
Plain White T's — Bruises

h=Hammer On
p=Pull off
Notes are elevens, not ones.
Playing order is down the bottom.

Intro
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————11—9———————————99h11—|
E|—5—77—99—11—11————————5—77—99———————|

Verse
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————11—9———————————————————————|
E|—5—77—99——————11—9———5—77—99——7——5——|

G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|——————————————————————11—9——————————|
E|—5—77—99—0—3——5—77—99——————11—9—————|

Fill One
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|——————————————11—9——————————————————|
E|—5—77—9—77—99———————————————————————|

Fill Two
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————————————————|
E|—5—77—9h11——————————————————————————|

Chorus
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————————9—11———————————————————|
E|—11—11—11—11———————7777777——————————|x2

G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————————————————|
E|—11—11—11—11—11—99999—7—————————————|

Fill Three
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|————11—9————————————————————————————|
E|—99—————————————————————————————————|

Bridge
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————11—9————————————————|
E|—5555—7777—9999——————11—9———————————|

Guitar Solo
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|—11—11—11—999———————————————————————|
E|——————————————99999p7———————————————|

Fill Four
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————11—9———————————————————————|
E|—5—77—99——————11—9——————————————————|

Outro
G|————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————————————————|
E|—5—77—99————————————————————————————|

Playing Order:

Intro x1
Verse x1
Fill One x1
Verse x1
Fill Two x1
Chorus x1
Fill Three x 1
Verse x1
Fill Two x1
Chorus x2
Intro x1
Verse x1
Bridge x3
Guitar Solo x3
Verse x1
Fill Four x2
Fill Two x1
Chorus x2
Bridge x3
Outro x1

About Plain White Ts

The Alternative-Rock Punk-Pop outfit Plain White T's formed in Chicago, Illinois USA, in 1997 sometime between the summer and fall. Vocalist and guitarist Tom Higgenson and bass player Ken Fletcher had been in a band together and decided to move on and asked friend Dave Tirio to play drums for a power-Pop trio. Lead singer Tom Higgenson was originally fascinated with the drums, having served as the percussionist for various rock bands during high school. One such band was Harvey's Daughter, whose lineup also featured bass player Ken Fletcher. Although the group ultimately disbanded, the two remained friends and quickly launched an additional band, with Higgenson taking over lead duties as songwriter and singer. Drummer Dave Tirio subsequently joined the new lineup, bringing Plain White T's to fruition during the fall of 1997.

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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Plain White Ts — Bruises bass tabs