OPTIMISTIC
Radiohead

DROPPED—D TUNING 
no bass during the first two times a verse is sung.

*RIFF #1 The bass comes in quietly at 1:07:
G——————————————————————————————————————————————|x2
D——————————5———————————————————————————————————|
A——————————————5———3h5—5—5—x—x—3h5—5—5——5—5——5—|
D——0———0———————————————————————————————————————|

During the interim between the first refrain and second verse:
G—————————————————————————————————|
D—————————————————————————————————|
A—————5——3h5—5—5—————5——3h5—5—5———|
D——0——————————————0———————————————|Repeat until 2nd verse

Repeat Riff #1 during the second refrain. Then, at 2:32:
*RIFF #2
G————————————————————————————————————————————|x4
D————————————————————————————————————————————|
A——7h8—8—8——8h7—7——7——9h10—10—10——10h9—9——9/—|
D————————————————————————————————————————————|

During the third semi—verse, just thumb the low D—string:
G————————————————————————————————————————————|
D————————————————————————————————————————————|
A————————————————————————————————————————————|
D——0—0—————0—————0—0—————0—————0—0————0——————|

Now, repeat Riff #1, then play Riff #2 with slight variation 
on the second repetition:
G——————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D——————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A——7h8—8—8——8h7—7——7——9h10—10—10——10—10——9/12—12/5—|
D——————————————————————————————————————————————————|

On the fourth repetition, leading to the outro, play this:
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—————————————————————————————————————————————12h10——————|
A——5—7—7h8—8—8——8h7—7——7——9h10—10—10——10h9—9———————12h10—|
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

The first part of the outro features improv on high D:
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—0——12——0—10—0—10—10——12/0——12—0—10—12—12/0——3—/—5—5——4—|
A————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
You can also hit the 7th fret and bend the 12th if you like.

The final part of the outro is light and jazzy, and goes:
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D—0—12—0—10—10—0—12——0—0—————10—0—12—0—10—10—0—12——0———0—|
A—————————————————————————10—————————————————————————————|
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

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 — Optimistic bass tabs