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Reality (acoustic) - Staind
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Tuning: Standard Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-eb
Tempo: slow, melodic
Performance note: Aaron Lewis performs this with a mic'd Guild acoustic guitar. The key
keeping this song simple. Without the distortion effects or the electric guitars, drum
bass, the harmonics and nuances of the original recording are lost, but the solitude and
behind the lyrics takes it's place. Don't rush. Quater notes are the same
as: 1-onethousand, 2-onethousand, 3-onethousand, 4-onethousand.
If you use a mic infront of the strings, turn down the bass a little bit but up the mid.
If you use an electric-acoustic, adjust the mid to +2 and the bass to +1 and
leave trebel to 0.
Most notes can be improvised-strummed to the rythem of the song/words.
Let most of the half-note and greater chords ring, but don't drown out the open D string
played.
Note: Adapted from Aaron Lewis's performance of this 2/28/2009 Live concert
Notes and tuning are accurate to Aaron's guitar used live!
Intro
[Esus2] [G][G][D]
eb|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
Bb|---------------------------------|---------------3-----------------|
Gb|-------0-------0-------------0---|-0-0-0---0-0---2-----------------|
Db|---4-------4-------4-------4---4-|-4-4-2---4-2---0-----------------|
Ab|-2---2-------2-------2---0-------|---------------------------------|
Eb|---------------------------------|-3-3-3---3-3---------------------|
Verse (the light is on... but you're not)
[Esus2] [G][G][D]
eb|-0-------------------------------|---------------------------------|
Bb|-0-------------------------------|-3------(3)----3-----------------|
Gb|-0-------------------------------|-0------(0)----2-----------------|
Db|-4-------------------------------|-0-------0-----0-----------------|
Ab|-2-------------------------------|-2-------------0-----------------|
Eb|-0-------------------------------|-3-------------------------------|
Chorus (sometimes when you're out of)
[Cadd2] [Em7] [G][G][D]
eb|-3-----3-----3---3--3----3---3-3-|-3-------3-----------2----2-3--2-|
Bb|-3-----3-----3---3--3----3---3-3-|-3-------3-------3---3----3-3--3-|
Gb|-0-----0-----0---0--0----0---0-0-|-0-------0-------2---2----2-2--2-|
Db|-2-----2-----2---2--2----2---2-2-|-0-------0-------0---0----0-0--0-|
Ab|-3-----3-----3---2--2----2---2-2-|-2-------2-------0---0----0-0--0-|
Eb|-----------------0--0----0---0-0-|-3-------3-----------------------|
Bridge (the monster you're feeding. your lack of perception)
[Em7] [Em7] [Cadd2] [Cadd2] [Em7][Em7][D][D]
eb|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-3-------3-----------------------|
Bb|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|
Gb|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-0-------0-------2-------2-------|
Db|-2-------2-------2-------2-------|-2-------2-------0-------0-------|
Ab|-2-------2-------3-------3-------|-2-------2-------0-------0-------|
Eb|-0-------0-----------------------|-0-------0-----------------------|
Final Chord
Esus2 (arpeggiate)
eb|---------------------0-----------|
Bb|-----------------0---------------|
Gb|-------------0-------------------|
Db|---------4-----------------------|
Ab|-----2---------------------------|
Eb|-0-------------------------------|
|----------Let Ring-------------|
|(#) ghost note (finger but don't strum or pluck)
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| ^ accent note on downstroke
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
Play order:
[intro]
[verse]
the lights are on but you're not home
you've drifted off somewhere alone
somewhere that's safe,
no questions here
a quiet place where you hide from your fears
[chorus]
sometimes when you're out of rope the way to climb back up's unclear
the walls you build around yourself i guess they also keep you here
are you afraid of what they think? whoever they happen to be
are you hiding from the scars of your own reality?
[verse]
so you sedate and drown in vain
you've got a pill for every day
a suit and tie to mask the truth
its ugly head is starthing to show through
[chorus]
sometimes when you're out of rope the way to climb back up's unclear
the walls you build around yourself i guess they also keep you here
are you afraid of what they think? whoever they happen to be
or are you hiding the scars of your own reality?
[bridge]
the monster you're feeding, your lack of perception
the things you will do to fill your addictions
the light at the end of your tunnel is closing
what is it that you're so afraid of exposing?
you'd give it all up for what's there for the taking
whatever it takes to keep your hands from shaking
the same things you're thinking might make you feel better
the same things that probably got you here
[chorus]
sometimes when you're out of rope the way to climb back up's unclear
the walls you build around yourself i guess they also keep you here
are you afraid of what they think? whoever "they" happen to be
are you hiding from the scars of your own reality?
[bridge]
the monster you're feeding, your lack of perception
the things you will do to fill your addictions
the light at the end of your tunnel is closing
what is it that you're so afraid of exposing?
you'd give it all up for what's there for the taking
whatever it takes to keep your hands from shaking
the same things you're thinking might make you feel better
are-the same things that probably keep you here (aaron sings this ending live)
[final chord]
