Tabs
Sender: "KLeonard"
"On a Plain" by Nirvana
h = hammer on
p = pull off
This is undoubtedly the hardest song to figure out on the album and it's
still a pain in the arse when you know how to play it. This transcription is
taken from the Nevermind tablature book thing.
Intro (w/distortion)
B(b5)/D# (fdbk pitch 
D#D#)
----------------|---------------------------
----------------|----------------------h12--
--10------------|------------------h10------
---9------------|----------------h9---------
----------------|---------------------------
--11------------|--10h11p10h11-------------
play that second part three times and hammer-on all notes with the fretting
hand.
Verse
D MajorD 
G+G 
FF 
E5E5 
F5F5 E5E5
--2--------------------------------------------------
--3---3-------0----0---------------------------------
--2---2---0---0----0---2---2----2----------------0--
--0---0---0---0--------3---3----3----------------0--
--0--------------------4---3----3---2--2--3--2------
--------------3------------1----1---0--0--1--0------
it goes like this (dashes included to line up some syllables with notes):
D MajorD G+G FF E5E5 F5F5 E5E5
I'll start this off with-out an-y words...
then the "I love myself line...":
D MajorD 
C5C5 
B5B5 
A5A5
--2---------------------------------------------
--3---3-----------------------------------------
--2---2--0--5--5--5--5--4---4--0--2--2--2--0--
--0---0--0--5--5--5--5--4---4--0--2--2--2--0--
------------3--3--3--3--2---2-----0--0--0------
------------------------------------------------
D MajorD C5C5 B5B5 A5A5
I love myself better than you...
So the verse follows the first rythym figure twice, then the second figure
for the refrain, then back to the first figure for the "I know it's wrong..."
line.
D MajorD G+G FF E5E5 F5F5 E5E5
D MajorD G+G FF E5E5 F5F5 E5E5
D MajorD C5C5 B5B5 A5A5
D MajorD G+G FF E5E5 F5F5 E5E5
As the chorus starts, play this figure and repeat it for the chorus:
D5D5 
G5G5 Bb6sus2
--------------------------------------------------
--3---3-----3---3----------1--1--1--1--1--1------
--2---2-----0---0----------0--0--0--0--0--0--0---
--0---0--0--0---0--0----3--3--3--3--3--3--3--0--
---------0---------0--0h1--1--1--1--1--1--1------
------------3---3---------------------------------
D5D5 G5G5 Bb6sus2 D5D5 G5G5 Bb6sus2
I'm on a .... I can't co....
The bridge is the only easy part:
F5F5 (133xxx) E5E5 (022xxx) A5A5 (x022xx) G5G5 (355xxx)
- On a Plain, stage version -
Transcribed by Tom Perrine... [email protected]
If you like this, and want any other nirvana tunes
like this, i'll be happy to help, other than that...
Enjoy:
Drop D MajorD tuning.
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
---7-7-7--7-7-7-------------------------7-----------
---7-7-7--7-7-7--3-3-3------------------7-----------
---5-5-5--5-5-5--3-3-3---2---3----2--0--5-----------
----------5-5-5--3-3-3---2---3----2--0--------------
I'll start this off Without any words...
I got so high...Scratched till i bled
Please Note: spacing above may look funny, i just put the
chord in with the syllables (sp?) in the song.. listen to it
you'll see what i mean.
-----------------------x-x-x------------------------
-----------------------3-3-3------------------------
--7-7-7--5-5-5--4-4-4--2-2-2--7-7-7-----------------
--7-7-7--5-5-5--4-4-4--0-0-0--7-7-7--5-5--5--3--3---
--5-5-5--3-3-3--2-2-2--0-0-0--5-5-5--5-5--5--3--3---
-------------------------------------5-5--5--3--3---
Love myself Better than ....
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
-------------------7-7-7-7-7-7->>-10-10-10-10-10-10-
-------------------7-7-7-7-7-7->>-10-10-10-10-10-10-
--2--3----2---0----5-5-5-5-5-5->>-8--8--8--8--8--8--
--2--3----2---0----------5-5-5->>-8--8--8--8--8--8--
But what should i do
Bridge........................
------------------|-----------------------------------
------------------|-----------------------------------
-10--7-7-7-7-7-7--|-----------------------------------
-10--7-7-7-7-7-7--|-----------------------------------
-8---5-5-5-5-5-5--|-/17-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-2-----
-8---------5-5-5--|-----3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-2-2-----
I'm on a plain.. ....
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
--2-2-2-2----------------------------------------------
--0-0-0-0------5-5-5-5---------------------------------
---------------5-5-5-5---------------------------------
Before_____
More notes: during the bridge, you can pick out the notes
to make it sound more like unplugged, but this is the electric
distorted version like on Roma, or "Live Tonight sold out"
Remember this is the stage version, not album..
Have fun
- Tom
Other versions of On A Plain
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for On A Plain by Nirvana
