Mixing It Up #2 Bass Tabs - Bass Lessons @ BigBassTabs.com


Alright, it seems my other tab did pretty
well so I'm going to do more of them. If
you've seen my other tab you'll know all
I'm doing is playing simple patterns and
then expanding on them.

Okay, here's the pattern we're going to
work on in this tab.

G|——————|
D|——————|
A|——————|
E|—9—11—|

Now play each note twice. Remember, that is
an eleven (11) and not a one (1).

G|————————————|
D|————————————|
A|—9—9—11—11——|
E|————————————|

This is the basic formula we're going to
use throughout. Play it then move up to
the A string and repeat the pattern.

G|—————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————|
A|———————————9—9—11—11—|
E|—9—9—11—11———————————|

Add a 12 on the end.

G|————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————|
A|———————————9—9—11—11—12—|
E|—9—9—11—11——————————————|

Now play the pattern backwards but play the
9 (A string) and 11 (E string) only once. Be
sure to stop on the 11th fret of the E string,
too.

G|——————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————9—9—11—11—12—12—11—11—9————|
E|—9—9—11—11—————————————————————————11—|

Now play this exact pattern on the A and D
strings.

G|——————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————9—9—11—11—12—12—11—11—9————|
A|—9—9—11—11—————————————————————————11—|
E|——————————————————————————————————————|

G|———————————9—9—11—11—12—12—11—11—9————|
D|—9—9—11—11—————————————————————————11—|
A|——————————————————————————————————————|
E|——————————————————————————————————————|

Now we create a small fill so you can play
this pattern over again. Since we started
with "9—11", we'll use the same basic pattern.

G|——————9—11——————————————————————————|
D|—9—11———————————9—11————————————————| 
A|———————————9—11———————————9—11—12~——|
E|—————————————————————9—11———————————|

Simple. Remember to bend that 12. For the
very last part, you're going to slide to the
7 and play some "9"s slowly. You can hold the
last note and then play the same pattern over
again.

G|—————————————————|
D|—————————————————|
A|—(12)/7———9——————|
E|——————————————9——|

Now the whole thing will be this:

G|——————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————9—9—11—11—12—12—11—11—9————|
E|—9—9—11—11—————————————————————————11—|

G|——————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————9—9—11—11—12—12—11—11—9————|
A|—9—9—11—11—————————————————————————11—|
E|——————————————————————————————————————|

G|———————————9—9—11—11—12—12—11—11—9————|
D|—9—9—11—11—————————————————————————11—|
A|——————————————————————————————————————|
E|——————————————————————————————————————|

G|——————9—11——————————————————————————|
D|—9—11———————————9—11————————————————|
A|———————————9—11———————————9—11—12~——|
E|—————————————————————9—11———————————|

G|—————————————————|
D|—————————————————|
A|—(12)/7———9——————|
E|——————————————9——|

I used this pattern on my "50s Rock" tab
so check it out if you're interested.

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 — Mixing It Up #2 bass tabs