Song Title: Heroes and Villains
Artist: Beach Boys
Written by: Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks
Transcribed by: Andrew Bee

Note: This song is another fine example of Brian Wilson's creative mind. 
Here is a rough idea of the bass work. It seems fairly simple, and probabley 
should be played on a 5—string bass, but here it is arranged on a 4—string.

VERSE(S)
g—————————————————————————————————————
d—————————————————————————————————————
a—————4———————4———————4———————4———————
e———————————4———————4———————4———————4—
      1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
"I've been in this.....

g—————————————————————————————————————
d—————————————————————————————————————
a—————4———————4———————4———————4———————
e———————————4———————4———————4———————4—
      1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     "taken...

g—————————————————————————————————————
d—————————————————————————————————————
a—————6———————6———————6———————6—————6—
e———————————6———————6———————6—————————
      1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
      long..."              "Fell in—

g—————————————————————————————————————
d—————6———————6———————6———————6———————
a———————————6———————6———————6———————6—
e—————————————————————————————————————
      1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     love...

g—————————————————————————————————————
d—————6———————6———————6———————6———————
a———————————6———————6———————6—————————
e———————————————————————————————————4—
      1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
     Spanish.....

g—————————————————————————————————————
d—————————————————————————————————————
a—————4———————4———————4———————4———————
e———————————4———————4———————4———————4—
      1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
      villains"..

Repeat this pattern again for Verse II: "Once at night...". End the second 
last bar simply on "a——4——".

CHORUS:
Note: Allow note to sustain over the whole 4 bars.

a————6———————————————————————————————————
e————————————————————————————————————————
     1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
    "Heroes and Villains.........done.

a————————————————————————————————————————
e————4———————————————————————————————————
     1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
    "Doo Do............ ba ba.....

a————6———————————————————————————————————
e————————————————————————————————————————
     1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
    "Heroes and Villains .........done.

a————————————————————————————————————————
e————4———————————————————————————————————
     1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
    "Doo Do Do......... ba ba.....

a————————————6———————————————————————————
e————6———————————————4———————————————————
     1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
     Do.............ah.."

VERSE III: Repeat Verse tab for "La La La...la", and "Shall be Peace in the 
Valley" section. After this the BASS drops out and there is the vocal 
exercise.

BRIDGE I: Doesn't sound like there's any bass, but try this anyhow — I like 
it. Tempo slows down, assume to half the speed of Verse.

d——————————————3————4————6————4————3———————
a————4————6—————————————————————————————6——
     1    2    3    4    1    2    3    4
"My Children.....rise................wealthy


d——————————————3————4————6————4————3—————————
a————4————6—————————————————————————————6—(hold note)
     1    2    3    4    1    2    3    4
    Wise.................(tempo starts to slow)

BRIDGE II: "I've been in this town". No Bass.

CHORUS: Repeat Chorus pattern, till fade out.

There you have it! I think it gives a basic idea of the song. Any problems, 
comments, corrections or suggestions, don't hesitate to e—mail me at— 
"[email protected]"

Andrew Bee.

About Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961, who gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance. Brian Wilson's growing creative ambitions later transformed them into a more artistically innovative group that earned critical praise and influenced many later musicians.

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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Beach Boys — Heroes And Villains bass tabs