Tension Head
by Queens of the Stone Age
from the Rated R Album

transcribed by Travis English [email protected]
(this file is my own work)

**Tuning**
>From Low to High: C,F,A#,D#,G,C

Intro
C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|--------------------------------------------------|
F |----7-6------5------------------------------------|
C |-0-------7-----6--0-/-3---------------------------|

Main Riff:
C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|-12-12-12-12-------12-12-12-12--------12-12-12-12-|
A#|--------------------------------------------------|
F |-10-10-10-10-------10-10-10-10--------10-10-10-10-|
C |-------------0------------------0-----------------|

C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|-12-12-12-12--------12-12-12--14---15--17---------|
A#|--------------------------------------------------|
F |-10-10-10-10--------10-10-10--12---13--15---------|
C |--------------0-----------------------------------|

Variation 1:
C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|-12-12-12-12-------12-12-12-12--------9-----------|
A#|--------------------------------------------------|
F |-10-10-10-10-------10-10-10-10--------7-----------|
C |-------------0------------------0-----------------|


C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|-12-12-12-12--------12-12-12--14---15--17---------|
A#|--------------------------------------------------|
F |-10-10-10-10--------10-10-10--12---13--15---------|
C |--------------0-----------------------------------|

There are, of course, a couple other variations, but
you'll get the idea. The guitar stays the same when
the drums go to double time. 

Chorus:
Guitar 1
C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|----6-7---6---------------------------------------|
A#|----6-7---6------------------3--------------------|
F |----4-5---4--------4-/5--/4--3--------------------|
C |-0--------------0--2-/3--/2--1--------------------|

Guitar 2
C |-10-------------9-b-r-----------------------------|
G |----11-b-r--9---------10-10-b-r-------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|--------------------------------------------------|
F |--------------------------------------------------|
C |--------------------------------------------------|

Near the end of the song, they break into a few more chords:

C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|-7--9--9-----7--9--9------7--9--------------------|
A#|-7--9--9-----7--9--9------7--9--------------------|
F |-5--7--7-----5--7--7------5--7--------------------|
C |--------------------------------------------------|

C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|-4--5--5-----4--5--5------4--5--------------------|
F |-4--5--5-----4--5--5------4--5--------------------|
C |-2--3--3-----2--3--3------2--3--------------------|

C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|-2--3--3-----2--3--3------2--3--------------------|
F |-2--3--3-----2--3--3------2--3--------------------|
C |-0--1--1-----0--1--1------0--1--------------------|

C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|-4--5--5-----4--5--5------4--5--------------------|
F |-4--5--5-----4--5--5------4--5--------------------|
C |-2--3--3-----2--3--3------2--3--------------------|

C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|-7--9--9-----7--9--9------7--9--------------------|
A#|-7--9--9-----7--9--9------7--9--------------------|
F |-5--7--7-----5--7--7------5--7--------------------|
C |--------------------------------------------------|

C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|-4--5--5-----4--5--5------4--5--------------------|
F |-4--5--5-----4--5--5------4--5--------------------|
C |-2--3--3-----2--3--3------2--3--------------------|


C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|-7--8--8-----7--8--8------7--8--------------------|
F |-7--8--8-----7--8--8------7--8--------------------|
C |-5--6--6-----5--6--6------5--6--------------------|


C |--------------------------------------------------|
G |--------------------------------------------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------|
A#|-5------------------------------------------------|
F |-5------------------------------------------------|
C |-3------------------------------------------------|

and back to the riff.