If you’ve spent any time in the post-hardcore scene over the last decade, you know that opening riff. It’s frantic. It’s aggressive. It’s iconic. Honestly, looking up a match into water tab is a rite of passage for any guitarist who wants to prove they have the speed to keep up with Vic Fuentes and Tony Perry. But here’s the thing: most of the tabs you find online are either slightly off or don’t account for the weirdly specific way Pierce The Veil handles their tuning and phrasing.
It’s not just about hitting the notes. It’s about the chaos.
Released on the 2012 powerhouse album Collide with the Sky, "A Match Into Water" was written during a heavy time for the band, specifically regarding a friend’s battle with cancer. That emotional weight translates into a BPM that feels like a heart attack. If you’re trying to learn it, you aren't just looking for numbers on a screen; you're looking for a way to make your hands move that fast without cramping up by the second chorus.
The Technical Reality of the A Match Into Water Tab
First, let’s talk tuning. You can’t play this in E Standard. Well, you could, but it would sound thin and wrong. Pierce The Veil almost exclusively uses Drop B tuning for their heavier tracks. This means you’re taking your guitar down significantly: B-F#-B-E-G#-C#. If you are playing on a standard set of .009 gauge strings, your guitar is going to feel like spaghetti. To get the "A Match Into Water" sound, you really need a heavier set—think .011s or even .012s—to maintain the tension required for those rapid-fire alternate picking sections.
Most players mess up the intro. They try to legato their way through it.
Don't do that.
📖 Related: Alfonso Cuarón: Why the Harry Potter 3 Director Changed the Wizarding World Forever
The intro is a masterclass in alternate picking. When you look at a match into water tab, you’ll see a sequence of notes on the higher strings that jump back to the open low B string. It’s a pedal-point riff. If you aren't digging in with your pick, you lose the percussive "clack" that defines the song's energy. Tony Perry’s style is incredibly precise; he’s not just flailing. He’s hitting those accents on the beat while his left hand dances across the 7th, 8th, and 10th frets.
Why Your Timing Feels Off
You’re likely rushing. Everyone does. The song sits at roughly 172 BPM. That is fast, but the "swing" of the song is what catches people off guard. It’s got that classic San Diego post-hardcore groove. It’s bouncy. If you play it like a metronome-perfect robot, it sounds like a MIDI file. You have to "feel" the push and pull of the drums—Lindsay Martin (who tracked the drums for the record) or Mike Fuentes’ live energy.
Decoding the Verse Chords
The verses move away from the frantic picking and into these lush, slightly dissonant shapes. This is where the a match into water tab gets tricky for beginners. PTV uses a lot of "octave" shapes and add9 chords that give the music a more melodic, "emo" feel compared to standard metalcore.
- The transition from the "I kissed the scars on her wrist" line requires a quick jump.
- The chords aren't just power chords; there’s often a finger trailing off to catch a natural harmonic or a ringing open string.
- Pay attention to the palm muting. It’s light. Too much pressure and the notes go sharp because of the low tuning.
The Bridge and the "Pre-Breakdown" Chaos
When the song hits the "I deserve for you to check my pulse" section, the tab usually simplifies things too much. There is a specific layering of guitars here. One guitar is holding down the low-end chugs, while the other is doing a high-register lead that sounds almost like it’s weeping.
If you’re learning this alone, you have to choose which part to prioritize. Most people go for the lead because it’s more "lead singer" energy, but the rhythm part is what actually drives the song. The rhythm part uses a rhythmic pattern that’s common in 2010s "core" music—lots of syncopation and "zero-zero-zero" chugging on that low B string, but with a specific gallop.
👉 See also: Why the Cast of Hold Your Breath 2024 Makes This Dust Bowl Horror Actually Work
Common Mistakes Found in Online Tabs
Honestly, a lot of the free tabs you find on sites like Ultimate Guitar or Songsterr get the fingering wrong for the solo. They’ll put the notes on the G string when they should be on the B string. Why does this matter? Tone. A note played on the 12th fret of the G string sounds vastly different from the same note played on the 8th fret of the B string. It’s thicker. It has more sustain.
