#


Pinball Wizard
by The Who
From Tommy, 1969
Written by Pete Townshend


Original transcription by:
Marc Hirsh
=============
revised by
litgo@aol.com
=============


[original note:] 'e' stands for eighth notes, 's' for
sixteenth, 'q' for quarter, 'h' for half, and, yes, even 'w'
for whole notes. The rapid strumming parts can be fairly
improvised. The chords in the first 6 bars are strummed at a
speed so that you can almost hear each individual note. A
slide is indicated by a '/' for up and '' for down. A period
after a note value means dotted. The chord parts are best
played with your index finger on the B string, middle on the
G string (using pinky for pull-offs), and ring finger on the
D string, with the thumb wrapping around and playing the low
E string. Sounds hard, but gets easier with practice.

[intro]
 Bm/F#             Bmsus4/F#         F#7sus4
  e e e e e e e e   e e e e e e e e   e e e e e e e e
|-2---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|-2---------------|
|-4---------------|-4---------------|-4---------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

 F#7                   F#m7              Em/F#
  e e e e e e e e       e e e e e e e e   e e e e e e e e
|-0-------------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-2-------------------|-2---------------|-0---------------|
|-3-------------------|-2---------------|-0---------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-----|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  Em/G             F#sus4                 F#
  e e e e e e e e   e s s e s e s e e e   e s s e s e s e q
|-----------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3---|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-0-|
|-----------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|-----------------|T2-------------------|-2-----------------|

   Bsus4                   B
   e s s e s e s e e s s   e s s e s e s e e s s x2
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||T7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||

   Bsus4                   B
   e s s e s e s e e s s   e s s e s e s e e s s x2
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||
||Electric guitar        |                       ||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7/9-------------------|-----------------------||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-5/7-------------------|-----------------------||
(elec. gtr: play so that second notes sound on first beat of
bar)


"Ever since I was a young boy  I've played the silver ball.
  e s s e s e s e e s s        e s s e s e s e e s s
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---|
|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9------|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8---|
|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9------|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9---|
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---|
|Electric                    |                         |
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|-7/9------------------------|-------------------------|
|----------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5/7------------------------|-------------------------|


"From Soho down to Brighton   I must have played them all.
  Asus4                       A
  e s s e s e s e e s s       e s s e s e s e e s s
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----|-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6---|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---|
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|T5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---|
|Electric                   |                         |
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|-5/7-----------------------|-------------------------|
|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|-3/5-----------------------|-------------------------|


"But I ain't seen nothin' like him in any amusement hall.
  Gsus4                             G
  e s s e s e s e e s s             e s s e s e s e e s s
|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-----------|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----------|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|T3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-----------|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
|Electric                         |                       |
|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|-3/5-----------------------------|-----------------------|
|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
|-1/3-----------------------------|-----------------------|



"That deaf, dumb, and blind kid  sure plays a mean pin-
  F#sus4                         F#
  e s s e s e s e e s s          w
|------------------------------|-----------------------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--------|-2---------------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--------|-3---------------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--------|-4---------------------|
|------------------------------|-----------------------|
|T2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--------|-2---------------------|
|Electric                      | w                     |
|------------------------------|-----------------------|
|------------------------------|-----------------------|
|------------------------------|-----------------------|
|-2/4--------------------------|-4---------------------|
|------------------------------|-4---------------------|
|-0/2--------------------------|-2---------------------|

"Ball.
  B   A D     E              B   A D     E
  e q q q e   q e. s e e q   e q q q e   q e. s e e q
|-------2---|-0-0--0-0-0-0-|-------2---|-0-0--0-0-0-0--|
|-4-4-2-3---|-0-0--0-0-0-0-|-4-4-2-3---|-0-0--0-0-0-0--|
|-4-4-2-2---|-1-1--1-1-1-1-|-4-4-2-2---|-1-1--1-1-1-1--|
|-4-4-2-0---|-2-2--2-2-2-2-|-4-4-2-0---|-2-2--2-2-2-2--|
|-2-2-0---0-|-2-2--2-2-2-2-|-2-2-0---0-|-2-2--2-2-2-2--|
|-----------|-0-0--0-0-0-0-|-----------|-0-0--0-0-0-0--|
|Electric   |              |                           |
| e q q q e | w            | e q q q e | w             |
|-----------|--------------|-----------|---------------|
|-------3---|--------------|-------3---|---------------|
|-4-4-2-2---|--------------|-4-4-2-2---|---------------|
|-4-4-2-0-2-|-2------------|-4-4-2-0-2-|-2-------------|
|-2-2-0---0-|-2------------|-2-2-0---0-|-2-------------|
|-----------|-0------------|-----------|-0-------------|

[repeat verse]
He stands just like a statue
Becomes part of the machine
Feeling all the bumpers
Always playing clean
He plays by intuition
The digit counters fall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball

He's a...

