The Alien Song (for those who listen)
Transcribed by Steve BorzilleriThe numbers below the tablature lines count the beats in each measure of this song - 1, 2, 3, 4. The spaces between the beat-numbers widen at times to make room for the notes that occur between the beats. You can begin this piece by either picking the open A-string to match the opening sound on the album, or you can just start with the arpeggiated chords that come in at 0:12 0:00 E---------------- B---------------- G---------------- D---------------- A-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-- E---------------- 0:12 E------------------------------------------------------------------ B------------------------------------------------------------------ G-----2-----2---------2-----2---------2-----2---------2-----2------ D---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----3---2-----2-----2---2-----2-----2-- A-5-----5-----5---5-----5-----5---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----3---- E------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 (repeat the above diagram for the verses) At :20 a high bell enters: -------------------------------------------------- -15----------18-17-15----17----------15----13----- ----------------------17-------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 The above bell-melody is played twice, then the third time around it changes slightly and plays for an extra eight beats: ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------ -15----------18-17-15----15--17----------------- -17----------17--------- ----------------------17------------------------ -16--------------------- ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------ 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 -1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 At the end of each verse, Milla throws in a minor arpeggio that lasts for eight extra beats. The first time it happens is at :43, on the word "lives." ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- -----0-----0---------0-----0------ ---2-----2---------2-----2-------- -2-----2-----2---2-----2-----2---- ---------------0---------------0-- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 At 1:15, on the word "Oh..." everything shifts: ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------ -----2-----2---------2-----2---------2-----2---------2------------ ---3-----3---3-----3-----3-----0---2-----2-----2---2-------2------ -------3-------3-------3-----3---0-----0-----0---0-----3-5---3-5-- -1---------------1------------------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 The above diagram gets played three times, then the fourth time around it changes slightly. The last four beats change to this: ------------------ ------------------ -----2-----2------ ---2-----2-----2-- -0-----0-----0---- ------------------ 1 2 3 4 At 3:13 a flute solo begins, with this guitar part underneath: ------------------------------------------------------------------ -----0---3---------------------------0---3------------------------ ---0---0---0---------2---5-2-------0---0---0---------2---5-2------ -0-----------0-----2---2-----2-0-0-----------0-----2---2-----2-0-- ---------------0-3-----------------------------0-3---------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------ -----0---3-------------------------------0------------------------ ---0---0---0---------2---5-2---------0-----0---0---0-4---2---0---- -0-----------0-----2---2-----2-0---0---0-----0---0-----0---0---0-- ---------------0-3------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------3-------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 At 3:28 the voices swoop in, with a guitar part underneath that's very similar to what's played underneath the verses: ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------ -----2---0-2-0-------2---0-2-0-------2---0-2-0-------2------------ ---3-----------3---3-----------3---2-----------2---2-----0-2-0---- -5-----5---------5-----5---------3-----3---------3-----3-------3-- ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 The second time around, the first half of the above diagram changes slightly to this: ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- -----2---0-2-0-------2------------ ---3-----------3---3---0-3-5-0-2-- -5-----5---------5---------------- ---------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Word of caution - at 3:28 the song becomes filled with voices and whooshing effects, which makes it hard to differentiate between the guitar and the bass since what they play is very close. I've listed what I could hear clearly, but there are probably many guitar-part variations during that section. At 4:15 the song repeats what's played at 3:13, with the last nine beats played like this: ------------------------------------ ---------0-------------------------- -----0-----0---0---0-4---2---0---2-- ---0---0-----0---0-----0---0-----2-- -------------------------------0-0-- -3---------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 End.