Why Bass Tabs - Satriani Joe @ BigBassTabs.com

Why —  Joe Satriani
  From "The Extremist"
By Jamie Miller
[email protected]
This is my first bass tab
so i'm not too sure about it....Hope it is correct



||——r——9—————9——r—————9—————r—————12——r5——r——5——r——5——r——7——||——||—————
||——e———————————e———————————e—————————e————e—————e—————e—————||——||—————
||——s———————————s———————————s—————————s————s—————s—————s—————||——||—————
||——t———————————t———————————t—————————t————t—————t—————t—————||——||—————
       This pops up in the introduction...


——————————————————||————————————————————————————————————————————————————
——————————————————||————————————————————————————————————————————————————
7——7——7——7——7——7——||————————————————————————————————————————————————————
——————————————————||————————————————————————————————————————————————————
These notes are harmonics


||—————————9—————9—————9/12——|——————12———————5—————5—————7——||——————————
||*——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————||——————————
||*——7——7—————7—————7————————|——10——103——3—————5—————5—————||——————————
||———————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————||——————————
                 The main riff


—————————————————————|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
0——3——0——5——0——6——7——|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
The blues bit

The next bit is played by the lead guitar
but I find it cool to play along with it. Learn the sequence
and you'll know where it is in the song.


————12——14——14/16——16——————12——14/16——14——14——————12——14——14/16——16—————
14—————————————————————14—————————————————————14————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————



17——16——1412——14——14——||———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————||———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————||———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————||———————————————————————————————————————————————


This is a pretty damn good song in whole
but the bass is too cool. It's tricky to get the right sound
but with time and practice
it will sound right. I find playing the upper—octave notes palm—muted
in a kind of "pinched—harmonic" style gives that right sound...

Hope this helps someone; like I said
I looked for this tab
but couldn't find it
so finally resorted to trying to work it out for myself. It's my first
tab
so is probably totally wrong ;)



========================================================================
==                       TABLATURE EXPLANATION                        ==
========================================================================

——————————                ——————————                ————t———
————5h8——— Hammeron       ————(8)——— Ghost          ————6——— Tap
——————————                —————————— Note           ————————
————5p8——— Pulloff        ——————————                ————————

——————————                ——————————                —————p——
————5/8——— Slide Up       —————x———— Dead           —————7—— Pop
——————————                —————————— Note           ——s—————
————58——— Slide Down     ——————————                ——5————— Slap

——————————                ||——————|| Repeat         ————————
————5~~~—— Vibrato        ||*————*||                ———5^——— Bend
——————————                ||*————*||                ————————
——————————                ||——————||                ————————

——————————                ——————————                ————————
—4:——————— Time           ——————————                ————————
—4:——————— Signature      ——————————                ————————
——————————                ——————————                ————————

Rhythm:
  w = whole note            W = dotted whole
  h = half note             H = dotted half
  q = quarter note          Q = dotted quarter
  e = eighth note           E = dotted eighth
  s = sixteenth note        S = dotted sixteenth
  t = 32nd note             T = dotted 32nd
  x = 64th note             X = dotted 64th
  ^ = triplet

========================================================================
==               Created with BUCKET O' TAB for Windows               ==
==                  For more info email [email protected]                   ==
========================================================================


Taken from bigbasstabs.com —

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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Satriani Joe — Why bass tabs