How to play Paint It Black

Rolling Stones

This tab has 39 notes, all on the B string, frets 4 to 10, at 159 BPM. Read it below, then play it with Lark and every note gets scored.

Play it with Lark

Free, in your browser. Sign in, allow the mic, and Lark listens as you play.

159BPM at full speed
39notes
4 to 10fret range
Intermediatelevel

The tab

Each line is a string: high e on top, low E at the bottom. The number is the fret to press, and 0 means play the string open. Read left to right, one note at a time. The small numbers count the notes.

Paint It Black tab, 39 notes. The same tab is written out note by note in the list after it.
Read it note by note
  1. E4 B string, fret 5
  2. F#4 B string, fret 7
  3. G4 B string, fret 8
  4. A4 B string, fret 10
  5. G4 B string, fret 8
  6. F#4 B string, fret 7
  7. E4 B string, fret 5
  8. E4 B string, fret 5
  9. D#4 B string, fret 4
  10. E4 B string, fret 5
  11. F#4 B string, fret 7
  12. E4 B string, fret 5
  13. D#4 B string, fret 4
  14. E4 B string, fret 5
  15. F#4 B string, fret 7
  16. G4 B string, fret 8
  17. A4 B string, fret 10
  18. G4 B string, fret 8
  19. F#4 B string, fret 7
  20. E4 B string, fret 5
  21. E4 B string, fret 5
  22. D#4 B string, fret 4
  23. E4 B string, fret 5
  24. F#4 B string, fret 7
  25. E4 B string, fret 5
  26. D#4 B string, fret 4
  27. E4 B string, fret 5
  28. F#4 B string, fret 7
  29. G4 B string, fret 8
  30. A4 B string, fret 10
  31. G4 B string, fret 8
  32. F#4 B string, fret 7
  33. E4 B string, fret 5
  34. E4 B string, fret 5
  35. D#4 B string, fret 4
  36. E4 B string, fret 5
  37. F#4 B string, fret 7
  38. E4 B string, fret 5
  39. D#4 B string, fret 4
Plain text tab
e|--------------------------------------------|
B|-5--7--8--10--8--7--5--5--4--5--7--5--4--5--|
G|--------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|

e|--------------------------------------------|
B|-7--8--10--8--7--5--5--4--5--7--5--4--5--7--|
G|--------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------|
B|-8--10--8--7--5--5--4--5--7--5--4--|
G|-----------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

Where it sits on the neck

Green rings are every place this tab uses. The solid one is played most: E4, B string, fret 5, 15 times.

Strings
Bone string only
Frets
4 to 10
Lowest note
D#4B string, fret 4
Highest note
A4B string, fret 10
Open strings
Noneevery note is fretted
Tempo
159 BPM80 BPM at half speed

How to practice it

Practice mode in Lark slows the song down and loops the part you keep missing, while it listens to every note.

  1. Start slow

    Practice mode plays the click at 0.5x (80 BPM), 0.75x (119 BPM) or 1x (159 BPM). Stay at half speed until you stop missing, then step up.

  2. Loop the hard part

    Set a loop around any stretch of notes and it repeats until you have it. A good first loop: notes 1 to 4, the busiest stretch in this tab (frets 5, 7, 8, 10 on the B string).

  3. Play it and watch the score

    Lark listens through your mic. Every note turns green when you hit it and red when you miss, your accuracy updates as you go, and you see if you came in on the beat, late or slow.

  4. Read the coach's note

    When the song ends, the AI coach reads your run and gives you one specific thing to fix before the next one.