Soundgarden — Superunknown
Superunknown
Dropped D, dropped G tuning. Play this tab in full order, just follow it 
through. Most of this was transcribed by ear but a few notes were fixed up by 
looking at the Guitar magazine version. I hope it is easy to follow. Once you 
get it down pat you will appreciate how much fun it is to play. Now and then 
when jamming I substitute the fill in here and there to spice it up a little. 
Don't overdo it though!

First 4 bars no bass.
Verse riff a          x8            
G———————————————————————|
D*—————————————————————*|
G*————————10———10—10——*|
D——5——(5)/——————————————|
    
Verse riff b     Fill
G———————————————|——————————————————————————|
D———————————————|—————————————10—8h10p8————|
G———————————————|————————10—————————————0——|
D——5——3——3—3—4——|—5——(5)/——————————————————|

Verse b
(Verse a then Verse b) x5

Interlude
G————————————|———————————|————————————|
D————————————|———————————|————————————|
G————————————|—5——3——3—3—|—5——3——3—3——|
D——5——3——3—3—|———————————|————————————|

Verse b
Verse a

Pre—chorus
G—————————————————|—————————————————|————————————————3————————————————|
D—————————————————|—————————————————|————————————3—5———5—3———3————————|
G—————————————————|—————————————————|——————————————————————5———5—3————|
D——5——5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—53—3—3——3———————————————————5——|

G——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————————————————————|
D——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————————————————————|
G——————————————————|—————————————————|——————————————————5—4———4—4—4————|
D——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—53—3—3——3—0—(0)—————5———————5——|

G——————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|——————————————————|
D——————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|——————————————————|
G——————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|——————————————————|
D——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5——5—5—5—5—5—5—|—53—3—3——3—3—3—|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3——|

Verse a
Verse b
Verse a

Chorus                                             
G——————————————|———————————————|————————————|—————|
D——————————————|———————————————|————————————|—————|
G——————————————|—5——3——2—(2)—3—|————————————|—————|
D——5——3——3—3h5—|———————————————|—3——2—(2)—0—|—(0)—|

Main chorus riff                 x2 
G————————————————|—————————————————|
D*———————————————|————————————————*| Second time replace the last open D with 
G*———————————————|————————————————*| an F? (fret 3 on bottom D).
D——65——5——5—5—3—|—5—6—5—3——3—3—0——|

G——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|————————————|
D——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|————————————|
G——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|————————————|
D——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—0—|—3——2——0—|——3——2—2—0——|

Verse b
Verse a
Verse b
Verse a
Repeat (Verse a + Verse b sequence) 7 times. On the 5th time substitute the 
fill and after the last time play Verse a.

Main chorus riff x1

G——65—4h5p4—3———————|—————————————————|———4———3———————|——————————————————|
D——————————————5—3—0—|—3———————————————|—————5———5—3—0—|—3————————————————|
G————————————————————|———5—4—3—————3———|———————————————|———5—4—3—————3————|
D————————————————————|—————————5—3———5—|—5—————————————|—————————5—3———5——|

G——65—4h5p4—3———————|——————————————————|—————————————————|——————————————————|
D——————————————5—3—0—|—3————————————————|—————————————————|——————————————————|
G————————————————————|———5—4—3—————3————|—————————————————|——————————————————|
D————————————————————|—————————5—3———5——|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—0——|

G——————————|————————————|
D——————————|————————————|
G——————————|————————————|
D——3——2——0—|——3——2—2—0——|

4 Bars of bass silence then
Bridge             x12 
G————————————————————|
D*——————————————————*| On the 12th repeat gradually bend the 10th fret note on
G*————————10——(10)—*| the G string one whole step. It sounds good if you do it 
D———5—(5)/———————————| slightly out of time with the guitars.

Main chorus riff x6
Main chorus riff x6 on the high D

Ending
G——————————————————|———4————————————|—————————————————|—4—3—————————————|
D——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5———5—3——3—3—4—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—————5—3——3—3—4——|
G——————————————————|————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D——————————————————|————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|

G——————————————————|———4—————————————|—————————|——————————|—————————|
D——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5———5—3—3—3—3—0—|—3——2——0—|——————————|—3——2——0—|
G——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|——————————|—————————|
D——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|—3——2—2—0—|—————————|

G———————————|—————————|——————————|
D———————————|—3——2——0—|——————————|
G———————————|—————————|——————————|
D——3——2—2—0—|—————————|—3——2—2—0—|

Any comments/suggestions/corrections? Mail me.
—————————— 
Benjamin

"Control your life through insanity" — Cliff Burton
         
E—mail: [email protected]
URL: http://ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/~j6872839/westy.html
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

About Soundgarden

Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by lead singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band's permanent drummer in 1986 while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990.

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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Soundgarden — Superunknown bass tabs