Halo Of Flies

Words and music by
From the album Killer (1971)
Transcribed by Jeff Gower (jgower@gator.net)

(note - this is an easy song to play but a bit difficult to explain in
terms of chords alone, without the use of standard musical notation or
tablature - I have divided the tune into parts (I,II,III,IV, etc.) to make
it easier to follow - or at least I hope easier to follow - please feel
free to email me with any questions)


I. Intro notes:
E-F-E-F, etc., throughout, soon superimposed with these notes:
G#-G-G#-G-G#-G-G#-G-B-A#-B-A#-B-A#-B-A#-D-D#-D-D#-D-D#-D-D#-
E-F-E-F-F-E-D-C- then enter bass notes:
(E-B-E-G#-B-C-A-B-C-A-B-C-B-C-D-C-D-E), over which are played guitar notes:
B......C.......C-B-A- E chord


II. Section in A minor:
Am,Am/E,Am - Am/E,Am,Am/E,Bm,Bm/E,Bm - Bm,F,F,F -
F,F/E,F,F/E,G,G/E,G#,G#/E,Am,Am/E,Am - Am/E,Am,Am/E,Bm,Bm/E,Bm - Bm,F,F,F -
F,F/E,F,F/E,G,G/E,G#,G#/E -

Am - E7 - Fmaj7 - B/A - E7/G# (play this sequence of 5 chords once alone,
then twice with the following notes superimposed: E,C,A - D,C,B - D,E,D,C -
E,F,E,D# - B,D,B,D#,B - repeat)

Am - Am,G#,G,F# - F - D - D,C#,C,B - Am - Am,G#,G,F# - F - D - A5 - F - D - A5


III. Section in D:
D chord throughout
(notes superimposed: D,C,A,C,B - G,B,A,G,A,A - G,G,A,B,C,D,E - F#,F#,G,E -
G,F#,E,F#,F# - C,D,E,D,A - G,A,B,C,D,E - G,F#,E,F#) continue this D chord
drone and superimposed notes along with the lyrics: "I've got the
answers....." and play these notes after "...secrets of soul": (notes:
G,F#,E,F# - E,D,C,D)
then keep up the D chord drone through the lyrics: "Daggers and contacts
and...." and play these chords after the lyrics: "...heels of my shoes": C
- G/B,C - D - C - G/B,C - E

IV. Second section in A minor:
play these chords over "The elegance of China.....": Am - Am,G#,G,F# - F -
D - D,C#,C,B - Am - Am,G#,G,F# - F - D - E play these chords tremelo over
"there was a middle asian lady...":
Am....(slide)...F....(slide).....D....(slide).....Am...(slide)...F....(slide
).....D - at "...flies!!", play this slide from D chord to E chord: D,E -
D,E - D,E

V. Power chord sequence in E:
E5 - F#5 - G5 - A5 - G5,D5 -
E5 - F#5 - G5 - A5 - B5,D5 -
E5 - F#5 - G5 - A5 - G5,D5 -
At "I crossed the ocean...", play these chords (muting the E5 chords): E5 -
C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 - E5 - C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 - E5 - C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 - E5
- C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 - E5 - C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 - E5 - C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 -
E5 - C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 - E5 - C5,D5 - E5 - G5,A5 - Em (with notes: E -
D#,E,D# - B - A,B,C,B,A - B - F,G,F - E - F,A,B,C,C#,D,D#) repeat twice,
then end with these power chords: E5 - F#5 - G5 - A5 - B5,D5 -
E5 - F#5 - G5 - A5 - G5,D5 -
E5 - F#5 - G5 - A5 - B5,D5 -
E5 - F#5 - G5 - A5 - G5,D5 -
E.......D/E - E - D/E - E - D/E.....E

VI. Bass, drum, and final sequence in Em: After several bars of the bass
drone and drum roll thing, play these notes: E,B,E - E,B,E - E,B,E - E,B,E
- and this continues with the following notes superimposed:
E - F#,G,A - G,F#,G - F#,E,F# - E,D,E - F#,G,A - G,F#,G - F#,E,F# E -
F#,G,A - G,F#,G - F#,E,F# - E,D,E -
E - F#,G,A - G,F#,G - F#,E,F# - E,D,E - F#,G,A - G,F#,G - F#,E,F# E -
F#,G,A - G,F#,G - F#,E,F# - E,D,E -
F#,G - A,Bb,C - Bb,A,Bb - A,G,A - G,F#,G - A,Bb,C - Bb,A,Bb - A,G,A - G -
A,Bb,C - Bb,A,Bb - A,G,A - G,F# - G - F - Eb - D - G - F - Eb - E
solo over these chords:
Em - D - C - D - Em - D - C - D - Em - D - C - D - Em - D - C - D -Em low
notes over the last Em chord above: E - F# - G - A - E - F# - G - A - E -
F# - G - A - then higher notes: E - F# - G - A - E - F# - G - A - E - F# -
G - A - B - C - D - D# - E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - D# - then chords: Em
- D - Em - D - Em - D - Em - D then four slides from high Em.........
then notes: E - F#,G,A - G,F#,B - A,G,C - B,A,D - C,B,E - D,C,F..slide to
high E Final chord: Em