Gangsters (Ver 2) Bass Tabs - Specials @ BigBassTabs.com

From: Winston Campbell 
Subject: *GANGSTERS* by The Specials

I was looking in the guitar archives for some Specials songs I could play and
learn but to my dissatisfaction (I do not know if that is the right word I
should use) I could not find any Specials songs.  So I decided to try to
figure out one and transcribe it and send it to the archive at Nevada. Well
here is the bass line and chords for The Specials 1979 UK hit, —Gangsters—.
My friend veronica figured out some of the bass parts (I should give 
credit,of course, her email address is [email protected]) and I figured
out the rest of the bass and guitar line.  The way how to play the guitar
line (as in most ska songs) is to mute the downstroke and play staccato the
upstroke and repeat.  (That is you play downstroke first then upstroke).  I
have not written down the lyrics because frankly, I cannot understand most of
the words the lead singer is singing.  But here goes the bassline thingy. 


The verses are the following:


 (Intro)                           Am          G#          Am (played 2x)

G ———————————————————————————————|—————————————————————————————————————————
D ———————————————————————————————|———————2———————————1———————————————2—2—2—
A ———————————————————————————————|—0——3—————3—————3—————3——0——3——0—————————
E —5——3——0——3——5—5——5—3—3——0——3——|—————————————4———————————————————————————


The first chorus is:


   D               C                 Em

G —————————————————————————————————|——————————7———5———3———2—|
D —————————————————————————————————|—2——————————————————————|
A —5———————————————3———————————————|————————7———5———3———2———|
E —————5—5—5—5—5—5—————3—3—3—3—3—3—|————————————————————————|


The song goes to another verse then the second chorus is:


   C               G                 Em

G —————————————————————————————————|——————————7———5———3———2—|
D —————————————————————————————————|—2——————————————————————|
A —3———————————————————5—5—5—5—5—5—|————————7———5———3———2———|
E —————3—3—3—3—3—3—3———————————————|—0——————————————————————|


Then the song goes back to the intro riff.  The bassline for the solo 
follows:

   Am    G#    Em                Am          Em                 Am    G#

G ———————————————7———5———3———2—|———————————————7———5———3————2—|———————————
D —————————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————|———————————
A —0——3—————3——7———5———3———2———|—0——3——0——3——7———5———3———2————|—0——3——————
E ———————4—————————————————————|——————————————————————————————|———————4———


      Em                D               C                 Em

G ——————7———5———3———2—|—————————————————————————————————|———7———5———3———2—
D ————————————————————|—————————————————————————————————|—————————————————
A —3——7———5———3———2———|—5———————————————3———————————————|—7———5———3———2———
E ————————————————————|—————5—5—5—5—5—5—————3—3—3—3—3—3—|—————————————————


I will try to attempt to transcribe the guitar solo:


E ——————————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————|
B —5————————————5—6—5———————————|—5————————————5—6—5———————————|
G —————8——5——8————————8—5—4—2—0—|—————8——5——8————————8—5—4—2—0—|
D ——————————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————|
A ——————————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————|
E ——————————————————————————————|——————————————————————————————|


E ——————————————————————————————|—5——5—5—5——5——5—7——7—7—7——7——7—|
B —5————————————5—6—5———————————|———————————————————————————————|
G —————8——5——8————————8—5—4—2—0—|———————————————————————————————|
D ——————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————|
A ——————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————|
E ——————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————|


E —12——12—12—12—12—12—12—12———12——12—12—12——|
B ——————————————————————————————————————————|
G ——————————————————————————————————————————|
D ——————————————————————————————————————————|
A ——————————————————————————————————————————|
E ——————————————————————————————————————————|


After that, there is yet another verse and the second chorus.  Then there
is sort of like a bridge section which just plays Am to G# once in
measure, then the second chorus is played again.  At the end of the
song the intro bass line plays with an A chord played over it and
that is it.


The Chords Played are:

     E A D G B E
     ———————————
Am   x x 7 5 5 5
G#   x x 6 5 4 4
D    x x x 2 3 2
C    x 3 5 5 5 x
Em   x 7 9 9 8 x
G    x x 5 4 3 3
A    x x 7 6 5 5


Now I know I might have made errors in transcribing this song, so if you have
and corrections or comments, I would appreciate it if you would email
me at [email protected]  Thank you for your consideration.

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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Specials — Gangsters (ver 2) bass tabs