Pressure Bass Tab - Billy Joel

PRESSURE (Bassline)

As recorded by Billy Joel
(From the 1982 Album THE NYLON CURTAIN)

Words and Music by Billy Joel

Transcribed by Slowhand

Gtr I (D A D G) - 'Doug Stegmeyer - Bass (Dropped D-Tuning)'

 Intro
  Q=150
 4/4
  Gtr I (Dropped D-Tuning: DADG)
  W          E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q
G|----------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
D|----------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
A|----------|---------------|---------------|-5-5----5-5-----|
D|----------|-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5----|----------------|

  E E E E E E Q    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q
|----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
|----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
|-5-5---5-3---5--|---------------|---------------|-5-5----5-5----|
|----------------|-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5----|---------------|

  E E E E E E E E   E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E E E   E E Q  E E Q
|-----------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|
|-----------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|
|-5-5---5-3---5---|-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5---3-|-5-5----5-5----|
|-----------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|

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

                     1st, 3rd & 5th Verses
                  $
  E E E E E E E E     E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E E E   E E Q  E E Q
|-----------------||----------------|----------------|---------------|
|-----------------||o---------------|----------------|---------------|
|-5-5---0-5-5-5-0-||o---------------|----------------|-5-5----5-5----|
|-----------------||--5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5---5-|---------------|

  E E E E E E Q    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E E E   E E Q  E E Q
|----------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|
|----------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|
|-5-5---5-3---5--|---------------|----------------|-5-5----5-5----|
|----------------|-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5---5-|---------------|

                   2nd, 4th & 6th Verses
  E E E E E E Q     E E Q  E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|----------------||----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|----------------||----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-5-5---5-3---5--||----------------|-3-3-3-3-4-4-4-4-|-5-5---0-5-5---0-|
|----------------||-5-5----5-5---5-|-----------------|-----------------|

  E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-5-5---5-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5---5-|

  E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E Q  E   E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
|-7-7-7-7-4-4-4-4-|-5-5---5-3-3---3-|-1-1---1-1-1--1-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|

                    Chorus
  E E E E E E E E    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q
|-----------------||---------------|---------------|---------------|
|-----------------||---------------|---------------|---------------|
|---------4-4-4-4-||-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5----|
|-2-2---2---------||---------------|---------------|---------------|

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

                  1.
  E E Q  E E E E   E E E E E E Q
|----------------|------------------||
|----------------|-----------------o||
|-5-5----5-5---0-|-5-5---5-5---5\--o||
|----------------|------------------||

                    Bridge
  2.,D.S.
  E E E E E E E E    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q
|-----------------||-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----------------||-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-5-5---5-5-5-5-0-||-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----------------||-5--5--5--5--|-5--5--5--5--|-4--4--4--4--|

  Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-4--4--4--4--|-5--5--5--5--|-5--5--5--5--|-4--4--4--4--|

  Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-4--4--4--4--|-3--3--3--3--|-3--3--3--3--|-2--2--2--2--|

  Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-2--2--2--2--|-1--1--1--1--|-1--1--1--1--|-0--0--0--0--|

                Interlude
  Q  Q  Q  Q     E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q
|-------------||---------------|---------------|---------------|
|-------------||---------------|---------------|---------------|
|-------------||---------------|---------------|-5-5----5-5----|
|-0--0--0--0--||-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5----|---------------|

  E E E E E E Q    E E Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E Q
|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|----------------|---------------|---------------|
|-5-5---5-3---5--|---------------|---------------|
|----------------|-5-5----5-5----|-5-5----5-5----|

           To Coda     D.S. al Coda
  E E E E E E E E    E E E E E E Q
|------------------|------------------||
|------------------|------------------||
|-5-5---0-5-5---0--|-5-5---5-3---5----||
|------------------|------------------||

                7th Verse
  &
  H    E E Q     E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|-------------||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------------||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|------3---5--||-----------------|-3-3-3-3-4-4-4-4-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-0-|
|-------------||-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-----------------|-----------------|

  E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-5-5-5-5-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|

