9th's Bass Tabs - Bass Lessons @ BigBassTabs.com

This tab illustrates how to play diatonic 9ths.
we will use Ab as our example.

9ths are simply just 2nds up an octave.
(if you don't know what i'm talking about, check out my intervals tab)

example)
 
 |root    2nd     |root    9th     |
 |Ab      Bb      |Ab      Bb      |
G|————————————————|————————3———————|
D|————————————————|———————(8)——————|
A|————————————————|————————————————|
E|4———————6———————|4———————————————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

notice how the 2nd and the 9th are the same note.
the note in () is another place you can play the Bb.


Now we'll chart out each 9th for each note in Ab major:
(notes in Ab major: Ab,Bb,C,Db,Eb,F,G)

I will label the quality of the 9th above the tab.

 |1) major ninth  |2) major ninth  |3) minor ninth  |4) major ninth  |    
 |Ab      Bb      |Bb      C       |C       Db      |Dd      Eb      |
G|————————3———————|————————5———————|————————6———————|————————8———————|
D|———————(8)——————|———————(10)—————|———————(11)—————|———————(13)—————|
A|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
E|4———————————————|6———————————————|8———————————————|9———————————————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

 |5) major ninth  |6) major ninth  |7) minor ninth  |    
 |Eb      F       |F       G       |G       Ab      |
G|————————10——————|————————12——————|————————13——————||
D|———————(15)—————|———————(17)—————|———————(18)—————||
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 (9)  Bb (9)  |C (b9)  Db (9)  |Eb (9)  F (9)   |G (b9)  Ab (9)  |
G|3———————5———————|6———————8———————|10——————12——————|13——————15——————|
D(8)—————(10)—————(11)————(13)—————(15)————(17)—————(18)————(20)—————|
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 + |


All of the notes in () are just another place where you can play that note.
Ninths are great to use because they have a very open sound.
They do not establish if a chord is major or minor.
This means that you can use them on many different types of chords.
 
That being said, i'm talking about the ninths (9), not the flat ninths (b9)
Ninths (or major ninths) sound good as chords and/or arpeggios.
flat ninths (or minor ninths) are incredibly dissonant.
in my opinion, they sound horrible as chords.
they can work well as arpeggios to create riffs.
other than that, flat ninths are very inpracticle.

Ninths work very well when adding the 5th and the 3rd(10th) with it.
here's the guitar part to "every breath you take":

 |G major (9)     |                |E minor (9)     |                |
 |G D A D B A D A |G D A D B A D A |E B F#B G F#B F#|E B F#B G F#B F#|
 |1 5 9 5 3 9 5 9 |1 5 9 5 3 9 5 9 |1 5 9 5b3 9 5 9 |1 5 9 5b3 9 5 9 |
G|————————16——————|————————16——————|————————12——————|————————12——————|
D|————19————19——19|————19————19——19|————16————16——16|————16————16——16|
A|——17——17————17——|——17——17————17——|——14——14————14——|——14——14————14——|
E|15——————————————|15——————————————|12——————————————|12——————————————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

 |C major (9)     |D major (9)     |E minor (9)     |                |
 |C G D G E D G D |D A E A F#E A E |E B F#B G F#B F#|E B F#B G F#B F#|
 |1 5 9 5 3 9 5 9 |1 5 9 5 3 9 5 9 |1 5 9 5b3 9 5 9 |1 5 9 5b3 9 5 9 |
G|————————9———————|————————11——————|————————12——————|————————12——————|
D|————12————12——12|————14————14——14|————16————16——16|————16————16——16|
A|——10——10————10——|——12——12————12——|——14——14————14——|——14——14————14——|
E|8———————————————|10——————————————|12——————————————|12——————————————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

They also sound good as chords with the 5th in it like this:

G|11——————————————|11——————————————|
D|9———————————————|————————————————|
A|7———————————————|14——————————————|
E|————————————————|12——————————————|
 |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

(These chords are both E5(add9) they're just different ways to play them)

These are just two of the many great uses for ninths.
explore the possibilities!

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 — 9th's bass tabs