For any corrections, comments... mail to: info@psychofarm.de

|-------------------------|
|    Band:  TOOL          |
|    Song:  Shism         |
|    Album: Lateralus     |
|-------------------------|



Tab explanation:

b = Bend
h = Hammer-on
r = Reverse bend
p = Pull-off
~ = Vibration
f = Feedback
/ = Slide
o = Palm muted
x = string not used







SHISM


THIS SONG IS IN DROP D TUNING : Low to high: D A D G H e



bass intro (CD 0:00 -> 0:12)
g |-3----2----|-5----7----|-3----2----|-5----7----|-------------*|
d |-0----3----|-5----7----|-0----3----|-5----8----|-------------*|
a |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------*|
d |-0----3----|-5----8----|-0----3----|-5----8----|-0----(0)----*|     play 1
time only






main bass riff (CD 0:12 -> 0:26)
maybe 8va

    |--3--|             |--3--|

g ||----------|---------|---------|---------------||----|
d ||o---------|---------|---------|--------------o||----|
a ||o---------|-8---7---|---------|-8---7---10---o||----|
d ||--0-10h12-|---0---0-|-0-10h12-|---0---0----0--||----|    play 4 times,


during the 2nd time the guitar fades in an open D chord:

(CD 0:20)



e |--x---------------|
h |--x---------------|
g |--x---------------|
d |--0---------------|
a |--0---------------|
d |--0---------------|


(CD 0:26 -> 0:40)
verse 1; drums and guitar enter; bass plays the main bass riff.
guitar plays in harmonies:

e |---------------------------|----------------------------------|
h |---------------------------|----------------------------------|
g |---------------------------|----------------------------------|
d |---------------------------|----------------------------------|
a |-------------13-----12-----|--------------13-----12-----15----|
d |--0--10--12------0------0--|--0--10--12------0------0------0--|    play 4
times


(CD 0:40)
vox enter, guitar plays chords


\"I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them fall away
mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing,\"


e |----------------------------------------|
h |----------------------------------------|
g |----------------------------------------|
d |--0-------------------------------------|
a |--0-------------------------------------|
d |--0-------------------------------------|
     | let ring
      -------------

(CD 0:53)

\"pure intention juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion\"

e |----------------------------------------|
h |----------------------------------------|
g |--7-------------------------------------|
d |-----0----------------------------------|
a |----------------------------------------|
d |----------------------------------------|
     | let ring
      -------------


(CD 1:00)

\"disintegrating as it goes testing our communication\"

e |----------------------------------------|
h |----------------------------------------|
g |--12------------------------------------|
d |------0---------------------------------|
a |----------------------------------------|
d |----------------------------------------|
     | let ring
      -------------


(CD 1:04)

\"testing our communication\"

e |---------------------------------------|
h |---------------------------------------|
g |--14-----------------------------------|
d |------0--------------------------------|
a |---------------------------------------|
d |---------------------------------------|
     | let ring
      -------------


(CD 1:07 -> 1:20)

\"the light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us so
we cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication.\"

e |--------------------|---------------------------|
h |--------------------|---------------------------|
g |--------------------|---------------------------|
d |--------------------|---------------------------|
a |--0--0--8--0--7--0--|--0--0--8--0--7--0--10--0--|
d |--------------------|---------------------------|    play 4 times



(CD 1:20 -> 1:35)
e |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
h |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
g |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
d |-------------10-----9-----|-------------10-----9-----12-----|
a |--0--10--12------0-----0--|--0--10--12------0-----0------0--|
d |--------------------------|---------------------------------|    play 4 times



(CD 1:35 -> 2:00)

\"I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down
no fault, none to blame it doesn't mean I don't desire to
point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication.\"


e |--------------------|---------------------------|
h |--------------------|---------------------------|
g |--------------------|---------------------------|
d |--------------------|---------------------------|
a |--0--0--8--0--7--0--|--0--0--8--0--7--0--10--0--|
d |--------------------|---------------------------|    play 4 times



(CD 2:00 -> 2:16)
e |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
h |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
g |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
d |-------------10-----9-----|-------------10-----9-----12-----|
a |--0--10--12------0-----0--|--0--10--12------0-----0------0--|
d |--------------------------|---------------------------------|    play 4 times


(CD 2:16 -> 2:30)

\"The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it.
Finding beauty in the dissonance.\"

e |--------------------------------------|
h |--------------------------------------|
g |--------------------------------------|
d |--0--3--5--3--3--5--5-----------------|
a |--0--3--5--3--3--5--5--------------8--|
d |--0--3--5--3--3--5--5---0--10--12-----|



