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Motorhead — Overkill bass tabs

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ntro

G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—8—9—8—9—8—9—8—9—8—7—5—4—3—2—0————|
A—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————7——|
E————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

verse

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

pre—chorus (dont sweat it..)

G———————————————————————————————————————|—————————————————|
D———————————————————————————————————————|—————————————————| x2
A——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—7——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—7—|—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—|
E———————————————————————————————————————|—————————————————|

chorus x 1 bridge

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

behind 1st solo play verse

behind 2nd,3rd and 4th solo play this

G——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| x 4
A—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—7—5—7—5—7—5——|
E——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

\"new start\"

G—————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—7—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—7—5—4—3—2—0———|
A———————————————————————————————————————————————7—|
E—————————————————————————————————————————————————|

\"2 new start\"

G——————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—7—9—7—9—7—9—9—7—9—7—9—7—5—4—3—2—0————|
A———————————————————————————————————————————————————7——|
E——————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

song structure

intro
verse
pre—chorus
bridge
verse
pre—chorus
chorus
bridge
solo 1
verse
pre—chorus
chorus
solo 2
\"new start\"
solo 3
\"2 new start\"
solo 4
Tablature player for this song:
Motorhead - Overkill Bass Tab

About Motorhead

Motörhead are a British rock band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Ian Fraser Kilmister, known mostly by his stage name Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. The band pre-dated, but are sometimes regarded as part of, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Usually a power trio, Motörhead had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades, and particularly No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, cemented Motörhead's reputation as one of Britain's foremost rock bands.

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! 🎸

Other versions of Overkill

Comments

I think it is one hell of a song, considering that, not to be mean, but Metallica had slightly screwed over the song when they tried to recreate it. No hard feelings. i think people may have liked the Metallica version better for some reason, but the original seems to sound a hell of a lot better.
6 years, 8 months ago
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Yeah there's actually no comparison really. I mean I give kudos to the Tallica boys for covering it, no easy task. But anyway nothing beats the original, come on Lemmy's voice, distorted bass, Eddie Clark's killer guitar licks and Philthy Animal's non-stop, thunderous drumming throughout the entire song.

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