The Tide Is High Bass Tabs - Blondie @ BigBassTabs.com

"The Tide Is High" by Blondie

Another ****original*** bass tab done by
Todd Cathey on '93 Modulus 4—string
questions & comments to [email protected]


Lots of rhythmic variations in this song that
give interest for seasoned bassists and a real
set of challenges for newer players. Especially
notice the change from intro to the chorus at
the very beginning; give that some practice time.



Intro bars: Get in the spirit of the song &
vary that A—string a bit. I'm giving the basic
riff but listen carefully for nice, simple
variations in a reggae feel:

Intro: 6 bars
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————4———————————4————————————————————————————||
A|——2————2——————2—2—2——————2———1—4——————————————||
E|—————————————————————0—4———2——————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————4———————————4————————————————————————————||
A|——2————2——————2—2—2——4—4——————————————————————||
E|—————————————————————————2—2——————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————4———————————4————————————————————————————||
A|——2————2——————2—2—2——————2———1—4——————————————||
E|—————————————————————0—4———2——————————————————||

G|———————4——————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————4———————————4—4——————4—4—————————————————||
A|——2———————————2—2—————4—4—————————————————————||
E|——————————————————————————————————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————4————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2————————2——————————2———1—4—————————————————||
E|—————————————4—2——0—4———2—————————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————4————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2————————2——————————2———1—4—————————————————||
E|—————————————4—2——0—4———2—————————————————————||


:36
Chorus:
  The tide is high...
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—————2——————————2———1—4————————————————————||
E|————4—2———4—2——0—4———2————————————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—————2——————————2———1—4————————————————————||
E|————4—2———4—2——0—4———2————————————————————————||


:46
Refrain:
  I'm not the kind of girl...
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|———1—4———1—4——2—————4—————————————————————————||
A|—2—————2——————————2———1—4—————————————————————||
E|————————————————4—————————————————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—————2——————————2———1—4————————————————————||
E|————4—2———4—2——0—4———2————————————————————————||


:56
Verse I:
  It's not the things you do...
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—2—2—2—2———2—2——————————2———1—4————————————||
E|——————————————————4—2——0—4———2————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—2—2—2—2———2—2——————————2———1—4————————————||
E|——————————————————4—2——0—4———2————————————————||


1:06
Refrain:
  I'm not the kind of girl...
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|———1—4———1—4——2—————4—————————————————————————||
A|—2—————2——————————2———1—4—————————————————————||
E|————————————————4—————————————————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—————2——————————2———1—4————————————————————||
E|————4—2———4—2——0—4———2————————————————————————||


1:16
Chorus + walkdown:
  The tide is high...

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—————2——————————2———1—4————————————————————||
E|————4—2———4—2——0—4———2————————————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——2—————2——————————2———1—4————————————————————||
E|————4—2———4—2——0—4———2————————————————————————||

G|——————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|———————————————4—2—1——————————————————————————||
A|—————————————————————4—2—1————————————————————||
E|—0————2————0———————————————4—2————————————————||


Continue song by repeating above in this order:

1:40 Verse II
1:50 Refrain
2:00 Chorus + walkdown
2:22 Intro: 4 bars
2:41 Verse III
2:52 Refrain
3:01 Chorus + walkdown (3 bars instead of 2)
3:30 Chorus out

Times are based upon my mp3 which should be
pretty much right on the money. Hope you enjoy
playing this tune as much as I enjoyed tabbing it!

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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Blondie — The Tide Is High bass tabs