Battlestar Scralatchtica (Ver 2) Bass Tabs

Song: Battlestar Scralachtica
Artist: Incubus
Album: Make Yourself
Tabbed By: L.A.

Dirk Lance (The bassist in Incubus) uses a 5 string. I have a 4 string, and 
so do most bassists, so I've written this up in 4 string format. There are 
parts that would be easier to play on the 5th string, but if you don't mind 
going up the fretboard on your G string this is it. The first interlude, 
tho, is a little shaky and would be clearer on the 5th string. And I would 
include note lengths but I can't really figure them out. And some of the 
notes could be played as open notes (i.e. 5th frets) on the next higher 
string but intonations are off, so play it this way.

Endings are denoted by #
= means hold note

Riff 1    #1    #2 #3order: Riff 1 w/ endings #1,
G|————————————————————————|—————|—4/5——3—|—————————|         #2, #1, then #3
D|———5—————0h5—4——2—2p1—2—|—————|————————|—————————|
A|————————————————————————|—3—1—|————————|—2—1=3———|
E|—3———1—3————————————————|—————|————————|———————4—| (scratches start here)

First Interlude
G|—————0h2—3—5—6—7——8p7p6p5—3=——|
D|——————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————————5=|
E|—3=3——————————————————————————|

"He cuts the music with so much class..."
G|———————————————————————————————0—|————————————————————0—|—————————————————0—|
D|———————————————————————————3—3———|——————————————3—3—3———|———————————————3———|
A|———————————————————————3—5——5————|—————————————5———5————|————————1———55—————|
E|—33—1—33—666—33—111—33———————————|—33—111—1h3—3—————————|—33—11—3—33————————|

G|———————————————4/5—3=|
D|———————————3—5———————|
A|——————————————5——————|
E|—33—1—1—33———————————|

Second Interlude
G|—15—12——7—8—————12—12—12—12—9—5——4—2—4—2—0———1=|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————2———|
A|————————————7—7————————————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————————————————————————|

Riff 2 #1#2   #3#4
G|—————————————————————|————3—0—|——————3—0—|————————————————————|—7777—0—2p0———|
D|—————————————————————|—0——————|—0—0——————|9h12—9h13—9h14—9h15—|————————————2—|
A|———————1———3—2=/5—55—|2—2—————|2—2—2—————|————————————————————|——————————————|
E|—3—1—3———3———————————|————————|——————————|————————————————————|——————————————|
    order: Play riff 2 with endings #1, 2, 3, 1 again, 4, then 3 again

Third Interlude "Feel..."
G|————7—1—7———————————————————————————————————————0—1—3—4/5—|
D|—5=——————————————————————————————————————————1—3——————————|
A|——————————7——5—4—3—2—1——————————3—1—3—————1—3—————————————|
E|————————————————————————3p2p1p0———————1—0—————————————————|

Riff 3 (very similar to riff 2 except a little different rhythm)
 #1#2 #3
G|—12———|————————————————————|——————3—0—|————————————|————0—3—0—|
D|——————|*——————————————————*|—0—0——————|————————————|—0————————|
A|——————|*——————1——3—2/5—55—*|2—2—2—————|7p6—3p2p1p0—|2—2———————|
E|————1h|—3——1—3—3———————————|——————————|————————————|——————————|
 triplets
Riff 4 #1#2
G|———————————————|———————————h5———|———————————————————|
D|———————————————|——————22——4———4—|—4—3—2—1—0—————————|
A|———————1———3—2—|33—55———————————|———————————3—1—————|
E|—3—1—3———3—————|————————————————|———————————————3—1—|

Then repeat Riff 3 with ending 3 twice, then Riff 3 with this ending:
G|——7————7——|
D|—7—7——7—7—|
A|——————————|
E|——————————|
   triplets

Then play all of Riff 1, with the endings in the order earlier described. 
The very end of the song (after the clapping and "fantastic, fantastic") 
sounds like they're rewinding the tape, but I'm not quite sure. It's very 
hard to hear nonetheless, so I haven't tabbed it. If in fact you're in dire 
straits and utterly utterly need this very end part which I can't hear 
anyway, email me and I'll try to tab it for you. That's all. 
[email protected] or [email protected]

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! 🎸

Forum

Incubus — Battlestar Scralatchtica (ver 2) bass tabs