Take Me Out (Franz Ferdinand) Guitar Lesson with Backing Tracks + TAB

In this guitar lesson, we look at TAB for all sections, custom-made to ensure you can play this song in a band as the only guitarist. Practise with Backing Tracks!

Take Me Out | TAB

With multiple guitars and plenty of production on the original recording, our job is to find a single guitar part that works in a band setting — even if all you have supporting you is bass and drums.

Here’s the approach I’ve come up with. Start with this before contemplating any modifications.

Intro

We begin with a big Em chord, followed by pumping root notes, like this:

Verse

The first verse is unique, as it doesn’t repeat. We maintain the pumping eighth notes, but instead of sticking to the root, there’s a lot of variation here. I’ve transcribed the original main guitar part in full.

Riff

The riff is played consistently while the chords change underneath it:

Chorus

For the chorus, I’ve had to invent a part that works in any band line-up. The goal here is to capture the energy of the original recording, rather than reproducing every note exactly.

M8

The middle 8 can feel confusing at first, as the bass line moves down and then back up. Harmonically, the chords are simply Am7 – D – Am7 – C: