#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#Unless specified otherwise, this is NOT an official tab from the band members.#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

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Megadeth:  The Skull Beneath The Skin
(Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good)
Copyright (c)  (Combat) (1985)

transcribed by: Russ Elton      (webmaster@abysslord.com)
     edited by: Jordan B.       (sansamppsa1@hotmail.com)

PLEASE DO NOT COPY THIS TAB TO ANOTHER SITE
WITHOUT AUTHORS' PERMISSION.  THANK YOU!

Date last modified:  September 24, 2004

Find more Megadeth tabs, including the most updated
version of this tab, at:

              The Vault of Deth:
   The Ultimate Megadeth Guitar Tab Collection
        http://abysslord.com/megadeth/

Tuning: 1/4 step down


Intro (Picking speeds up throughout)
e|-----2-5p2-------3-6p3-------4-7p4-------5-8p5---|
B|---4-------4---5-------5---6-------6---7-------7-|
G|-5-----------6-----------7-----------8-----------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|

e|-----6-9p6--------7-10p7--------8-11p8-------9-12p9---|
B|---8-------8----9--------9---10--------10--11------11-|
G|-9-----------10------------11------------12-----------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----10-13p10------11-14p11------12-15p12------13-16p13---|
B|---12--------12--13--------13--14--------14--15--------15-|
G|-13------------14------------15------------16-------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----14-17p14------15-18p15------16-19p16------17-20p17---|
B|---16--------16--17--------17--18--------18--19--------18-|
G|-17------------18------------19------------20-------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----18-21p18------19-22p19------20-23p20-24\-|
B|---20--------20--21--------21--22-------------|
G|-21------------22------------23---------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------|
D|-9--------9--------9--------9------------|
A|-7--------7--------7--------7------------|
E|-0--------0--------0--------0--------X\\-|



Riff 1
e|---------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------|
D|-9--------------7-9---------------10-9-|
A|-7-7-8-9-10-8-9-5-7--7-8-9-10-8-9--8-7-|
E|---5-6-7--8-6-7------5-6-7--8-6-7------|
                                      x3
e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|--------------7-9---------------10-9-|
A|-7-8-9-10-8-9-5-7--7-8-9-10-8-9--8-7-|
E|-5-6-7--8-6-7------5-6-7--8-6-7------|

e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-7h8p7--7-7h8p7--7-8h9p8--8-8h9p8--8-|
A|------10-------10-------11-------11--|
E|-------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------|
D|-9h10p9--9-9h10p9--9-10h11p10--10-10h11p10--10-|
A|-------12--------12----------13-----------13---|
E|-----------------------------------------------|



Riff 2 (Solo Rhythm)
e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-----4---5-------------4-------|
A|-----2---3-----5-------2-----3-|
E|-0-0---0---0-0-3-0-0-0---0-0-1-|
   * *   *   * *   * * *   * *


Solo (MUstaine)
e|-17p12--12-12-12-17p12--12-17p12-17p12--12-|
B|------15--------------15--------------15---|
G|-------------------------------------------| ---|
D|-------------------------------------------|    |
A|-------------------------------------------|    |
E|-------------------------------------------|    |
                                                  |
e|-16p12--12-12-12-16p12--12-16p12-16p12--12-|    |--> Play 3x
B|------15--------------15--------------15---|    |
G|-------------------------------------------|    |
D|-------------------------------------------| ---|
A|-------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|

e|-17p12--12-12-12-17p12--12-17p12-17p12--12-|
B|------15--------------15--------------15---|
G|-------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|

e|-16p12--12------------------------------------|
B|------15---15p12--12--------------------------|
G|----------------14---14p12--12----------------|
D|--------------------------14---14p12----------|
A|------------------------------------14p12-11~-|
E|----------------------------------------------|

End Solo


Riff 2a                         x3
e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-----4---5-------------4-------|
A|-----2---3-----5-------2-----3-|
E|-0-0---0---0-0-3-0-0-0---0-0-1-|
   * *   *   * *   * * *   * *
e|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|-----4---5-------------4--------|
A|-----2---3-----5-------2-----3/-|
E|-0-0---0---0-0-3-0-0-0---0-0-1/-|
   * *   *   * *   * * *   * *
                                  x3
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|
D|-9-----9---------9-----9---------|
A|-7-----7---------7-----7---------|
E|---000---0-0-0-0---000---0-0-0-0-|
     ***   * * * *   ***   * * * *
e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
D|-9-----9---------4----|
A|-7-----7---------2--3-|
E|---000---0-0-0-0----1-|
     ***   * * * *


Riff 3
e|------------------------------|
B|------------------------------|
G|------------------------------|
D|-10\9-x-x-9-x-x-x-7-x---------|
A|--8\7-x-x-7-x-x-x-5-x-8-x-9-x-|
E|----------------------6-x-7-x-|

