Start Bass Tabs - Jam @ BigBassTabs.com

Artist:—THE JAM
Title:—START!
Tab by:—Loz
e—mail:—[email protected]
Member of the Bass Tab Archive Tabbing Army
—www.basstabarchive.com

This is my first Tab, so bear with me. I'm not sure which
album this song appears on, but it should be on all the
best of compilations. The song is in 4/4 time, and the
plus signs (+), above the tab correspond roughly with the
beats.

PART 1
   + +   +   +   + +   +   +   + +   +   +   + +   +   +
G|—————————————|—————————————|———7—————5—7—|———7—————5—7—|
D|———5—————3—5—|———5—————3—5—|—————5h7—————|—————5h7—————|
A|—————3h5—————|—————3h5—————|—5———————————|—5———————————|
E|—3———————————|—3———————————|—————————————|—————————————|


PART 2
   + +   +  +    +  +    +  +     + +   +  +    + +   +  +
G|—————————————|————————————————|—————————————|———7—————5—7—|
D|———9—————7—9—|———10——————8—10—|———9—————7—9—|—————5h7—————|
A|—————7h9—————|——————8h10——————|—————7h9—————|—5———————————|
E|—7———————————|—8——————————————|—7———————————|—————————————|

                            + +   +   +     + +   +   +
                         G|———9—————7—7h9—|———9—————7—9—|
Repeat first 3 bars of   D|—————7h9———————|—————7h9—————|
PART 2, and then play:—  A|—7—————————————|—7———————————|
                         E|———————————————|—————————————|

BRIDGE
     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
G|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D|—————————————————|—————————————5—7—|—————————————————|
A|—————————————4—4—|—5—5—7—7—8—8—————|—————————————4—4—|
E|—5—5—7—7—8—8—————|—————————————————|—5—5—7—7—8—8—————|

     +   +   +   +
G|—————————————————|
D|—————————————————|
A|—5—5—3—3—2—2—0—0—|
E|—————————————————|

Now repeat the whole lot (eg PARTS 1&2 and BRIDGE)
                         + +   +   +
Then part one again   G|———————————5———|
but replace the       D|———5—————3———3—|
first bar with this:— A|—————3h5———————|
                      E|—3—————————————|

MIDDLE 8
   + + +  +    + + +  +             + + + +   + + + +
G|———————————|———————————| Repeat |—————————|—————————|
D|———7—————7—|———8—————8—| twice, |—————————|—————————|
A|—————7—7———|—————8—8———| then:— |—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5——|
E|—5—————————|—6—————————|        |—————————|—————————|

GUITAR SOLO:— Play PART 1, but instead of playing the first two
              bars, play the REPLACEMENT BAR 4 TIMES

MIDDLE 8 (AGAIN)

OUTRO

Play PART 1, five times, with the REPLACEMENT BAR, only leave
the last two bars out on the fifth time.

Well that's about it, any comments/suggestions to the e—mail address
at the top of this page
                                  Loz.

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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Jam — Start bass tabs