Welcome to Whotabs

Requests

Here are requests we’ve received for transcriptions. If you’ve transcribed one of these songs, or are aware of a transcription that meets our submission criteria, please let us know. If you’d like to give it a try, check out Want to transcribe.

• Cry If You Want (Live)
• Eminence Front (Bass)
• One of the Boys
• Under a Raging Moon
• Save it For Later (for sax solo)
• Rocks In the Head (all tracks)
• It’s Hard (Bass)
• Bargain (bass)
• Squeeze Box (solo for banjo)
• Cookin’
• The Seeker (lead)
• Call Me Lightning (lead and bass)
• I Don’t Even Know Myself (live)
• Waiting For A Friend (McVicar)
• Just A Dream Away (McVicar)
• Going To New York (PT Roundhouse)
• Eyesight to the Blind (Live at the Fillmore, 1996)
• Peppermint Lump (by Angie)
• Forever’s No Time At All (Billy Nicholls)
• Who Are You (solo only from Concert From New York 2001)
• Whiskey Man (bass)
• Shout and Shimmy (bass)
• Bell Boy (bass and keyboards)
• In The Ether (piano)
• April Fool
• Heaven and Hell (live bass)
• Who Are You (drums)
• Long Live Rock (bass)
• Relay (bass)
• My Size (guitar solo)
• Eminence Front (Live – Toronto)
• Drowned (live for acoustic – interlude)
• Wistful
• Baby Don’t You Do It (Live, with solos)
• Ooh Poo Pah Doo (High Numbers)
• The Song Is Over (bass)
• McVicar
• No Face, No Name, No Number (live PT – 2007)
• White City Fighting (bass)
• Hall of the Mountain King (bass)
• Eyesight to the Blind (Soundtrack version; bass)
• I’m A Boy (bass)
• Pictures of Lily (bass)
• Let’s See Action (bass)
• Pure And Easy (bass)
• Love Reign O’er Me (bass)

Welcome to Whotabs. Whotabs is dedicated to exploring the music of The Who and its members’ solo careers. Within this site you’ll find over 450 transcriptions for guitar, bass and drums, including guitar transcriptions for most every song released by The Who since 1964. Some are full tablature, others basic chord charts. All are faithful interpretations intended to preserve and celebrate the musical legacy of The Who.

A growing presence on Whotabs is the Equipment section, presenting work-in-progress references to the genre-defining musical instruments and gear the group employed (and destroyed) throughout their careers.

