0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Sisters Of Mercy — Body Electric bass tabs



"Body Elecric" by The Sisters of Mercy (from the album "Some Girls Wander by Mistake")
==========================================================================================

transcribed by James A Tucker


Tune guitar a semitone up from normal
(or use a CAPO on first fret —JMcD)

Intro & Verses
==============
There's several different ways of playing this, I'll put them all in.
Get the rhythm off the record.

e———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
B———————————————————————————————————OR——————————————————————OR——————————————
G————————————————————2——2—2———2——2——————————————————————————————————————————
D—0—0—0—0xloads—2—2—————————————————————————————————7——7——————0loads——————7—etc
A———————————————————0——0————0———0——————5xloads—7—7—0—0——etc——————————7—7—0——
E———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

In the verses the bass thuds out;

G
D
A —00—33—00—33————————————————————
E in appropriate timing


Chorus
======
Guitar:
e————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
B—————11——————————————13——————————————10—————————————————————————————————
G—————10——————————————12——————————————9——————————————————————————————————
D—————8———————————————10——————————————7——————————————————————————————————
A————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Bass:
G
D
A—————1——0—1——0—1—0———3——1—3——1—3—1———0——
E

The Guitar plays really distorted stuff for the last bit of the song, you'll
have to work out what sounds good yourself!

Excellent bass riff
===================
G
D
A
E—00—33—22—11——00—55—44—33——00—77—66—55—44—33—22—11—————————————————————






Tablature player for this song:
Sisters Of Mercy - Body Electric Bass Tab

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! 🎸

Comments

No comments for this song yet. Go ahead and write something!

Post a comment