What alterations/additions do you make to Green Day songs when you play along with them?

[The Disappearing Boy]

Do you enjoy playing along with Green Day songs on your guitar/bass/drums/piano/farfisa? Do you enjoy playing them in a slightly different way to what's on the record, or to how Billie, Mike, Tre and Jason play them? Then this thread is for you!

Share tabs/videos/audio clips of the alterations/changes/additions/things you like to play when playing Green Day!

Let me get you started:

Instead of just playing an E chord for the last two bars of the Coming Clean solo, I like to play this:

B-9-9-9-10-10-10-12-12-12-12-12-12-10-10-9-9-

G-9-9-9-9--9--9--9--9--9---9--9--9--9--9-9-9-

D-9-9-9-9--9--9--9--9--9---9--9--9--9--9-9-9-

Share yours!

[bagelfeet]

I play Geek Stink Breath in standard and Nice Guys Finish Last in E Flat

[Spike]

Protip: change the font for tabs to Courier New. Works a treat. I make a few changes to Basket Case and Welcome To Paradise. Oh, and 21CB. I'll upload tabs later.

[ChrisE]

At the beginning of the Fuck Time solo I play the tapping part what Billie played in Cuatro.

[Guest]

Because I'm used to jamming without a bassist, I do a lot of sort of bass fills in between chord changes. It's kinda difficult to explain. I also use open chords a lot to try out different sounds. And I'm usually too lazy to downtune so I play everything in standard tuning or drop-D.

Actually, that reminds me of a kinda cool thing I do with 80. I play it in drop-D so I can play the bass intro easier, and then just slam on the distortion and play it in the correct key.

[Sarcasm]

Gotta start Amanda early to get the kick ass opening that was cut from the final mix in there.

[The Disappearing Boy]

When the distortion kicks in in wake me up when september ends, I play in dropped d and play the backing chords to the main riff - G, F#, E and D. Adds a cool, kinda dark sound to the song.

[JackInABox86]

Sometimes I'll just improvise my own melody lines over a chorus or verse

[Spike]

21st Century Breakdown

This is how I do the riffs in the middle part. It's a lot easier to just hold the chords and play it like this. I was actually really surprised when I found out it's not how the band play it.

e|----------------------------------------------

B|-------------5--5--------5--5--5-5-7-5--------

G|-------6-6-6-6--6--6-6-6-6--6--6-6-6-6--7--6--

D|-7--7--7-7-7-7--7--7-7-7-7--7--7-7-7-7--7--7--

A|-0--0--0-0-0-0--0--0-0-0-0--0--0-0-0-0--0--0--

E|----------------------------------------------

e|----------------------------------------------------------------

B|------------------10--10--10-------10--10--10-10-12-10----------

G|---------11-11-11-11--11--11-11-11-11--11--11-11-11-11--12--11--

D|-12--12--12-12-12-12--12--12-12-12-12--12--12-12-12-12--12--12--

A|----------------------------------------------------------------

E|----------------------------------------------------------------

Basket Case

e|---0--------------------------0----0-0-0-

B|---0-------------4------------0----0-0-0-

G|---1--------4----4--4-4-4-4-6-6--6-6-6-6-

D|-2-2--2-----4--4-4--4-4-4-4-6-6--6-6-6-6-

A|-2-2--2-----2--2-2--2-2-2-2-4-4--4-4-4-4-

E|-0-0--0-2-4------------------------------

e|-------------------0------0------0----------

B|------4------------0------0------0----------

G|------4----------2-2--2-2-2------1--1-1-1-1-

D|-6--6-6--6-6-6-6-2-2--2-2-2-2--2-2--2-2-2-2-

A|-6--6-6--6-6-6-6-0-0--0-0-0-2--2-2--2-2-2-2-

E|-4--4----4-4-4-4------------0--0-0--0-0-0-0-

e|-------------2--2-----------

B|-------4-4-5-x--x--5--------

G|-4--4--4-4-4-4--4--4--4-4-4-

D|-4--4--4-4-4-4--4--4--4-4-4-

A|-2--2--2-2-2-2--2--2--2-2-2-

E|----------------------------

American Idiot

First part of the solo. Quite a subtle one, but I was Jason throw this bend in once and I've played it this way ever since.

e|------------------------------------|

B|------------------------------------|

G|-1010101010b11r1010101010101010-8-6-|

D|--x-x-x-x-x--x--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|

A|--8-8-8-8-8-b9r-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-6-4-|

E|------------------------------------|

[Virtue]

When playing/performing "Shoplifter"

I shout "NOTHING'S FREE!"

after the lyrics lyrics go:

"It's a 1,2,3 on the felony, Well not Everything is free!" (To me it sounds like there should be something there..)

[Certified Nimrod]

After the solo on X-Kid, I play the chords quieter and quieter like Jason does live.

I repeat the solo in Carpe Diem over the last chorus.

I didn't learn the Let Yourself Go solo yet, so I just play different variations of the chords from the chorus and use a wah pedal.

