Take Me To The River
Talking Heads
More Songs About Buildings and Food
Sire 6058—2
1978

standard tuning, key E minor

Intro      x2                   x5
G:||————————|————————||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
D:||————————|————————||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
A:||———R————|———R————||779710—97|—79710797||779710—97|—79710>9>|
E:||————————|————————||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
     Mute between first two E (7) notes and after first G (10)


Verse 1      x4
G:||—————————|—————————||————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|
D:||—————————|—————————||————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|
A:||779710—97|—79710797||3—3——333|————————|————————|77977797|77977797|
E:||—————————|—————————||————————|3—3——333|55755575|————————|————————|


Chorus       x5
G:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
D:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
A:||779710—97|—79710797||779710—97|—79710>9>|
E:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|


Verse 2      x4
G:||—————————|—————————||————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|
D:||—————————|—————————||————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|
A:||779710—97|—79710797||3—3——333|————————|————————|77977797|77977797|
E:||—————————|—————————||————————|3—3——333|55755575|————————|————————|


Chorus       x3
G:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
D:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
A:||779710—97|—79710797||779710—97|—79710>9>|
E:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|


Bridge (C# minor)
G:|—————4—6|————————|—————4—6|————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|
D:|————6———|—————5—7|————6———|—————5—7|————————|————————|————————|————————|
A:|4>——————|0>——7———|4>——————|0>——7———|00300030|00300030|00300030|00300030|
E:|————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|


Chorus Reprise   x7
G:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
D:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|
A:||779710—97|—79710797||779710—97|—79710>9>|
E:||—————————|—————————||—————————|—————————|


Verse 3      x4
G:||—————————|—————————||————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|
D:||—————————|—————————||————————|————————|————————|————————|————————|
A:||779710—97|—79710797||3—3——333|————————|————————|77977797|77977797|
E:||—————————|—————————||————————|3—3——333|55755575|————————|————————|


Chorus       x6
G:||—————————|—————————||
D:||—————————|—————————||
A:||779710—97|—79710797||
E:||—————————|—————————||


Outro        x4             x3
G:||—————————|—————————||—————————||—————————|————————|
D:||—————————|—————————||—————————||—————————|————————|
A:||779710—97|—79710797||779710!——||779710>——|9>——7>——|
E:||—————————|—————————||—————————||—————————|————————|



|| repeat between || as indicated
/ slide up
\ slide down
> let note ring
! full stop mute
R rest
h hammer on
p pull off
1. dotted note
11 fret one, twice
11 fret eleven
x ghost note

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! 🎸

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Talking Heads — Take Me to the River (ver 2) bass tabs