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Nirvana — In His Hands (ver 2) bass tabs



============================
In His Hands AKA Token Eastern Song.
============================

* * * ATTENTION * * *

I recommend that before you go away and use this tab, load it into
either Notepad (in Windows) or Edit (in DOS) as this removes the
crappy Windows font from the text making it easier to read the tab as
all the symbols should be inline with the tab.

* * * OK? Read on! * * *

This song's proper name is probably Token Eastern Song but the
version I've got has noticably different lyrics to TES so I've
decided to go with its name from Outcesticide III

(In His Hands comes from the second line of the chorus fact fans)

The version of Token Eastern Song I've got from Outcesticide II has the same
music as In His Hands version but the lyrics are different. I think
it was recorded on one of the occasions when Kurt decided to sing in
his take—the—p*ss style.
(Similar to the Top Of The Pops version of Smells Like Teen Spirit.)
The lyrics on this occasion are VERY hard to distiguish so I'm
guessing that they are normally the same.

There have been several tabs of this track but the ones I've seen are
usually incomplete an inaccurate. (No disrespect to everyone out
there.)
It was possible to sort them but to make life easier to the
inexperienced out there, I've decided to collate all the tabs and
combine them with my own to get the most accurate tab possible. (I
think!)
Anyway, here is the bass tab:
(For the guitar tab, just stick on the good 'ole power chords)

X — ickkle finger wizardry
* — distortion
/ — slide up
— slide down

Guitar intro:
—————————————
w/ Distortion Clean
*—————————————————* | |
G —5—55——————————————————5—55—8888—3—333——————— |
D —5—55—6666—555—3—333———5—55—8888—3—333—5555—— |
A —3—33—6666—555—3—333———3—33—6666—1—111—5555—— |
E ——————4444—333—1—111———————————————————3333—— |
|— Intro
Bass joins in: |
—————————————— |
X |
A —3—33——————————————————3—33—6666—1—111———1——— |
E ——————4444—333—1—111———————————————————3———33 |
/
Verse:
——————
X
A —3—33——————————————————3—33—6666—1—111———1———— Play 4 times
E ——————4444—333—1—111———————————————————3———33—

Chorus:
———————
X X X X
A ——————6666—3—33—6666————————6666—3—33—6666———— Play 3 times
E —5—55——————————————————5—55———————————————————

Bridge:
———————

E —5—55555—3—33333

Verse:
——————
X
A —3—33——————————————————3—33—6666—1—111———1———— Play 4 times
E ——————4444—333—1—111———————————————————3———33—

Chorus:
———————
X X X X
A ——————6666—3—33—6666————————6666—3—33—6666———— Play 3 times
E —5—55——————————————————5—55———————————————————

Bridge:
———————

E —5—55555—3—33333

Bass solo:
——————————

A —3—33————————————————3—33—————————————— Play twice
E ——————4—44—33——1~1————————4—44—33——1~1—
|———————————————————|
Let these notes ring to
create 2nd note then play
again to get 3rd note

Verse:
——————
X
A —3—33——————————————————3—33—6666—1—111———1——— Play 4 times
E ——————4444—333—1—111———————————————————3———33

Chorus:
———————
X X X X
A ——————6666—3—33—6666————————6666—3—33—6666———— Play 3 times
E —5—55——————————————————5—55———————————————————

Bridge:
———————

E —5—55555—3—33333

end the song on an

A —3~~~~

Verse
—————

Wouldn't want to thankyou, even if her son
Being it felt so dated, even if the heart
Taking Medication, 'til the stomach's full
Wouldn't what to thankyou, coming in my home


Chorus
——————

Singing softly, it's in his hands

She is troubled {and don't understand — 1,3
{with that again — 2

I've seen the light and entered a new

{She is always hanging 'bout you — 1,2
{He is always love you too — 3

I'd rather be there, over the hill

Making a failure, love you too

Any corrections to the lyrics would be gratefully received.
ED

Tablature player for this song:
Nirvana - In His Hands (ver 2) Bass Tab

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! 🎸

Other versions of In His Hands

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