10th's Bass Tabs - Bass Lessons @ BigBassTabs.com

This tab illustrates how to play diatonic 10ths.
we will use the key of Ab as our example.

10ths are simply just 3rds up an octave.
(if you don't know what i'm talking about, check out my intervals tab)

example)
 
 |root    3rd     |root    10th    |
 |Ab      C       |Ab      C       |
G|————————————————|————————5———————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|
A|————————3———————|————————————————|
E|4———————————————|4———————————————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

notice how the 3rd and the 10th are the same note.



Now we'll chart out each 10th for each note in Ab major:
(notes in Ab major: Ab,Bb,C,Db,Eb,F,G)

I will label the quality of the 10th above the tab.

 |1) major tenth  |2) minor tenth  |3) minor tenth  |4) major tenth  |    
 |Ab      C       |Bb      Db      |C       Eb      |Db      F       |
G|————————5———————|————————6———————|————————8———————|————————10——————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
E|4———————————————|6———————————————|8———————————————|9———————————————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

 |5) major tenth  |6) minor tenth  |7) minor tenth  |    
 |Eb      G       |F       Ab      |G       Bb      |
G|————————12——————|————————13——————|————————15——————||
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————||
A|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————||
E|11——————————————|13——————————————|15——————————————||
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

You can also play them as chords:

 |Ab maj  Bb min  |C min   Db maj  |Eb maj  F min   |G dim   Ab Maj  |
G|5———————6———————|8———————10——————|12——————13——————|15——————17——————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
E|4———————6———————|8———————9———————|11——————13——————|15——————16——————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |



10ths are alot of fun to play around with.
flea uses 10th's alot on some of the later albums.
here's a couple of examples:

"We Believe" (verse)

  |E minor         D major         |E minor         D major         |
G||12————12————————11——11——————————|12————12——————1211——11——————————||
D|o————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————o|
A|o————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————o|
E||12————12————————10——10——————————|12————12——————1210——10——————————||
  |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |

"Charlie" (chorus)

  | C minor        Bb major        |F major         Eb Major        |
G||————————8———————————————7———————|————————14——————————————13——————||
D|o————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————o|
A|o————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————o|
E||8———————————————6———6————————///|13——————————————11——11——————————||
  |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a |

These are just a few of the many instances where flea applies 10th's.
He's not the only bass player to do this.
many great bass players use this trick to embellish their bass lines.
I encourage you to come up with some of your own bass lines using 10th's.
have fun!

message me for any questions,
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 Lessons — 10th's bass tabs