Tony Iommi Lesson

About Tony Iommi


Known as one of the early innovators of Heavy Metal,
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi became famous for
his use of heavy guitar riffs, guitar powerchords, 
and pentatonic minor scales. This featured lesson
teaches the rhythm and lead guitar for the classic
Black Sabbath hit "Paranoid".

Part 1
Song Intro
     h     h     h       h   h   h
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-7--9--7--9--7--9--------7-9------7--------------|
D :-7--9--7--9--7--9----7-9------7-9---9------------|
A :-7-----7-----7-----------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|  

Powerchords Tony used for rhythm guitar on the song 
"Paranoid".
    E   D   G   Gb#5    C
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :---------7---7-----------------------------------|
D :-9---7---5---4-------5---------------------------|
A :-7---5---------------3---------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


Part Two * Rhythm

Chord Progression #1

e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-------------------------------------------------|
D :-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7|
A :-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

change #1            change #2
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-7------7-----------7-7------7-------------------|
D :-5-7-9--5-----------5-4---9--5-------------------|
A :---5-7--------------------7----------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

Chord Progression #2

e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-------------------------------------------------|
D :-9--5--7---9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-------|
A :-7--3--5---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

Chord Progression #3

e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-------------------------------------------------|
D :-9--7----9--7------------------------------------|
A :-7--5----7--5------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|



Lead Guitar Scale and Run Tony used for the lead guitar
solo to "Paranoid".

E Pentatonic Minor Scale 
   E    G  A   B   D   E   G   A  B   D   E   G
e :---------------------------------------12--15----|
B :-------------------------------12--15------------|
G :------------------------12--14-------------------|
D :----------------12--14---------------------------|
A :--------12--14-----------------------------------|
E :-12--15------------------------------------------|


E Pentatonic Minor Ascending Run With 3rd Finger Slide

   E   G  A  B  D  E G  A  B  D E  G  A   B  D   E
            s             s              s
e :------------------------------------------10--12-|
B :--------------------------------8--10--12--------|
G :---------------------------7--9------------------|
D :------------------5--7--9------------------------|
A :-------------5--7--------------------------------|
E :-0--3--5--7--------------------------------------|


Tony's "Paranoid" guitar solo is a prime example of
how techniques like : slide, hammer-on's, bend, and 
pull-off's are added to the pentatonic minor scale
and run to create this classic guitar solo. This
solo is a great place for a beginning lead guitarist
to start putting together the scale and run with
the addition of these lead guitar techniques.

To help make learning easier, this solo has been
divided into guitar licks. Symbols used are:
f=full string bend (bend one whole step) 
s-slide * p=pull-off * h=hammer-on * v=vibrato 
rel=release note to its original pitch.

  Lick #1
    f       v      p  p    p   h   h         
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-9----7--9---7-9-7-9-7---------------------------|
D :-----------------------9-7--5-7-5-7-------5------|
A :------------------------------------5-7-7---7-7--|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

  Lick #2              Lick #3
     h  s    h  v         h          f.rel.p 
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :---------7-9-9-------------12-14--14------12-----|
D :-5-7-7-9-------------12-14-----------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


            v  v
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-14--12------------------------------------------|
D :---------14-14---12-14-14-14---------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


   Lick #4
    f              f.rel  f.rel        f  f  f
e :-------12---------------------------15-15-15-----|
B :----12----12----15-----15-----15-12--------------|
G :-14----------------------------------------------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

   Lick #5
         p        p           p          f
e :-12-15-12----12-15-----------------------12------|
B :----------15--------15---15-12-------------------|
G :--------------------------------14----14---------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

      p                   f.rel
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-15-12-------------------------------------------|
G :-------14--12-----12---14------12----------------|
D :---------------14--------------------------------|
A :-------------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|


  Lick #6
    f      h  p             p 
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-14---12-14-12-----12----------------------------|
D :---------------14------14-14-12-----12-----------|
A :--------------------------------14---------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|

      s         p
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-------------------------------------------------|
D :-------------------------------------------------|
A :-14-12-10--12-10-----10--------------------------|
E :------------------12-----------------------------|

Lick #7
     s            
e :-------------------------------------------------|
B :-------------------------------------------------|
G :-----------------12------------------------------|
D :--------12-12-14----14-12-----14-12-14-----------|
A :-12-14-------------------------------------------|
E :-------------------------------------------------|



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