Artist: Skinny Puppy
Song: Testure
Album: VIVIsect VI
Transcriber: [email protected]

Synth bass arranged for 4—string electric bass

Synth intro for bass
G|————————————————————————————————————| I've left the repeats out, 
obviously,
D|——17—15—14—15—14—12—17—19—14—15—12——| cos it's a real pain in the ass 
to do
A|————————————————————————————————————| it and it won't look right, but 
these
E|————————————————————————————————————| are the notes anyway.

Synth intro for guitar
e|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
B|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
G|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|——555555555—33333333—22222222—33322200—55555555—33333333—77777777—33322200——|
A|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

Most of song
G|—————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————|
A|——10—10—10——8—8——88——|
E|—————————————————————|
Variation near the end of the song
G|—————————————————————|———————————————|
D|—————————————————————|———————8———————|
A|——10—10—10——8—8——88——|—10—10————88—8—|
E|—————————————————————|———————————————|

G|——————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————8—————|
A|—————8—10———10—8—10———10——|
E|——10——————————————————————|

G|—————————————————————| 
D|—————————————————————|
A|——10——88—8—————8—10——|
E|————————————10———————|

G|————————————————————————————|—————————————————————————|
D|————————————————————————————|—————————————————————————|
A|——10—10———8—8———————8———————|—————————————————————————|
E|———————————————8—10—————————|——10—1010—10—8—88—8——————|
                        "force the point of habiteyes burn in a rabbit"

G|—————————————————————————————————| this part comes in a little before 
the
D|—————————————————————————————————| "I hope you make sure we're 
properly dead
A|—————————————————————————8—10————| before you start old rip—beak!" 
sample.
E|——10—1010—10—8—88——8——10—————————| the last four notes are accented.
                     ^   ^ ^  ^
if the fret numbers are closer to each other it means 16th notes, 
usually.

Corrections welcome as long as they're not along the lines of "you're 
stupid,
that's not how you play the song!" — this is a synth song. Yes, I know 
that.
This is more or less what I play when I play along to it. You can hear 
the 
changes pretty easily. It sounds better if you run it through some 
effects
(mutron bi—phase and some reverb make it sound pretty good. Playing with 
a 
pick is recommended for the staccato sound that the synths in the song 
have.
If I get some requests I'll get the guitarist in my band to teach me how
he plays the melody synth parts and post it.

—pig.


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About Skinny Puppy

Skinny Puppy is a Canadian post-industrial band, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial subgenre.

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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Skinny Puppy — Testure bass tabs