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Better man Guitar Tablature
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[more versions than you'll know what to do with]

From: [email protected] (NJ Smith)
Subject: TAB: Betterman by Pearl Jam

-------------------------------------------------------------------------


SONG:   BETTERMAN
ARTIST: Pearl Jam
TAB BY: Neil Smith ([email protected])

Main Riff:


                                            This note is played
                                          in the intro, but I'm
                                       not sure about the verse.
                                                             vvv
----------------------------------------------------------------
------3---0-----------3---0-----------4---0---------4---4-4--[4]
------2-----2---------2-----2---------3-----3-----3---3-----3---
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
2-------------0h2-------------0h4-------------0h4----[4]--------

                                                     ^^^ 
                              This note is not played in the
                              intro, but is present when Vedder
                              is singing the verses.

Bridge: (He opens the door ...)

F/A             G/B
----------------------0---------
6---------6-----8---------8-----
5-----5-----5---7-----7-----7---
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
5-----5-------X-7-----7-------X-

The second time (or on the live version) you may want to strum those
chords, thus:

F/A      G/B
-5--------7-
-6--------8-
-5--------7-
-7--------9-
-8-------10-
-5--------7-



Chorus: (If my chord names are wrong, sorry, I never did theory) :-(

(This part given double time so I can fit some lyrics in)

Dsus2                           A           G      (Gadd4 ???) 

0-------------------------------0-----------3-------3---3------- 
3-------------------------------2-----------0-------1---0------- 
2-------------------------------2-----------0-------0---0------- 
0-------------------------------2-----------0-------0---0------- 
0-------------------------------0-----------2-------2---2------- 
x-------------------------------x-----------3-------3---3------- 

      She lies and              says ..     love        with him
      Can't find     a          betterman        
      She dreams in         col our   she dreams        in red
      Can't find     a

Asus4   A                       Dsus2

0-------0-------                0---------------
3-------2-------                3---------------
2-------2-------                2---------------
2-------2-------                0---------------
0-------0-------                0 --------------
x-------x-------                x---------------

Betterman .... Can't find a     Betterman     Can't find a

Asus4   A                       G5

0-------0-------                3---------------
3-------2-------                3---------------
2-------2-------                0---------------
2-------2-------                0---------------
0-------0-------                x---------------
x-------x-------                3---------------

Betterman .... 
 


And everything else is just a repeat of those bits, I think.

Hope that's OK. Cheers ...

Neil.

LYRICS:

Waiting, watching the clock, it's 4 o'clock, it's got to stop
Tell him, take no more she practices her speech
As he opens the door, she rolls over
Pretends to sleep as he looks her over

She lies and says she's in love with him
Can't find a better man
She dreams in colour she dreams in red
Can't find a better man
Can't find a better man
Can't find a better man .. Ohh ..

Talking to herself there's no one else who needs to know
She tell herself, ohh ..
Memories, back when she was smooth and strong and waited for
The world to come along, swears she knew it now she swears he's gone

(Chorus)

She loved him, yeah. She don't want to leave this way
She feeds him, yeah. That's why she'll be back again

Can't find a better man ...


From: [email protected] (scott sebastian minder)

This is from the live Pearl Jam concert from Atlanta last weekend:

Better Man
Pearl Jam
Transcribed by Scott Minder


Verses:

-----------------------------------------------------
---3--0----------3--0-----5--2-------5-----5--2----5-
---2----2--------2----2---4----4--4-----4-------4----
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
-3---------0--3--------------------------------------

This is repeated during the verses.  The second half
is changed each time a bit.

Pre chorus:

F and G like:

1     3
1     3
2     4
3     5

Chorus:

Dsus2  A  G  repeated.   Last G is G5

That's pretty much the whole song.

Please e-mail with suggestions, corrections, comments:
[email protected]
.


