Cool Thing In 5/4 Time Bass Tabs - Misc @ BigBassTabs.com


Okay, so I have this neighbor who's in his own local band, and 
yesterday a bunch of people came over to my house after we went 
to see my mom sing at the coffee house. He told me that this was 
a riff that his band played, and the nifty thing about it is that 
it was (allegedly) in 5/4 time. Anyone who's ever played anything 
at all in 5/4 knows that it's the most bizarre time signature 
out there.

Now, of course, since someone had just invaded my individual 
practice session, and on top of that impressed me with this nice 
riff, I spent a little bit of time playing around with it. So, 
here it is, this neat riff in 5/4 time which I have tweaked to my 
own style, keeping intact the art of repeating and how it makes 
for a good practice, and for a funky song part.

By the way, it's standard tuning. Play it however you want ... 
no specific rhythm or anything.

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

That's all he taught me, but I added some stuff. Since he said 
the bassist did something else, but he didn't show me what that 
"something else" was. So, here it is:

G|———————————0—0————————————|
D|——————0—0———————0—0———————|
A|—3—3—————————————————3—3——| (Yes, I know all I did for this one was move up a string)
E|——————————————————————————| 

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

G|———————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————|
A|————————2——2——————————2——2—————|
E|—2——2—4——————4—2——2—4——————4—2—|

Well, that's about it. Keep in mind, they can all be played on 
any fret, or any string. Here's one of my favorite sequences 
involving the last part:

G|————————————————————————————————————2——2———|
D|——————————————————————2——2———2——2—4——————4—|
A|————————2——2———2——2—4——————4———————————————|
E|—2——2—4——————4—————————————————————————————|

That's about it. Play it on any fret, any string, in any key, doesn't 
matter. My style tends to be a bit different, but oh well, it doesn't 
sound too bad. Good luck :)

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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