Bionic Bass Tabs - Placebo @ BigBassTabs.com

PLACEBO: BIONIC: This is the most annoying bloody bass tab I have 
ever had to do but its turned out nicely and sounds to me just like 
the original.
For this, tune the bass up half a step or place a capo on the first 
fret ( remember though that with a capo, the normal second fret on 
the neck will now be the first fret, the normal twelth fret on the 
neck will now be the 11th fret etc... ) so take no notice of the 
letters at the beginning of the tab lines.

Beginning/Verse:

G——7—7—7—7——7—7—7—7——7—7—7—7——7—7—7—7———18—18—18—18———
D——0—0—0—0——0—0—0—0——0—0—0—0——0—0—0—0————0——0——0——0———
A—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

G——18—18—18—18———18—18—18—18———18—14—14—14————————————
D———0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0————————————
A—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

after palying that part for a bit, Brian comes in with " none of you 
can make the grade" and under this you play the pre—chorus part.

Pre—Chorus:

G——11—11—11—12———11—11—11—12———11—11—11—12———11—11—11—12
D———0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0
A———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

G——18—18—18—18———18—18—18—18———18—18—18—18———18—14—14—14
D———0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0————0——0——0——0
A———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

After doing that part a few times round we come into the chorus.

Chorus:

G——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A——5—5—5—5———5—5—5—5———5—5—5—5———5—5—5—5———————————————————————————
E—————————————————————————————————————————————————3—3—3—3———3—3—3—3

G—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A—————————————————————————2—2—2—2———2—2—2—2———2—2—2—2———2—2—2—2
E——3—3—3—3———3—3—3—3——————————————————————————————————————————————

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

Repeat the chorus again and go back into the verse. After doing the 
verse, pay the pre—chorus and go back into the chorus and play it 
twice.
After all this, Brian starts palying some harmonics and under this 
you simply play the pre chorus twice.
You again go into the chorus, play it round twice and play under 
Brians harmonics with the pre—chorus again.

Finally, just before Brian finishes the song with the harmonics by 
himself, you play;

G——11 let ring......——————————————————————————————————11 let ring...
D——————————————————————————————12 let ring..————————————————————————
A————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

G———————————————————————————————————————
D——12 let ring....——————————————————————
A———————————————————————————————————————
E————————————————————————————————————————

Fini!! a great song to play but a bugger to write.

 Ian Edwards [email protected]

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! 🎸

Forum

Placebo — Bionic bass tabs