(CD 2:30 -> 2:32)    bass interlude:
g |-------------------------|--------------------------------|
d |-------------------------|--------------------------------|
a |-------------8-----7-----|--------------8----7-----10-----|
d |--0--10--12-----0-----0--|--0--10--12----0-----0------0---|




(CD 2:32)    guitar chord G5, played as follow:
e |---x---------------------------------------|
h |---8---------------------------------------|
g |---7---------------------------------------|
d |---5---------------------------------------|
a |---x---------------------------------------|
d |---x---------------------------------------|
     | let ring
      -------------


(CD 2:32 -> 3:00)

\"There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away.
Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting
I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second guessing
Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our communication\"

e |--------------------|---------------------------|
h |--------------------|---------------------------|
g |--------------------|---------------------------|
d |--------------------|---------------------------|
a |--0--0--8--0--7--0--|--0--0--8--0--7--0--10--0--|
d |--------------------|---------------------------|    play 4 times



(CD 3:00 -> 3:14)
e |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
h |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
g |--------------------------|---------------------------------|
d |-------------10-----9-----|-------------10-----9-----12-----|
a |--0--10--12------0-----0--|--0--10--12------0-----0------0--|
d |--------------------------|---------------------------------|    play 4 times




(CD 3:14 -> 3:30)
Adam plays the same riff, but with very different tricky rhythm-variations,
which is the reason why I didn?t figure it out exactly - have fun, my dear! ;-)



(CD 3:30 -> 5:10)    interlude with various FX:

\"cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion\"

e
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
h
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
g
|-9--------12--------9--------14--------7--------9--------5-------7--------5-----7----|
d
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
a
|----0--0------0--0-----0--0------0--0-----0--0-----0--0-----0--0----0--0-----0-----0-|
d
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|



(CD 5:11 -> 5:20)    crescendo with an open D chord:
e |------------------------------------|
h |------------------------------------|
g |------------------------------------|
d |--0--0--0--0------------------------|
a |--0--0--0--0------------------------|
d |--0--0--0--0------------------------|
     x  x  x  x


(CD 5:20 -> 5:40)

\"between supposed brothers
between supposed lovers.\"

e |---------------------------------------------|
h |---------------------------------------------|
g |---------------------------------------------|
d |-----10------12------12--7-------------------|
a |--8------10------10------7-------------------|
d |-------------------------7-------------------|    play 2 times
                            | let ring
                            -------------


(CD 5:20 -> 5:39)
e |---------------------------------------------|
h |---------------------------------------------|
g |---------------------------------------------|
d |-----10------12------12--0-------------------|
a |--8------10------10------0-------------------|
d |-------------------------0-------------------|    play 1 time
                            | let ring
                            -------------


(CD 5:39 -> 5:44)
e |---------------------------------------------|
h |---------------------------------------------|
g |---------------------------------------------|
d |---------------------------------------------|
a |---------------------------------------------|
d |--0--8--8--3--3--10--10----------------------|





(CD 5:44 -> 5:58)
e |---------------------------------------------|
h |---------------------------------------------|
g |---------------------------------------------|
d |--0--12--------------------------------------|
a |--0--12-----5--------5--------5--------------|
d |--0--12--7-----0--5-----0--3-----2-----------|    play 4 times



(CD 5:58 -> 6:24)
\"And I know the pieces fit.\"
e |---------------------------------------------|
h |---------------------------------------------|
g |---------------------------------------------|
d |--3--0--2--0--0--3--0--2--0--5--0--0---------|
a |--3--0--2--0--0--3--0--2--0--5--0--0---------|
d |--3--0--2--0--0--3--0--2--0--5--0--0---------|    play 4 times



(CD 6:24 -> 6:40)
e |---------------------------------------------|
h |---------------------------------------------|
g |---------------------------------------------|
d |--0--0--0--12--0--0--0--14--0--0--10---------|
a |--0--0--0--12--0--0--0--14--0--0--10---------|
d |--0--0--0--12--0--0--0--14--0--0--10---------|    play 4 times


and that?s it!








and here are the complete lyrics:

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

I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them fall away

mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing,

pure intention juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion

disintegrating as it goes testing our communication

the light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us so

we cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication.



I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down

no fault, none to blame it doesn't mean I don't desire to

point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.

To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication.



The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,

And the circling is worth it.

Finding beauty in the dissonance.


There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away.

Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting

I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second guessing

Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our communication


cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion


between supposed brothers

between supposed lovers.


And I know the pieces fit.

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


written by Andreas Rauscher on Wednesday, 29th of August 2001