About Talking Heads

Talking Heads was an American rock band formed in 1974 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. Auxiliary musicians also frequently made appearances in concert and on the group's albums.

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! 🎸

Comments

LoudLon

6 years ago
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This is the wrong octave; it's all lower notes. Also, the tuning for the
recorded version is flat by about 1/4 step (halfway between E standard and
Eb). Tinker with it, you'll find it. The song is all the exact same riff
throughout, but with time changes at the end of each verse, chorus and bridge
to throw the tempo off. The open E you hear in the intro only appears that
one time and never occurs again:

Tabs:

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-0-5-5-r---------|-5-2-2-r---------|
...1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

After that, it becomes::

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-r-5-5-r---------|-5-2-2-r---------|
...1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

At the end of each verse, the last bar extends to 6/4:

G|-----------------|-------------------------|
D|-----------------|-------------------------|
A|-----------------|-------------------------|
E|-r-5-5-r---------|-5-2-2-r-----------5-5-r-|
...1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &

...which causes the chorus to come in a half measure late, which throws the
riff off, but you still play it exactly the same:

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-r-------5-2-2-r-|-r---------5-5-r-|
...1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

The last bar of the chorus extends to 6/4:

G|-------------------------|
D|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|
E|-r-------5-2-2-r---------|
...1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &

...then switches back to 4/4 for the verse, setting the riff back to its
original timing:

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-r-5-5-r---------|-5-2-2-r---------|
...1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

The bridge and outro are the same riff as well. There are a few down slides
here and there, all from the 12th fret of the D string. And that's pretty much
the entire song.

Jor-El

4 years, 5 months ago
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No offense but *hurls*

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