
Standard string tuning (G,D,A,E) recommended 

1. Nothing too difficult, just make sure you are stamping your 
foot two times per second and that you are counting from 1 to 4 
in time with your foot beat. So in other words, you play the next 
note each time you finish counting to 4.
|—————————————————0—————————————|
|—4———0———2———————————0—————————|
|—————————————4———————————2—————|
|—————————————————————————————3—| 

2. By now you should be able to count to 4 with a steady foot beat 
because you will need to play each note in time with your footbeat.
|—————————————————————————————————0—0—0—0—————————————————————————|
|—4—4—4—4—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————————————0—0—0—0—————————————————|
|—————————————————————————4—4—4—4—————————————————2—2—2—2—————————|
|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3—| 

3. This one is called a walking bass line. Remember to play each 
note in time with your foot, but I'd personally recommend that 
you take your time in being able to get used to playing the notes 
at your own pace so that you could either remember the notes, 
or be able to site read them. Good Luck.
|———————————2—————————————————————————2—————————2—4—————————————0—|
|—4—————4—0———4—0—2———————————————0—4———4—————2—————0—2———————0———|
|———0—4—————————————2—————4—————4—————————0—4———————————2———2—————|
|—————————————————————4—0———0—4———————————————————————————3———————|

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! 🎸

Comments

dedbonz

6 years, 11 months ago
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is this a 4/4 count? notes that hold four beats in a measure are whole note arnt they? your showing 32 notes in a measure so are they 32nd notes? That makes for some very fast playing for a beginner. I thought one note per beat were quarter notes and if you hit two notes per beat then they are 8th notes. So I'm confused with only one note for every count of four.

dedbonz

6 years, 11 months ago
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Doc_cj

5 years, 8 months ago
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Clearly the absence of a timing signature leaves one to wonder. Without such, we are left to guess. I'd recommend for a true beginner to see each measure at 4/4 time, but you will play the notes as 1/8 notes. Thus, there are 8 notes in the bar. This requires you to count a note in between a note, or simpler is to simply count each note as “one … and … two… and …three …and… four.” The first note is on the one, the second note on the 2, etc.

The second measure doubles the time to 1/16th notes, meaning 16 in a measure, and is counted similarly while allowing for time for each note. I generally brake it down to a faster pattern clall in each note as part of four. Thus, my count becomes “one … and … two… and …three …and… four” and I count it four times in a measure.

The third pattern is too fast for a true beginner. Break it down to four bars and you can do it, but you're cutting your time from 1/64 back to 4/4 with 1/8 notes like example 1. You can hear the riff that way, and then speed up as your timing a tonality improve.