"My interpretation of Rage Against The Machine's Song FREEDOM"

Dropped D Tuning

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

(the ending of riff 1 is actually varied some——so ad lib at will!)

Riff 1 Variant: (this is played instead of Riff 1 a few times——you can hear
                 when to use it——just listen to the CD!)
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D————————————————————————————————————————————————5—4—3———————————————————————
A—————5———————3———————5—5—————5———————3———————5————————5—4—3—————————————————
D———————0—3—5———5—3—5—————0—3———0—3—5———5—3—5————————————————————————————————



Then the next part goes like this.

Riff 2                                             for a short while...
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D———0——0——R——0——0——R——0——0——R——0——0——R——0——0——R——0——0——R——0——0————————————


Then it goes back to Riff 1, and Riff 2.  This is followed by a short
interlude where only the drums and bass are playing.

After spoken:  "Anger is a gift..."

Riff 3                         X a bunch
G———————————————————————————————————|
D———————————————————————————————————|
A—————3—3—3—3—3—3—5——5—5—5—3—5——————|
D———————————————————————————————————|

                                                4 TIMES
G——————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D*——————————————5—3—5—3—5—————————————————————————————*|
A*———5—3—5—3—5————————————3—2—3—2—3———————————————————*|
D—————————————————————————————————————5—3—5—3—5—3——————|

Do Riff 2 again.

Last Riff:
The guitar plays this part softly 4 times, then the bass joins in.
The guitar gets distorted after a few times then.  Be careful, this riff
is played the same over and over for bass, but the song has a change in
accent, thanks to the drums.
                                  x lots of times
G—————————————————————————————————————————|
D*———————————————————————————————————————*|
A*—————————————————0——3——4——5————————————*|
D————————3——5——6——————————————————————————|

Oh...anyways.  You get the jist of it.  The riffs are there.  Just feel
the music.
_________
"Any similarities between this transcription and the actual song is purely
coincidental"
+————————————————————————————————————————+—————————————————————————————————+
|  ____    ____                          |         [email protected]         |
| (    `——'  .—'               _T_T_T_T_ |  ___                 __         |
| |8| O  O  |||||||||||||||||||[o o o o/ | /     |   | |  /| |  |    /  |
| (__,——.____                 `~~~`——'  | |  ___ |   | | / | |——+.  /   |
|                                        | ____| |___| |    | |___|  |    |
|    Bassist for Division by Zero        |                                 |
|                                                                          |
|   Check out the Web Page! http://sfbox.vt.edu:10021/R/rconnell/band.html |
|                                                                          |
+————————————————————————————————————————+—————————————————————————————————+

About Rage Against The Machine

Rage Against the Machine is an American rap metal band formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California. They are notable for their innovative blend of alternative rock, punk rock, hip hop, heavy metal and funk as well as their leftist politics and lyrics. Rage Against the Machine drew inspiration from early heavy metal instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as Afrika Bambaataa, Public Enemy and Urban Dance Squad.

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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Rage Against The Machine — Freedom (ver 2) bass tabs