From: Kevin Gardner 
Subject: /p/pearl_jam/betterman.tab

==========
Better Man
by Pearl Jam
from the Vitalogy cd
transcribed by kevin gardner
[email protected]

--------------------
----3---------3-----
--2---4-2---2---4-2-
--0---------0-------
--------------------
--------------------

------------------------
----5---------5---5-----
--4---6-4---4---4---6-4-
--0---------0-----------
------------------------
------------------------

--------------------
----3---------3-----
--2---4-2---2---4-2-
--0---------0-------
--------------------
--------------------

------------------------
----5---------5---5-----
--4---6-4---4---4---6-4-
--0---------0-----------
------------------------
------------------------

          -------- --------
          --6--8-- --6--8--
arpediate --5--7-- --5--7--
these     --0--0-- --0--0--
          -------- --------
          -------- --------



the chorus is as follows
                        D A G 4x
                        D A D A G


From: [email protected] (Johan Kristian Sveen)
Subject: Re: TAB: Pearl Jam "Better Man"


You can also play Betterman this way:
 ------------------------------------------
 ---3---0---0------3---0---------0---------
 ---2-----2--------2--------2--------------
 ------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------
 ---2--------------2-----------------------
 
 ------------------------------------------
 ---5---0------0---5---0----0--------------
 ---4-------4------4------4----------------
 ------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------
 ---4--------------4-----------------------

Pre Chorus:
     (Am)            (G)
 ------------------------------------------ 
 ---6-6---6-6-------8-8--8-8--------------- 
 ---5-5---5-5-------7-7--7-7--------------- 
 ------------------------------------------ 
 ------------------------------------------ 
 ---5-5---5-5-------7-7--7-7--------------- 

Chorus: D2 A G

Kristian

"Betterman" - Pearl Jam
From the album Vitalogy
Tab transcription by Mark van 't Zet ([email protected])



INTRO - Lower notes played on bass, top notes feedback

               3x
  ----------------|--------
  ----------------|--------
  ----------------|--------
  --10----9-7-----|-6------
  ----------------|--------
  --6-8-8-3-10-10-|-6-8-8--


PRE-VERSE 1 - Repeat twice 

  ----------------------------------------------0---0--------
  -----3--0-----------3--0--------5----0----------0---5---5-
  -----2----2---------2----2/4----4--4--------4---------4----
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --2--2---------0-2--2------0-4--4-------0-4----------------


VERSE 1  

  waiting, watching the clock it's four o clock it's got to  
  stop

  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----3--0-----------3--0--------5----0-----5----0----------
  -----2----2---------2----2/4----4--4-------4--4------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --2--2---------0-2--2------0-4--4-------4--4---------------

  tell him, take no more, she practices her speech as he
 
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----3--0-----------3--0--------5----0-----5----0----------
  -----2----2---------2----2/4----4--4-------4--4---4/-------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --2--2---------0-2--2------0-4--4-------4--4---------------

  opens the door, she rolls over just to sleep as he looks 
  her over
 
  -------------------0---------------------------------------
  -----6--6---6/8--8---8-86--6-----6/8----------------------
  --5--5--5-5-5/7--7---7-75--5--5--5/7---7------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --5-----------7--7-------5--5-------7---7------------------


CHORUS 1 - Organ enters (that's 'organ, the musical instrument')

  She lies and says she's in love with him
  Can't find a betterman 

  ----------2----------------3-----------2---------3---------
  --3---------3-----2----------0------3--3---------3-----0---
  --2----2------2---2--2--0------0--2-2--2--/6--4-----4--0---
  --0--0----------------------------0-0-----/7--5------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------

  She dreams in colour she dreams in red
  Can't find a 

  ---------0----2--------------------------0--2--------------
  ---------3----3--------------3--0---3----3--3--------------
  --2-----------2-----6-----4---------2----2--2--------------
  --0-----------------7-----5---------0--0-------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------

  betterman   can't find a betterman         can't find a

  --5---5-------5----------0---2---3---2-----0---------------
  --5---5---5---5-----5----3---3---3---3-----3--3------------
  --6---7---6---7--7-------2---2-------2-----2--2---x--------
  --7---7---7---7----------0---0-------0--0---------x--------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------

  betterman   oh

  ------------------------5----------------3-----------------
  ------5---5-------------5------------0---0-----------------
  --6---7-------7---6--6--7--7----0---0---0-----------------
  --7---7-------7---7--7--7--7----0---0---0-----------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  ---------------------------------3---3---3-----------------


PRE-VERSE 2 - play PRE-VERSE 1 with this as the first measure

  -----------------
  -----------------
  -----2--2-2------
  -----------------
  -----------------
  --2--2---------0-


VERSE 2

  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----3--0-----------3--0--------5----0-----5----0----------
  -----2----2---------2----2/4----4--4-------4--4------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --2--2---------0-2--2------0-4--4-------4--4---------------

