Skip to content
Plateau cover art

Plateau

Nirvana
TabTuningHalf-Step Down
4.5(78)

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

Intro

D#|--3-------6-------3-------6-------3-------6-------1----------------|
A#|-------------------------------------------------------------1-----|
F#|------------------------------------------------------0--------0---|
C#|------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0--------------------|
G#|----2-------5-------2-------5-------2-------5----------------------|
D#|--3-------6-------3-------6-------3-------6-------1-------1--------|

Play the above 3 times and then once more with the ending like this:

D#|-------------1------|
A#|--1-----------------|
F#|------0--------0----|
C#|--------------------|
G#|--------------------|
D#|--1-------1---------|

The verse is just like the intro except little variations in the fingerstyle

are thrown in:

D#|--3-------6-------3-------------    -3---------------1-----------------|
A#|--------------------------6-----    ---------6------------------1------|
F#|-------------------------------- or ---------------------0--------0----|
C#|------0-------0-------0-------0-    -----0-------0---------------------|
G#|----2-------5-------2-------5---    ---2-------5-----------------------|
D#|--3-------6-------3-------6-----    -3-------6-------1-------1---------|

Also, there is some variation in the ending of the main phrase (like the

intro). Listen to the CD if you want to get all these little quirks exactly.

End the verse with:

D#|--4---------------|
A#|------------4-----|
F#|------0-----------|
C#|------------------|
G#|----------3-------|
D#|--4---------------|

Chorus

D#|--3-------3-3-------------------------------------------------------------|
A#|--------3----------------3-------3-------------------------3--------------|
F#|----0--------------------3-------3-------------------------3--------------|
C#|----------------3-3------3-------3---------------3-------3-----3----------|
G#|---------------------1-------------------------------1-------------1------|
D#|--3---3----------------------1-------3---3--------------------------------|
D#|--------3-------------------------------3---------------------------------|
A#|------------3---------3-------3---3---------3---------3-------------------|
F#|------0---------------3-------3-------0---------------3-------------------|
C#|----0---------3-------3-------3-----0---------3-------3-------------------|
G#|------------------1-------------------------------1-----------------------|
D#|--3-----------------------1-------3-----------------------1---------------|

Outro

D#|--4---------------------4---------6----------------------6\---------------|
A#|------------4-------4-----------------------6-------6---------------------|
F#|----------------0-------------0-----------------0-------------------------|
C#|--------------0-------------------------------0---------------------------|
G#|----------3-------3-------3---------------5-------5-----------------------|
D#|--4-------------------4-----------6---------------------------------------|

Guitar 1

D#|----------------------------------------------------------------0---------|
A#|------2-------0-------3-------0-1-----2-------0-------0-------1-----------|
F#|----2-------2---2---2-------2-------2-------2---2---2-------2-------------|
C#|--2-------2-------0-------0-------2-------2-------3-------0---------------|
G#|--------0---------------3---------------0---------------3-----------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Guitar 2

D#|--------0-----------2---------0---------0---------------------0-----------|
A#|------2-----2---------2-------1-------2-----2-------1-0-------1-----------|
F#|----2---------2---------------0-----2---------2-----2-2-------0-----------|
C#|--2-------------2-0-------0-2-----2-------------2-3-------0-2-------------|
G#|------------------------3-------------------------------3-----------------|
D#|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Play this 4 times and end with an Asus2 chord. Asus2:x02200

Lyrics:

Verse

Many a hand has scaled the grand old face of the plateau.

Some belong to strangers, and some to folks you know.

Holy ghosts and talk show hosts are planted in the sand

to beautify the foothills, shake the many hands.

Chorus

Nothing on the top but a bucket and a mop and an illustrated book about birds.

You see a lot up there, but don't be scared.

Who needs action when you got words?

Verse

When you've finished with the mop then you can stop

and look at what you've done.

The plateau's clean, no dirt to be seen,

and the work, it was fun.

Chorus

Nothing on the top but a bucket and a mop and an illustrated book about birds.

You see a lot up there, but don't be scared.

Who needs action when you got words?

Verse

Many a hand began to scan around for the next plateau.

Some say it was Greenland and some say Mexico.

Others decided it was nowhere, except for where they stood.

Those were all just guesses, wouldn't help you if they could.

David Lowenfels

ellipsis@anc.ak.net

From: tmvtzet@cs.vu.nl (Zet van t TM)

"Plateau" - Nirvana with the Meat Puppets

From Nirvana's Unplugged

Tab transcription by Mark van 't Zet (tmvtzet@cs.vu.nl)

[INTRO] - Main riff

D#|--3-------6-------3-------6-------3-------6-------1-----|
A#|------------------------------------------------------1-|
F#|----------------------------------------------------0---|
C#|------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0---------|
G#|----2-------5-------2-------5-------2-------5-----------|
D#|--3-------6-------3-------6-------3-------6-------1-----|

This is played with the following (movable) shapes:

G 320x33

Bb 650x66

Fsus2 1xx011

Sometimes the riff is varied by playing the highest note

on string 2 (B) instead of string 1 (E). Takes a bit of

practising at first. Play it fingerstyle and use you thumb

to rake the E, A and D strings.

[VERSE] - w/ main riff

[PRE-CHORUS] - 2/4 time, chordshape is similar to main riff.

D#|--4---------|
A#|---------4--|
F#|-------0----|
C#|------------|
G#|------------|
D#|--4---------|

CHORUS

'Nothing on top but a bucket and a mop and an..

D#|--1/3--------------------------------------------------|
A#|--1/3------------------------3---------3---------------|
F#|-----------------------------3---------3---------------|
C#|------------5---x------------3---------3---------------|
G#|------------5---x-----1--------------------------------|
D#|---------3-------------------------1-------------------|

..illustrated book about birds'

D#|---------------3---------------------------------------|
A#|---------------3-----------------6---------------------|
F#|---------------------------------7---------------------|
C#|---------------------------------8---------------------|
G#|---5---------------------------------------------------|
D#|---3----------------------/6---------------------------|

etc.

PRE-OUTRO

D#|--4----------------4---6-----------------6-------------|
A#|---------4-------4------------6--------6---------------|
F#|-------------------------------------------------------|
C#|------0-------0------------0-------0-------------------|
G#|----3-------3------------5-------5---------------------|
D#|--4--------------------6-------------------------------|

OUTRO

* repeat from *

D#|------------------------------0-----|------------------|
A#|--------------0-------2---------1p0-|-----2------------|
F#|------2-----2---2---2-------2-------|---2--------------|
C#|----2-----2-------0-------0---------|-2----------------|
G#|--0-----0---------------3-----------|------------------|
D#|------------------------------------|------------------|

While the line above is played by a Meat Puppet, Krist plays:

D#|--------0-------------2-------0-----|
A#|------------2-----------3-----1-----|
F#|--------------2---------------------|
C#|----------------2-------------------|
G#|------------------------------------|
D#|------------------------------------|

************************************

| x Dead note

| p Pull-off

| / Slide up

| \ Slide down

************************************

Comments

Spotted a wrong chord, or know a capo position that sounds closer to the record?

Sign in to join the conversation.

No comments yet. If you play this one, say what works.