Shake a tail feather/Blues Brothers


Album:The blues brothers, music from the soundtrack
Year:1980

Tabbed by:Bjorn Vije ([email protected])

Member of the Bass Tab Archive Tabbing Army 
http://www.basstabarchive.com


Comment:
A great song with a speedy main riff which is the most 
difficult part of the song.
Try to keep the notes well separated for the best effect.



Intro:

(organ only)

G |——————————|——————————|——————————|——————————|
D |——————————|——————————|——————————|——————————|
A |——————————|——————————|——————————|——————————|
E |——————————|——————————|——————————|——————————|

G |——————————|——————————|——————————|—————————————————|
D |——————————|——————————|——————————|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—|
A |——————————|——————————|——————————|—————————————————|
E |——————————|——————————|——————————|—————————————————|


Part A: 

The first part of the verse is the main riff. You can also
play the first part of the riff starting on the 10th position
of the E—string. 

G |—————————4———————|————————————9—————————|
D |—————4—7———7—4———|———————9 12———12—9————|
A |—5—5———————————7—|—10—10—————————————12—|
E |—————————————————|——————————————————————|

G |—————————4———————|————————————9—————————|
D |—————4—7———7—4———|———————9 12———12—9————|
A |—5—————————————7—|—10—10—————————————12—|
E |—————————————————|——————————————————————|

G |—————————4———————|————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————4—7———7—4———|—9—9————9——9———9|—————————————————|
A |—5—5———————————7—|————————————————|——7—7————7——7———7|
E |—————————————————|————————————————|—————————————————|


Part B: 

    (play 8 times)
G |——————————————————|
D |—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7——|
A |——————————————————|
E |——————————————————|

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



Part C:

G |—————————4———————|————————————9—————————|
D |—————4—7———7—4———|———————9 12———12—9————|
A |—5—5———————————7—|—10—10—————————————12—|
E |—————————————————|——————————————————————|

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

G |————————————9—————————|————————————9—————————|
D |———————9 12———12—9————|———————9 12———12—9————|
A |—10—10—————————————12—|—10—10—————————————12—|
E |——————————————————————|——————————————————————|

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

G |————————————9—————————|————————————9—————————|
D |———————9 12———12—9————|———————9 12———12—9————|
A |—10—10—————————————12—|—10—10—————————————12—|
E |——————————————————————|——————————————————————|

Part B: 
(play part B)


Part C:
(play part C)


Part D:

    (play 6 times)
G |——————————————————|
D |—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7——|
A |——————————————————|
E |——————————————————|

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

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


Ending:
(repeat and fade)

G |—————————4———————|————————————9—————————|
D |—————4—7———7—4———|———————9 12———12—9————|
A |—5—5———————————7—|—10—10—————————————12—|
E |—————————————————|——————————————————————|

About Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively in character as lead vocalist "Joliet" Jake Blues and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues, fronted the band, which was composed of well-known and respected musicians. The band made its debut as the musical guest on the April 22, 1978, episode of Saturday Night Live.

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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Blues Brothers — Shake A Tail Feather bass tabs