5150

	  		5150  
by Van Halen 
 
Okay, here's the tab for "5150".  This song is a pain in the ass for two 
reasons: 1)it's tuned to "dropped-D" 1/2 step down; and 2)there are more 
doublestops than mere humans (like me) can handle.  The little string names 
on the side of the tab lines SHOULD have a flat next to each of them 'cause 
of the 1/2 step down deal, but it's easier just to tune to dropped-D unless 
you plan to jam to the CD or something. 
 
Here's the signature riff of the song (play it FAST!): 
E-|-----------------|-----------------|-4---------------|---------4---------| 
B-|-7---5---5-7-----|-7-----5---7-----|-5-5-------------|---------5---------| 
G-|-7---7---7-7-----|-7-----7---7-----|---4-4-------4---|-4-4-4-----4-------| 
D-|-7-7---7-----7-7-|---7-7---7---7-6-|-----6-6-----4---|-4-4-6-------6-----| 
A-|-----------------|-----------------|-------7-7-7---7-|-------7-------7\5-| 
D-|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------| 
 
 
E-|-2---------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------2-2/| 
B-|-3---------------|---------3-------|-3p2-----------3-|-3-2-2-----2-2-3-3/| 
G-|---2---------2---|-2-2-------2-----|----------2----2-|-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2/| 
D-|-----4-4-----2---|-2-4---------4---|------2-----2--4-|-4-2-2-2-2-2-2-0-0-| 
A-|-------5-5-5---5-|------5--------5-|-----------------|---0-0-2-2-0-0-0-0-| 
D-|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------2-2-----0-0-| 
 
Repeat 3x; then... 
 
E-|-10--10--9--9--7--7--9--9--10--10\|| 
B-|-10--10-10-10--9--9-10-10--10--10\|| 
G-|----------------------------------|| 
D-|----------------------------------|| 
A-|----------------------------------|| 
D-|----------------------------------|| 
 
 
Okay, this next part you repeat twice.  One time with the first ending 
that I've tabbed out (marked between the 1>>>> and <<<<1), and again but 
replacing the first ending with the second (2>>>> to <<<<2).  This is also 
the part played behind the Chorus ("Always one more; you're never 
satisfied..."): 
E-|-2------|-------2-2-----4-|-4-----------|-------4-4-----2-|-2--------------| 
B-|-3------|-------3-3-----5-|-5-----------|-------5-5-----3-|-3--------------| 
G-|-2------|-------2-2-----4-|-4-----------|-------4-4-----2-|-2--------------| 
D-|-0------|-------0-0-------|-------------|-------6-6-----4-|-4--------------| 
A-|-0--0-0-|-0-0-0-----0-0---|----0--0-0-0-|-0-0-0-----0-0---|-----0--0-0-0---| 
D-|-0------|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|----------------| 
 
 
E-|-(2)---------------|| 
B-|-(3)-------3-------|| 
G-|-(2)---------4-----|| 
D-|-(4)----/5-----5---|| 
A-|--0-0-0--0-------5-|| 
D-|-------------------|| 
 
 
   1>>>>                                 <<<<1 
E-||------------10-10--9--9--7--7--9--9-10-10|| 
B-||3p2------2/-10-10-10-10--9--9-10-10-10-10|| 
G-||----2----2/------------------------------|| 
D-||------2----------------------------------|| 
A-||-----------------------------------------|| 
D-||-----------------------------------------|| 
 
 
    2>>>>                                                            <<<<2 
E-|-------------2|2-0-0-0-0--2-2--------|---------------|----|-----------|| 
B-|-3p2---------3|3-2-2-0-0--3-3------10|10-9-10-10\-2-2|----|-----------|| 
G-|-----2-2--2--2|2-2-2-1-1--2-2------11|11-9-11-11\-2-2|---2|-----------|| 
D-|-------2--2--4|4-2-2-2-2--0-0------12|12-9-12-12\-2-2|---2|-----------|| 
A-|-------0--0---|--0-0-2-2--0-0--0-0---|------------0-0|---0|-----5---3-|| 
D-|--------------|------0-0--0-0--0-0---|---------------|----|--/7---7---|| 
 
 
 
This next bit is played behind the verses.  It's basically just crunching 
out a D power chord with the low D thrown in.  Eddie does a little bit of 
extra stuff (which I tabbed out here) but you really don't need it  
E-|--------------|-----------------|-------------|---------------|| 
B-|--------------|-----------------|-------------|---------------|| 
G-|--------7-----|-7---------------|-----------0-|-0-------------|| 
D-|--------7-----|-7---------------|--0--------5-|---------------|| 
A-|--------5-----|-5------5p3p0----|-----0-5p3---|---0-5~~-0-3~~-|| 
D-|-0--0-0---0-0-|----0-0-------4b-|-------------|---------------|| 
 
 
E-|-----------|| 
B-|-----------|| 
G-|-----------|| 
D-|-----------||(repeat throughout verses) 
A-|----5----3-|| 
D-|-/7----7---|| 
 
 
Here's what I guess you'd call the "pre-Chorus" ("Still we try; win or lose; 
take the highs; with the blues..."). Play it twice through, only the second 
time, leave out the first measure (A-2-3-2-3-2-3/5). Then rake your pick 
down the low strings before you go into the next riff. 
E-|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------0--------| 
B-|---------------|-------------2---|-3-------2-5-----|-5p3---3---2--3--------| 
G-|---------------|-------2-4-2---2-|-------2-----2-0-|-2-----2---2--2--------| 
D-|---------------|-----2-----------|-----2-------0-0-|-0---0---0----0--------| 
A-|-2-3-2-3-2-3/5-|-0-0-------------|---0-------------|-----------------------| 
D-|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------------| 
 
 
E-|-0--------------|| 
B-|-3------3-3-----|| 
G-|-2------2-2-----|| 
D-|-0------0-0-----|| 
A-|----------------|| 
D-|----5-5-----5-5-|| 
 
 
This next part is (in my opinion) the coolest riff in the song.  This is 
just a fill-in between the pre-Chorus (above) and the Chorus (WAY above). 
Play this one time through then go to the Chorus riff (tabbed above). 
E-|----------------|------------------|------------|-----------------| 
B-|----------------|------------------|------------|-----------------| 
G-|----------------|------------------|------------|-----6---------7-| 
D-|-------2-5~~----|---5-4~~------7\6-|-----3-7----|---7-----5---7---| 
A-|-2-2-2----------|-5--------5-5-----|---3--------|-7-----3---5-----| 
D-|-2-2-2--------5-|------------------|-3--------7-|-----------------| 
 
E-|0~~~~---|--9--9--7--7--9--9--10--10\|| 
B-|--10~~--|-10-10--9--9-10-10--10--10\|| 
G-|-----11~|---------------------------|| 
D-|--------|---------------------------|| 
A-|--------|---------------------------|| 
D-|--------|---------------------------|| 
 
********* 
You found it at E-Chords 
Submitted By: David Campbell 
Ontario Canada