Always Bass Tab
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U2 ——> B side of BD single
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Tabbed by victor alcoceba.spain
e—mail [email protected]
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here is the cool oponing riff of this earlier version of BEAUTIFUL DAY
normal tuning

g|————————————————————————————————————————|
d|————————————————————————————————————————|
a|————17———17———17———17—17—15————15—17————|
e|————————————————————————————17——————————|

you also can play it at 5th fret, but it sound better at 17th
the riff appers again in the middle of the song after chorus #1


for the verse part it's almost the same as in 'with or without you' but faster:

g|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
d|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
a|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—|—————————————————|
e|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|

g|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
d|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
a|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|—————————————————|
e|—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|


for the chorus part it's the same as in BD:

g|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
d|—————————————————|———5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—————————————————|—————————————————|
a|—————————————5—5—|—5———————————————|—5—5—5—5—5—5—————|—————————————————|
e|—5—5—5—7—7—7—————|—————————————————|—————————————5—5—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|



for the interlude it's hard to hear what's the rhytym, i think it can be like this:

g|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————————————|—————————————————————————|    Repeat
d|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————————————|—————————————————————————|
a|—8—8—8—8—8—8—8—8—|—8—8—8—8—8—8—8—8—|—10—10—10—10—10—10—10—10—|—10—10—10—10—10—10—10—10—| 
     2x
e|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————————————|—————————————————————————|


g|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|   
d|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
a|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|     
e|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|



g|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|   
d|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
a|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—————————————————|—————————————————|     
e|—————————————————|—————————————————|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|


and then again with the chorus (note that the end of the interlude it's the same chord 
structure
as the end of the interlude of BD, another clue to think 'always' a earlier version of BD)

for the last ending:

g|—————————————————|—————————————————|
d|—————————————————|—————————————————|
a|—5—5—5—5—5—5—————|—————————————————|
e|—————————————5—5—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|

About U2

U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion).

How to Read Bass Tabs

Bass tablature (tabs) is an easy way to learn songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the symbols and techniques commonly found in tabs:

1. The Basics

Strings and Frets:
Each line in a tab represents a string on your bass:
- The top line is the highest-pitched string (G on a 4-string bass).
- The bottom line is the lowest-pitched string (E on a 4-string bass).
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to press. For example:
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|---3---------------|
E|-------------------|
            
```
This means you play the 3rd fret on the A string.

2. Common Techniques

Hammer-On (h):
Play the first note by picking it, then press down on a higher fret with another finger without picking again.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5h7---------|
            
```
Pull-Off (p):
Pluck a note and then "pull off" your finger to let a lower fret ring.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------7p5---------|
            
```
Slide (/ or \):
Move your finger up (/) or down (\) the fretboard while maintaining pressure.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5/7---------|
            
```

3. Advanced Techniques

Bend (b): Push the string up or down to raise the pitch. Example: G|-------7b9---------|
Vibrato (~): Shake the string slightly after playing a note to create a vibrating sound. Example: G|-------7~----------|
Muted Notes (x): Rest your finger lightly on the string without pressing a fret and pluck for a percussive "click" sound.

4. Rhythm and Timing

Tabs don’t always indicate timing, so listen to the song while reading the tab. Wider spaces between numbers mean longer pauses, while closer numbers indicate quicker notes.

5. Slap and Pop

Slap (s): Strike the string with the side of your thumb for a percussive sound.
Pop (p): Pull the string away from the fretboard and let it snap back.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tabs are a great tool to learn songs, but mastering the techniques takes practice. Listen carefully to the original track and play along to lock in the rhythm. Don’t rush — smooth, accurate playing is more important than speed. Happy jamming! 🎸

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U2 — Always (ver 3) bass tabs