Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam - Breath guitar tab

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From: BRYAN.STEELE@ASU.Edu

Breath - as recorded by Pearl

Jam

Transcribed by Bryan Steele - bsteele@asu.edu - October 1, 1994

First of all, Breath is probably one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs because

of the guitar arrangment. It just jams. Get used to the basic E to D

pattern of the riff, then make use of your own talent to spiff it up and

play it like it sounds. This transcription is very basic to eleviate

confusion when reading -- it gives you the basic "where-to-go."

The song starts off by raking all the strings a couple of times and sliding

an E chord down the neck to the E an octave lower. You may not be able to

get the E to sound perfect; remember that Stone probably plays a full E chord

when Mike plays the open strings B and E.

E-|-0-0-0-----------0-ring-----------------------0----------------------------|

B-|-0-0-0-----------0--------------------------3------------------------------|

G-|-0-0-0---9--------------------------------2---------------------9----------|

D-|-0-0-0---9-------2----------------------0-----------------------9----------|

A-|-0-0-0---7slide--2------------0--2--3--------------5-----0-2-3--7-slide----|

E-|-----------------0--------4--------------------------4---------------------|

Here are the "Hendrix-Style" Octaves that Mike plays at the begining (and

end). Get the feel of sliding the octaves...don't just play them like

single notes.

E-|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------|

B-|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------|

G-|-13---11---13----13-13-13-14-|-14sl-13--14--14sl-13--14sl-16--13-----------|

D-|-----------------------------|------------------------------------14sl-----|

A-|-11---9----11----11-11-11-12-|-12sl-11--12--12sl-11--12sl-14--11-----------|

E-|-----------------------------|------------------------------------12sl-----|

E-|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|

B-|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|

G-|-13--13sl-11sl-13--11-------|----------------------------------------------|

D-|-----------------------12---|----------------------------------------------|

A-|-11--11sl-9-sl-11--9--------|---5----0--2--3-------------------------------|

E-|-----------------------10---|-----4----------------------------------------|

This is a pretty lame part of the tab. I figured that it would take tons

of

time to get all the natural harmonics and improvised notes that they play.

This just gives you 1 idea to base how to play the song during Eddie's

vocals. Remember that it is an E to D pattern and improvise. I have never

heard this song live (would like to), but I would bet Mike and Stone do a

lot

of their own stuff during this part.

E-|------------0-----------------5--------------------------------------------|

B-|---------0----ring--------3------ring--------------------------------------|

G-|----------------------2----------------------------------------------------|

D-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

A-|----2----------------------------------------------------------------------|

E-|----0----------------------------------------------------------------------|

These are the chords played during "Here it comes, There it goes, etc."

I give the octaves that Mike plays as a fill to this part. If you can get

the octaves at the beginning of the song, you'll be able to figure out this

fill.

E-|--------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|

B-|--------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|

G-|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|-6-6--8-8--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|--13----14------------|

D-|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|-6-6--8-8--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|----------------------|

A-|--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|-4-4--6-6--7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|--11----12------------|

E-|--------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|

Here it comes, There is goes

...

E-|----------------------------|----------------------------------e-----------|

B-|----------------------------|---------------------------------d------------|

G-|----------------------------|-----------------------------9--i-------------|

D-|--6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6---|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---9-l--------------|

A-|--6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6---|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---7s---------------|

E-|--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4---|---5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--------------------|

If I knew where it was, I would take you there

...

Take it from here... Teach it to a friend...

Send comments to bsteele@asu.edu!

Get this song at:  amazon.com sheetmusicplus.com

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