[Eva]

On more recent Green Day songs, I like to add in more hi-hat (i.e., I play 16th notes on hi-hat on Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Jesus Of Suburbia, Prosthetic Head, etc). After Insomniac, Tre started doing more basic hi-hat/cymbal work and I hate it. It sounds more interesting when you add in little 16th notes or ride cymbal grooves. It spices it up.

On early stuff, I like adding in more tom rolls. Sassafrass Roots and When I Come Around, in particular.

[Todd]

I sing "I just want some action so give me Mike Dirnt" on Nuclear Family

And "When I Come Around, How Now Brown Cow, No More Bad Town" like Billie did in 94.

And I usually shout the city names that Billie shouts on Awesome as Fuck for those songs

[Spike]

I sing "I just want some action so give me Mike Dirnt" on Nuclear Family

And "When I Come Around, How Now Brown Cow, No More Bad Town" like Billie did in 94.

And I usually shout the city names that Billie shouts on Awesome as Fuck for those songs

I like changing the lyrics of When I Come Around.

I heard it all before

So don't knock down my door

I'm a loser, a drug user so I don't need no accuser

to try and flag me down because I know you're right

There is Jason White

And my best friend Mr Mike

You may find out that your self-doubt means nothing was ever there

You can't go forcing something if it's just not right

Also, I play Ha Ha You're Dead like this. It's a damn good song to jam on, to be fair.

[Certified Nimrod]

Also, I play Ha Ha You're Dead like this.

What do you different than Mike?

[Spike]

What do you different than Mike?

Play more than root notes

It's mainly just messing about with major scale fills and a few octave changes.

[fatherotti]

For me Having a Blast becomes a break up song rather than a song of mass carnage haha.

I sing this****

Take it are you done with me?*

Emotions running down my spine*

Nothing's gonna change my mind

I won't listen to anyone's last words

There's nothing left for you that's safe*

Soon you'll be dead anyway

Well nobody is getting out alive*

This time I've really lost my mind and I don't care

So close your eyes and kiss youself goodbye

And think about the times we've spent and what they meant*

To me it's nothing....

I'm losing all my happiness
The happiness you pinned on me
Loneliness still comforts me

"I hate you" still welts inside of me*
I'm taking it all out on you
And the shit you put me through

[Todd]

I like changing the lyrics of When I Come Around.

I heard it all before

So don't knock down my door

I'm a loser, a drug user so I don't need no accuser

to try and flag me down because I know you're right

There is Jason White

And my best friend Mr Mike

You may find out that your self-doubt means nothing was ever there

You can't go forcing something if it's just not right

Sometimes I sing Second Time Around lyrics in there too

[fromdecimateddreams]

I jazzed up Basket Case on the saxophone, and occasionally improv a blues-y type of thing that fits with the guitar solo if I'm feeling particularly creative that day.

I also have the tendency to sing/hear "like a shithead runs from Earth" rather than "like a sheep runs from the herd" in Minority. Heard it once and now can never hear the actual lyrics.

[Certified Nimrod]

I jazzed up Basket Case on the saxophone, and occasionally improv a blues-y type of thing that fits with the guitar solo if I'm feeling particularly creative that day.

I'd love to hear that

[walking_c0ntradicti0n]

uh usually when im playing longview i attempt to do the bassline stuff on the guitar so i know how long till guitar starts...and i kinda know the No One Knows bassline and i play that before guitar...

[fromdecimateddreams]

I'd love to hear that

I'll see if I can record it sometime for you. Might not be for a while since my sax hates winter, but I'll definitely do it at some point

I also did a sax/guitar cover of 21 Guns once, but it didn't turn out nearly as good.

[StuckWithInsomnia]

When playing the chorus for When I Come Around, during the silent bit, I'll do a pull off with the 7th fret on the E string to the 6th fret and then quickly come back to the 2nd. The bass guitar does something similar to that so I mimic it. Also I strum the (know where I'll be) "Found" part a lot more than it actually does.

And yeah when listening to songs and singing along my brain always thinks to yell 'Las Vegas' or 'Tokyo' and stuff cause I'm used to listening to live versions

[green day is]

I play JoS with a capo and open chords. Part V gets a bit hard but it's way worth it (on acoustic at least).

I've also taken to playing 21 Guns like a punk song like

e | ----------------------------------|
B | ----------------------------------|
G | --7---7-7-7---7-7-3---3-3-3---3-3-|
D | --7---7-7-7---7-7-3---3-3-3---3-3-| and so on...
A | --5---5-5-5---5-5-1---1-1-1---1-1-|
E | ------*-*-----*-*-----*-*-----*-*-|

* = palm mute

For the verse. The chorus is, rhythmically, two strums open (quarter notes) then a mute quarter noted followed by two eighth note mutes.

[The Disappearing Boy]

I play the verse on Last Night on Earth like this:

e-0-1-2-3-

b-2-2-2-2-

g-2-2-2-2-

d-2-3-4-5-

a-0-0-0-0-

e---------------

It's not that different to how the song is played, but it sounds pretty cool.