How To Use Delay Bass Tabs - Bass Lesson @ BigBassTabs.com

This tab illustrates the basic properties of delay pedals.
Although delay is not a common effect on bass,
it can actually be very cool in the right places.

# — regular note
(#) — note produced by delay pedal.

Many Delay Pedals vary from brand to brand, 
But most of them have these three knobs:

1) Effect Level(EL)
2) Feedback (FB)
3) Delay Time (DT)

*The knobs may have different names but they still will have these functions*

1) Effect level (El) dictates how loud the effect is vs. your dry signal.
  (the dry signal is whatever you are playing — not the effect)

If your (EL) is low, the delay will be subtle.
The more you turn up the (EL) the delay will become more and more present.
If you turn it up all the way, you will get only the delay signal.
(this sounds really cool with pedals that have reverse delay)

2) Feedback (FB) dictates how long the effect will repeat.

if you have the (FB) set low, you will get this:

G|————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
D|9——(9)—(9)——————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
A|7——(7)—(7)——————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
E|————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
 |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |

if you have the (FB) set high, you will get this:

G|————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
D|9——(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)——(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)—(9)——|
A|7——(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)——(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)—(7)——|
E|————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
 |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |

*It's generally not a good idea to set the (FB) all the way up*
*It will make the delay repeat forever and probably cause feedback*

3) Delay Time (DT) dictates how long the span of time is between each delayed note.
   this is how you dictate the tempo of your Delay. 

ex) 40 bpm vs. 220 bpm and and anything in between or outside.

*some delays have a tap tempo function which does the same thing*
(i actually prefer the tap tempo function — more control in my opinion)

you can also use (DT) to dictate if the delay is set to 1/2 notes, 1/4 note, etc.

here's what i mean:

 |whole note delay|                |1/2 note delay  |1/4 note delay  |
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
E|5———————————————(5)——————————————|5——————(5)——————|5——(5)—(5)—(5)——|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

 |1/8 note delay                  |1/16 note delay                 |
G|————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|
E|5——(5)—(5)—(5)—(5)—(5)—(5)—(5)——|5(5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)5)|
 |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |

I hope this tab has been helpful.
If anyone wwould like me to dive further into this subject,
please message me.
and please give me constructive criticism.

—Connor Larkin

How to Read Bass Tabs

Bass tablature (tabs) is an easy way to learn songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the symbols and techniques commonly found in tabs:

1. The Basics

Strings and Frets:
Each line in a tab represents a string on your bass:
- The top line is the highest-pitched string (G on a 4-string bass).
- The bottom line is the lowest-pitched string (E on a 4-string bass).
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to press. For example:
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------------------|
A|---3---------------|
E|-------------------|
            
```
This means you play the 3rd fret on the A string.

2. Common Techniques

Hammer-On (h):
Play the first note by picking it, then press down on a higher fret with another finger without picking again.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5h7---------|
            
```
Pull-Off (p):
Pluck a note and then "pull off" your finger to let a lower fret ring.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------7p5---------|
            
```
Slide (/ or \):
Move your finger up (/) or down (\) the fretboard while maintaining pressure.
```
G|-------------------|
D|-------5/7---------|
            
```

3. Advanced Techniques

Bend (b): Push the string up or down to raise the pitch. Example: G|-------7b9---------|
Vibrato (~): Shake the string slightly after playing a note to create a vibrating sound. Example: G|-------7~----------|
Muted Notes (x): Rest your finger lightly on the string without pressing a fret and pluck for a percussive "click" sound.

4. Rhythm and Timing

Tabs don’t always indicate timing, so listen to the song while reading the tab. Wider spaces between numbers mean longer pauses, while closer numbers indicate quicker notes.

5. Slap and Pop

Slap (s): Strike the string with the side of your thumb for a percussive sound.
Pop (p): Pull the string away from the fretboard and let it snap back.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tabs are a great tool to learn songs, but mastering the techniques takes practice. Listen carefully to the original track and play along to lock in the rhythm. Don’t rush — smooth, accurate playing is more important than speed. Happy jamming! 🎸

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Bass Lesson — How to use delay bass tabs