Insignificance
Pearl Jam's  Binaural
Tabbed by Matt Marchain ([email protected])

Notes in brackets () are tones that the guitars make but that the bass does 
not play in the song.  You can play them.  Just for reference.

Run this through a flanger to get the full effect. 

   Intro                                   (4x) | 
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————|——————|
D|o—7——————7—4——————4—2——————2—————————————————o|——————|
A|o————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—o|——————|
E|——————————————————————————————————————————————|—5————|(let ring for full 
measure)

   Verse riff
G|———————————————————————————————————————————|
D|—————7—7——————————————————7—7——————————————|
A|——————————5—5—5—6—6h7——————————5—5—5——3—3——|
E|—5—5——————————————————5—5——————————————————|

   Bridge                                        (3x)|
G|————————|4]————————|4]———————————————————————————|————————————————|
D|o———————————————————————————————————————————————o|————————————————|
A|o—3—3—2——————3—3—2——————3—3—2—/—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—o|—8—8—8—8—8—8—8—8|
E|—————————————————————————————————————————————————|————————————————|

   G|———————|4]————————|4]——————————————————————————|
   D|———————————————————————————————————————————————|
   A|—3—3—2—————3—3—2——————3—3—2———8—8—8—8—8—8—8—8——|
   E|———————————————————————————————————————————————|

   Chorus
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|——7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—4—4—4—4—4—4—4—4—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—————————————————|
A|——————————————————————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
E|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

When Ed sings "Insignificance" just play Verse riff

After the quiet interlude the song picks up again.  During this play the 
Chorus.  At one point Jeff plays:
G|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————————————————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3|
E|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0————————————————|

That's it.

About Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), and Mike McCready (lead guitar). The band's current drummer is Matt Cameron, also of Soundgarden, who has been with the band since 1998.

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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Pearl Jam — Insignificance bass tabs