66666666--66666666--66666666--|
E|------------44444444------------44444444--|
       C#5       G#5       D#5       G#5 

e|------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------------|
G|-----66666666------------88888888---------|
D|-----66666666--66666666--88888888--6vvvvvv|
A|-----44444444--66666666--66666666--6vvvvvv|
E|---------------44444444------------4vvvvvv|
         C#5        G#5       D#5     G#5

Outro:
e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|-------666------6-----|
D|--666--666--44--6--6--|
A|--666--444--44--4--6--|
E|--444-------22-----4--|
    G#5  C#5 F#5 C#5 G#5  

Flow:
Main Riff(x2)
drums, then first half of main riff. (x4)
chorus. (x2)
main riff. (x1)
drums, then first half of main riff. (x4)
chorus. (x2)
main riff (x2)
Solo (and rhyme) (x1)
main riff (x3)
chorus (x1)
outro (x1)

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Comments on this version of the 'American Idiot' guitar tab

stke22stke22Unknown Date
I still think that the solo is played with two strings. You can hear him playing octaves in the recording. Other than that, this is a good tab!
JdePgtAfiJdePgtAfiUnknown Date
yeah i agree it is octaves. so its really not a solo, its more like a bridge!
mushashamushashaUnknown Date
George W. Bush is a F*****
justinrockettjustinrockettUnknown Date
Your Corrections


Your Corrections


i think that nearly every one has tabed the main riff wrong!!?


e-------------------


B-------------------


G------666----6-----


D--666-666-44-6-6-4-


A--666-444-44-4-6-4-the 244 don't sound


E--444-----22---4-2-wright





i think it must go something like this.


e-----------------


B-----------------


G-----66----6-----


D-666-66-44-6-4\4-


A-666-44-44-4-4\4-


E-444----22---2\6-
golfpunk86golfpunk86Unknown Date
Yeah im not sure about that solo of yours either, i thought it was octaves aswell until it went up high for a couple of bras and i got:





e---------------------------------------


b-----------------------14--------------


g13-13-15-13-13-13-17-13--13-17-13-15-13


d---------------------------------------


a---------------------------------------


e---------------------------------------





thats in the scale that he's using
DGerDGerUnknown Date
Listen to the strumming...





e|-------------------------|---------------------[5]--|


B|-------------------------|---------------------[5]--|


G|-------6-6------6--------|-------6-6------6----[5]--|


D|--666--6-6--44--6--6--4--|--666--6-6--44--6--6--x---|


A|--666--4-4--44--4--6--4--|--666--4-4--44--4--6--x---|


E|--444-------22-----4--2--|--444-------22-----4--x---|





[5]=harmonics





Also, the solo is wrong. Instead of me tabbing out the whole song, listen to the damn thing.
rexobrexobUnknown Date
the last bit of the solo is octaves but not the whole thing. its obvious in live versions that he uses two strings. billie also uses a les paul not his strat :( . btw - billie doesnt even play the solo the back up guitarist does. kinda weird
rexobrexobUnknown Date
you may be right about the strat - but he does use a les paul live and during the waiting video. whatever it doesnt really matter, you may be right. his strat over 3 times better than ay les paul. :) however, im 100% sure that he uses two strings on the solo. download or watch them playing the song on sessions.
ssfsflip16ssfsflip16Unknown Date
yea the solo is really played with 2 strings because the guy even does it in sessions @aol
greendaykid77greendaykid77Unknown Date
on the solo, the both of the parts with 8th fret A string, he slides from the 2nd fret to the 8th fret. I am positive on this. Watch any live performance, and listen to the song.
pyromania182pyromania182Unknown Date
After you play the main verse,play all strings open, it makes the high pitched sound that you hear every other time


E------------------ --0


B------------------ --0


G-----666----6----- --0


D-666-666-44-6-6-4- --0


A-666-444-44-4-6-4- --0


E-444-----22---4-2- --0
PWCNTPWCNTUnknown Date
Great tab but the solo is made up of powere chords with a mute on the middle strings, though it's classified as a solo, it's really more of a riff
WHO CARES WHAT KIND OF GUITAR IS USED!!!


what does the s in the solo mean, bend or hammer/pull off.and dont tell me to listen to the song or play it because my friend is burning the cd and i dont have my guitar with me.
jbDjbDUnknown Date
all this moaning and stuff if u want a correct version of this sing go out a buy this months total guitar, there like one mistake in each bit of this song, it worth it and quits the moaning
jacobayoungjacobayoungUnknown Date
This is a really good tab but you need distortion in the intro and chorus otherwis this is a very awsome tab.
jacobayoungjacobayoungUnknown Date
This is a really good tab but you need distortion in the intro and chorus otherwis this is a very awsome tab.
jgmckeiljgmckeilUnknown Date
the xxx555 part should be xxx000
busherskevybusherskevyUnknown Date
this is how it is, i have the sheet music and i saw em play it on tv.


intro


E|-------------------------


B|-------------------------


G|----------------6--------


D|------6-66------6-6-4----


A|-66-0-4-44-0-44-4-6-4----


E|-44-0------0-22---4-2----


its does this for every time he does


this in the song.hope this helps
ilikeorangejuice11ilikeorangejuice11Unknown Date
Kerry is a big fat Fu****
13aLiEnSeXiSt1313aLiEnSeXiSt13Unknown Date
busherskevy is right..


but anyways really good job man!!
bammargera07bammargera07Unknown Date
the intro and chorus is wrong their both actually


-----------------------------------------


-----------------------------------------


-------666-----6-------------------------


-4-666-666-444-6-6-----------------------


-4-666-444-444-4-6-----------------------


-2-444-----222---4-----------------------





but other than that the tab is perfect excllent tab man just blos my mind away how much detail u put into it
bammargera07bammargera07Unknown Date
sorry what i put earlier i put it under the wrong tab
punkguitardude2punkguitardude2Unknown Date
its good, but i think you have to play the main riff as an intro without distortion once
poopiehead5poopiehead5Unknown Date
this tab is terrible im the guitar player 4 green day and this is not even close to how i play it not even close greenrik u blow monkey testicles
poopiehead5poopiehead5Unknown Date
u succkk monkey testicless
Beaver101Beaver101Unknown Date
On the opening line it should be 660 not 666 440


444 440


444
iwantapoodleiwantapoodleUnknown Date
the solo is wrong it is not played like this:


E|--------------------------------------------------------------------8-------------||


B|-------------------------------------------------------9-----11----------11---9^--||


G|10101010101010/8-6--88888/10-8-6-5--33333-5-6-5-3---88----88-----88---88----8-----||


D|X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X--XXXXX-X--X-X-X------------------------------------------------||


A|8-8-8-8-8-8-8-/6-4--66666/8--6-4-3------------------------------------------------||


E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------||


E|-----------------------------------------------------------||


B|-----------------------------------------------------------||


G|10101010101010/8-6--88888/10-8-6-5--33333-5-6-5-3--13------||


D|X-X-X-X-X-X-X--X-X--XXXXX-X--X-X-X-------------------------||


A|8-8-8-8-8-8-8-/6-4--66666/8--6-4-3-------------------------||


E|-----------------------------------------------------------||
knitemare03knitemare03Unknown Date
i concluded along with some friends that the intro is


e----------------------


b----------------------


g------666------6------


d-666--666--66--6--6--4


a-666--444--66--4--6--4


e-444-------44-----4--2





i also think that iti is either half a step up, not down, or just standard





oh ya also for fact the amp settings are





Drive: 6 1/2


Treble: 9


Middle: 8


Bass: 3,or 4

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