Duchess And The Proverbial Mind Spread Bass Tabs

Band: Primus
Album: The Brown Album
Song: 10 — Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread
Transcribed by Jim Rotmalm, jim@the—masterplan.com


  Intro riff:                 Main riff: (Riff A)
G—|————————5—|———————5——8——5———5———5—————————5——8——5———5———5———5———————————|
D—|——0h5h7———|—0h5h7—————————7———5—————0h5h7—————————7———7———5—————————————|
A—|——————————|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E—|——————————|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

1. Play the Intro riff 1x and then the Riff A 6x and then at the end of the
sixth time you switch to Riff B.

Riff B (one octave low)
G—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A—|——————3———————3——6——3———3———3———————3——6——3———3———3———3—————————————————|
E—|——3h5—————3h5—————————5———3—————3h5—————————5———5———3———————————————————|

G—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A—|——————3——6——3———3———3———————3——6————————————————————————————————————————|
E—|——3h5—————————5———3—————3h5———————3——3——————————————————————————————————|


2. After that one time you switch back to the Intro riff 1x, Riff A 2x, then
at the end of Riff A you switch to Riff B 2x, then the Intro riff followed
by this altered Riff A:

G—|————————5——8——5———5———5—————————5——8——5———10————————————5———————————————|
D—|——0h5h7—————————7———5—————0h5h7———————————————7—7—7——5——————————————————|
A—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

G—|————————5——8——5———5———5—————————5/85—5—5—5—5—5—5———————————————————————|
D—|——0h5h7—————————7———5—————0h5h7—————————————————————————————————————————|
A—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|


3. Intro riff 1x and Riff A 1x, then this second alternation of Riff A:

G—|————————5——8——5———5———5—————————5——8——5——————————5——————————————————————|
D—|——0h5h7—————————7———5—————0h5h7—————————7——0h5h7————————————————————————|
A—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|


4. The last 0h5h7 is the Intro riff just in the end, and then Riff A 2x.
Riff B is after that 2x, and should be blended in when you end that last
thing (Nr. 3)

5. Middle:
A couple of E—3 which then slides into E—15 and at the last notes he bends
it or hammers on a near note (16) or something, with a small backslide at
the end. Just fiddle around with it.

6. Intro riff 1x, Riff A 2x, with a slide at the end of the last time.

7. Intro riff 1x, Riff A 2x, Intro riff 1x, Riff A 2x, Riff B 2x

8. Intro riff 1x and then this alternation of Riff A:

                                         /    *    
G—|————————5——8——5———5———5—————————5—————22—22—22—————————————————————————|
D—|——0h5h7—————————7———5—————0h5h7—————————————————————————————————————————|
A—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
* = triplets somewhere down there at 22 or something, with a slide down.


9. Intro riff 1x and once again an alternation of Riff A:

G—|————————5——8——5———5———5—————————5———————————————————————————————————————|
D—|——0h5h7—————————7———5—————0h5h7————5——6—————————————————————————————————|
A—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|


10. Intro riff 1x, Riff A 2x, Riff B 2x, and then this ending:

G—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A—|——15———15———15———15———15———15———15———15———15———15———15———15———6———3—————|
E—|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
not sure if it's 6—3, but it's close enough.



————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
    Any questions and/or comments can be sent to jim@the—masterplan.com
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

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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Primus — Duchess And The Proverbial Mind Spread bass tabs