Hello fellow emo bassists! This is my first tab that I have ever done, so please go easy 
if you don't mind. This is one of my favorite songs from my favorite band. I hope you enjoy 
playing this song as much as I enjoying tabing it for you. If you guys think I did a good 
job, I'll submit "Saddest Girl Story" too. And please rate me if thats not to much trouble.


The Starting Line
Hello Houston



Intro                                                      4th Time
G|————————————*——————————————————————————————————————————*————————————————————
D|————————————*——————————————————————————————————————————*————————————————————
A|———9———9————*——————————————————————44444—6—77777777—x3—*——4—6—7—9———————————
E|—7———7————7—*——7777—0000—2222—4444—————————————————————*————————————————————



Verse
G|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————x2———————————————————————| 
A|——————————————————————————44444—6—77777777——————————————————————————————————| 
E|———7777——0000——2222—4444————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 



Bridge 1 (Speak to me, what can I say...) 
G|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
D|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
A|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
E|——77777777—00000000—44444444—22222222—77777777—22222222—0——0————————————————| 



Chorus (Sweet Thing...) 
G|———————————————————————————————*————————————————————————————————————————————| 
D|———————————————————————————————*————————————————————————————————————————————| 
A|——2*——4*——————————————————x2———*———————3rdtime——————————————————————————————— 
E|—————————4*——00000000—22222222—*—————0—4—2——————————————————————————————————| 

*not to sure about the exact number of notes, just flow with it



Verse 2 (Leave me, the way it has to be...)
G|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————x2————————————————————————————| 
A|——————————————————————————44444—6—77777777——————————————————————————————————| 
E|———7777——0000——2222—4444————————————————————————————————————————————————————|



Bridge 2 (Everyday I compare your face...) 
G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 
E|——22222222—44444444—00000000——2222222—44444444—0—4—2—4—0—4—22222222————————


Then all that's left is the chorus and verse, you reapeat those. Not too hard
Any questions and/or comments don't hesitate to e—mail me at [email protected] 
or AIM with the same name.

About Starting Line

The Starting Line is an American pop punk band based from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that formed in 1999.

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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Starting Line — Hello Houston bass tabs