std tuning        Edit by 2nick3, thanks man
INTRO fairly long keyboards intro(shorter on album)

VERSE 1 no bass in first verse
    here,s to the babies in the brand new world
    here,s to the beauty of the stars
    here,s to the travellers on the open road
    here,s to the dreamers in the bars

VERSE 2

G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————7—7—————7—7—|—————7—7—————5———|—————7—7—————7—7—|—————7—7—————5———|
A |———7———————7—————|———7———————5—————|———7———————7—————|———7———————5—————|
E |—5———————5———————|—5———————3———————|—5———————5———————|—5———————3———————|
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————7—7—————7—7—|—————7—7—————5———|—————7—7—————7—7—|—————7—7—————7—7—|
A |———7———————7—————|———7———————5—————|———7———————7—————|———7———————7—————|
E |—5———————5———————|—5———————3———————|—5———————5———————|—5———————5———————|
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

chorus
*
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————7—7—————7—7—|—————7—7—————7—7—|
A |—————————————————|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|———7———————7—————|———7———————7—————|
E |—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|—5———————5———————|—5———————5———————|
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—————————————————|—————————————————|
E |—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|—5———————rest————|—————————————————|
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
FILL play half of verse
VERSE 2 as verse 1
CHORUS play twice. at end of all other chorus' don't play a and rest but carry on with riff as*
CHARLIES GUITAR BIT as one verse +
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————7—7—————7—7—|—————7—7——————7—|
A |—————————————————|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—————————————————|—————————————————|
E |—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————|—5—5—————5—5—————|—5—5—————5—5—————|
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 
VERSE 3 low volume

G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |——————7—7————7—7—|—————7—7—————5———|—————7—7—————7—7—|————7—7—————5————|
A |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
E |——5—5—————5—5————|—5—5—————3———————|—5—5—————5—5—————|—5—5————3————————|
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
VERSE 4 as verse 3
REPEAT CHORUS 3 TIMES FOR ENDING

About Simple Minds

Simple Minds, a rock band from Scotland, had its greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band, from the south side of Glasgow, produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s.

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! 🎸

Forum

Simple Minds — let the day begin bass tabs