Artist: Stabbing Westward
Song: So Far Away
Album: Stabbing Westward

Tabbed for bass by Vraptor7

( 28/10/01 )
Note: The tab has seen a major overhaul after repeated viewings of
Jim playing it on videos; I've spotted a few mistakes in the first
try and made it slightly easier to play.


Following is the tablature transcribed almost exactly as heard
;). Obviously some notes will need to be played more than once or
held for some counts, depending on how you play. Listen hard to
the song and follow the tab.


1). INTRO/VERSE (x 12) :

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A|———0———10———0———5———0———3———0———0———5———0———3———5———0——
E|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

2). CHORUS :

|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
|———————————3———————————————————————5——————————————
|———1———1———————1———1———1———3———3———————3———3———3——

+ (VERSE x 2)

|—————
|—————
|———0—
|————— (hold for eight counts)

3). VERSE (x 12)

4). CHORUS

5). SOLO :

|——————————————————————————————————————————————
|———————————————5———————7——————————————————————
|———0———0———7———————0——————————————————————————
|———————————————————————————1———1———1———3———0——

|——————————————
|———————5——————
|———7———————5——
|——————————————

(x 2)

|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
|———————————————————————————————————————————————5——
|———————————————5———————————5———7———————5———7——————
|———5———7———8———————7———8———————————8——————————————

|——————————————————————————————
|——————————————————————————————
|———5———5———3———5———3———2——————
|———————————————————————————4——

|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
|———————————————————————————————————————————————5——
|———————————————5———————————5———7———————5———7——————
|———5———7———8———————7———8———————————8——————————————

|——————————————————————————
|———7———5———————7———5——————
|———————————7———————————7——
|——————————————————————————

6). CHORUS (x 2)

Which concludes the song.


There! A great song, finally tabbed ;).

I've been quite surprised at the lack of SW tabs available
on the net in comparison with their age and amount of songs, and was
disappointed that no one had done this one before now. Having had the
desire to perform this song I've had a go at tabbing the single
myself.
My being a self taught bassist and still at a very early
stage, there are bound to be places where I am wrong; this is my best
effort, but if you can see anything you disagree with please drop me
a line without delay.

Enjoy,

Nabeel Burney
aka Vraptor7
[email protected]
http://www24.brinkster.com/vraptor/

About Stabbing Westward

Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s.

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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Stabbing Westward — So Far Away bass tabs