Song: Pow
Band: Beastie Boys
Album: Check Your Head, and In Sound from Way Out
Tabbed by Chris
[email protected]


Intro:
G————7h9——————————————————————————————————
D———————————9p7————————————————————————
A—7————————————10————6——7———————————
E————————————————————————————————————————————————

Main Riff:
G——————————————————————————7—8—9——
D————7—7———————————————7—9————————
A—7—7—7———4——5——6———7—7—7—————————
E—————————————————————————————————

Repeat the main riff 4 times and end with and A7

Pre Main Riff Ditty

G———9——————————9——————————9———————
D——————9——————————9———————————————
A——————————7——————————7———————————
E——————————————————————————————————

Then play main riff 2 more times and end with the same A 7.  
The bass stops for the drum solo then play:

G————7——————————

......"POW!"

Then go back to the main riff play it two 
times at the normal speed then play it once 
while you're slowing down then play:

G———————————————————————————————————
D—————7—7———————————————————————————
A——7—7—7———4—4—5—6—7—7————————5—————
E————————————————————————5——7———————

G—————————————————————————————————7h9—7h9—7————————
D————7—7————————————————————7—7——9—————————————————
A—7—7—7———4—4—5—6—7——————7—7—7—7———————————————————
E——————————————————————————————————————————————————

then you just play the main riff a few more times.  
MCA throws this one in a couple times too, then switches 
back right to the main one at the end, but it's so quiet you 
can barely hear the switch.  have fun with it, do a little 
improv.  

G————————————————————————————————7——
D—————————————————————————7h9———————
A———7———7———7———7———7———————————————
E———————————————————————————————————

I think this is fairly correct.  I've never seen a tab for 
this anywhere before, so it's better than nothing.  Please 
send corrections to [email protected].  Enjoy!

About Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip-hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz. Since around the time of the Hello Nasty album, the DJ for the group has been Michael "Mix Master Mike" Schwartz, who was first featured in the song "Three MCs and One DJ".

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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Beastie Boys — Pow bass tabs