Artist: U2
Track: Always
Album: Beautiful Day Single
Instrument: Bass Guitar

Tabbed by Greg McGuire 


Intro:

|———————————————————  (Bass drops out for a
|———————————————————— few beats after the
|——5—5—5—5——5—2—0—2——/ guitar joins in but 
|———————————————————/  comes back for vocals)

Verse:

("Here today and gone tomorrow...")

|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|——5—5—5—5—5—5——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——2—2—2—2—2—2—2———————————————————
|———————————————————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3——

|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|——5—5—5—5—5—5——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0———————————————————————————————————
|————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3——

Chorus

("What you have you don't need...")
|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|—0—0—0——2—2—2——5—5—5———————————————5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——
|—————————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3———————————————————————————————————

Ending

(..now and forever...for always...)
|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————
|————————————————————5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——
|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The order for the song is:

Intro x7
Verse x2
Chorus x3
Intro x1
Verse x2
Chorus x4
Verse x2 (double each note for this verse)
Chorus x6
Ending x3

—————

That's it! Hope you enjoyed this greatly under—rated U2 classic, an 
early version of "Beautiful Day" that eventually became the b—side of 
the hit.

For comments, criticisms etc. e—mail me at: [email protected]. 
Enjoy!

About U2

U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion).

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! 🎸

Forum

U2 — Always (ver 4) bass tabs