The Cure Piggy in the Mirror Transcribed by: Andrew Tay Key: C major/A harm. minor Arrangement: 1-2 electric guitars, 1-2 basses Tab source: audio, live video Accuracy: at least 88% Tabbed by: Andrew Tay (aka Ant) June 1995 aktay@zeus.uwaterloo.ca Hello. Piggy in the Mirror is another one of those weird, warped Cure songs from the mid '80s. This tab is a mish-mash of three versions of Piggy in the Mirror: the studio version (from "The Top" album), the demo version (from various bootlegs), and the live version (from the "In Orange" video). Each version is arranged differently; for example, the main riff that was played on guitar on the demo version is played on bass in the live version. On the other hand, the studio version seems to have two basses, neither of which play the aforementioned main riff! On top of that, Simon (who plays the bass live) plays it differently from Robert (who played the basses in the studio). Anyway, to keep things simple, I've just listed all the figures, and you can play them however you want, on whatever instrument you want. Cheers! RHYTHM FIGURE 1 (VERSES 1 + 3) ------------------------------ --- arranged for bass --- G|-14-14-14-14----16-14-13-|---------------------------------| D|-15-15-15-15----15-15-14-|---------------------------------| where A|-------------------------|---------------------------------| T = 12 E|-------------------------|-----0---T-----0-0---0---T-T-----| 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . --- arranged for guitar --- e|-----------------|-----------------| b|-----------------|-----------------| The second measure is optional. g|-----------------|-----------------| On the album version, it is not d|-7-7-7-7---9-7-6-|-----------------| played. a|-8-8-8-8---8-8-7-|-----7-------77--| e|-----------------|---0----00-0-----| 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . RHYTHM FIGURE 2 (VERSES 1 + 3) ------- low bass part -------- Note the dropped D tuning--you'll need this later. G|-----------------|-----------------| "+++++" means the note is repeated D|-----------------|-----------------| a bunch of times over the measure, A|-----------------|-----------------| but I haven't bothered to figure D|-3-3-++++++++++--|-2-2-2-2-++++----| out the correct rhythm. RHYTHM FIGURE 3 (CHORUS) ---- lead bass part ---- G|---------------------|------------------------| D|-----2---------5-5-5-|-----7----7-9-7--5-7-5--| x3 A|-3-3-----3/7-7-------|-0-7----7---------------| E|---------------------|------------------------| G|-------------------|------------------| Simon plays this last part D|-----5--------5----|-----5--------5-5-| on 'In Orange'. Don't remember A|-------------------|------------------| if its in the studio version E|-3-3----3-3-3----3-|-3-3----3-3-3-----| RHYTHM FIGURE 4 (CHORUS) ---- low bass part ----- G|-------------------|-----------------| Again, these are just the notes, D|--------0-0--2-2-2-|-----------------| and I don't remember how many A|-3-3--3------------|-0-0-0-+++++++---| times each note is repeated, or D|-------------------|-----------------| precisely what the rhythm is G|-----------------|-----------------| Note the dropped D tuning. This D|-----------------|-----------------| is necessary for the low Ds in A|-----------------|-----------------| rhythm figure 6 unless you've got D|-5-5-5-+++++++++-|-5-5-5-+++++++++-| a 5-string bass RHYTHM FIGURE 5 (VERSE 2 + DURING SOLO) --------------------------------------- --- arranged for bass --- * G|-16-16-16-16----17-16-13-|---------------------------------| D|-18-18-18-18----18-18-14-|---------------------------------| where A|-------------------------|---------------------------------| T = 12 E|-------------------------|-----0---T-----0-0---0---T-T-----| 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . *play 18 16 here during verse 2, but play 18 19 here during the solo --- arranged for guitar --- * e|-------------------------|-----------------| b|-------------------------|-----------------| g|-------------------------|-----------------| Second measure optional, d|-9--9--9--9-----10-9--6--|-----------------| as before a|-11-11-11-11----11-11-7--|-----7-------77--| e|-------------------------|---0----00-0-----| 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . *play 11 9 here during verse 2, but play 11 12 here during the solo RHYTHM FIGURE 6 (VERSE 2 + DURING SOLO) ------------ low bass part ------------ G|-----------------|-------------------| D|-----------------|-------------------| A fast rhythm, with lots A|-----------------|-------------------| of sixteenth notes D|-0-0+++++++++++--|-2-2++++++22/55\2--| GUITAR SOLO ----------- This is one of the few parts I was able to tab with complete accuracy. I double-checked by playing my Top LP at 16.5 RPM, and didn't have much trouble catching everything. The whole thing's based on an A harmonic minor scale. Use a delay effect, if you've got one. e|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| b|-------------------10----------10---|-9-10-9----------------------------| g|-10----------10-12------------------|--------10-9-----------9---12--9---| d|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| a|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| e|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . e|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------| b|-------------------10------9-10-9----|---------------------------------| g|-10------10--10-12----------------10-|-9-------------------------------| d|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------| a|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------| e|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------| 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . e|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------| b|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------| g|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------| d|-9-----------9-10-12----------10---|-9-10-9----------------------------| a|-----------------------------------|--------12-11----------7---5---7---| e|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------| 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . all sixteenth notes: e|------------------------7-8-7----7-8-|-7-------------7-12----------12\\\\8!- b|----------------------8-------10-----|---------------------------------|---- g|-------------7-7-9-10----------------|---------------------------------|---- d|------7-9-10-------------------------|---------------------------------|---- a|-8-10--------------------------------|---------------------------------|---- e|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|---- 1 2 3 4 1 . : . 2 . : . 3 . : . 4 . : . 1 KEY (TAB STAFF) --------------- x/y pick x, slide up to y x\y pick x, slide down to y x/y! pick x, slide up to y, pick y +++ repeat note several times over duration. Listen to the song for the rhythm. (xN) repeat passage N times