  E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----0-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------4-4-4-4-|-5-0---0-3-0-3-0-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-2-2-2-2---------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

                    Outro
  E E E E E E E E    E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|-----------------||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------4-4-4-4-||-5-5---5-5-5---5-|-5-5---5-5-5---5-|-5-5---5-5-5---5-|
|-2-2-2-2---------||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

  E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-5-5---5-5-0-3-0-|-5-5---5-5-5---5-|-5-5---5-5-5-0-0-|-5-5---5-5-5---5-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

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

  E E E E E E E E   E E E E E E E E   Q  Q  H
|-----------------|-----------------|------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|----5-------*|
|-0-0---0-0-0---0-|-0-0---0-0-0---0-|-0----------*|

Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for.  Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.  Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for.  Low
melody durations appear below the staff

Tablature Legend
----------------
 h   - hammer-on
 p   - pull-off
 b   - bend
 pb  - pre-bend
 r   - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
 /\  - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
 s   - legato slide
 S   - shift slide
  - natural harmonic
[n]  - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
 ~   - vibrato
 tr  - trill
 T   - tap
 TP  - trem. picking
 PM  - palm muting
\n/  - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
 \n  - tremolo bar down
 n/  - tremolo bar up
/n\  - tremolo bar inverted dip
 =   - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
 <>  - volume swell (louder/softer)
 x   - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
 o   - on rhythm slash represents single note slash

Misc Legend
-----------
 |  - bar
||  - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*|  - double bar (ending)
 :  - bar (freetime)
 $  - Segno
 &  - Coda
Tempo markers -  = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths

You have to learn to pace yourself
Pressure
You're just like everybody else
Pressure
You've only had to run so far
So good
But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
Pressure

You used to call me paranoid
Pressure
But even you can not avoid
Pressure
You turned the tap dance into your crusade
Now here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure

All grown up and no place to go
Psych 1, Psych 2
What do you know?
All your life is Channel 13
Sesame Street
What does it mean?
Pressure
Pressure

Don't ask for help
You're all alone
Pressure
You'll have to answer
To your own
Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are in the ninth
Two men out and three men on
Nowhere to look but inside
Where we all respond to
Pressure
Pressure

All your life is Time Magazine
I read it too
What does it mean?
Pressure

I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure
Pressure, pressure
One, two, three, four
Pressure

Bass Tabs
Title	Pressure
Artist	Billy Joel
Tablature Type	ASCII Tab
YouTube ID	Iyv905Q2omU

Interactive Bass Tab Guide

Interactive bass tabs provide a better experience than ASCII tabs. With playback, loop, print features and a responsive display that follows the screen of your device.

Use these buttons to control the digital tab player.

Symbol	Function
	Move cursor to the first bar
	Play interactive tabs
	Pause playback
	Loop
	Print the tab
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Page	Switch between page and horizontal view mode

How to Read Bass Tab: A Beginner's Guide

1. Understanding the Basics

a. Strings:

Bass tab consists of horizontal lines representing the strings of the bass guitar. The lowest-pitched string (usually the E string) is at the bottom, and the highest-pitched string (usually the G string) is at the top.

b. Numbers:

Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to play on a specific string. For example, if you see "3" on the E string, it means you should press down the third fret on the lowest string.

2. Reading Bass Tab Example

In this tab:

Play the note on the 1st fret of the E string.
Play the open E string.
Play the 3rd fret on the A string.
Play the 1st fret on the A string.

        G|-----------------|
        D|-----------------|
        A|---------3-------|
        E|---1-1---1---3---|

3. Playing Techniques

a. Hammer-ons and Pull-offs:

Hammer-ons are represented by an "h" (e.g., 5h7 means play the 5th fret and hammer onto the 7th fret). Pull-offs are represented by a "p" (e.g., 7p5 means play the 7th fret and pull off to the 5th fret).

b. Slides:

Slides are often indicated by an "/" or "\\" between two numbers (e.g., 5/7 means slide from the 5th fret to the 7th fret).

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