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Vermicide — The Mars Volta — Amputechture
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Tabbed By : Ethan Linck (Incubus_Science gave me a few corrections)
e—mail: [email protected]
Tuning: Standard

Bass by Juan Alderate

Heres the bass tab for Vermicide, the projected first single off The Mars Voltas new
Amputechture. Fairly simple, but the timing  overall (in the chorus especially) can be a
tricky. A nice bassline, with room for improvisation.

Key: F#

Verse 1

G|————————————————————————|
D|—————7h9———4——5——7——————|  Repeat this section 6 times
A|—7——————————————————————|
E|———7————————————————————|

Then, for the last two repetitions, he varies it up a little:

G|——————————————————————————|
D|—————7h9———4——5——7h9—7—5——|
A|—7————————————————————————|
E|———7——————————————————————|

G|—————————————————————————|
D|—————7h9———4——5——7h9—9—9—|
A|—7———————————————————————|
E|———7—————————————————————|

Chorus:

G|—————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————|  Repeat this 3 times
A|—————7—————9——5——————————|
E|————————————————5—3—2————|

For the final repetition of the chorus, play this:

G|———————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————|
A|—————7—————9——5————————————|
E|——————————————————5———8————|

Verse 2

G|————————————————————————|
D|—————7h9———4——5——7——————|  Repeat this section 8 times
A|—7——————————————————————|
E|———7————————————————————|


Chorus


Bridge (with slight overdrive):

G|—————————————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————————————| Repeat 8 times
A|—————————3——3—3——————————5——5—5————3—0—3—|
E|—5——5—5——————————3——3—3——————————5———————|

Then play this 3 times:

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

Then play this 4 times:

G|————————————————————————|
D|—————7h9———4——5——7——————|
A|—7——————————————————————|
E|———7————————————————————|

Final Chorus:

G|—————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————|  Repeat this 3 times
A|—————7—————9——5——————————|
E|————————————————5—3—2————|

For the final repetition of the chorus, play this (a high end fill added):

G|———————————————————————————12—16—14—12—11—|
D|————————————————————————14————————————————|
A|—————7—————9——5———————————————————————————|
E|——————————————————5———8———————————————————|

And thats it. I havent figured out the bizzare time signature(s?), but if I do I will
Other than that, this tab is complete.

Shameless plug: Check out Ethans band at http://bluemelon.dmusic.net

About Mars Volta

The Mars Volta is an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001 and currently based out of Mexico. Founded by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, post-punk, hard rock, post-hardcore and Latin American music into their sound. They are known for their energetic and improvisational live shows, as well as their concept-based studio albums. In 2009, the band won a Grammy in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category for the song "Wax Simulacra." They were named rock music's "Best Prog-Rock Band" of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.

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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Mars Volta — Vermicide bass tabs