Sunshine Of Your Love (Ver 5) Bass Tabs


Song: Sunshine Of Your Love
Album: Disraeli Gears
Artist: Cream
Year: 1967
Composed by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Pete Brown
Tabbed by Spencer

This is a very easy song, and Im transcribing it from a book so 
I know its right. Im also transcribing the fingering so sounds 
best. A lot of other tabs say you should play it on the higher frets, 
but that doesnt sound as good.

The song is composed of four main riffs.

Riff 1:

G—7—7—5—7———————————————————
D——————————7—6—5—————3b—————
A——————————————————5————5—5—
E———————————————————————————

Riff 2:

G———————————————————————————
D—5—5—3—5———————————————————
A——————————5—4—3—————1b—————
E——————————————————3————3—3—

A lot of tabs exclude that final note at the end of those two riffs, 
but if you listen carefully, its there. It also adds a nice flow 
to the song.

Riff 3:

G————————————
D————————————
A————————3———
E—5—5—5————3—

Riff 4:

G————————————————————————
D————————————————————————
A————————————————————————
E—5—55—55—55—55—55—55—55—

You get the hang of it, right? You can figure out on your own where 
each riff goes and how many times its played, but theyre all 
repeated throughout the entire song.

As an added bonus, Im going to show you how the song relates to 
the blues scale! The main riff is in the key of D, so Ill show you 
the D blues scale, and work the fingering so it more closely matches 
the song.

D Blues Scale:

G———————————5—7——7—5———————————
D———3—5—6—7——————————7—6—5—3———
A—5——————————————————————————5—
E——————————————————————————————

Look at the second half of the scale (the reversed part), and 
then look at the main riff again. See the similarities? The blues 
scale pops up in classic rock very often, so its a handy scale 
to know.

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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Cream — Sunshine Of Your Love (ver 5) bass tabs