Big River chords

Van Halen

Simplify chords 

  			



Intro 

eb|-2h3p2p0--3p2p0------------|-2h3p2p0------------------| 
Bb|-----------------3---------|----------3p0-------------| 
Gb|---------------------------|--------------0-----------| 
Db|-2--------0----------------|-0---------------4--------| 
Ab|-----------------3---------|----------3------2--------| 
Eb|---------------------------|--------------------------| 




Main Riff (w/ Distortion) 

eb|-----------------------|------------------------| 
Bb|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|------------------------| 
Gb|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4--------------------| 
Db|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7--5--5p4p0------| 
Ab|-----------------------|-------------------0----| 
Eb|-----------------------|------------------------| 

|-----------------------|--------------------------| 
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|--------------------------| 
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4----------------------| 
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7PH----------------| 
|-----------------------|-----------3p0-3h5-3p0-0--| 
|-----------------------|--------------------------| 

|-----------------------|-------------------------| 
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|-------------------------| 
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4---------------------| 
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7---5--5p4p0------| 
|-----------------------|--------------------0----| 
|-----------------------|-------------------------| 

|-----------------------|--------------------------| 
|-7h8-8-8--x-7------x-x-|--------------------------| 
|-7---7-7--x-7------x-x-|-5-4-------------0--------| 
|-7h9-9-9--x-7------x-x-|-----5-7-5----------------| 
|-----------------------|------------0-3qb-3qb--0--| 
|-----------------------|--------------------------| 



Verse Riff 

|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------| 
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 

|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------| 
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------4--5-5/7-5--4-| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 



Repeat Main Riff 

"Oh Big River, Oh Yeah" 


Play Verse Riff Again with slight changes 

|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------| 
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------5h7-5h7p5-4-0-| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 

|-------------------------|-----------*************-| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7---10-10-8--8--7-| * w/ slight 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------|   trem bar bends 
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 


Repeat Main Riff (0:55) 


Verse 2: 

|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------| 
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 

|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-5-5-5-3------3-----3----|-7-7-7-5-----------------| 
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------| 
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------| 
|-----------2-----2-------|--------------5--3--2--3-| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 

|--------------|--------------| 
|--------------|--------------| 
|--------------|--8PH~~~------| <- use trem bar 
|-4~~~---------|--------------|    vibrato for  
|-2~~~---------|--------------|    horse sound 
|--------------|--------------| 



Repeat Main Riff 



Play Verse Riff 2 Again, but ending changes again: 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-8-8-8-7-----------------| 
|-5-5-5-7------7-----7----|-7-7-7-7-----------------| 
|-----------0-----0-----0-|-----------0--0--0--0--0-| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 

|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-5-5-5-3------3-----3----|-7-7-7-5-----------------| 
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------| 
|-4-4-4-4------4-----4----|-5-5-5-5-----------------| 
|-----------2-----2-------|--------------5--3--2----| 
|-------------------------|-----------------------3-| 

|--------------|--------------| 
|--------------|--------------| 
|--------------|--------------| 
|--------------|--------------|     
|--------------|--------------|     
|-2------------|-2\____-------| dive bar, lower note gradually 


(1:48) Bridge to Solo 
|------------------------|------------------------| 
|------------------------|------------------------| 
|------------------------|-----------4PH\_/-------| 
|------------------------|------------------7\6/7-| 
|-------7~--------7---7\-|-------7----------------| 
|-0-0-0-----0-0-0--------|-0-0-0------------5\4/5-| 

|------------------------|-----------------------------| 
|------------------------|-----------------------------| 
|------------------------|-----------------------------| 
|------------------------|-------------*-*---*--*------| 
|-------7~--------7---7\-|-------7-----7-7p5-7--5------| 
|-0-0-0-----0-0-0--------|-0-0-0-----------------------| 

