
Surfin' Bird is a cover of the Trashmen and the Cramps, recorded 
in less than two 
hours in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia during late January 
1996. It appears on
MOM, a compilation which is a benefit for the Surfrider Foundation. 
Very basic song 
with three chords. I think the bass follows the guitar except 
in the second riff.

the first riff played eight times is:
       E5          B5     E5        B5
e||———————————————————————————————————————————————||
B||———————————————————————————————————————————————||
G||—o——9—9——9—9————————————9————9———————————————o—||
D||—o——9—9——9—9————9—————9—9————9———9————9—9—9——o—||
A||————7—7——7—7————9—————9—7————7———9————9—9—9————||
E||————————————————7—————7——————————7————7—7—7————||
                                                  X8
G||———————————————————————————————————————————————||
D||—o———————————————————————————————————————————o—||
A||—o——7—7——7—7————————————7————7———————————————o—||
E||————————————————7—————7——————————7————7—7—7————||

      "Everybody's heard a—bout the bird ..."


the following riff isn't the same for guitar and bass:
   B5                              A5 
|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|——9———————————————————————————————7——————————————————————————————————|
|——9———————————————————————————————7——————————————————————————————————|
|——7———————————————————————————————5——————————————————————————————————|

|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
|——————————————6———7———6———————————————————————4———5——————————————————|
|——————6———9———————————————9———6———————4———7———————————7———4——————————|
|——7———————————————————————————————5——————————————————————————————————|

  "Don't you know about the bird,  everybody's heard about the bird."


The third is the same as the first
one, played twice, then a E5 chord that Daniel slides down.
      E5          B5     E5        B5               E5
||———————————————————————————————————————————————||————|
||———————————————————————————————————————————————||————|
||—o——9—9——9—9————————————9————9———————————————o—||—9\—|
||—o——9—9——9—9————9—————9—9————9———9————9—9—9——o—||—9\—|
||————7—7——7—7————9—————9—7————7———9————9—9—9————||—7\—|
||————————————————7—————7——————————7————7—7—7————||————|
                                                 X2
||———————————————————————————————————————————————||————|
||—o———————————————————————————————————————————o—||————|
||—o——7—7——7—7————————————7————7———————————————o—||—7\—|
||————————————————7—————7——————————7————7—7—7————||————|

Order:
Repeat four times these three riffs one after another, with 
a pause of four
beats between the first and second times for drums, then a pause 
of four
beats between the second and third times for singing, and finally 
a pause
of eight beats between the third and fourth times for drums.

About Silverchair

Silverchair is an Australian alternative rock band. The band formed as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1992, with their current lineup of vocalist and guitarist Daniel Johns, bass guitarist Chris Joannou, and drummer Ben Gillies. Silverchair has been highly successful in the Australian recording industry, receiving the industry's flagship awards, the ARIA Awards, a record 21 times. The band has also received six APRA Awards.

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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Silverchair — Surfin Bird bass tabs