Southbound Pachyderm (Ver 5) Bass Tabs - Primus @ BigBassTabs.com


This is another Primus song that really breaks the mold of irregularity.
Its melodic, heavy on the bass, and almost somewhat normal.
As far as i'm concerned this is a great song for people who really 
want
to start taking bass serious, a fantastic first song for any Primus
fan to learn.

There's just a couple of main parts that repeat.  The intro, main 
verse,
and post verse/chorus.  You'll hear them all pretty distinctly.
Just listen and best of luck.


Intro:  The beginning of this song sets the pace for the A string, 
your gonna wanna
keep it plucking through every bit of the song, occasionally 
with a triplet. The first part of this intro repeats several 
time for each time the second bit comes around.  Just listen to 
the song, clear as crystal to pick out.

|————————————————————————————————||————————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————7——9———10——||———————————7——9———10——9——5——7———|
|00000000000000000000000000000000||00000000000000000000000000000000|
|————————————————————————————————||————————————————————————————————|



This intro bit repeats a bit, until you hear that distinct high 
pitched cord 
leading into the rush of a flemenco stroke.

|—————————————————————————————19—| 
|—————————————————————————————15—|
|00000000000000000000000000000000|
|————————————————————————————————|

|——17——————————14————————————————|
|—————17——15—————————————————————|
|00000000000000000000000000000000|
|————————————————————————————————|

|15—15—15—15/16/17———————————————|
|14—14—14—14/15/16———————————————|  ( I know this is contrary to other tabs,
|00000000000000000000000000000000|    but watch hallucinogenetics 
and see for yourself)
|————————————————————————————————|

Then the intro bit repeats a few times, give er a listen and you'll 
get the timeing of it all no trouble, after this intro "oooh, 
quite a surprise" and the actual song kicks in, the rest of the 
way through you'll be playing this.

|——————————————————————————————————||——————————————————————————————————|
|——————————10——9——7——5h7—7——5——7———||——————————10——9——7——5h7—7——5——7———|
|0000000000000000000000000000000000||0000000000000000000000000000000000|
|——————————————————————————————————||——————————————————————————————————|

|——————————————————————————————————||——————————————————————————————————|
|———————10——9——10——12——10——12——14——||——————————————————————————————————|
|0000000000000000000000000000000000||0000000000000000000000000000000000|
|——————————————————————————————————||——————————————————————————————————|



Then, once you hear that high pitched bass chord again, your 
back into this little bit:

|—————————————————————————————19—| 
|—————————————————————————————15—|
|00000000000000000000000000000000|
|————————————————————————————————|

|——17——————————14————————————————|
|—————17——15—————————————————————|
|00000000000000000000000000000000|
|————————————————————————————————|

|15—15—15—15/16/17———————————————|
|14—14—14—14/15/16———————————————| 
|00000000000000000000000000000000|    
|————————————————————————————————|


And there you have it! fit it all together, if you have any trouble 
don't hesitate. best of luck.

bodh  i

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 — Southbound Pachyderm (ver 5) bass tabs