Emperor - Cosmic Keys To My Creations And Times - Guitar Tab

In The Nightside Eclipse

1994 6:06

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About Cosmic Keys To My Creations And Times

Few tracks from the early Norwegian black metal scene layer guitars as densely as this one. Emperor built the signature sound of "Cosmic Keys To My Creations And Times" around heavily distorted rhythms dropped to Eb Standard, which gives the riffs a slightly thicker, darker weight than concert pitch would. Playing in E minor in that tuning means your open strings ring with a brooding quality that the song actively exploits, so let them breathe where the arrangement opens up. The tremolo-picked passages demand tight, even right-hand control at 120 BPM: keeping each note clean under that much gain is the real challenge. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop those tremolo sections slowed down until your pick attack is consistent, then gradually bring the speed back up. The rhythm guitar work sits beneath orchestral keyboard arrangements, so your tone needs to cut without muddying the overall texture. Keep gain high but tighten your picking hand to avoid unwanted string noise swamping the mix.

• The song is tuned to Eb Standard, dropping every string a half-step and giving the riffs a heavier, darker resonance that suits the E minor tonality well.
• Tremolo picking is the core right-hand technique required, and maintaining clean note separation under high-gain distortion at 120 BPM is the main difficulty.
• Rhythm guitar parts are arranged alongside thick keyboard layers, so precise muting and pick-attack control are essential to keep your guitar audible in the mix.