Beating Around the Bush (Angus)

AC/DC

Quick Reference

This handy chart tells you what every dot in the ActionTab system means. If you don't understand some of them don't worry - we have video lessons that explain them in the members section.

Fretboard & Capo

The fretboard is the area of your guitar where you play

Some songs require a capo. A capo is just a clamp which you can place on any fret. This effectively moves

the 'nut' of the guitar, allowing you to play 'open' chords higher up the fretboard. In ActionTab the capo is represented by the black bar on the left.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Space, K	Pause/Play
Home	Rewind
End	Go to End
	Step Forward
	Step Backward
M	Mute/Unmute
F	Fullscreen
H	Toggle Help
S	Save Settings
R	Restore Defaults
O	Toggle Loop
D	Toggle Delay Start
X	Toggle Light Strings
W	Flip Fretboard
C	Fretboard Color
T	Tablature
N	Normal Speed Window
B	Bookmark Position
,	Set Loop Section Start
.	Set Loop Section End
/	Clear Loop Section

Strumming Hand Dots

Fingerpick

Fingertap

Downstroke

Upstroke (Palm muted)

Pinch Harmonic

Color Codes

Applies to both hands

Thumb

1st (index) Finger

2nd Finger

3rd (ring) Finger

4th (little) Finger

Fretboard Hand Dots

Hold finger here

Bend note down

Bend note up

Hammer On

Pull Off

Slide dot this way

Prepare note

Mute note/string

Harmonic

Vibrato

Open string note (no finger)

Song Notes

Here we see Angus' lead guitar. If you are only interested in learning the main song riffs then check out Malcom's rhythm guitar instead. It is much easier than the advanced lead stuff played by Angus. If you've already learned Maclom's parts, then the main different parts here to learn are the Intro and 2 solos. Angus also throws in some little lead licks during the second verse.

Intro - The intro is just the beginning of the main chorus riff, stopping on the D note and holding it. Do this twice. Then jump straight into the main chorus riff...

Chorus Riff - This riff is played the same way each time in the song. It's very repetitive and quite short. It's not an easy riff because it is fast and uses hammers and pull offs. The best way to practice is to take it really slow, get the actions right and then keep working the speed. It will come with some patience and application. The verse riff is much easier to learn...

Verse Riff - The verse riff is easier, especially if you can already play the chorus. It is just a few short powerchord stabs (E5-D5-A5 which AC/DC love using so much) and finishes with the tail end of the chorus riff. It's very short and repetitive, much simpler than the chorus. At the end of the verses, the riff changes slightly. Just play this simple chord progression:

E5 - D5 - A5 - E5

Angus also drops in some little lead licks during the second verse riffs:

Lick 1 - Lick 2 - Lick 3 - Lick 4 - Lick 5 - Lick 6 - Lick 7

Solo 1 - While Malcom plays the backing chords, Angus solos using the pentatonic minor / blues scales. These are very common scales, and you can search for them on this site. Each backing chord progression played by Malcom has a main tonal centre. For example, the first part is mainly A5. So Angus plays licks using the A pentatonic minor scale here. Then, when the backing chord changes to B5, Angus shifts up 2 frets to play licks now using the B5 pentatonic minor scale.

Although these scales / licks are quite standard in rock music, they are played by a master - so don't expect it to be easy! Pick the licks you like and practice them. Go slowly and build speed last.

Solo 2 / Outro - Like the first solo, Angus follows the backing chords with licks from the A - B - E blues scales. Remember the blues scale is very close to the pentatonic minor scale, just with 1 extra 'blue' note. Angus often bends to this particular note. Notice as well that he applies vibrato to his bends. You can hear that he often will bend a note and then waggle the string to add vibrato. After a while, the song hits the outro and he mainly goes bananas using triplets.

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