All Along The Watchtower

Written by Bob Dylan.

As Played by Dave Mattews Band at FloodZone, 
and recorded on 'Remember two Things.'

Transcribed at 10:48pm, October 4, 1997, by Cody Rahn

(Elaboration is Welcome)

=slide down from
/=slide up to
s=slide between
h=hammer
p=pulloff
*=harmonic (the placing is where the number is, not the star)

Here's Dave's version of Dylan's classic, All along the Watchtower.
This is my favorite version (yes, now it tops the Hendrix rendition for me), 
and the bassline is as straight—forward as can be. The harmonics
during the intro are a bit tricky, but not too hard at all.

Remember to keep as soft as you can in the intro, like you're playin an 
upright or something. It has to sound very bassy while still being a higher
note.


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|———————————————————————————————————|——————————————————————————*5———————|
D|—————————————————x—————————————————|——————————————————————————————*5———|
A|—————————————————x—————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|

     
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|———————————————————————————————————|——————————————*5—*5———————10s9s10——|
D|———*5——————————————————————————————|——————————————————————*5———————————|
A|*5—————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|———9———————9—————————9————9———————|——————————————10s9s10——————————————|
D|———————————————————9—————9—————————|——————————————————————————10s9s10——|
A|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|———————————————————————————*5——————|——————————————————*5——————*5———————|
D|——7————————————————————————————*5——|————————————————————*5——————*5—————|
A|———————————————————————————————————|—*5————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
    ^ 
     Hold the 7 till it fades out.

     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &      
G|——*5———————————————————————————————|
D|————*5—————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————|



Then, the bass waits until the second part of the verse, 'No reason to get
excited,' and hits with the drums and horn:


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &  
G|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————|———————————1———————————————————————|

      ...No  reason  to get exci_______ted



The bass does this whenever the drums and horn do.

The bass riff for the rest of the song is basically the same. I can't
possibly write all the little variations used, but the main one as I see it
goes like this. The drums come running in, and the bass comes in on count 1.

 
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &  
G|————————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————7———————————————7————————|——————————3———————3———3—3———3h5————|
E|———5———5—————————5—3———3———————5————|——1———1—————1——————————————————————|


This is repeated in the appropriate places for the rest of the song. There
is no bass during the guitar/horn solo, and the bass hits with the vocals 
during the section in brackets:

"out side in the cold distance, a wild cat did growl, "

That's about the only important variation on the riff worth mentioning.

Have fun! 

Cody


*****************************************
"Could I have been Anyone Other than Me?"

Dave Mattews
*****************************************

About Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. Founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, violinist Boyd Tinsley, drummer Carter Beauford, and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. In August 2008, LeRoi Moore died due to complications from an ATV accident. Grammy Award-winner Jeff Coffin, of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, has since filled Moore's spot as the band's saxophonist. Rashawn Ross and Tim Reynolds have also become full time touring members of the band. With musicians who each have roots in differing genres, including jazz, classical, soul, rock, bluegrass, and hip-hop, the band has come together to create an eclectic sound which has earned them fans from a variety of quarters.

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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Dave Matthews Band — All Along The Watchtower bass tabs