“Intergalactic March” is the second single from the FINAL BOSS album and one of the most popular and requested songs at my live shows. This piece is a true prepared-guitar feast - a full celebration of the prepared guitar concept.
To perform the song, you need to place a DVD or CD between the strings in a very specific way. This setup is explained carefully throughout the tablature and creates the characteristic rattle when the disc is struck. Because all the strings are muted by the preparation, the whole perception of the guitar changes completely.
At the same time, thanks to the unusual tuning, fingerstyle techniques, and my “Frankenstein Guitar” approach, including Schlagwerk add-ons like FrameBuzz as a snare, Krix as an open hi-hat, and SamJam as a hi-hat, the song still sounds huge and powerful without feeling limited.
The piece includes a lot of strumming, drumming and tapping, but no harmonics or picking, since the preparation mutes the strings completely.
Technically speaking, this is one of the easier songs on the album because you don’t have to be incredibly precise while playing. This is probably why I can allow myself to headbang so much during live performances without constantly looking at the fretboard.
This song works best when plugged in, because acoustically there can be a bit too much rattle from the preparation.
On top of that, I use specific pedal effects such as the Digitech Whammy Ricochet for real-time pitch shifting, as well as the EHX Mel9 to imitate the choir texture that appears throughout the piece and makes it sound even more epic.
Of course, the song can still be adapted for a more standard setup without the extra drums or pedals. There are also no detuning systems involved here.
Even acoustically, it can sound great if the rhythm is played with precision, and since it is a march, that rhythmic accuracy is especially important.
And of course, make sure to use a Star Wars DVD.
All drumming techniques, DVD positioning, fretting, tapping, and pedal effects are explained thoroughly throughout the tablature with detailed text notes. This is one of the most detailed tabs I’ve ever created.
The tablature is provided in Guitar Pro 7 and PDF formats, and the package also includes the album version of the track in WAV format.