Song:   "Lewis (Mistreated)"
Artist: Radiohead
Disc:   My Iron Lung

Bass tab by Miek —  or 

This is the first tab I've ever written, so go easy on me. ;)
If you find any errors or have any suggestions on how to
improve the tab (I'm not particularly confident about
Riff 4A), then don't hesitate to email me so I can correct it.

I've tried to give a basic representation of the rhythm, but
as we all know, for best results you should just listen to the song.

A "." after a note means play the note staccato.


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

Riff 3
G———————————————————————————————————————————
D———————————————————————————————————————————
A————————————————————5—5.———————————————————
E——3—3.——4—4.——5—5.————————3—3.——4—4.——5—5.—

G——5h7—5—4—2————————————————————————————
D———————————————5——————5—————5——————————
A————————————3—————2—2————0—————3—3—2—0—
E———————————————————————————————————————

Riff 4
G—————————————————————————————————————
D—————————————————————————————————————
A—————————————————————————————————————
E——5————————0————————3—3.——3—3.——3—3.—

Riff 4ARiff 4B
G——————————G——————————————
D——————————D——0—0—2—2—4—4—
A——3—2—0———A——————————————
E————————3—E——————————————

Riff 5
G———————————————————————————————
D———————————————————————————0———
A————————————————2———2——2—2———2—
E——3——3——3—3—3—0————————————————

Riff 5A
G———————————————————————————————
D———————————————————————————————
A——1——1—1—1—————————————————5—5—
E———————————0—1—2—2—3—3—5—5—————

Riff 5B
G——————————————————————————————2—2————
D——————————————3—3—0—0—2—2—4—4————————
A——1—1—3—3—5—5————————————————————————
E——————————————————————————————————3.—

Riff 6
G——————————
D——————————   *Just hit this note over and over again... 
A——————————    listen to the song to find out when to
E——5*——0—2—    play the next two notes.

Riff 7
G——————————————————————————————————
D——————————————————————————————————
A——————————————3—2—————————————————
E——3—3—3—3—3—2—————3—3—3—3—3—2—3—4—

Play in this order:

Riff 1 — 3x   
Riff 2       > Play 2x
Riff 3      /
Riff 1 — 2x
Riff 4
Riff 4A
Riff 4
Riff 4B
Riff 1 — 3x
Riff 2
Riff 3
Riff 1 — 2x
Riff 4
Riff 4A
Riff 4
Riff 4B
Riff 5   Play 3x
Riff 5A /           
Riff 5
Riff 5B

Riff 6
Riff 7

Repeat Riffs 6 & 7 until the end of the song... end it with Riff 6 followed by E—3.

About Radiohead

Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, beats), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboard, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar, synthesizers) and Phil Selway (drums, percussion).

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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Radiohead — Lewis bass tabs