  This song always gave me the goosebumps it is so good, the bass was a bit hard to figure out, but
I had to learn this song. 
Play with the song below to perfect timing, some chord changes are also provided.

 x = ghost note  ~ = let note ring   / = slide   * = Staccato 

 0:34—0:46
G |—————————————————————————————|
D |—————————————————————————————|
A |—————————————————————————————|
E |—x—0~———x—0~———x—0~———12\3~——|

0:53—1:08
    B        A          G        G                B        A              G                 D
G |———————————————————|—————————————————————————|———————————————————|——————————————————————————|
D |———————————————————|—————————————————————————|———————————————————|——————————————————————————|
A |———————————————————|———————————————————2—5———|———————————————————|—————————————————————2—5——|
E |—7——5—7*——5——3—5*——|—3——1—3*——3——1—3—5———————|—7——5—7*——5——3—5*——|—15\—3——1—3*——3——3—5——————|

1:08—1:22
   B         A          G        G                   D          A B
G |———————————————————|————————————————————————————|——————————————————|
D |———————————————————|————————————————————————————|——————————————————|
A |———————————————————|————————————————————————————|—5~————5~—————————|
E |—7——5—7*——5——3—5*——|—3——1—3*——3——3—5~——5—7~——7——|—————5——————5—7~——|
   
 1:23—1:55
        E
G |——————————————|
D |——————————————| X13
A |—10\—7——5—7*——|
E |——————————————|
                      G 
G |———————————————————————|
D |———————————————————————| 
A |—10\—7——5—7*——10\——————|
E |———————————————————3~——| 

 1:57—3:02
 The bass is insanely hard to hear in the chorus but Im pretty certain this is the chord 
 progression, as for the notes, this is the best I could do. 
 You can add in some slight variations with the Db, this would get way to messy if I tabbed every change. 
    A    B     Dbm
G |———————————————————————————————————|
D |—————————————————11—9——————————————| x15
A |——————————————————————12—11—9—7————|
E |—55—5—7~——7—9~—9————————————————9——|


    A    B     Dbm                    G
G |———————————————————————————————————————|
D |—————————————————11—9——————————————————| 
A |——————————————————————12—11—9—7————————|
E |—55—5—7~——7—9~—9————————————————9——3~——|

3:03—3:13
G |————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|————————————|
D |————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|————————————|
A |————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|—5~——5——————|
E |—12\——7——5—7*——5——3—5*——|—15\—3——1—3*——3——3—5~——5—7~——7——|———————5~———|
    
3:14—3:50
        E
G |——————————————|
D |——————————————| 
A |——7——5—7*—————|
E |——————————————|
        
G |——————————————|
D |——————————————| X10
A |—10\—7——5—7*——|
E |——————————————|
                      G 
G |————————————————————————————|
D |————————————————————————————| 
A |—10\—7——5—7*——10\———————————|
E |———————————————————3~———3~——|    

3:51—5:11
 Again, add in some slight variations with the Dbm chord.
    A    B     Dbm
G |———————————————————————————————————|
D |—————————————————11—9——————————————| x22
A |——————————————————————12—11—9—7————|
E |—55—5—7~——7—9~—9————————————————9——|

5:12—5:31 
    G      A
G |————————————|
D |————————————|
A |————————————|
E |——3~————5~——|

About Blue Oyster Cult

Blue Öyster Cult is an American rock band formed in New York in 1967 and still active in 2010. The group is especially well known for songs including "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Astronomy", "Godzilla", "Burnin' for You" and "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll." They have sold over 14 million albums worldwide, including 7 million in the US alone. BOC were also ranked #55 on VH1's The 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

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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Blue Oyster Cult — Perfect Water bass tabs