Lightning Crashes Bass Tabs - Live @ BigBassTabs.com

Song: Lightning Crashes
Band: Live
Album: Throwing Copper
tabbed by: Greg Costa ([email protected])
One Tonne Turtle bassist (http://onetonneturtle.cjb.net)

I learnt this song from my bass teacher when i first started playing, but i forgot it
and came here to remember it, but Lisa Knappe's tab wasn't how i heard it, and learnt
it. It sounds good, but if you play it like this, it sounds alot better.

h = hammer on (push down on the fret to make the note sound, instead of 
strumming)
>= slide UP the string
< = slide DOWN the string


Half the song is acoustic, with only guitar and vocals, but the bass comes 
in
just after he sings "The baby down the hall", you can just hear it...

1:57
G:——————————
D:——————————
A:——————————
E:—4—4—<—0——

then really soft... x4

1:58       h
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A:———————————2——2——4—————————————————————————————————————————————
E:—0——0——2—4—————————2———2————4—<————————————————————————————————


Then it goes back slower, and the drums kick in soon...(bit louder) x4

2:23
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A:————————————————2———2———4——————————————————————————————————————
E:—0———0———2—>—4——————————————2———2———2—2—2———2———4—<————————————


Now louder with drums, this part sounds cool... x2

3:05       h
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A:————————————2—2—2——4———————————————4—6—4———————————————————————
E:—0—0—0—2—4————————————2—2—2—2—>—6————————6—4—<—————————————————


            h
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A:—————————————2—2—2——4—————————————4————————————————————————————
E:—0—0—0——2—4————————————2———2—>—6————————6—<————————————————————


Line before solo...

3:26
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A:—————————————2—2—2——4—————————————4———5—6——————————————————————
E:—0—0—0——2—4————————————2———2—>—6———————————————————————————————


Solo...

3:30                                                           x2
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:————4—>—8—<——6—<——4——6——4——————————————————————————————————————
A:—6—————————————————————————6——4——6—6———————————————————————————
E:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————


G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:————4—>—8—<——6—<——4—4—6——4——————————————6—7—6———————8—9—>—11———
A:—6—————————————————————————6——4——6—7——7———————7—>—9————————————
E:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————


G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:————4—>—8—<——6—<——4——6——4——————————————————————————————————————
A:—6—————————————————————————6——4——6—6———————————————————————————
E:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————


G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:————4—>—8—<——6—<——4—4—6——4——————————————6—7—6——————————————————
A:—6—————————————————————————6——4——6—7——7———————7—>—9—9—9—9—<————
E:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————


Now basically, you play these two lines over and over again until
the end of the song...

4:05       h
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A:————————————2—2—2——4———————————————4—6—4———————————————————————
E:—0—0—0—2—4————————————2—2—2—2—>—6————————6—4—<—————————————————


          h
G:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A:—————————————2—2—2——4—————————————4————————————————————————————
E:—0—0—0——2—4————————————2———2—>—6————————6—<————————————————————


You have to get all the sliding right, otherwise it doesn't sound
as good. Its a really good bass tune, and they should have
recorded it louder, it's really hard to hear. As always, listen
to the song for tempo, i've tried to give you some idea of tempo
with larger gaps.

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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Live — Lightning Crashes bass tabs