Too Good To Be True Bass Tabs - Petty, Tom @ BigBassTabs.com


Tom Petty — Too Good To Be True (Bass)

When I was writing this tab, I noticed that the recording has a slightly different 
tuning, but the tab notes are correct. It's standard tuning but just play 
with the tuning on your bass until it sounds okay.

I wrote everything out and in order because when I read a tab I always like 
to just read it through, so hopefully that helps those of you reading this.


Main Riff
G|——————————————| 
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|  (x10)
E|———0—3———5—3——|


Chorus
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———5—555—5——————————5—555—5——————————5—555—5—0000222222222222|
E|—5——————————5—555—5—————————5—555—5——————————————————————————|

Main Riff — "Everything that she'd waited for..."
G|——————————————| 
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|  (x8)
E|———0—3———5—3——|

Chorus
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———5—555—5——————————5—555—5——————————5—555—5—0000222222222222|
E|—5——————————5—555—5—————————5—555—5——————————————————————————|

Main Riff
G|——————————————| 
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|  (x2)
E|———0—3———5—3——|

Bridge — "There was no talk of giving in..."
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————————————————————|  
A|—05—5—03—3—05—5—03—3—05—5—03—3———3333333333333333|
E|—————————————————————————————————————————————————|

Main Riff — during guitar solo
G|——————————————| 
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|  (x4)
E|———0—3———5—3——|

Main Riff— after solo "Morning on the outskirts of town..."
G|——————————————| 
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|  (x4)
E|———0—3———5—3——|

Chorus
G|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———5—555—5——————————5—555—5——————————5—555—5—000022222222222222222222222222222222222|
E|—5——————————5—555—5—————————5—555—5—————————————————————————————————————————————————|

(Side Note: There are 36 2's and are are continuous until Tom says Too Good 
to be True the second time — If you listen to the song you'll know what i'm talking 
about)

Main Riff
G|——————————————| 
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|  (x4)
E|———0—3———5—3——|

During the pause at 3:04, let this note ring out
G|——————————|
D|——————————|  
A|——————————|
E|—0~———————|

After the drum stick hits 2 times...

Main Riff — play until the song fades out
G|——————————————| 
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|
E|———0—3———5—3——|
 


Please e—mail me at [email protected] with any questions about rhythms 
or tuning that you may have.
I'd be more than happy to receive feedback and ratings from you all!
Thanks for taking the time to try my tab!


~Laura

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 — Too Good To Be True bass tabs