"Pinball wizard, there   has to be a twist.
  E F# B
  q q e q.              q q e q.
|-0-2-----------------|-0-2-----------------|
|-0-2-4-4-------------|-0-2-4-4-------------|
|-1-3-4-4-------------|-1-3-4-4-------------|
|-2-4-4-4-------------|-2-4-4-4-------------|
|-2-4-2-2-------------|-2-4-2-2-------------|
|-0-2-----------------|-0-2-----------------|
|Electric             |                     |
| q q e q.            | q q e q.            |
|---------------------|---------------------|
|---------------------|---------------------|
|-----4-4-------------|-----4-4-------------|
|-2-4-4-4-------------|-----4-4-------------|
|-2-4-2-2-------------|-2-4-2-2-------------|
|-0-2-----------------|-0-2-----------------|

A pinball wizard's got "Such a supple
                        G
  q q e q.              q q q q
|-0-2-----------------|-3-3-3-3------|
|-0-2-4-4-------------|-3-3-3-3------|
|-1-3-4-4-------------|-0-0-0-0------|
|-2-4-4-4-------------|-0-0-0-0------|
|-2-4-2-2-------------|--------------|
|-0-2-----------------|-3-3-3-3------|
|Electric             |              |
| q q e q.            | w            |
|---------------------|-3------------|
|---------------------|-3------------|
|-----4-4-------------|-0------------|
|-----4-4-------------|-0------------|
|-2-4-2-2-------------|--------------|
|-0-2-----------------|-3------------|

  wrist.
  D     Dsus4   D
  e e e q q e   q e. s e e q
|-2-2-2-3-3-2-|-2-2--2-2-2-2--|
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3--3-3-3-3--|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2--2-2-2-2--|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-0--0-0-0-0--|
|-------------|---------------|
|-------------|---------------|
|Electric     |               |
| w           |               |
|-------3-3-2-|---------------|
|-3-----3-3-3-|---------------|
|-2-----2-2-2-|---------------|
|-0-----------|---------------|
|-------------|---------------|
|-------------|---------------|


"How do you think he     does it? (I don't know)
  D     Cadd9 (G)        D     Cadd9 (G)
  e e e q e e e          e e e q e e e         |
|-0-0-0-0-0------------|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------|
|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--------|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3---------|
|-2-2-2-0-0-0-0--------|-2-2-2-0-0-0-0---------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---------|
|-------3-3-2-2--------|-------3-3-2-2---------|
|-------------3--------|-------------3---------|
|Electric              |                       |
| q. h e               | q. h e                |
|----------------------|-----------------------|
|-3--------------------|-3---------------------|
|-2--------------------|-2---------------------|
|-0--0-0---------------|-0--0-0----------------|
|----3-2---------------|----3-2----------------|
|--------3-------------|--------3--------------|

  What makes him so    good?
  D         Cadd9 (G)  D
  e  e  e    q e e e |
|-0--0--0----0-0-----|-0-----|
|-3--3--3----3-3-3-3-|-3-----|
|-2--2--2----0-0-0-0-|-2-----|
|-0--0--0----0-0-0-0-|-0-----|
|------------3-3-2-2-|-------|
|------------------3-|-------|
|Electric            |       |
| q.         h e     |       |
|--------------------|-------|
|-3------------------|-3-----|
|-2------------------|-2-----|
|-0----------0-0-----|-0-----|
|------------3-2-----|-------|
|------------------3-|-------|

He ain't got no distractions
Can't hear no buzzers and bells
Don't see lights a-flashin'
Plays be sense of smell
Always gets a replay
I've never seen him fall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball

I thought I was the Bally table king
But I just handed my pinball crown to him

                x4 (same strum pattern as above)
|| Dsus4  | D   ||
||--------|-----||
||-10-----|-10--||
||-12-----|-11--||
||-12-----|-12--||
||--------|-----||
||-10-----|-10--||

[chords for verse: Csus4: 8x10 10 8 x; C 8x 10 9 8 x;
 Bbsus4: 6x886x; Bb: 6x876x; Asus4: 5x775x; A: 5x765x]

     Dsus4                 D
Even on my favorite table, he can beat my best
    Csus4                     C
His disciples lead him in and he just does the rest
         Bbsus4                 Bb
He's got crazy flipper fingers, never seen him fall
     Asus4                   A
That deaf dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pin

D  D  C  F   Bb7
ball.........

[Mike's note: the end is just Pete playing around with a Bb7
chord (and some suspensions)-- Bb7: x13131]

=============
litgo@aol.com

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