Song: Change the World
Artist: Eric Clapton
Tabbed by: James Pucyk ([email protected])

This is one of my favorite Eric Clapton songs, well there are many of his songs that I
totally dig but this is a great song, musically, melodically and lyrically. This is a
great bassline as well and is suitable for any player from beginner to advanced.

Ok here is the low—down. The song starts off very melodic and tasteful and cuts loose to
form a bassline, which is funky, groovy and complicated, without detracting from the song
or losing its tasteful or melodic edge. This is a great example of a sorta more melodic—
based style of bassplaying, which remains versatile enough to be used simply or in a more
complicated rhythmic pattern such as funk. What also makes this bassline so great, aside
from what was stated above is the fact that this bassline is the main mover and shaker in
this song. Even though the rhythm section, other insturments and general intensity of the
song increases, the bass is the primary motivator; this song fully illustrates how
important the bass is in terms of controlling the drive of the band and the drive of a song.

Without further delay, here it is, I know you will have fun learning it; I had a lot of
fun tabbing it.

Enjoy

Intro Rest for 4 bars

Verse 1
G|———|————————————————————|———/9—|—————|
D|———|————————————————2———|——————|—————|
A|———|————————————2h4—————|——————|—————|
E|—0—|—(0)—(0)—(0)——————0—|—0————|—(0)—|
   W    Q   Q   Q.          W        W
G|——————————|———————————|————7/9—|———————|
D|——————5—7—|—(7)———————|————————|———————|
A|—0——7—————|—————————2—|————————|———————|
E|——————————|—————0—2———|—0——————|—(0)—4—|
   H.+         H.+        W         H. Q

Chorus 1
   Change...                       Something...   Change...        World..
G|—————————6—|———————————————|————————————————|———————————————————|———|—————|
D|———————6———|———————————————|————————————————|———————————————————|———|—————|
A|—————4—————|————————4——————|———————4—4—2——22|0——————————————————|———|—————|
E|—2—4———————|—2—22/4———0—020|—2—24———————————|———5—4—4—2—2222222—|—0—|—(0)—|
   Q Q Q E E                                              ^Lightly

Verse 2
G|—————————————————7/9—|———————————————————————————|————————————————7h9—7h9—|
D|—————————————————————|———————————————————————————|————————————————————————|
A|—————————————————————|—————————————————0h2/(4)/7—|————————————————————————|
E|—0—0—R—x00—0—0—R—————|—0—0—R—x00—0—0—R———————————|—0—0—R—x00—0—0—R————————|
   E E E 3/ E E E S S
G|——————————————————————|—————————————————————|——————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————|———————————————————7—|——————————————————————|
A|——————————————————————|—0—0—R—x00—0—0—0——7——|—0—0—R—x00—0—0—0——————|
E|—0—0—R—x00—0—0——0—2—3—|—————————————————5———|——————————————————530—|

G|——————————————————7h9—7—h9——|——————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————|——————————————————|
A|————————————————————————————|——————————————————|
E|—0—0—R—x00——0—0—0———————————|—0—0—00—4———44444—|

Chorus 2
   I can...                  I would be...       You would
G|—————————————————————————|———————————————————|————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————|——————————4/6—64———|————————————————————————|
A|———————2——4—————————2/4—|————————4———————64—|—————4——4—43—2—2/43/4—|
E|—0—24—2——2———0—23—4——————|—2——24—————————————|—2—22———————————————————|

   If I...Change...
   V      V
G|————————————————————|———————————————————————|———————————|
D|————————————————————|———————————————————————|———————————|
A|—0——0———————————————|—————————————0—————————|———————————|
E|—————3——4—4—2—0/5p0—|0—00—/5—320———3——4—2—0—|—(0)————022|

Guitar Solo
G|————————————————————|———————————————|——————————————|———————————————————|
D|————————————————————|———————————————|——————————————|———————————————————|
A|—————————————————5——|———————————————|———————5———5——|———————————————————|
E|—0———0—2—3——33——3—3—|—3——2——0———0/50|—0—2—3———03—3—|—3—2.2.0—4—4444444—|

Chorus 3                                            Somethin'...
G|——————————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————————|
D|———————————4/6—64—————|—————————————————|—————————————————————|
A|—————————4———————642——|———————4—————————|—————4h6—4—4—2—2h42——|
E|—2—22—44————————————4—|—2—24—4——0—0h2p0—|—2—4———————————————4—|
        Change...             Change...          Change..
G|—————————————————|—————————————————————|—————————————|—————————————————|
D|—————————————————|—————————————————————|—————————————|—————————————————|
A|—0—0————————0h2/4|—0—0/2/4————————0h2/4|—0—02————————|—————————————————|
E|————3—4—4—2——————|————————3—4—4—2——————|—————3—4—4—2—|—3———————————/14|

G|————————————————|————————|
D|—————————————2——|————————|
A|————————————————|————————|
E|—0——22—30———0—0—|—3—2——0—|
   1  2   3 4            ^—— Let last note fade into free time.

FIN

About Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo performer, as well as a member of rock bands the Yardbirds and Cream. He is the only person ever to be inducted three times. Often viewed by critics and fans alike as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time, Clapton was ranked fourth in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #53 on their list of the "Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

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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Eric Clapton — Change The World bass tabs