Bass For Baginners! Bass Tabs - Bass Lessons @ BigBassTabs.com

First you need to be able to read tab and understand it. Tab is
short for tablature. Its easy once you get the hang of it. Heres
how standard tab is written:

G|————————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————————————————————|
E|————————————————————————————————————————|

Each line is a string on the bass neck.
The letters at the beginning of the line are just the notes of
the strings. Forget them for a moment and look at it like this:

Thinnest |——————————————————————————————————————|
2nd thinnest |——————————————————————————————————————|
2nd thickest |——————————————————————————————————————|
Thickest |——————————————————————————————————————|

So basically, when youre standing up with the bass round your
neck with the strap on, the thickest string (E) is at the top and
is usually the hardest to play. The thinnest string (G) is at
the bottom and is the easiest to play.
There is numbers written on the tab bar and these are the frets
you play. Bass is usually played on one string and is very rarely
played on more than one string. If there was a 0 on and line then
you play and open string. In other words you dont put your finger
down on any fret. Frets are those funny metal lines on the neck
of the bass.

G|—0———————————0———————————0————————————————————|
D|———0———————0———0———————0——————————————————————|
A|—————0———0———————0———0————————————————————————|
E|———————0———————————0——————————————————————————|

Practise that so you get the hang of playing the strings. With
bass you can use a plectrum (pick) of you can use your fingers.
Some people think it sounds better if you use your fingers but
thats just their opinion. If you dont want to use your fingers
then use a pick. Just see how fast you can play that, it might also
help build up speed because at first it will be really hard to
play fast.
If there were a 1 on a line then you would put whatever finger felt
more comfortable just in front of the first fret on the bass.
If you put you finger on the fret then a buzzing sound might be
made so youll need to be careful with that.

G|—1———————————1———————————1——————————————————————|
D|———1———————1———1———————1————————————————————————|
A|—————1———1———————1———1——————————————————————————|
E|———————1———————————1————————————————————————————|

It not just numbers that appear on these lines though. Xs can
appear on the lines. If you do find an X, then you rest your finger
on string so its muted. You dont press down on the string and
it doesnt matter where on the string you rest you finger. It
would appear like this

G|——X———————————X———————————X—————————————————|
D|————X———————X———X———————X———————————————————|
A|——————X———X———————X———X—————————————————————|
E|————————X———————————X———————————————————————|

Practise that and youll soon get the hang of muted notes.
Theres also hs and ps. The meant Hammer ons and Pull offs.
To do a hammer on, hold a finger of a fret and strike the note or
play an open string, and then without striking again, you put
a finger quickly on a fret. Its difficult at first but so is everything.
A pull off is where you put two fingers on different frets on the
same string, and you strike the first not, and the, again without
striking the second note, you pull your finger off, leaving
the second finger that was on the lower fret on, and it should
produce the same kind of sound as if youve just played that note.
Practise and youll get the hang of it.

G|—1h2—————————————————————1h2————————————————|
D|—————1h2—————————————1h2————————————————————|
A|—————————1h2—————1h2————————————————————————|
E|—————————————1h2————————————————————————————|

Try playing that and building up your speed the play this:

G|—2p1—————————————————————2p1——————————————————|
D|—————2p1—————————————2p1——————————————————————|
A|—————————2p1—————2p1——————————————————————————|
E|—————————————2p1——————————————————————————————|

Again practise, build up speed. It worked for me.
Theres also harmonics. Theres many different signs for this
though and everyone should tell you if they have used harmonics
and what symbol they have used. I usually use a star (*). To produce
a harmonic, place your finger over a fret and play (it works best
with the frets 7, 9, 12 and 19). It should produce a bell kind of
sound. If not then practise a bit more. Try playing these.

G|———————————7*——————————9*—————————————12*—————————————19*—|
D|————————7*——————————9*————————————12*—————————————19*—————|
A|—————7*——————————9*———————————12*—————————————19*—————————|
E|——7*——————————9*——————————12*—————————————19*—————————————|

Thats pretty much it. If you find any problems, of just want
to ask any more questions email me [email protected],
skater—[email protected] of leave a comment.
Luv yaz, Danielle xxx

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 — Bass For Baginners! bass tabs