Riff Rundown

Difficulty: Easy

Composer - Styx/Tommy Shaw

Where to find this song - The Grand Illusion track # 4

Release Date - January 1977

The Band:
Dennis De Young - vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
Tommy Shaw - acoustic and electric guitar, background vocals
James Young - guitar, background vocals
Chuch Panozzo - bass, background vocals
John Panozzo - drums, percussion, background vocals

"The Grand Illusion" was the album that rocketed Styx to superstardom after all their years of hard work. That time spent in the studio was clearly not wasted, and the group displays a certain level of well-influenced merging here in their writing, arrangements, and performance.

Interlude Riff

Guitar 1

There are two guitars in this riff. There is no real need to go into extreme detail for this song, because there are so many tiny integral parts of it that one could get more confused being taught this rather than just looking at it and playing it to the best of his or her ability. Basically, this one you will mostly be on your own, as all chords are repeated one way or another. Have fun! Consider this a semester exam!!!!!!

Guitar 2

Guitars 1 & 2:

How To Play It

Guitar 1

Part 1

To play the first guitar part, barre your 1st finger over the eighth fret on all strings being played. Place your 2nd finger on the ninth fret on the "G" string. Place your 3rd finger on the tenth fret on the "A" string, and your 4th finger on the tenth fret on the "D" string. Play that chord once, and then play the "low E" in the same position by itself approximately six times to end the first measure.

To play the second measure, keep your 1st finger how it is, and use your 3rd finger to barre all notes from the "D" string down to the "B" string on the tenth fret. Play that once, play the eighth fretted notes on the "low E" and the "A" string once, and then play the whole chord twice this time. Barely lift off of the strings to perform the mute, and then with your fingers in the arrangement they were in, slide to the tenth and twelfth frets of the same strings and play that twice.

Part 2

For the third measure, you will need to place your 1st finger on the eighth fret of the "low E" string, your 3rd finger on the tenth fret of the "A" string, and your 4th finger on the twelfth fret of the "D" string and "G" string. Play that once. To end this measure, play the eighth fretted note on the "low E" string about six times by itself.

For the fourth measure, notice that all of these chords have been played already in this riff ( except for the seventh fret natural harmonic, and you could choose to omit that, as it isn't too noticeable), so look to see how to play them again to refresh your memory.

Guitar 2

Part 1

Begin the first measure by playing just as you did in the first measure of the first guitar part, but just omit the eighth fretted notes on the "low E."

The second measure is only a little bit different as compared to the second measure of the first guitar part, so look at it and make adjustments to the tablature where you see fit.

Part 2

The only quality that the third measure has is a slide. Other than that, it is self-explanatory.

The fourth measure is played almost identical to the fourth measure of the first guitar part.

Riff Resources

Complete Transcription To "Come Sail Away" (PDF)

Complete Transcription To "Come Sail Away" (Power Tab)