Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) Bass Tabs

Shakira — Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)

Verse

"You're a good soldier, Choosing your battles"
"Pick yourself up and dust yourself off, Get back in the saddle"
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—5—5—5—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————|
E|—————————————————————————3—3—3—3—| 

"You're on the front line, everyone's watching"
"You know it's serious, We're getting closer, This isn't over"
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—5—5—5—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————|
E|—————————————————————————3—3—3—3—| 

"The pressure's on; you feel it"
"But you got it all; believe it"
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—5—5—5—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————|
E|—————————————————————————3—3—3—3—| 

Pre—Chorus

"When you fall, get up, oh oh, And if you fall, get up, eh eh"
"Tsamina mina sangalewa, porqué esto es África"
G|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—5—5—0—000—0—0—2—222—2—222———|
E|—————————————————————————————————3—|

Chorus

"Tsamina mina eh, eh, Waka Waka eh, eh
Tsamina mina sangalewa, This time for África"
G|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—5—5—0—000—0—0—2—222—2—222———|
E|—————————————————————————————————3—| x2

Verse 2

"Listen to your god, This is our motto"
"Your time to shine, Don't wait in line, Y vamos por todo"
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—5—5—5—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————|
E|—————————————————————————3—3—3—3—| 

"People are raising, Their expectations"
"Go on and feel it, This is your moment,No hesitation"
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—5—5—5—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————|
E|—————————————————————————3—3—3—3—| 

"Today's your day; I feel it"
"You paved the way, believe it"
G|—————————————————|
D|—————————————————|
A|—5—5—0—0—2—2—————|
E|—————————————3—3—| 

Pre—Chorus

"If you get down, get up oh, oh When you get down, get up eh, eh"
"Tsamina mina sangalewa, This time for Africa"
G|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—5—5—0—000—0—0—2—222—2—222———|
E|—————————————————————————————————3—|

Chorus

"Tsamina mina eh, eh Waka waka eh, eh"
"Tsamina mina sangalewa, Anawa aa"
G|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—5—5—0—000—0—0—2—222—2—222———|
E|—————————————————————————————————3—|

Bridge

"Tsamina mina eh eh"..."Tsamina mina"..."Tsamina mina eh eh"
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—5—5—5—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————|
E|—————————————————————————3—3—3—3—|

Chorus

"Tsamina mina eh, eh, Waka Waka eh, eh
Tsamina mina sangalewa, This time for Africa"
G|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—5—5—0—000—0—0—2—222—2—222———|
E|—————————————————————————————————3—| x2

"Tongo eh, eh Tongo eh, eh"
"Tsamina mina sangalewa, anawa ah ah"
G|———————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—555—5—5—0—000—0—0—2—222—2—222———|
E|—————————————————————————————————3—| x2

Outro

"This time for Africa", "This time for Africa"
G|—————————————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————————|
A|—5—5—5—5—0—0—0—0—2—2—2—2—————————|
E|—————————————————————————3—3—3—3—|



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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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Shakira — Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) bass tabs