a national acrobat 
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A National Acrobat – Black Sabbath 
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Tabbed by: Artifice 
Email: artifice@reign–of–tears.zzn.com 
Tuning: Drop C# In order to get this, you need to tune the entire guitar down 
Ѕ step (low to high: D#, G#, C#, F#, A#, D#) then tune the low "E" string down 
a further whole step to C# (low to high: C#, G#, C#, F#, A#, D#) 
I have played this song in several bands and I'm 99.8% sure this tab is exact. 
Intro: Is the main riff as shown below. Gtr 1 plays through twice then gtr 2 
comes in both play together twice through. 
Main Riff: 
Gtr 1 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2p0–––––––––––––––––| 
D|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2h3–2h3p2–––| 
A|–3h5–5–5~––5–2h5–2h5/8–7~–2h5–5–5–5–5p2–––––3–0–––––––––––3–| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
Gtr 2 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2p0–––––––––––––––––| 
D|–2h3–3–3–––3–2h3–2h3/7–5––2h3–3–3–3–3p2–––––2–––2h3–2h3p2–––| 
A|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––3–| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
Verse: 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| main riff 
D|–0––––––––3––––––––––––––––––––5–––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––| 
A|–0––––––––3––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––| 
E|–0––––––––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––| 
I am the world that hides the universal secrets of all time... etc... 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|–3––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| main riff 
D|–3––––––––––––2–––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––5–––––––––––| 
A|–1––––––––––––0–––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––5–––––––––––| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––5–––––––––––| 
I've lived a thousand tines I've found out what it means to be believed...etc 
Verse 2 is played the same as verse 1 
Then: 
Riff 2 (with wah pedal) 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––10––| 
D|––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––7–––––––––10––| 
A|–3h5––0–3h5–3h5–––5–2p0–3h5–––––––––––––––| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–0–0–0–––––| 
You gotta believe me etc... 
Verse 3 & 4 follow riff 2 above 
e|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––10–| 
D|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––10–| 
A|–3h5–––––––––––––0–3h5––––––––3h5–––5–2p0––––––3h5–––––––––––––––––––––| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–0–0–0––––| 
Well I know it's hard for you to know the reason why etc... 
Riff 2 continues through the solo which I will not tab here. 
Followed by verse 5 which also follows riff 2 
After verse 5: 
e|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2222222222222222–| 
D|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2222222222222222–| 
A|–3h5–5–3–––––––––3h5–5–3–––––––––3h5–5–3––––––––––0000000000000000–| 
E|–––––––––3h5–5–3–––––––––3h5–5–3–––––––––3h5–5–3–––––––––––––––––––| 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––––––––––––––––|played x2 
D|–4h5h–7/9–7~–4h5h7–7/9–––9p7\5–4h5h–7/9–7–5–4~| 
A|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|–––––––––––––––––––––––8––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|–4h5h–7/9–7~–4h5h7–7/9–––9p7\5–4h5h–7/9–7–5–4~| 
D|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
A|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––7–––––––––––––––––––––––| 
D|–4h5h–7/9–7~–4h5h7–7/9–––9p7\5–4h5h–7/9–7–5–4~| 
A|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
e|–––––––––––| 
B|–––––––––––| 
G|–2–2–2––5––|x4 
D|–2–2–2––5––| 
A|–0–0–0–––––| 
E|–––––––––––| 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––7^9–9^7–5––|x2 
D|–––7–7–7p5–––5–7–7p5–––5–7–7~–7p5––––7–7–7p5–––5–––––––––––7| 
A|–0–––––––––7–––––––––7–––––––––––7–––––––––––7––––––––––––––| 
E|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|x8 
D|–5h7–7–7–7–7–5h7–7–7–7–7––––––––| 
A|––––––––––––––––––––––––––5p3p0–| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
e|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
B|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
G|–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–––––2––––––––| 
D|–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–––––2––––––––| 
A|–3–2–3–2–3–2–3–2–3–2–3–2–3–2–3–2–––––0––––––––| 
E|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––| 
Followed by a twisted run that I can't quite get so I can't tab. 
I am working on tabbing the solo and will post it as soon as I'm happy with it 
Key: 
| ^ bend 
| / slide up 
| \ slide down 
| h hammer–on 
| p pull–off 
| ~ vibrato 
| + harmonic 
| x Mute note 
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