Kings Of Leon - Arizona Chords & Tabs

Drummer: Nathan Followill
Album: Because Of The Times

4/4 Timing
Tempo = 76 bpm

O = accent
o = normal strike
X = accent cymbal strike
x = normal cymbal strike   d = 2x 32nd notes
g = ghost note

< x3 > = play that bar 3 times


Intro: 4 bars REST

Basic groove in at 5th bar and played throughout majority of song (either on HH or Rd.):


               < x20 > L           He plays Tam with left hand
0:13 Tam: |------------x---|       If you play tam with right hand, probably leave out HH ghost 
     HH:  |xgxgxgxgxgxgxgxg|       notes just before and after tam hit.
     Sn:  |----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|       (see below for optional stickings)
           1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a

     NB heavy accent on snare strike but not a rimshot

     Preverse 12 bars
     Verse    8 bars


                
1:15 This same pattern as above (but now on the ride with just 1/8th notes ie. no ghost notes) is 
     played for the guitar 'chorus' for 4 bars:

                < x4 >
     Tam: |------------x---|
     Rd:  |x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|

     
1:28 Verse: 8 bars of HH pattern

                < x3 >                            < x4 >
     Tam: |------------x---|-----------dx---|------------x---|
     HH:  |xgxgxgxgxgxgxgxg|xgxgxgxgxgx---xg|xgxgxgxgxgxgxgxg|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|----O-----------|----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|


1:53 Chorus (guitar): ride pattern 

                < x7 >
     Tam: |------------x---|------------x---|
     Rd:  |x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo------o|


2:18 Bridge: back to HH   NB pattern variation for HH/Sn and B (and different placement of ghost
                          notes)

                < x4 >
     HH:  |x-xgx-xgx-xgx-xg|
     Sn:  |----O-------O---|   (live he plays dOo (a4e) in the 4th bar of bridge) llRL
     B:   |o------oo------o|



2:30 Verse

                < x8 >
     Tam: |------------x---|
     HH:  |xgxgxgxgxgxgxgxg|   (live he opens HH on ah of 1 in the first bar of 8)
     Sn:  |----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|


2:55 Chorus      (crash only on first bar of the 7)

                < x7 >
     CC:  |X---------------|---------------X|           
     Tam: |------------x---|------------x---|
     Rd:  |x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|


3:20 Guitar Break
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/k/kings_of_leon/arizona_drum.html ]
                                 < x2 >                                             < x3 >
     CC:  |X---------------|----------------|---------------X|X---------------|----------------|
     Tam: |------------x---|------------x---|------------x---|------------x---|------------x---|
     Rd:  |x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|----O-----------|----O-----------|----O-----------|----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|


3:45 Bass break (8 bars)

     Drums rest 5 bars/soft ride tap for last 3 bars of break:

                                          
                                       crescendo
     Rd:  |g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-|gggggggggggggggg|gggggggggggggggg|


4:11 Outro

                                  < x2 >                                             < x2 >
     CC:  |X---------------|----------------|---------------X|X---------------|----------------|
     Tam: |------------x---|------------x---|------------x---|------------x---|------------x---|
     Rd:  |x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|----O-----------|----O-----------|----O-----------|----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|


                                < fades >
     CC:  |---------------X|X---------------|
     Tam: |------------x---|------------x---|
     Rd:  |x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|x-x-x-x-x-x---x-|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|o-o----oo-------|


The ghost 16th notes can be left out of the HH pattern....it still sounds fine as just straight 8th notes
as for the ride pattern (and is a lot simpler).


Great song, fantastic drummer. Quite long and repetitive but good timing practice maintaining a rocksteady
slow tempo groove for nearly 5 mins. A good song to choose if you are just embarking on playing whole
songs
(just leave out the ghost notes). Have fun with it!

I will just include here some of the different ways you can play the main groove:

           RRRRRRRRRRR R RR     
               L
     Tam: |------------x---|        
     HH:  |xgxgxgxgxgx---xg|       
     Sn:  |----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|
           1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a


           RRRRRRRRRRRRLRRR                  RRRRRRRRRRR-L-RR     
               L                                 L
     Tam: |------------x---|    or     Tam: |------------x---|
     HH:  |xgxgxgxgxgxg-gxg|           HH:  |xgxgxgxgxgx---xg|
     Sn:  |----O-----------|           Sn:  |----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|           B:   |o-o----oo-------|
           1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a                  1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a
      

           RLRL LRLRLR L RL    
               R
     Tam: |------------x---|        
     HH:  |xgxg-gxgxgx---xg|       
     Sn:  |----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|
           1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a


           RLRL LRLRLRLRLRL    
               R
     Tam: |------------x---|        
     HH:  |xgxg-gxgxgxg-gxg|       
     Sn:  |----O-----------|
     B:   |o-o----oo-------|
           1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a