Beginners Bass Guide!(Includes Notes To This Is The Place) Bass Tabs

I hope you guys accept this cuz I'm really only trying to help,
and it took me like 2 hours to type all this.

Beginners session.
Note! I put this here so that beginner bass players can learn
a quick switch and play fast riffs and solos much easier.

Ok! Lets get started, The most important thing you need to know
are the chords.
They are starting from highest to lowest, G, thats the tiny one,
D, A, and E. Got that? Good.
You'll need to remeber these always as any tab made by anyone
with common sense will have these chords on every bar.

Second you need to pick yourself a playing style.
Try a Bunch of different playing styles right now.
NOTE! Try not to use just one finger, if it feels easy, it will
get increasingly hard to play fast song with only one finger.
I suggest my style, to always play the E with your thumb, the A
with your index finger, and the 2 chords below with your middle
finger.

Third, Well of course you need to learn how to play something.
Just start Jamming some notes in, and try to play something slow
with big notes.

Now, sliding, is a very important little trick, we'll practice
this now.
Play According to the picture below.

G:———————————
D:———5—7—————
A:———————————
E:———————————
Play a 5 and right after playing it slide your finger across the
string to the seven, and play that.
NOTE! The numbers btw... The higher the number the higher the sound.
Also the higher the number the lower the string is on your bass,
therefore, after playing the 5 you slide DOWN to the 7, not up
because that'll take you to a 3.

If this seems a little bit hard keep trying sliding with different
notes, and playing riffs.
It'll come to you naturally.

Now lets try the... well I dont really know what this is called,
but oh well.
Play as instructed in the picture.

G:———————————
D:———5/7—————
A:———————————
E:———————————
NOTE! You dont neccessarily have to use these notes.
This is simple really, Play the 5 or whatever you choose to play,
(Play the note hard so it stays for a long time.)
Right after playing the five put your next finger on the 7 but
do not play it, Its a nifty trick, its like playing 2 notes with
only one press.
IMPORTANT! Make sure once you play the 5 you do not lift your finger
until you get to the 7.

Now lets try a double slide.
Play as instructed in the picture.

G:———————————
D:———5/7/5———
A:———————————
E:———————————

Ok, this is just like the exercise before except after you put
your next finger on the seven lift it right back.

Now Lets try a short riff. I made this one myself, it should include
everything youve learned so far.
We'll use 2 chords this time, and if you play it right it should
have sort of a funky feel to it.

G:———————————3/5———————————3/5/3———————————3/5————————————3—5——————
D:———3——3——3——————3——3——3—————————3——3——3————————3——3——3———————————
A:—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E:—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

If you cant get this on your first try keep trying until you get
it right, this is an important lesson, because you will NEVER
learn a song on your first try.
Not EVER! I guarantee it. So instead of never ever learning to
play bass in your life I suggest you try this until you get it 100
percent right.
It shouldn't take too long considering this is a very basic riff.

Next step.
Now we're gonna bring up the speed a bit. k? Good.
Whoa, Whoa not too much, your trying to learn bass not become
the next Flea.
Ok here's your next riff. We're gonna use 2 chords again.

G:——————————————————————————————————————0—0—3—3—3—3—3—3———3—————————
D:——0—0—5—5—5—5—5—5—3—3—3—1—1—1—1—1—1—1—————————————————3———3—5—————
A:——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E:——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

IMPORTANT! I made sure this riff sounds good at just about any
given speed so try it slowly first, and slowly begin increasing
your playing speed.
Just remember this is made to have every note playing at the same
rate, and every break should be just as long, of course if you
play it right there will be no breaks.

Ok You can now play basic slow and fast riffs.
As the last step begin jammin' Right NOW! Just start playing
random notes until you find a couple good ones.
Then convert them. Pick up speed perhaps, Maybe add some more
slides, whatever it is you want to add in there.

Once you have learned how to play decently enough, try to play
an actual simple song.
I think I'll Include one of my own here

This is a wonderful sounding song, it's Red Hot Chili Peppers,
This Is The Place! Tabbed by myself.
I love this song. Period.
Here it is.
ENJOY! Shouldn't be too hard to learn.

G:———————5—5—————————————5—5—————————————————————————5—5—————
D:—7—7—7—————5—5—5—3—3—3—————7—7—7—0—0—0—7—7—7—3—3—3—————5———
A:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E:———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Ending
G:——————2—————————————————————————————
D:————————————————————————————————————
A:—0—0————————————————————————————————
E:————————————————————————————————————

Good luck becoming a pro. I hope this guide helps, cuz in that
case you were just taught how to play base ny a 14 year old!! :)

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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