Brick Bass Tab
Written by Ben Folds
Performed on the Album "Whatever and Amen" By Ben Folds Five
(Guitar chords under the basslines)

The beginning of the verse, there's no bass. Eventually, he comes in
with his contrabass and plays a quiet little riff.

1st Verse:
D   Dsus2    G6sus2(x3)
Bm7   E7sus4   E7   Esus4

2nd verse:
G|——————————————————————|
D|—————————5lr——————————|
A|——5lr—————————————————|
E|——————————————————————|
Same as above chords.

It sounds best if you have a noise gate and crank it up all the way to
cut off most of the attack, so it sounds like the contrabass fading in.

The verse line comes in a bit after. It's easy, also.
G|——————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————————————————————|
A|—5———5———5———5——————————————————————|
E|————————————————————3———3———3———3———|
Same verse chords.

You may want to play the G (third fret on the E String) an ocatve higher

( fifth fret on the D String) , it's hard to tell what he's playing.

The prechorus goes like this.

G|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|——2—2—2—————————————2—2—2—————————————————5——5——5———————————————2—2—2———————————————————————————|
E|———————————3—3—3—————————————3—3—3————————————————————3——3——3—————————————0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——|

Bm7            G6sus   Bm7    G6sus         D            G6sus      
Bm7        E7

The chorus is just a simple G—A—D progression.

G|————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|——————————————————————————5—5—5—5—————————|
E|——3—3—3—3———5—5—5—5—————————————————————|
        G            A            Dmaj9

The bridge is fairly easy, as well.
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————————————————————————————————————————5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5———|
E|——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0——3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—————————————————————————|
         E7                        G6sus                    D
 

corrections, comments are welcome.
[email protected]

About Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five was an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprised Ben Folds (vocals, piano, and principal songwriting), Robert Sledge (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Darren Jessee (drums, backing vocals and co-writer for some songs). The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes. The band is best known for the hit single "Brick" from their 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen, which gained airplay on many mainstream radio stations.

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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Ben Folds Five — Brick bass tabs