Song: Holland, 1945
Artist: Neutral Milk Hotel
Album: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Tabber: Kyle Johnston
Tuning: E A D G

Note: I tried tabbing the timing as best I could, but listen to the song to get it yourself...

Intro/Verse Main ("The only girl I've ever loved"):
A |—3——3—3—3——3——3—3—3—————————————————————|
E |—————————————————————3——3—3—3——3——3—3—3—|

Variation 1 ("But then they buried her alive"):
A |—3——3—3—3——3——3—3—3————————————5——5—5—5—|
E |—————————————————————3——3—3—3———————————|

Variation 2 ("With just her sister at her side"):
A |—5——5—5—5—5—————————————5——5—5—5—5—3——3—3—3—3—|
E |————————————3——3—3—3—3————————————————————————|

Variation 3 ("All sing to say my dream has come"):
A |—5——5—5—5—5——3——3—3—3—3——3——3—3—3—3—————————————————————————|
E |—————————————————————————————————————3——3—3—3—3——3——3—3—3—3—|

Chorus ("But now we must pick up every piece"):
A |—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—————————————————————————————————|
E |—————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|

Chorus End ("Just to keep ourselves at least enough to carry on"):
Play Chorus, but add a bunch of D's (5 on A) at the end.

Last Verse ("And here's where your mother sleeps"):
A |———————2——3——3—3—3——————————————————————|
E |—3——5——————————————3——3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
A |———————2——3——3—3—3—————————————5——5—5—5—5—| ("And here is the room where your brother was born")
E |—3——5————————————————3——3—3—3—————————————|
A |———————2——3——3—3—3———————————————————————| ("Indentions in the sheets")
E |—3——5———————————————3——3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
A |———————2——3——3—3—3—————————————5——5—5—5—5—| ("Where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore")
E |—3——5————————————————3——3—3—3—————————————|

Last Variation 1 ("And it's so sad to see"):
A |—3——3—3—3————————————3——3—3—3———————————|
E |———————————3——3—3—3————————————3——3—3—3—|

Last Variation 2 ("That they'd rather see their faces fill with flies"):
A |—3——3—3—3————————————5——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|
E |———————————3——3—3—3—————————————————————|

Final Variation ("All when I'd want to see white roses in their eyes"):
A |———————2——3——3—3—3————————————5——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5———————————————————————|
E |—3——5———————————————3——3—3—3——————————————————————3——3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|

Intro/Verse x4
Variation 1 x1
Variation 2 x3
Variation 3 x1
Chorus x2
Chorus End x1
Intro/Verse x3
Variation 2 x4
Variation 3 x1
Chorus x2
Chorus End x1
Last Verse x1
Last Variation 1 x1
Last Variation 2 x1
Final Variation x1
Intro/Verse x3

About Neutral Milk Hotel

Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics, and eclectic instrumentation.

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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Neutral Milk Hotel — Holland, 1945 bass tabs