House In The Woods Bass Tabs - Petty, Tom @ BigBassTabs.com

From: Winston Campbell 
Subject: HOUSE IN THE WOODS by Mr. Tom Petty


House In The Woods
by Tom Petty


This is the complete and official transcription of this song by Tom Petty 
done by me.  It is the thirteenth song off of —Wildflowers—.  This was
probably one of the first songs I grew to love on the album.  It took me a
while to figure out this song but after figuring it out, it is interesting 
to look at the chord changes which speaks of Tom Petty and his simple yet
grandiose songwriting approach.  I have done the bass tab for it because 
the bass line walks during the second half of the verse.  The basic bassline
(with the chords on top) is:


(BASSLINE 1)

   F     C      Eb    Bb     Dm    Am     C     G      

G ————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|
D —3——————————|—1——————————|—0——————————|————————————|————————————|
A ———————3————|———————1————|———————0————|—3——————————|————————————|
E ————————————|————————————|————————————|———————3————|—3—————3————|


               (BASSLINE 2)

                F     C      Eb    Bb     Dm    Am    C      G

G ————————————|———0—2——————|———0—3——————|————————————|————————————|
D ————————————|—3———————0—2|—1———————0—3|—0—2—3——————|———2—0——————|
A ————————————|———————3————|———————1————|———————0—2—3|—3——————————|
E —3—————3————|————————————|————————————|————————————|———————3————|


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



The single guitar note that is played is just this:

E —1—————0————|————————————|————————————|————————————|
B ————————————|—4—————3————|—3——————————|—1——————————|
G ————————————|————————————|———————2————|———————0————| (all notes are
D ————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|  vibrato, of course)
A ————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|
E ————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|



Those are the single guitar and basslines for the verse.  The song begins 
with bassline number 1 and plays it two times.  Then when Petty starts 
singing, bassline number 1 is played once then bassline number 2 is 
played.  Then the chorus follows which is:


   C     G      C     G      C     G      Em    A      C     G

G ————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|
D ————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|
A —3———2—————2|—3———2—————2|—3———2——————|———————0—2—4|—3———2—————2|
E ———————3————|———————3————|———————3———2|—0—2—3——————|———————3————|


   C     G      C     G      Em    A      D

G ————————————|————————————|————————————|————————————|
D ————————————|————————————|————————————|—0——————————|
A —3———2—————2|—3———2——————|———————0—2—4|————————————|
E ——————3—————|———————3———2|—0—2—3——————|————————————|


After that part, the song goes back to another verse and another chorus.
After the second chorus, the guitar and bass plays the riff on the
A and D strings like (I will call this Riff X):


E ————————————————————————————|
B ————————————————————————————|
G ————————————————————————————| (As you may notice, I have no measure lines 
D —0————————————————————————2—|  so just play it like how you hear it)
A —————0—2—3———0—2—3——0—2—3———|   
E ————————————————————————————|


Play this part repeatedly (I think four times then the song goes into a 
slight verse instrumental and back to the chorus and then back into the 
verse.  These are basically the tabs for the song. 

(I think the song goes back to Riff X then continues on ad infinitum
into the ever famous verse chords)


The chords, if you are wondering, for this song are:

     E A D G B E
     ———————————
F    1 3 3 2 1 1
C    x 3 2 0 1 0
Eb   x 6 8 8 8 x
Bb   x 1 3 3 3 x
Dm   x x 0 2 3 1
Am   x 0 2 2 1 0
G    3 2 0 0 3 3
Em   0 2 2 0 0 0
A    x 0 2 2 2 0
D    x x 0 2 3 2


(Comments and email will be greatly appreciated.  Until the next time.  
 Bye!!)

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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Petty, Tom — House In The Woods bass tabs