King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man (First Version) Chords and Tabs

King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man First Version: chords and tabs for the song. Watch chords and tablatures for all songs of the singer (group) King Crimson. Other chords and tabs for the "21st Century Schizoid Man" can find at the bottom of the page.

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I used 3 versions of Schizoid Man to transcribe this:
1) Studio : _In the Court of the Crimson King_
2) Live : Providence disc from the amazing new _Great Deceiver_ boxed set
(also the same version originally released on _USA_)
3) Live : My *Alltime Favourite* version from _Earthbound_

NOTES: 	1) Standard bar chords unless otherwise noted
2) This transcription isn't rigidly Beginning -> End.  I'll write it by
section then assume knowledge of repeating parts...


First the chords:
The main chordal riff in 4/4:
1   2       3     4|1  2  3  4
C   A# C D# A#  C  |F   F#   G

Alternate used before vox:
1   2       3     4  1  2    3 4
C   A# C D# F   G   |13---14---15---|
|16*--17*--18-----------| *Bend each 1 whole step
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|

Vocal Section Chord from hell:
Interpretations of this chord are legendary, this one sounded best to me:
x
8
8
10
10
8
Cat's foot etc...

Exit main chordal riff:
F F# G : Repeat 6 times, increase tempo then...


Unison run section 1 (rhythm sorta notated by the 1-2-3-4)

1       2     3       4      1       2     3     4
|----------------------------|--------------------------|
|--------4-5-6---------------|--------4-5-6-------------|
|5-5-5-5-------5-5-5-5-4-3---|5-5-5-5-----------3---3-4-|
|--------------------------5-|--------------4-5---5-----|
|----------------------------|--------------------------|
|----------------------------|--------------------------|

|----------------------------|------------------6---6-7-|
|--------4-5-6---------------|--------4-5-6-7-8---8-----|
|5-5-5-5-------5-5-5-5-4-3---|5-5-5-5-------------------|
|--------------------------5-|--------------------------|
|----------------------------|--------------------------|
|----------------------------|--------------------------|

1       2     3      4       1       2     3             4
|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------|--------------/tri--/tri--/tri--/tri-|
|--------3-4-5---------------|--------3-4-5-0-3-3--0-3-3--0-3-3--0-3-3-|
|5-5-5-5-1-2-3-5-5-5-5-4-3---|5-5-5-5-1-2-3----------------------------|
|3-3-3-3-------3-3-3-3-2-1-0-|3-3-3-3----------------------------------|
|--------------------------3-|-----------------------------------------|
Play chords loose and sloppy 	tri=triplets


Unison run section 2 (rhythm sorta notated by the 1-2-3-4)

1        2        3        4         1        2        3        4
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|11-------11-------11----------------|11-------11-------11----------------|
|---11-12----11-12----11-12-11-10----|---11-12----11-12----11-12-11-10----|
|---------------------------------13-|---------------------------------13-|
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|

|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------10-|11-------11-------11----------------|
|12-------12-------12-------11-12----|---11-12----11-12----11-12-11-10----|
|---13-15----13-15----13-15----------|---------------------------------13-|
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|

|------------------------------------|----|
|11-------11-------11---------------------|
|---11-12----11-12----11-12-11-10---------| Vibrato and Feedback like a Madman
|---------------------------------13--/--|then you're on your own...
|-----------------------------------------| ...for this is the Solo from Hell :)
|------------------------------------|----|

...And speaking of hell, here are the inhumanly fast parts...

Fast1*
|--------------------------------------------3-|
|------------------------/tri-------3---3-6---|
|----------------3---3-5-3-5-3---3-5---5-------|
|--------3---3-5---5-----------5---------------|
|--1-3-5---5-----------------------------------|
|3---------------------------------------------|
*The rhythm is correct so if you play the triplet at the indicated time
(and allow 1 note length) you should be dead on.
The notes themselves are pretty close but open to interpretation...

Fast2**
|--------------------------------------------3---------------|
|------------------------/tri-------3---3-6---2-1-----------|
|----------------3---3-5-3-5-3---3-5---5------------3-0------|
|--------3---3-5---5-----------5-------------------------3-0-|
|--1-3-5---5-------------------------------------------------|
|3-----------------------------------------------------------|
**Same as * except last 7 notes are definitely correct

Fast3
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|--------3-0-7-0-5-0-3-0-5-0-7-0-----------|
|--1-3-5-------------------------3-0-------|
|3-----------------------------------4-3-1-|
|------------------------------------------|

Mute1
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
|--------3-0-7-0-5-0-3-0-5-0-7-0-3-0-------|
|--1-3-5-----------------------------4-3-1-|
|3-----------------------------------------|

Stop & Go
|----1-----1-|----1-------|----1-3-------------|----1-3-------------|
|1-3---1-3---|1-3---3-2-1-|1-3-----2-1---------|1-3-----2-1---------|
|------------|------------|------------3-0-----|------------3-0-----|
|------------|------------|----------------3-0-|----------------3-0-|
|------------|------------|--------------------|--------------------|
|------------|------------|--------------------|--------------------|

The order for the inhumanly fast section:
Fast1, Fast2, Fast3, Fast1, Stop&Go, Mute1, Mute1, Fast3, Fast1, Stop&Go

Then back into the unison runs, vox, and opening chords.  By the time the song
ends you should have either achieved enlightenment or neurotic breakdown :)
One thing's for sure, if you make it all the way through, you're well on
your way to becoming a 21st Century Schizoid Man...Have fun!