*slight harmonics 



Solo 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-9b12r-9p7--9--7h9p7-9~--|-7h9p7--------------14b16| 
|----------9--------------|-------9-7h9p7\5-9~~~----| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-------------------------| 

|-------------------------------------------------------| 
|--------------------------------------------------15-17| 
|-14p12---14b16r-12---14b16r-12---14b16r-12---14-16-----| 
|------14----------14----------14----------14-----------| 
|-------------------------------------------------------| 
|-------------------------------------------------------| 

|-17---15-14h15p14---15-14----|-----19_p15--19p15--19p15--19p15---| 
|-----------------17-------/x-|-----------17-----17-----17-----17-| 
|-----------------------------|-/16-------------------------------| 
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------| 
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------| 
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------| 

|---------------------------------------| 
|-------------------15---12-------------| 
|-16~-16p14\12-14b16--b16--b16-14-14p12-| 
|---------------------------------------| 
|---------------------------------------| 
|---------------------------------------| 

 all TP notes 
|----------17--------17-19-22-|-22b24-22-22b24-22-22b24-b24~~~---| 
|-17--19-20--17-19-20---------|----------------------------------| 
|-----------------------------|------------------------------/12\| 
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------| 
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------| 
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------| 

|-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T8p3p0-T8p0h3-T8-T8p3p0-T8-| 
|--------------------------------------------------------------| 
|--------------------------------------------------------------| 
|--------------------------------------------------------------| 
|--------------------------------------------------------------| 
|--------------------------------------------------------------| 

|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|-T12p3p0-T12p0h3-T12-T12p3p0-T12p0h3-T12-T10p3p0-T10p0h3-T10-T10p3p0-T10-| 
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| 

|-T7p3p0-T7p0h3-T7-T7p3p0-T7p0h3---------------| 
|----------------------------------------------| 
|----------------------------------------------| 
|---------------------------------7PH_b___r-5--| 
|----------------------------------------------| 
|----------------------------------------------| 

|----------------------------|---------------------| 
|----------------------------|---------------------| 
|---------------slight harm--|---------------------| 
|--------------10-10-10-10~~-|-------5---5-4-------| 
|-------7--------------------|---------------7-6~--| 
|-0-0-0----8-8---------------|-3-3-3---------------| 

|----------------------------|------------------------|---------| 
|----------------------------|------------------------|---------| 
|---------------slight harm--|------------------------|---------| 
|--------------10-10-10-10~~-|-------5---9-9---5-4-2--|---------| 
|-------7--------------------|-----------x-x---x-x-x--|---------| 
|-0-0-0----8-8---------------|-3-3-3-----7-7---3-2-0--|-0-------| 

|----------|-10-14p12p10--------------------------------| 
|----------|------------15-15p12p10---------------------| 
|-7--------|-----------------------14-12p10\9-10-9------| 
|-7--------|--------------------------------------14-12-| 
|-5--------|--------------------------------------------| 
|----------|--------------------------------------------| 




Back to Main Riff (rhythm plays this through end of song) 



Lead Guitar End Part (2:58-3:16 on Main Riff repeat, play 2x) 

|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------| 
|-7b8---7~~~----|-7h8-7-----------|-7b8---7~~~---|-------------10~---| 
|---------------|-------9-9-7-6---|--------------|-9-7h9p7-6---------| 
|---------------|---------------7-|--------------|-----------7-------| 
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------| 
|---------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------| 


Continue Lead (3:17) 
|------15------------|-------17-15-17b19-15-17~-| 
|-15b17--15~~--15b17r|-13-----------------------| 
|--------------------|---14---------------------| 
|--------------------|--------------------------| 
|--------------------|--------------------------| 
|--------------------|--------------------------| 


|------17-20p17---17---------------|------------------------12--| 
|-20b22--------b22--r20---17h20p17-|-18h17\15--15\13p12---------| 
|-----------------------19---------|---------17--------14-------| 
|----------------------------------|----------------------------| 
|----------------------------------|----------------------------| 
|----------------------------------|---------------------x\5----| 

|-15\12/15\12-17--17\-----|---------------------------| 
|-------------------------|---------------------------| 
|-------------------------|-14h17p14~~----------------| 
|-------------------------|------------0\(-5)______/--| 
|-------------------------|---------------------------| 
|-------------------------|---------------------------| 

|----8--10b12r--------------------|--------------------------------| 
|-10-----------10h13p10~---7h10p7-|--7h10p7-10p7-------------------| 
|-------------------------9-------|-9------------9-9b11r-7-9-7-----| 
|---------------------------------|----------------------------9-9~| 
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------| 
|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|