How to play Paranoid

Black Sabbath

This tab has 42 notes, on the A and D strings, frets 12 to 14, at 164 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.

164BPM at full speed
42notes
12 to 14fret range
Beginnerlevel

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.

Paranoid tab, 42 notes. The same tab is written out note by note in the list after it.
Read it note by note
  1. A3 A string, fret 12
  2. B3 A string, fret 14
  3. A3 A string, fret 12
  4. B3 A string, fret 14
  5. A3 A string, fret 12
  6. B3 A string, fret 14
  7. A3 A string, fret 12
  8. B3 A string, fret 14
  9. D4 D string, fret 12
  10. E4 D string, fret 14
  11. A3 A string, fret 12
  12. B3 A string, fret 14
  13. D4 D string, fret 12
  14. B3 A string, fret 14
  15. A3 A string, fret 12
  16. B3 A string, fret 14
  17. A3 A string, fret 12
  18. B3 A string, fret 14
  19. A3 A string, fret 12
  20. B3 A string, fret 14
  21. A3 A string, fret 12
  22. B3 A string, fret 14
  23. D4 D string, fret 12
  24. E4 D string, fret 14
  25. A3 A string, fret 12
  26. B3 A string, fret 14
  27. D4 D string, fret 12
  28. B3 A string, fret 14
  29. A3 A string, fret 12
  30. B3 A string, fret 14
  31. A3 A string, fret 12
  32. B3 A string, fret 14
  33. A3 A string, fret 12
  34. B3 A string, fret 14
  35. A3 A string, fret 12
  36. B3 A string, fret 14
  37. D4 D string, fret 12
  38. E4 D string, fret 14
  39. A3 A string, fret 12
  40. B3 A string, fret 14
  41. D4 D string, fret 12
  42. B3 A string, fret 14
Plain text tab
e|---------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------12--14----------12------|
A|-12--14--12--14--12--14--12--14----------12--14------14--|
E|---------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------12--14----------12------|
A|-12--14--12--14--12--14--12--14----------12--14------14--|
E|---------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------12--14----------12------|
A|-12--14--12--14--12--14--12--14----------12--14------14--|
E|---------------------------------------------------------|

Where it sits on the neck

Green rings are every place this tab uses. The solid one is played most: B3, A string, fret 14, 18 times.

Strings
A and Dtwo strings
Frets
12 to 14
Lowest note
A3A string, fret 12
Highest note
E4D string, fret 14
Open strings
Noneevery note is fretted
Tempo
164 BPM82 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 (82 BPM), 0.75x (123 BPM) or 1x (164 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 8 to 11, the busiest stretch in this tab (frets 14, 12, 14, 12 across the A and D strings).

  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.