"Head over Heels" by
Tears for Fears

Another *original* tab done by
Todd Cathey on '93 Modulus 4—string
questions & comments to [email protected]

Did this one as I played it in a band several
years ago and have yet to see a correct version.
There's a few little twists he throws in but
these are easily noted as you play along —
mostly some nice syncopated rhythms that the
whole band does (ex. at beginning of 2nd verse).


Intro:
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|——3————5————3————5———————————————————————————||
E|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
Sounds much better with drop—D or 5—string for
that 'D' note.


Verse:
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|——————————————————————7—9—————————5—7————————||
A|—————————————7—5——/10—————10—(7)7————————————||
E|——5—7(5)—/10—————5———————————————————————————||

G|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
A|—————————————7—5——/10—9—77—5—————————————————||
E|——5—7(5)—/10—————5———————————————————————————||


Chorus:
G|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|————5—5—4—2——————————————————————————————————||
A|————————————2————————————5—7—————————————————||
E|——3———————————0——1—3—5—7—————————————————————||

G|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|————5—5—4—2——————————————————————————————————||
A|————————————2————————————————————————————————||
E|——3———————————0——1—3—5—7—————————————————————||

G|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|————5—5—4—2——————————————————————————————————||
A|————————————2————————————5—7—————————————————||
E|——3———————————0——1—3—5—7—————————————————————||

G|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
D|————5—5—4—2——————————————————————————————————||
A|————————————2————————————5—7—5———————————————||
E|——3———————————0——1—3—5—7—————————————————————||

Verse II

Chorus II

Refrain:

G|————12—11—9———12—11—9———12—11—9———12—11—9————||
D|——————————————————————0—————————0————————————||
A|—————————————————————————————————————————————||
E|——8—————————8————————————————————————————————||
Again, this last section which ends the song
sounds much better with a low 'D' either with
a drop—D tuner or 5 string (I prefer a Hipshot
D—tuner for this, just drop it down after the
2nd chorus to get that nice low 'D')

About Tears For Fears

Tears for Fears are an English pop rock duo formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.

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! 🎸

Forum

Tears For Fears — Head Over Heels bass tabs