Rage against the Machine — Freedom
tabbed by Dennis Drgemller
Member of the Bass Tab Archive Tabbing Army

I learned the song from the tab done by Zero, so I have to credit him. 
This is a correction of his tab, which already had a lot of mistakes in 
it. I also added rythem, where I was able to do it. I'm very sure,
that this is pretty close. This is a very powerful, cool song, play 
it loud or don't play it at all! Play with CD to get the feeling...

Drop—D Tuning

Riff 1 (Chorus/Solo)
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|—5———————3———————————5———5———————5———————3———————————5———————————|
D|———0—3—5—————5—3—5—3—————————0—3———0—3—5—————5—3—5—3—————————————|
   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Riff 1 Variation (Chorus/Solo)
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————5—4—3———————|
A|—5———————3———————————5———5———————5———————3—————————————————5—4—3—|
D|———0—3—5—————5—3—5—3—————————0—3———0—3—5—————5—3—5—3—————————————|
   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Riff 2 (Verse)
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—0———0—————————0—0———0———————————|
   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Riff 3 (Bridge)
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—5—————5—5—5—3—5———|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
  
Riff 3 Variation1
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|
D|—————————————————————————————————|

Riff 3 Variation2
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—5—————5~~—————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|

I'm not very sure about the rythem of this Riff, it goes kinda fast, 
take the CD to get the tempo!

Riff 4 (Interlude)
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———3~~———|
   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 

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———3~~———|
   3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Riff 5 (Outro)
G|—————————————————|
D|—————————————————|
A|—————————0—3—4—5—|
D|—0—3—5—6—————————|
   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 

The Guitar plays 4 times very silent, then the bass enters

End
G|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|
A|—————————0—3—4—5~~——5—5—5—5—5——5~~—|
D|—0—3—5—6———————————————————————————|
   


Explination

|—3~~—| : Let note ring

System:

Riff 1       1x  
Riff 1 Var.  1x  Chorus
Riff 1       2x   
                 
Riff 2       4x  Verse
                 
Riff 1       1x  
Riff 1 Var.  1x  Chorus 
Riff 1       2x  
                  
Riff 2      11x  Verse
Rest             
                 
Riff 3      12x  Bridge 
                 
Riff 1       1x   
Riff 1 Var.  1x  Solo
Riff 1       2x   
                 
Riff 4       2x  Interlude
Rest             
                  
Riff 2      12x  Verse
Rest

Riff 3       7x  
Riff 3 Var.1 1x  Bridge
Riff 3       7x
Riff 3 Var.2 1x
Rest 

Riff 5       28x  Outro
End           1x  End

Comments etc. to [email protected] 

E—Bass rulez! Rock on Guys 'n' Girlz!

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 3) bass tabs