- Ignoring the Slides: Vic and Tony use slides to transition between positions. If you just "hop" your hand, it sounds choppy.
- Over-Gaining: You think you need the gain at 10. You don't. You need it at about 6 or 7. Too much distortion hides the articulation of the notes, and "A Match Into Water" is all about articulation.
- Neglecting the Pinky: You’re going to need your pinky for those reachy chords in the chorus. If you’ve been avoiding using it, this song will be your wake-up call.
The Solo: A Test of Endurance
The solo isn't the most technical thing in the world compared to, say, Polyphia, but in the context of a high-energy punk song, it’s a marathon. It’s melodic. It follows the vocal melody in spirit but adds these little flourishes of speed.
When reading the a match into water tab for the solo, look for the tremolo picking sections. You need a stiff pick. If you’re using a thin "medium" pick, it’s going to flopping around like a fish. Use a 1.0mm or 1.14mm (like the Dunlop Jazz III or Tortex Sharp). This gives you the leverage to strike the string and get back into position instantly.
The solo relies heavily on the "Major/Minor" ambiguity that Pierce The Veil loves. It feels sad but triumphant. To get this right, you have to nail the vibrato. Don't just shake the string wildly. Make it wide and slow at the end of the phrases. That’s the "theatrical" element of their sound.
How to Practice This Without Quitting
Look, you aren't going to nail this at 100% speed today. Or tomorrow.
✨ Don't miss: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
Start at 50% speed. I’m serious. Use a metronome or a YouTube "slow down" feature. If you can’t play the intro perfectly at 90 BPM, you have no business trying it at 172. Your muscles need to map out the distance between those jumps.
The most difficult part is the "jump" from the low B string back up to the D and G strings (or their equivalents in Drop B). This requires a "floating" picking hand. If you anchor your pinky too hard on the guitar body, you’re creating a pivot point that limits your range. Try to keep your picking hand loose and moving from the wrist, not the elbow.
Gear Considerations for the PTV Sound
If you want your a match into water tab practice to actually sound like the record, you need to think about your signal chain.
- Pickups: High-output humbuckers are a must. Active pickups like EMGs work, but Vic often uses guitars with passive pickups that have a bit more "character" and mid-range bite.
- The Amp: You’re looking for a British-style high gain or a modern American "chug" sound. A Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier or an Orange Rockerverb is the vibe. If you’re using plugins, look for anything modeled after a Peavey 5150.
- Post-Processing: On the record, the guitars are quad-tracked. That means they recorded the same part four times and layered them. This is why it sounds so massive. When you play at home, it will sound "thinner." Don't compensate by turning up the bass; that just makes it muddy. Turn up the Mids.
Actionable Steps for Mastering the Song
Don't just stare at the tab and hope for the best. Follow this progression:
- Check Your Tuning First: Seriously, if you are in Drop D or Drop C, the intervals will work, but you won't be able to play along with the track. Tune to Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#).
- Isolate the Intro: Spend 15 minutes just on the first 4 bars. This is the hardest part of the song. Once you get the muscle memory for the intro, the rest of the song feels "slower" by comparison.
- Master the "Chug" Pattern: The chorus has a specific "rest" on the upbeat. Practice muting the strings with both your left and right hands to get those crisp silences. Silence is just as important as the notes in this track.
- Slow Down the Solo: Use a tool like Transcribe! or even just the 0.5x speed setting on a video. Watch live footage of Tony Perry. Look at his hand positioning. Is he using his middle finger or ring finger for that stretch? (Usually his ring).
- Record Yourself: This is the "painful" part. Record yourself playing along to a click track. Listen back. You’ll hear where you’re dragging or where your notes are buzzing. It’s the fastest way to improve.
Learning "A Match Into Water" is less about being a "shredder" and more about being an athlete. It’s a high-cardio guitar song. Keep your pick strokes short, your mind focused on the rhythm, and don't be afraid to fail at it for a few weeks before it finally clicks. Once you have it, it’s one of the most satisfying songs to play at a loud volume. Keep at it.