Living Colour— I Want to Know (from the album Vivid)
Bassist— the indomitable Muzz Skillings

Intro

G———————————————|——————————————————————————————————————0h2p0—|————|
D——bass silent——|——————————————2—0—————————————————2—0———————|————|
A———————————————|—3—3—2——0————————3—2—0———3—3—2——0———————————|2———|
E———————————————|————————————————————————————————————————————|————|

Verse 1
main riff
G——————————————————————————————————————0h2p0—|
D——————————————2—0—————————————————2—0———————|
A—3—3—2——0————————3—2—0———3—3—2——0———————————|
E————————————————————————————————————————————|
*1

then fill 1
G——————————4————————|
D————————————5——2—0—|
A—3—3—2—0———————————|
E———————————————————|
           p p  s s

then

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

Chorus

G——————————————————————————————————————————|*2
D——————————————————————————————————————————|
A—3—3—3—2————3—3—3—2———3—3—3—2—————————————|
E————————————————————3—————————3—3—3—3—3—5—|

Verse 2

G———————————0—2—0——————————————|
D—————————2————————————————————|
A—3—3—2—0——————————3—3—2——5—7——|
E——————————————————————————————|
  s s s s s p p p  s s s  s s 


then main riff; fill 1; main riff

and fill 2:
G———————————4—————5———|
D—————————————————————|
A—3—3—2—0—2———3—3———3—|
E—————————————————————|
          s p s s p s

Interlude
new riff:
G————————————————————————————|
D———5————3—5————5————3—2—3———|
A————————————————————————————|
E—3————3——————3————3———————3—|

then cheesy bit                                         1st       2nd
G——————————————2—2—3—3—2—2——|——————————————————4—4—5—5—4—4—|—————————|
D—————2————5—5——————————————|——5—5—————4———7—7————————————0|—4—2—————|
A—3—3———3———————————————————|——————5—5———5————————————————0|—————5—3—|
E———————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————|—————————|

then main riff with fill 2

then Guitar solo              *8ish
G—————————————————————————————|  
D————————————————5———————————0|
A————————————————————————————0|
E—3——3—0—1—0—1—3——3—0—1—0—1—2—|
 with fill 3:
G————3———5—6—5—3——————————|
D——5———5——5—————5—3———————|
A———————————————————6—5—3—|
E—————————————————————————|

finish with interlude riff after fill 3

About Living Colour

Living Colour is an American funk metal band from New York City, formed in 1983. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, and hip hop (although the band are frequently tagged as being a "hard rock" act). Their lyrics range from the personal to the political, in some of the latter cases attacking the Eurocentrism and racism of America. The band were prominent members of the Black Rock Coalition during the late 1980s and early 1990s (a movement which also featured Fishbone, and 24-7 Spyz).

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

Living Colour — I Want To Know bass tabs