Final time:
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|
D|-10\9-x-x-9-x-x-x-7-x---------10-|
A|--8\7-x-x-7-x-x-x-5-x-8-x-9-x--8-|
E|----------------------6-x-7-x----|


Riff 4
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|--------------------11~-|
D|--------9------------9~-|
A|--------7---------------|
E|-0--0-0----0--0-0-0-----|
   *  * *    *  * * *
e|---------------------------|
B|---------------------------|
G|--------10~----------------|
D|---------8~-----------11\--|
A|-----------------------9\--|
E|-0--0-0------0--0-0-0------|
   *  * *      *  * * *


Play Riff 4  Solo Rhythm


Solo (Mustaine)
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|-----------------15-12-----------|
D|-17-14-----------------14-11-----|
A|-------16-13-----------------13~-|
E|-------------15~-----------------|

e|-----6-9p6--------7-10p7---------8-11p8-------9-12p9-|
B|---8-------8----9--------9----10--------10--11-------|
G|-9-----------10------------11-------------12---------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|-----------------18-15-----------|
D|-20-17-----------------17-14-----|
A|-------19-16-----------------16~-|
E|-------------18~-----------------|

e|-----9-12p9-------10-13p10------11-14p11------12-15p12-|
B|---11-------11--12--------12--13--------13--14---------|

G|-12-----------13------------14------------15-----------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|-18-15-----------21-18-----------|
D|-------17-14-----------20-17-----|
A|-------------16~-------------19~-|
E|---------------------------------|

e|-----12-15p12------13-16p13------14-17p14------15-18p15-|
B|---14--------14--15--------15--16--------16--17---------|
G|-15------------16------------17------------18-----------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|

e|-9p6-------6-10p7--------7-11p8-------8-12p9-------9-|
B|-----8---8--------9----9-------10--10-------11--11---|
G|-------9------------10-----------11-----------12-----|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|

e|-13p10------10-14p11------11-15p12------12---12/19/-----|
B|------12--12--------13--13--------14--14-[steady gliss]-|
G|--------13------------14------------15------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------|

e|-22b24--22b24--22b24--2b24--...-|
B|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

End Solo


Play Riff 3   "Seething in agony..."

Riff 3a
e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
D|-10\9-x-x-9-x-x-x-7-x---------10\9--9-|
A|--8\7-x-x-7-x-x-x-5-x-8-x-9-x--8\7--7-|
E|----------------------6-x-7-x---------|
   "...no one hears a sound..."



Riff 5
e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-0h2---2----0h2-0h2---2----2p0-|
A|-0h2---2----0h2-0h2---2----2p0-|
E|-----0----0---------0----0-----|
       *    *         *    *
   "Prepare the patient's..."
e|--------------------|
B|--------------------|
G|--------------------|
D|-5----5----5p0-4----|
A|-5----5----5p0-2--3-|
E|----0----0--------1-|
      *    *
     "...to peel away..."


Riff 6
e|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|------------------------|
D|-------4---3------------|
A|-------2---1-----5------|
E|-00000---0---000-3-0000-|
   *****   *   ***   ****


Play Riff 5   "Now you're drawn..."
Play Riff 6   "My skull beneath..."


Riff 6a (Solo Rhythm)
e|--------------------------|
B|--------------------------|
G|--------------------------|
D|----------------9\7-------|
A|-------8/9\8----7\5-----5-|
E|-00000-6/7\6--0-----6h7---|
   *****        *


Solo (Mustaine)
e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

e|-------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

End Solo


Ending:
e|-----------------------|
B|-----------------------|
G|-----------------------|
D|-----------------------|
A|-------8/9\8----5----2-|
E|-00000-6/7\6-00-3-00-0-|
   *****       **    **
            "My skull beneath the skin!"


Notation:

10^        = bend a quarter step.
10b11      = bend a half step.
10b12      = bend a full step.
10b12r10   = bend and release.
[10]12     = pre-bend.
[10]12r10  = pre-bend and release.
{14}       = pick the 14th fret while holding the most
             previous bend.
<17>       = touch the string above the 17th fret while
             previous note(s) is(are) still ringing.

10b13*     = tremolo bar bend, from the 10th fret to the 13th fret.
7d4*       = tremolo bar dive, from the 7th fret to the 4th fret.
12~*       = tremolo bar vibrato.

x   =  mute with fret-hand
*   =  palm mute
X\\ =  pick slide
h   =  hammer-on
p   =  pull-off
~   =  vibrato
t   =  finger tap
/   =  slide up
\   =  slide down
h.  =  natural harmonics
a   =  artificial harmonics
(9) =  ghost note
tm  =  trem picking
tr  =  trill

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