Song: A Peculiar Noise Called "Train Director"
Artist: The Olivia Tremor Control
Album: Black Foliage (Animation Music)
Tabber: Kyle Johnston (undeadpenguin at gmail dot com)
Tuning: E A D G

Notes:
h = Hammer on
p = Pull off
 = Slide up
/ = Slide down
The bassist throws in a lot of improv that I didn't tab, mostly octaves on Riff 3.
Timing is not really tabbed... you have to listen to it.
The solo tab may be a bit off, but he's just doing improv over the first two measures of 
Riff 4.
Also, I think there are two basses playing in the last chorus: One playing Riff 5 and one 
playing Riff 7. There might not be one playing Riff 5, but there is *definately* one playing 
Riff 7.

Riff 1
|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|——10—12—12——13—13—13—13—13—13—13——12——10—————12———13/15—13——17—13——10h12p10h12|
|10———————————————————————————————————————10———————————————————————————————————

Riff 2
|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|12——10—12———13—10—13——15——13——12——10—12———10—8—10——8——6—|

Riff 3
|———————————————|
|———————————————|
|——————2—0——————|
|0—2—3—————2—3—0|

Riff 4
|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|12——10—12———13—10—13——15——17——12——10—12———10—8—10——8——6|

Riff 5
|——————————————————————————————————|
|2—2—2—2—0—0—0—0—0—————2—5——3—2—0—2|
|—————————————————3—5——————————————|
|——————————————————————————————————|

Riff 6 (solo thing —— note: it's basically riff 4, but with some octaves thrown in)
|————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————|———————————————————21——|
|—————————————15—15—21—19|————————————15——15—15——1521—21|————————————19—19———21|
|————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————|———————————————————————|
|12—12—12—12—————————————|12—12—12—12————————————————————|12—12—12—12————————————|

|———————————————————21——|———————————21—————————|—————————————————————————|
|————————————21—21———21|———————————————21—19———|—————————————————————————|
|———————————————————————|—————————————————————21|—————————————————————————|
|12—12—12—12————————————|12—12—12—12————————————|12—12—12—12—12—12—12—12—0|

Riff 7
|————47/4—————2————|————————————————|————47/4————24——2——|
|2—2———————0—0———2—0|————2—5——3—2—0—2|2—2———————0—————————0|
|———————————————————|3—5—————————————|—————————————————————|
|———————————————————|————————————————|—————————————————————|

0:00—0:15 — Riff 1
0:15—0:22 — Riff 2
0:22—0:30 — Riff 3
0:30—0:37 — Riff 4
0:37—0:44 — Riff 3
0:44—0:59 — Riff 5
0:59—1:14 — Riff 4
1:14—1:21 — Riff 3
1:21—1:36 — Riff 5
1:36—1:55 — Riff 6
1:59—2:13 — Riff 5 and Riff 7

About Olivia Tremor Control

The Olivia Tremor Control was an Athens, Georgia indie rock band in the mid- to late 1990s which, along with The Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel, was one of the three original Elephant 6 projects. The band was founded by the remnants of the group Synthetic Flying Machine (Jeff Mangum, Bill Doss, and Will Cullen Hart) in 1994 and disbanded in early 2000.

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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Olivia Tremor Control — A Peculiar Noise Called "train Director" bass tabs