From: John Speas at [email protected]
Basstab for Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Standard tuning

Intro:
G——————————————————|——————————————|————————————————————|
D————5——————4——————|——2———————————|————5———7—5—————7—5—|
A——————————————————|——————————————|————————————3———————|
E——————————————————|——————————————|————————————————————|

|—————————7————14—14—16—16—17—16—14———|
|———————————————0——0——0——0——0——0——0———|
|—5———5———————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————————————————————|


Verses:
|——————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————|
|———5———————————5—4——————————4—|—————————————————————————5—|
|———————5—————————————————5————|——7————————7———7—————5—7———|
|———————————3—————————5————————|—————7—————————————————————|


|———————————————————————————|————————————7——————7——————|
|—3———3—3———3—0—————————————|———————7——————7——————7————|
|———————————————3———3—3—3/5—|——5——5————5——————5—————5——|
|———————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|


Choruses:
|———————————————————————————|——————————14—14—16—16—17—19—19——|
|—3———3—3———3—0—————————————|——————7————0——0——0——0——0——0——0——|
|———————————————3———3—3—3/5—|—5——5———————————————————————————|
|———————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————|


Solo Riff:
|—————————————————————————|—————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————————|—————————————————————————————|
|——————————————————————1——|——————1—————1——————0——1————5—|
|——3——3—————3—————3———————|—————————————————————————————|


|——————————————————————|——————————————————————|
|——————————————————————|——————————————————————|
|——3——3————3—3——3————3—|—3——3————3————3———————|
|——————————————————————|————————————————0—1—2—|


Decending scale:
|——5——5——3——3——2——2——0——0——|———————————————————————|
|——————————————————————————|——3——1——0——————————————|
|——————————————————————————|———————————3——1——0——3——|
|——————————————————————————|———————————————————————|


Notes:
This piece is a classic.  Have fun with the riffs, play variations of each 
riff.  The solo riff is especially fun to mess around with.  The two best 
scales for that riff are G minor and G dorian.

About Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced /?l?n?rd ?sk?n?rd/ LEN-?rd-SKIN-?rd) is an American rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before three members and one road crew member died in an airplane crash in 1977. The band reformed in 1987 for a reunion tour with lead singer Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother Johnny as the frontman. Lynyrd Skynyrd continues to tour and record. Of its original members, only Gary Rossington remains with the band as of 2010. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006.

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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Lynyrd Skynyrd — Free Bird bass tabs