Joe's Garage
from Joe's Garage Act 1,
    and Strictly Commercial among others...
Tabbed by Marshall Ricks ([email protected])

This tab is basically the bass for the single version, but it's almost the 
same as the album version.  If you don't have Joe's Garage the album, I 
sugggest you buy it, it's one of FZ's best (as if there could be any 1 best 
Zappa album).

Opening

G———————————————————————————————————————————————
D—9—/7——————————————————————————————————————9—/7
A——————7——7—7——7—7——7—7———7——7—7——7—7——7—7——————
E———————————————————————7———————————————————————

"It wasn't very large..."

G————————————————————————
D——————6—7/9—7——7—9——————
A—7——7——————————————7/9—7   x4
E————————————————————————

"It was a Stratocaster..."
G———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D—7—7—7—7—7—7—11—99——7h9h10—10—10—10—10—7h9h10—10—10—10—10—7h9h10—10—10—10—10—10
A———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

All the verses are is a variation of this:
G———————————                      G———————————————————
D———————————                      D———————————————————
A—7——6——————          or          A—7—7——6—6——————————
E———————9——7                      E———————————9—9——7—7

This goes on for awhile, until it breaks for the go—go riff and the "guess 
you only get one chance" riff.

"Well the years is rolling..."
G——————————————————————————————
D——————————————————————————————
A—77777777777777777777777777777
E——————————————————————————————

Do that for awhile, then the white zone vocals, then it goes back to that.


This song follows the simple E A B chord pattern, so there you go, now you 
can do that, too.

About Frank Zappa

Frank Vincent Zappa (pronounced /?zæp?/; December 21, 1940 December 4, 1993) was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer, and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist.

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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Frank Zappa — Joes Garage bass tabs