
Black Sabbath
Hole In The Sky

Terrence "Geezer" Butler
Tuning: Standard: E A D G

                          Tablature Notation
~         Hold Note
b         Bend
r         Release Bend
h         Hammer—On
p         Pull—Off
S         Slap Note
P         Pop Note
/         Slide Up
\         Slide Down
*pb       Pre—Bend
Mute: * * Mute Notes Above Stars
^         Accent Note(Play Note Stronger)
+         Indicates The Beat Of The Song (For Timing)
b(#)      Bend String Until Note In (#) Is Reached
b(#)r     Bend String Until Note In (#) Is Reached Then Release To 
Original Note
x         Ghost—Note Play Note On String but has no recognizable pitch
———       Notes W/ More ———'s Indicate Longer Space Between Notes  
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Intro |0:08|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x4
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

|0:24|*
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|x4
A|—————————————7h9—7———————————————|
E|—0—0—5h7—5—0———————0—7h9—7———7\x—|
   +   +    +  +    +  +    +  +

*This Riff Can Also Be Played
 G|———————————————————————————————————————|
 D|———————————————————————————————————————|x4
 A|———————————————7b(9)—7—————————————————|
 E|—0—0—5b(7)—5—0—————————0—7b(9)—7———7\x—|
    +   +      +  +      +  +      +  +

Verse1 |0:41|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x4
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

Post—Verse |0:58|
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|x4
A|—————————————7h9—7———————————————|
E|—0—0—5h7—5—0———————0—7h9—7———7\x—|
   +   +    +  +    +  +    +  +

Verse2 |1:15|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x4
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

Chorus1 |1:31|
[Chorus Figure. 1|   [Chorus Figure. 2|   [Chorus Figure. 3|
   G|—————42——|        G|—————7—————|       G|——————————|
   D|———————4—|        D|—9—9———9\x—|       D|——————————|
   A|—2—2—————|        A|———————————|       A|——————————|
   E|—————————|        E|———————————|       E|—5—5—5—4~—|
      +   +               +   +                +     +

For Chorus Play:

[Chorus Figure. 1| x 2
[Chorus Figure. 2| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 1| x 3
[Chorus Figure. 2| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 1| x 3
[Chorus Figure. 2| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 1| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 3| x 1

Post—Chorus |1:49|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x4
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

Verse3 |2:05|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x4
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

Chorus2 |2:22|
*See Chorus1 |1:31|
[Chorus Figure. 1| x 2
[Chorus Figure. 2| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 1| x 3
[Chorus Figure. 2| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 1| x 3
[Chorus Figure. 2| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 1| x 1
[Chorus Figure. 3| x 1

Solo |2:39|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x8
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

Verse4 |3:12|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x4
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

Post—Verse|3:29|
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|x4
A|—————————————7h9—7———————————————|
E|—0—0—5h7—5—0———————0—7h9—7———7\x—|
   +   +    +  +    +  +    +  +

Outro |3:45|
G|———————————————————————————————|
D|—————424—————424—————424———————|x3
A|—————————————————————————0~——2~]
E|—2—2—————2—2—————2—2———————————| 
   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

Have Fun

About Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne (lead vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (electric bass), and Bill Ward (drums and percussion). The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of twenty-two musicians have at one time been members of Black Sabbath. Originally formed as a heavy blues-rock band named Earth, the band began incorporating occult- and horror-inspired lyrics with tuned-down guitars, changing their name to Black Sabbath and achieving multiple platinum records in the 1970s. Despite an association with occult and horror themes, Black Sabbath also composed songs dealing with social and political issues such as drugs and war.

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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Black Sabbath — Hole In The Sky (ver 2) bass tabs