  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----3--0-----------3--0--------5----0-----5----0----------
  -----2----2---------2----2/4----4--4-------4--4------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --2--2---------0-2--2------0-4--4-------4--4---------------

  (Bass & drums enter, repeat chords when necessary)

  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----3----------------5---------------------
  --4-4-4-4-4-4-4-----2----------------4---------------------
  --0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----0----------------0---------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --4-4-4-4-4-4-4-----2----------------5---------------------



  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --6---6-----6------8---8-----------6---6-------------------
  --5---5--5---------7---7--7--------5---5-------------------
  --0---0--0---------0---0----0------0---0-------------------
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  --6---6------------8---8-----------6---6-------------------


CHORUS 2 - With electrical guitar

From here on it's basically the same chords as 'chorus 1', but
with added fills. It's pretty pointless to tab all the little
bits :-)   
Enjoy this song.. 

Mark

Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 23:44:44 -0500 (CDT)
From: Denny 


: Here's my thinking on 'Betterman'-- I'm not exactly sure what you wanted
: here, so I tried to post most of the parts--Keep in mind, most of this is
: varied from time to time, so don't be afraid to experiment with
: improvisation.

: ------------------0----------0---0------0-------
: -3-0---0-3-0------0-0---0------0---0------------   Main Riff
: -2---2---2---2/4------4--------------4-(4)2----
: ------------------------------------------------
: ------------------------------------------------
: ------------------------------------------------

: ---0-------0---------------------7-----------------------
: -------5-----5-6---6-6---6-8---8---8----6---6-6---6-8----
: -4---4---4-----5-5-----5---7-7-------7--5-5-----5---7----  Pre-Chorus
: ---------------------------------------------------------
: ---------------------------------------------------------
: ---------------------------------------------------------
: This follows above lines
: -------2---------------------;------0-2------------5--5--------5--5-5-5-----
: -----3---3--------2------0---;----------3---------3----3------3---3-3-3-----
: ---2-------2--------2------0-;----2-------2------2------2----2----2-2-2-----
: -0-----------0---------------;--0---------------2-----------2-----2-2-2-----
: ----------------0------------;-----------------0-----------0------0-0-0-----
: -----------------------3-----;----------------------------------------------
: Repeat part before semicolons 3X
: After the semicolon:  This is a variation of the chord A.  Play it by
: barreing the strings at the second and then use your middle finger to
: fret the 3rd on the b string and your pincky to fret the 5th on the high
: E.  It takes a while to get used too, so don't expect it to be really
: easy at first.  I put the numbers here so close to try to get across the
: strumming effect used (usually represented by a squiggly line in
: manuals).  Just kinda strum this chord and then a D chord shown below:

: -2--2-2-2--------------------------------------
: -3--3-3-3---2------------------------3-0---0---
: -2--2-2-2---2-----(pause)---2---2-2--2---2-----  Back to intro
: -0--0-0-0---2----------------------------------
: ------------0----------------------------------
: ---------------3-------------------------------

: -2---4--5--7--5--7---   These are the order and shape of the chords
: -3---5--6--8--6--8---   when the song picks up.
: -2---4--5--7--5--7---
: -0---0--0--0--0--0---
: ---------------------
: -2---4--5--7--5--5---

: When the song kicks in, both acoustic and electric guitars play 
: simultaneously:

: -2--0--------3--3-------
: -3--3---2-2--3--3-------
: -2--2---2-2--0--0-------
: -0--0---2-2--0--0-------
: ------0-0-0--2--2-------
: -------------3--3-------


: Solo stuff:;
: ---------------------9---7---------------14-----14---14-14-14--------12-12-12-
: -----15----15--------10--8-------;--------------------------------------------
: -/14-14h16-14--------9---7-------;---/14----14--14---14-14-14----12--12-12-12-
: ---------------16---------------;--------------------------------------------
: ---------------------------------;--------------------------------------------
: ---------------------------------;--------------------------------------------


: -----10--10-10------------------------------------------
: ------------------------10---------------8-----8--------
: --11-----11-11-------9--9-h-11--9-----7--7-h-9-7--------
: --------------------------------------------------9----
: --------------------------------------------------------
: --------------------------------------------------------
: --------------------------------------------------------
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