Vortex Lyrics

As recorded by Megadeth
(From the 1997 Album CRYPTIC WRITINGS)
Words and Music by Dave Mustaine
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Untitled'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Untitled'
Gtr III (E A D G B E) - 'Untitled'
Q=180
Gtr II
E E Q H W
Gtr I
W W
E E Q H W W W
PM--------------|
Gtr II
W +W
Gtr I
W W
W +W W W
Gtrs I, II
PM--------------|
Gtrs I, II
PM------------|
W W W E E E E E E E E
||o----------|----------|----------|-----------------|
||o-2--------|-5--------|-5--------|-4-4-4-4-3-3-3-3-|
PM------------|
W H. +Q H. +Q E E E E E E E E
PM------------|
W W W E E E E E E E E
PM------------|
W H. +Q H. +Q E E E E E E E E
Gtr II
W +W
Gtr I
W W
W +W W W
Gtrs I, II
PM--------------|
|-----------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------o||
|-2-2---2-2---2-2-|--------------4-2-0-|-2---------5-4-2-|-5-----------5-4-o||
Gtrs I, II
PM----| PM----| PM| PM| PM PM PM|
|-----------------|-----------------||o-----------------|------------------|
|-2---------5-4-2-|-5---------------||o-----2-----0---1-|---1-----1p0------|
PM| PM| PM PM PM| PM| PM| PM PM PM|
E E E E E E E E E E E E Q Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
PM| PM| PM PM PM| PM| PM| PM
HHH
|-----------------|--------------o||-----------------|-----------|
|-----2-----0---1-|---1-----1----o||-----2-----0---1-|------1----|
Q=180
E E E S S E E Q E E E E E S S E E
||o-------------------|-------------------|
||o-2-5-------5-------|-----------------5-|
PM| PM PM------------------|
E E E E E S S E E E E E E E E E E 4x
|-------------------|-----------------o||
|---------3h4p3-----|-4-4-4-4-3-3-3-3-o||
Guitar Solo
Gtr III
~~ PM---| ~~~~~~~~ PM------------|
H E E E E +Q E E E E S S E
| Gtrs I, II
| PM| PM----|
| H +E E E E +H +E E E E
H S S E a E E E E H +Q
| PM--| PM|
| H +E E E E +H +E E E E
H++
|-/9-----9--7---7pb9r|=(7)b9-(7)-9-7--9--7-----|
| PM| PM|
| H +E E E E +H +E E E E
E E E S S E E E a E +Q +Q E E q
|-7s5/-9s7p5--7--5-------|------------------------|
|------------------7-5h7-|-(7)---(7)\-------------|
| PM PM PM--|
| H +E E E E E E E E E E E E
PM------------| ~~~~~~PM
Q Q +E E E E S S E a E E +E E E E
|----7b7.5--(7)-------|---------------------7---|
|-9-------------9-9-9-|--9--7---7h9-7-(7)---7---|
| PM| PM--|
| H +E E E E +H +E E E E
Q Q +E +E E E +H S S S S S S S S
|---------------------------|---------9h=10-9p7-9p7----7-|
|----------------------9b10-|-(9)-------------------10---|
|-7--9pb11===(9)r(9)p7------|----------------------------|
| PM-| PM--|
| H +E E E E +H +E E E E
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E +Q
|---------------10-------7-10p7-9p7----7-|--8p=7----7------------------------|
|-----------------------------------10---|-------10---10p9-7----9----7-(7)---|
| PM--| PM|
| H +E E E E +H +E E E E
| PM
| H +E E E E
+Q Q Q Q E E E
|-(12)---12b14---12b14---12b14r==12b14-12---10-|
| PM PM---------|
Q +E +S +S +E E E E +W
|--------------------------------9---9b11-|-(9)--------------|
|-12b14===(12)-(12)r(12)b14-(12)---9------|------------------|
| PM| PM|
| H E E E E +H +E E E E
E E E E E E E E E E E E +H. +E E
|-16s21----16-----------------------------|--------------------14b16===|
| PM---| PM|
| H E E E E +H +E E E E
|-(14)----14r=(14)p12-14b15==|=(14)----14r=(14)p12--------|
|----------------------------|---------------------14b17==|
| PM-| PM-|
| H +E E E E +H +E E E E
+Q +Q E E E E +Q. E H
|-(14)--(14)--14r=(14)-12b12.5---------|-------------------|
|------------------------------11pb13==|=(11)r==11---------|
| PM-|
| +H +E E E E H. q
PM| PM| PM| PM-| ~~~
E E S S S S S E S S S S S E S S S S S E S S S S S E +Q
|---9h10p9p7-----9h10p9p7-----9h|=10p=9p7-----9h10p9p7-------9-(9)----|
| PM----| PM|
| H E E E E +H +E E E E
E S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
| PM---|
| H E E E E
S S S S S S S S E S S S S E
|-14h=15h17-------------17-----17b19----17b19----17b19-|
| PM------|
| +H +E E E E
E Q E +S S S S S S S E
|-20b22==20r--22b24==(22)-------------22r(22)-19-|
| PM------|
| H +E E E E
S S S S S S S S S E +E +E S S
|-22p=19----22p19----22p19----22b24-(22)-(22)-22p19-|
| PM-|
| +H +E E E E
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|--------------------21-------21-21pb23r(21)p19----19-21-------|
| PM---|
| +H +E E E E
+S S S S S S S S S S S S E S S
|-(19)----------19h20p19-20h21h22-20h22----------|
| PM---| PM
Q +H +Q W
|-22b24---(22)-------(22)\---|-----------------|
| PM-------------------------------------------
W W
|-------------------| PM|
PM------------------------------|
E E E E H +Q E E Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|---------2----|-(2)---------||o-----------------|------------------|
|-2-0-----2----|-(2)--5h7-5--||------7-----5-----|---6-------5------|
|-----2---0----|-(0)--5-7----||o---7-----7---7-6-|-------6-----5----|
PM----------------| PM|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E H +Q E E Q 3x
|-----------------|-----------------|---------2----|-(2)---------o||
|---5-4-----4-----|---3-3-1-1-3-----|-2-0-----2----|-(2)--5h7-5---||
|-------4-------4-|---3-3-1-1-3---2-|-----2---0----|-(0)--5-7----o||
Gtr III
H. Q +H H
|-12b14-----------12---|-(12)-------10b12-------|
| Gtrs I, II
| PM--------------------------------------------
+Q H. H. Q
|------------------------| PM|
+H H +Q E E Q H. Q
|-(9)-------9b11----|-(9)--8-10----|----------------------|
| PM----------------|
| E E E E H +Q E E Q E E E E E E E E
|--2--0-----2-------|-(2)--5h=7-5--|---------7-----5------|
+H H +Q H. H. Q
|-(16)-------14b15-------|-(14)---14------------|-13------------12---|
| PM--------------------------------------------| PM|
Q +E S S +E +E E Q +Q +Q Q W
| Gtrs I, II
| E E E E H +Q E E Q Q Q H
|--2-0--------------2--------------|--(2)----5h==7-5--|-7\----------*|
Duration Legend
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
(n) - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
- volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths