Band - The Strokes
Song - 12:51
Album – Room on Fire

Hi, I’m only transcribing Nick Valensi’s bit because it’s one of the coolest riffs in recent years. This is my first tab so corrections are welcome. To play this I normally use the neck and middle pick-up and turn the tone control right down on my guitar. This gives it the Strokes’ trademark muffled, raw sound.

Here we go!!

Bu – bend up
R – release

Verse:

E --------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B --------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G ---13---9---11---9---13---11---9---|---11---8---9---8---11---9---8-------------|
D --------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A --------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E --------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|

Repeat this sequence twice

Chorus:

E ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B ---12------------------12-------------------12-----------------------------------|
G --------13---11---13--------13---11---13--------13---11---13---9---13---11---13--|
D ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

E ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B ---12------------------12-------------------12-----------------------------------|
G --------13---11---13--------13---11---13--------13---11---13---9---13---11---9---|
D ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Then go back into the verse except the second verse has a small change:

E -------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B -------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G ---13---9---11---9---13---11---9---|11---8---9---8---11---9---8---------------|
D -------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A -------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E -------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
Play the first bit as normal but on the repeat play this:

E --------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B ----------------------12--------------|----------------------------------------|
G ---13---9---11---9--------14---13---|---9---11---8---9---8---11---9---8--------|
D ---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
A ---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E ---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|

Then back to the chorus which is followed by the break. (Sorry it’s a bit bunched – wouldn’t’ fit on the page)

Break:

E -------------|-------------|-------------|--------------------|
 B -13-15-12-13-|-17-15-------|-13-15-12-13-|-17-15-------------|
 G -------------|-------17-16-|-------------|-------17-16-------|
 D -------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
 A -------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
 E -------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|

 E -----------------------|-------------|-------------|----------------------------|
 B -17--13-15-12----15-12-|-17-15-------|-13-15-12-13-|-17-15----------------------|
 G ---------------14------|-------17-16-|-------------|-------17-16bu17r17bu17-----|
 D ---14--------14--------|-------------|-------------|----------------------------|
 A -----------------------|-------------|-------------|----------------------------|
 E -----------------------|-------------|-------------|----------------------------|

The play the first and second verse immediately after each other and then play the chorus again and you’re done.