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!