Born To Be Wild (Ver 3) Bass Tabs - Steppenwolf @ BigBassTabs.com

Title:      Born to be wild
Artist:     Steppenwolf
Tabbed by:  Stephane Lapointe ([email protected])
Date:       July 2003

It's a great song to play but it's not easy
to get the right timing for the first part of the verse.

This tab is based on the one published by "Ba$$ Lizard"
but with significant changes.
The timing should make sense (and will certainly help) but may not be perfect.

Thanks to email any corrections, improvements or comments
to [email protected]
Also, feel free to tell me if you like this tab.


INTRODUCTION
============
The fist hammer is not heavy; it's much more like the start
of the slide up which is quick.

G|————————————————
D|————————————————   3 times, then
A|0—h25———p0—h7——
E|————————————————

Again, the slide up is quick

    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|79———7———9—7—————|
D|  ——————9—————————|
A|  ——————————————5—|
E|  ————————————7———|

VERSE
=====
Watch timing and muted notes which are indicated with an "x".

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|———————————————5|————————————————|————————————————|
A|7———x—7———x———5—|7———x—7—x——75—5—|7———x—7———x———5—|7———x—7—x——75———|
E|————————————7———|—————————————7——|————————————7———|—————————————753|

The same thing as above but the last note is different.

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|———————————————5|————————————————|————————————————|
A|7———x—7———x———5—|7———x—7—x——75—5—|7———x—7———x———5—|7———x—7—x——75———|
E|————————————7———|—————————————7——|————————————7———|—————————————750|


  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|————9—9—7———————|
D|————————————————|——9———————9—7———|   3 times, then
A|————————0—————0—|7———————————————|
E|3—————3—————————|——————————————0—|

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

BRIDGE: Before second verse only
======
Pointed notes are slightly muted.

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|
D|————————————————|
A|7———————————5.——|
E|——————————7.——7.|

VERSE
=====

PRE—CHORUS
==========
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
A|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
E|0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|

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

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|   Some quiet notes
A|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|   are not tabbed here
E|3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|0———————————————|————————————————|   in the last bar

CHORUS
======
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|   4 times
A|7———————————————|5———————————————|
E|————————————————|————————————————|

SOLO
====
Start by playing twice the first four bars of the verse then play

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|————————————————|   This bar slightly differ from the song track
D|————————————————|   
A|7—7—7—7—7—————5—|   3 times, then
E|——————————5h7———|

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|——————————————7—|
D|——————————7h9———|
A|7—7—7—7—7———————|
E|————————————————|

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|9—9—9—9—9—————7—|
D|——————————7h9———|   4 times, then
A|————————————————|
E|————————————————|

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|9—9—9—9—9—9—9—9—|
D|————————————————|   4 times, then
A|————————————————|
E|————————————————|

  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G|9/——————————————|
D|————————————————|
A|————————————————|
E|————————————————|

VERSE
=====

PRE—CHORUS
==========

CHORUS
======

OUTRO: Different from the song track
=====
G|79—————7———————|————7—9—7———————|————————————————|——————————————7—|
D|——————7—————9———|7—9———————9—7—9—|————————————————|——————————7h9———|
A|————————————————|————————————————|7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—|7—7—7—7—7———————|
E|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|————————————————|

G|9———————7———————|————7—9—7———————|
D|——————7—————9———|7—9———————9—7—9—|
A|————————————————|————————————————|
E|————————————————|————————————————|

G|————————————————|————————————————|
D|————————————————|————————————————|   Fade—out
A|7—7—7—7—7—7—7—7—|7—7—————————5—6—|
E|————————————————|————0h35h7—————|

That's it ... Enjoy!!

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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Steppenwolf — Born To Be Wild (ver 3) bass tabs