Tired of three lines tabs that only give the main riff ? Here's my own transcription of the version of U2's New Year's Day as featured on the "War" album.

As I'm currently learning a set of U2 songs for a cover project, I've been googling for existing tabs to ease learning how to play these songs.

However, many are extremely simplified and not really usable, even for very simple songs like New Year's Day, so after spending a few hours looking at minimal tabs not doing justice to the song, I thought I'd make my own and share it here.

So here it is: a complete, easy to follow (for me !) tab for New Year's Day. Of course, it's not the exact score of Adam Clayton's part, as is misses most interpretation addenda found on typical scores for classical music, but at least, I think it's reasonably complete.

Note that for U2, I normally play with my bass tuned down a semitone, so to use that tab you'll have to either detune too, or play all notes one fret lower. As there are no empty notes in N.Y.D., this souldn't be a problem anyway.

Comments welcome, of course !

U2 - New Year's Day
Album: War
Performed By: Adam Clayton
Bass transcription By: Frederic G. MARAND (fgm@riff.org)
Tuning: Standard down a semitone

This tab uses special notations:
. Every group of three positions lasts the same amount of time
. + = hold current note
. / = slide up to next note
. \ = slide down to next note
. h = hammer to next note
. p = pull-off to next note

Intro (2 * this line)
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|12-12----12-+--+--+--\--03-03----03-+--+--+--/--07-07----07-+--07 07----07-07----07-+--+--+--+--|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------07-------------------------|

G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|12-12----12-+--+--+--\--03-03----03-+--+--+--/--10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-10-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-10-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Verse * 5 (Instr, "All is quiet", "A world in white", "I want to", "Nothing changes")
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|12-12----12-+--12-12-10-03-03----03-+--03-03-05-07-07----07-+--07 07----07-07----07-+--07-07-10-|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------07-------------------------|

Verse * 1 (Instr)
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|12-12----12-+--12-12-10-03-03----03-+--03-03-05-07-07----07-+--07 07----07-07----07-+--07-07-07-|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------07-------------------------|


"I will be with"                                  "you again"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

"I will be with"                                  "you again"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-10-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Verse * 4 (1 instr, "Under a blood-red sky", "A crowd had gathered", "Arms entwined")
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|12-12----12-+--12-12-10-03-03----03-+--03-03-05-07-07----07-+--07 07----07-07----07-+--07-07-10-|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------07-------------------------|

Verse * 1 ("The newspaper says")
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|12-12----12-+--12-12-10-03-03----03-+--03-03-05-07-07----07-+--07 07----07-07----07-+--07-07-08-|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------07-------------------------|


"It's true, it's true"                            "And we can break through"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

"Though torn in two"                              "We can be one"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

"I, I will begin again"                           "I, I will begin again"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

"I, I will begin again"                           "I, I will begin again"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-10-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Verse * 2 (Instr, "Yeaoh")
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|12-12----12-+--12-12-10-03-03----03-+--03-03-05-07-07----07-+--07 07----07-07----07-+--07-07-10-|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------07-------------------------|


Play full intro again (2 * first line + next 3 lines)


Edge solo * 4
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|10h12----12-+--12-12-10-03-03----03-+--03-03-03-05h07----07-+--07 07-07-05h07----07-+--07-07-07-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Play intro again 2 * first line


"Oh,"                                             "Maybe the time is right"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

"Oooooh"                                          "Maybe tonight"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

"I will be with"                                  "you again"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

"I will be with"                                  "you again"
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-08-10-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Verse * 6 (Instr, "So we are told", "And gold", "Though I want", "Nothing changes", fade * 2)
G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------10----------------------02----------------------05----------------------05----------------|
A|12-12----12-+--12-12-10-03-03----03-+--03-03-05-07-07----07-+--07 07----07-07----07-+--07-07-10-|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------07-------------------------|

Tagged for bass tab new year's day .