MIDNIGHT OIL — "Beds Are Burning" — Bass Tab

common time(4/4)
standard tuning(EADG)

INTRO:

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|—0—3—5—r—|—r—r—r—r—|—r—r—|
  1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2

VERSE 1:

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|*—————————————————|—————————————————*|
|*—————————————————|—————————————————*|
|——0—0—3—5—0—0—3—5—|—0—0—3—5—0—0—5—3——|
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|—————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|—————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|—————|
|—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—|—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—2—|—0—3—5—r—|—r—r—|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 2 3 4   1 2

CHORUS:

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|*—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|*—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|
|——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|——————————————————|
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|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5—5—6—6—6—6—*|
|—————————————————|——————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|
|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

VERSE 2: 

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|*—————————————————|—————————————————*|
|*—————————————————|—————————————————*|
|——0—0—3—5—0—0—3—5—|—0—0—3—5—0—0—5—3——|
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|———————————————|—————————|—————————|
|—————————————————|———————————————|—————————|—————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————.—|—————————|—————————|
|—0—0—3—5—0—0—5—3—|—0—0—3—5—0—0—5—|—r—r—r—r—|—0—3—5—r—|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

|—————————|—————|
|—————————|—————|
|—————————|—————|
|—r—r—r—r—|—r—r—|
  1 2 3 4   1 2

CHORUS 2:

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|*—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|*—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|
|——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|——————————————————|
|—————————————————|—————————————————*|
|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—5—5—5—5—6—6—6—6—*|
|—————————————————|——————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|*—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|*—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|
|——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 
                     _____
               (x2) |2.
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|—————————————————*|—————————————————|
|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—*|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|
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  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

END:

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|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|
|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————————————|——————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|*—————————————————|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|*—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|——0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 
                                       ______
                                 (x2) |2.
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|—————————————————|—————————————————*|—————————————————|
|—————————————————|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—*|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|
|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|——————————————————|—————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

|—————————|—————————|—————————|
|—————————|—————————|—————————|
|—————————|—————————|—————————|
|—0—3—5—r—|—r—r—r—r—|—0—3—5—r—|
  1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

By: Johari Taylor
E—mail: [email protected]

About Midnight Oil

Midnight Oil, known also as the "Oils" to fans, are an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie. While vocalist Peter Garrett was studying at Australian National University in Canberra, he answered an advert for a spot in Farm, and by 1975 the band was touring the east coast. By late 1976, Garrett moved to Sydney to complete his law degree, and Farm changed its name to Midnight Oil by drawing the name out of a hat.

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! 🎸

Comments

LoudLon

9 years ago
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The main riff is way off. Should be:

Tabs:

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-0-0-5-7-0-0-5-7-|-0-0-4-5-0-0-4-2-|

Everything else looks more or less right. But not getting that main riff right means half the song is wrong. Sorry, but I can't see giving this tab anything higher than a three.

jassie sm

4 years, 3 months ago
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well the first part is this

Tabs:

G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|-0-0-6-7-0-0-6-7-|--------------------|

maybe this but when you ask 10 people they al say different so, maybe
not such a easy song

Tabs:

G|--------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|
E|-0-0-6-7-0-0-5-7-|--------------------|

Dukesy

4 years ago
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The main riff is all on the E string… 0067. 0057..0045..0032 playe 6 times then 2222 etc.

Forum

Midnight Oil — Beds Are Burning bass tabs

About Midnight Oil

How to Read Bass Tabs

1. The Basics

2. Common Techniques

3. Advanced Techniques

4. Rhythm and Timing

5. Slap and Pop

Practice Makes Perfect

Other versions of Beds Are Burning

Comments

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