Transcribed by Brian Schretzmann 


                          Modern Love
                        by Peter Gabriel
                    off Peter Gabriel (1977)

NOTE: I think Tony Levin used a 5—string (Music Man, no doubt) on this, 
      which would make the arpeggio—like run up to high C in the chorus 
      a bit easier.  Then again, it's Tony Levin...


INTRO
       w   w   q e s s e e e e    q+e s s e e e e   q q q q
+———||———|———|——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|
|4:—||—R—|—R—|———R——————————————|—R———————————————|—R———————|
|4:—||———|———|—7———5—5—7—5—7—5—|—————5—5—7—5—7—3—|———3—4—4—|
+———||———|———|——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|

    q  e s s e e e e    q+e s s e e e e   q q q q
||————————————————————|—————————————————|——————————||
||*————R——————————————|—R———————————————|—R———————*||
||*—5———5—5—7—5—7—5—|—————5—5—7—5—7—3—|———3—4—4—*||
||————————————————————|—————————————————|——————————||

  q  e s s e e  e  e    q+e s s e e  e  e   q q q q
|———————————————9——7—|——————————————9——5—|———5—6—6—|
|————R———————9—(9)—7—|—R—————————9—(9)—5—|—R—5—6—6—|
|—5———5—5—7——————————|—————5—5—7—————————|—————————|
|—————————————————————|———————————————————|—————————|


VERSE 1
    w   H+e s s   H+e s s   w     w   w   w   w
||————|—————————|—————————|————||———|———|———|———|
||*—3—|—7———5—5—|—5———5—5—|—5—*||———|———|———|———|
||*———|—————————|—————————|———*||—5—|—1—|—5—|—1—|
||————|—————————|—————————|————||———|———|———|———|


CHORUS
    w+   e  s s  h  s s  s  s    h+e s s  s  s  s  s    H  q
||————|————————————————————————|——————————————————————|—17————||
||*———|——————————10——————10————|———————————————————17—|————R—*||
||*———|—————8—10————8h10————10—|——————————15————15————|——————*||
||——8—|—(8)————————————————————|—8———8—15————15———————|———————||


VERSE 2
   Same as VERSE 1, but embellish and vary the line.

CHORUS


BRIDGE
  q e e h+   H  q    H e e   H+e e   H   e e   h+e e+q   H+e e   H q
|—————————|———————||—9—9—8—|—6—————|—5—————5—|—7———/11—|—9———8—|—6———|
|—7—R—————|—————R—||———————|—————R—|———6/7———|—————————|———————|———R—|
|—————7—7—|—(7)———||———————|———————|—————————|—————————|———————|—————|
|—————————|———————||———————|———————|—————————|—————————|———————|—————|

  e e H   q q q q
|—5—————|——————————|
|———5———|——————————|
|—————3—|—5—5—5—5/—|
|———————|——————————|

  q e s s e e e e    q+e s s e e e e   q q q q
|——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|
|———R——————————————|—R———————————————|—R———————|
|—7———5—5—7—5—7—5—|—————5—5—7—5—7—3—|———3—4—4—|
|——————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|

  q  e s s e e e e    q+e s s e e e e   q q q q
|———————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|
|————R——————————————|—R———————————————|—R———————|
|—5———5—5—7—5—7—5—|—————5—5—7—5—7—3—|———3—4—4—|
|———————————————————|—————————————————|—————————|

    q  e s s e e  e  e    q+e s s e e  e  e   q q q q
||————————————————9——7—|——————————————9——5—|———5—6—6——||
||*————R———————9—(9)—7—|—R—————————9—(9)—5—|—R—5—6—6—*||
||*—5———5—5—7——————————|—————5—5—7—————————|—————————*||
||——————————————————————|———————————————————|——————————||
    ^
    | Second time, do a double stop on the G and D strings, 7th fret.


VERSE 3
   Same as VERSE 1.

CHORUS (repeat and fade)

About Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, musician and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music. He has also been involved in various humanitarian efforts. Gabriel was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2009. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

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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Peter Gabriel — Modern Love bass tabs