Latest Site Updates

Recent changes

• Pictures Of Lily (Bass) ~New: Transcription for bass, courtesy Colin. 30 Jan. 2012
• Let’s See Action (Bass) ~New: Transcription for bass, courtesy Colin. 28 Jan. 2012
• I’m A Boy (Bass) ~New: Transcription for bass, courtesy Colin. 27 Jan. 2012
• Anymore ~New: Transcription for guitar. 17 Jan. 2012
• Is It Me? ~New: Transcription for guitar. 17 Jan. 2012
• Get Inside ~New: Transcription for guitar. 17 Jan. 2012
• Underture ~Revision: Full revision for guitar, with partial bass transcription. 12 Jan. 2012
• Sparks ~Revision: Full revision for guitar, with partial bass transcription. 12 Jan. 2012
• I Am The Sea ~New: Transcription for guitar. 12 Jan. 2012
• Tommy (Complete) (269kb) ~Revision: Updated with new Underture and Sparks revisions, plus general reformatting. 12 Jan. 2012
• Quadrophenia (Complete) (373kb) ~Revision: Updated with new I Am The Sea transcription, plus general reformatting. 12 Jan. 2012
• We Close Tonight ~Correction: Corrected lyrics in this transcription. 12 Jan. 2012
• Whotabs site ~Minor site overhaul: cleaning up the HTML code and improved all-browser support. 11 Jan. 2012
• Whotabs site design history ~Updated: Updated this page started in 2005 with new screen captures of the design history of Whotabs, mostly from the Wayback Machine. (Note: We are still looking for any info about the original Who Guitar Page site at schoolsucks.) 11 Jan. 2012
• Keith’s “Gold” Premier kit – 1974 ~Update: Added new photo gallery of this kit on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, thanks to Lee Harrington. 20 Dec. 2011
• John’s gear: 1986–2002 – Buzzard basses ~Update: Added details of 1991 Modulus Buzzard, thanks to Marc Forrester. 20 Dec. 2011
• Fender Showman amps ~Correction: Corrected credit of Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, Mo., photo to Paula Willis, as featured in stlbook.com, thanks to John. 20 Dec. 2011
• John’s gear: 1967–1968 – Fender Showman amps ~Correction: Corrected credit of Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, Mo., photo to Paula Willis, as featured in stlbook.com, thanks to John. 20 Dec. 2011
• Keith’s “Pictures of Lily” kit ~Correction: Corrected credit of Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, Mo., photo to Paula Willis, as featured in stlbook.com, thanks to John. 20 Dec. 2011
• Coral Hornet ~Revision: Added remains of smashed Coral Hornet from 29 Nov., 1967, tremendous thanks to Bart Koster. 17 Nov. 2011
• Smashed guitars ~Revision: Added note about Coral Hornet from 29 Nov., 1967, from above. 17 Nov. 2011
• Takamine guitars ~News: The Arvon Foundation auctioned a Pete-donated Takamine guitar on 14 Nov., 2011. The auction realised £4,000 ($6,360). 16 Nov. 2011
• Schecter/Giffin “Telecaster-style” guitars ~News: Christie’s auctioned a Pete-owned black Schecter/Giffin guitar on 15 Nov., 2011. The auction realised £34,850 ($55,865). 15 Nov. 2011
• Takamine guitars ~News: The Arvon Foundation will be auctioning a Pete-donated Takamine guitar on 14 Nov., 2011. 14 Nov. 2011
• Schecter/Giffin “Telecaster-style” guitars ~News: Christie’s will be auctioning a Pete-owned black Schecter/Giffin guitar on 15 Nov., 2011. 14 Nov. 2011
• Collings guitars ~Update: Added Collings OM-1, thanks to Canada Fan. 31 Oct. 2011
• Compilations: Quadrophenia – The Director’s Cut (Super Deluxe Edition) ~ Update: Added upcoming Quadrophenia box set. 31 Oct. 2011
• 1973 Gibson Les Paul Custom ~Update: Corrected date references, thanks to Rock Stars Guitars and Joe G. 26 Oct. 2011
• Hiwatt CP103 ~Update: Added new amp details, serial no. 853, thanks to Steve. 25 Oct. 2011
• Fender Eric Clapton Stratocasters ~Update: Added clarification from main history timeline about non-Eric Clapton Shoreline Gold model, h/t Xavier. 25 Oct. 2011
• John’s gear: 1968–1971 ~New: Split 1967–1971 page into two pages. 21 Oct. 2011
• John’s gear: 1967–1968 ~New: Split the 1967–1971 page into two pages. 21 Oct. 2011
• John’s gear: 1967–1968 – Sunn amps ~Update: Added details on the transition to Sunn in 1967, thanks to Max the Mod. 21 Oct. 2011
• John’s gear: 1967–1968 – Fender Showman amps ~Update: Added details on brief use of Fender Showman amps in 1967, thanks to Max the Mod. 21 Oct. 2011
• Sunn Coliseum PA ~Update: Added details on the transition to Sunn in 1967, thanks to Max the Mod. 21 Oct. 2011
• Sunn amps ~Update: Added details on the transition to Sunn in 1967, thanks to Max the Mod. 21 Oct. 2011
• Vox Super Beatle amps ~Update: Added description of how these amps were disposed of at the end of the tour in 1967, thanks to Max the Mod. 21 Oct. 2011
• Fender Showman amps ~Update: Added description of why these amps were used in 1967, thanks to Max the Mod. 21 Oct. 2011
• Keith’s Borrowed Kits: English Rogers kits, Ready Steady Go! and Top of the Pops ~Update: added more details around Keith’s use of these hired kits. 20 Oct. 2011
• Gibson SG Special ~Update: Added photo of 1961-type SG Standard model used in 1969, thanks to Danny. 20 Oct. 2011
• Gibson SG Special ~Update: Further new detail about last use of the original cherry Gibson SG Special model, thanks to “A French Fan.” 20 Oct. 2011
• 1972 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe details ~Update: More details about first uses of Les Paul Deluxe in 1972, thanks to “A French Fan.” 20 Oct. 2011

9th October 2011

Updates made since 19 May 2011.

Tablature updates

• Tablature
  • Overture from Tommy (Full Score) ~New: Full score of the Overture, including single instrument scores and accompanying midi file, courtesy Ken Traub. 15 June 2011

Site and information updates

• John’s gear:
  • Danelectro bass guitars ~Update: added date info, h/t Chris. 18 June 2011
• Keith’s drumkits:
  • Keith’s Borrowed Kits: 1967 – Slingerland kit ~Update: date identification of first use of this borrowed kit, h/t Chris. 9 Oct. 2011
  • Keith’s Borrowed Kits: 6 Aug. 1965 – Premier kit, Ready Steady Go! ~Update: added borrowed Premier kit, h/t Chris. 18 June 2011
  • Keith’s Drums – Cymbals ~News: auction result. 14 June 2011
• PA
  • Sunn PA ~Update: Corrected date/gig info from November 1967, h/t Chris. 9 Oct. 2011
• Pete’s gear:
  • Coral Hornet ~Update: Corrected date/gig info from November 1967, h/t Chris. 9 Oct. 2011
  • Sunn amplifiers ~Update: Corrected date/gig info from November 1967, h/t Chris. 9 Oct. 2011
  • Gibson ES-335 ~Update: Corrected date/gig info from November 1967, h/t Chris. 9 Oct. 2011
  • Gibson SG Special ~Update: New detail about last use of the original cherry Gibson SG Special model, thanks to “A French Fan.” 9 August 2011
  • Pete’s Signature Series ~Update: New Gibson SG 50th anniversary in Alpine White, commemorating Pete’s use of Polaris White Gibson SG Specials in 1972–73. 9 August 2011
  • Pete’s miscellaneous guitars ~Update: “South Bank” guitar identified as a Ferrington, thanks to Chuck. 9 August 2011
  • Schecter/Giffin “Telecaster”-style guitars ~Update: major updates, including section expansion, specification details, and Gold Schecter photos, thanks to contributions by Tommy Guitars. 18 June 2011
  • Danelectro guitars ~Update: added date info, h/t Chris. 18 June 2011
  • 1973 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top ~News: auction result. 14 June 2011
  • Fender Vibrasonic amplifier ~ New: Added new detail page for this amplifier used by Pete in 1965, thanks to Mark Herman. 25 May 2011

See all previous updates