U2 – New years day

As played during their Vertigo Tour.
Taken from their "Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago" DVD.

Famous riff;
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|—————9——————————|—————1——————————|—————4——————————|—————4——————————|
A|—B—B———B———B—B—\|—2—2———2———2—2—/|—6—6———6———6—6——|—6—6———6———6—6——|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

Intro; (B = 11th fret)
— Play Famous riff 2x, then once sligtly different; 
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|—————9——————————|—————1——————————|—————4——————————|—————4——————————|
A|—B—B———B———B—B—\|—2—2———2———2—2——|—6—6———6————————|—6—6———6———6—6——|
E|————————————————|————————————————|——————————————4—|————————————————|
— Play Famous riff 1x, then;
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|—————9——————————|—————1——————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—B—B———B———B—B—\|—2—2———2———2—2—/|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

Verse1 (All is quiet on New Year's Day); Play Famous riff 5x

Chorus1 (I will be with you again);
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

Pre—Verse2; Play Famous riff 1x

Verse2 (Under a blood red sky); Play Famous riff 4x

Pre—Chorus2 (Say it's true, it's true); Play as Chorus1

Chorus2 (I will be with you again); Play as Chorus1

Break; Play Intro 

During guitar solo; Play Famous riff 5x

Chorus3 (I will be with you again); Play as Chorus1

Chorus4/End (I will be with you again);
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9|—7———————7——————|—7———————7—————/|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|—B—B—B—B—B—B—B—B|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

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! 🎸

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U2 — New year's day (Vertigo Tour) bass tabs