Parabol 1 Bass Tabs - Tool @ BigBassTabs.com


Artist: Tool
Song Title: Parabol 1
Tuning: Drop D (D—A—D—G)

Intro x8
g———————————————————————————————————
d—0—h2——2——2——3——p2——2——5——p2——2——0—
a———————————————————————————————————
d———————————————————————————————————

verse figure x8 octave lower than intro
g————————————————————————
d————————————————————————
a————————————————————————
d—3—/5——5——5——6——p5——5——3

bridge figure x3
g—————————————————————————————————————————
d—————————————————————————————————————————
a—————————————————————————————————————————
d——8——8——8—/10——10——10———5——5——5—/7——7——7—

bridge ending figure x1
g————————————————————————————————————————
d————————————————————————————————————————
a————————————————————————————————————————
d——8——8——8—/10——10——10——5——5—/10——8——7p8—

play intro x7 then play this x1
g————————————————
d—0—h2——0—h2—————2
a—————————————————
d—————————————————

play this figure x3
g——————————————————————
d——————————————————————
a——————————————————————
d——3——3——3—/5——3—/5——7—

play this x1
g—————————————
d—————————————
a—————————————
d——3——3——3—/5——

then do this figure x8
g———————————————————
d———————————————————
a———————————————————
d——3—/5——6—p5——8\——3

then repeat everything from the bridge figure onward, then play this figure 
g———————————————————————7
d——4——5——4——7——4——5——4——— X4
a————————————————————————
d————————————————————————

then play this figure x8
g——————————————————————
d——————————————————————
a——————————————————————
d——5—————3——/10————8——0

play this interlude figure x4
g———————————————————————————————
d—————————0—————————————————————
a————5——3————————————————3——————
d——5—————————3—————5——3—————0——3

then do this figure x1
g—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
d——2——0———————————————————2——0————————————————————————
a————————3——2—0——————————————————3——2——0————————5——3——
d————————————————3——3——3———————————————————3——5———————

g—————————————————————————————————————————————
d—2——0————————————————————2——0————————————————
a——————3——2——0———————————————————3——2——0——————
d————————————————3——3——3——————————————————3——5

then play this figure x2
g—————————————————————————
d—0h2——0h2——0h2——0h2p0———
a————————————————————————3
d—————————————————————————

play the interlude figure from a few bars up then play this x1
g—————————————————————————————————————————————
d—————————————————————————————————————————————
a——————————5—h7——10h12p10———————5—h7——10h12p10
d——3—h5————————————————————3—h5———————————————

g—————————————————————————————————————————————————
d—————————————————————————————————————————————————
a———————5—h7—10h12p10————————5—h7—10h12——5h7p5————
d——3—h5—————————————————3—h5—————————————————————3

then to finish it off play this figure x2
g——————————————————————————————————————
d——————————————————————————————————————
a——————————————————————————————————————
d——3—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5——3—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5

tabbed by Garrey
adamsgarrey@gmail.com

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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Tool — Parabol 1 bass tabs