Difficulty: Easy

Composer – 3 Doors Down

Where to find this song – Away from the Sun track # 1

Release Date – November 2002

The Band:
Matt Roberts – guitar
Todd Harrell – bass
Chris Henderson – guitar
Brad Arnold – vocals

Coming from the small town of Escatawpa, MS, near Biloxi, 3 Doors Down snuck their way into a contract with popular live shows and the reputation of a single song. Their hit, “Kryptonite,” flooded the local radio station WCPR in Biloxi, helping make them hometown favorites and enabling them to draw relatively large crowds to their local live shows, which consequently, helped them extend their range beyond Mississippi and the deep south to internationally famous clubs like New York’s CBGB’S.

Verse

You will be playing three basic chord progressions in this part of the riff. The chords are Asus2, G, and C. They are listed above the tablature for better explanation. Begin the first measure by forming the Asus2 chord. Do this by placing your 2nd finger on the “D”
string on the second fret and your 3rd finger on the “G” string on the second fret. Allow all open notes on the “A” string, the “B” string, and the “high E” string to be played with as well. Play that once, and then follow the picking pattern immediately after without moving any fingers. To end the first measure, simply play the “A” string open once, and use your thumb to slightly go over the neck and onto the second fret on the “A” string.

The second measure will have you starting out with a C chord. To play the C chord, place your 3rd finger on the third fret on the “A” string. Place your 1st finger on the first fret on the “B” string, and place your 2nd finger on the second fret on the “D” string. Play according to the tablature. To finish the verse’s fourth measure, you will be playing a G chord.

To play the G chord, place your 2nd finger on the third fret on the “low E” string. Place your 1st finger on the second fret on the “A” string. Last, place your 3rd finger on the third fret on the “B” string. That is a G chord. Play that to end the measure. Don’t forget the open notes.

Interlude

The interlude’s first measure begins with you playing an Am chord picked out. Begin by placing your 2nd finger on the “A” string on the second fret. Place your 3rd finger on the second fret on the “D” string. To play this correctly, what you will need to do is pick out
according to the tablature, and right after you have played the open note on the “B” string, simply use your 1st finger to hammer-on to the first fret on that string.  To end the first measure of this interlude, simply use your 1st finger and move to the third fret on the “B” string and play that once, along with the open note on the “high E” string.

The second measure to this interlude is completely identical to the first measure, just don’t go to the third fret on the “B” string. Instead, simply play the “G” string where your 3rd finger was and you got it!!!!

Riff Resources

Complete Transcription To “When I’m Gone” (PDF)

Complete Transcription To “When I’m Gone” (Power Tab)