The Patient Bass Tabs - Tool @ BigBassTabs.com

The Patient
Lateralus
Tool
Bassist : Justin Chancellor


As with all tool songs this bad boy is drop D. Takes a lot of timeing,
and a few effects. Also a bit of patience.

The intro he has a little wah effect on. Play around with your tools
see what you can get. It sounds alright without anything anyways, so
best of luck.

G—————————————————5————|
D———————5———————————7——|
A—7h8—5———7—7h8—5——————|
D——————————————————————|

When it cuts out be ready quick to follow Adams lead. Let a note ring
out or play along, your choice.

G———————————————————————|
D———————————————————————|
A—0————3————5————0————7—|
D———————————————————————|

Now this part is slow and heavy, so get in the groove.

G———————————————————————————|
D———————————————————2———2———|
A———————0—————————3———0—————|
D—3—0—5———5—0—3—0———————————|

Back to following Adam along.

G———————————————————————|
D———————————————————————|
A—0————3————5————0————7—|
D———————————————————————|

And again, slow and heavy

G———————————————————————————|
D———————————————————2———2———|
A———————0—————————3———0—————|
D—3—0—5———5—0—3—0———————————|

Now this part is moderatly slow, till the 7878 part,
be sure to flow right back to an open note after it.

G——————————————————————————————|
D——————————————————————————————|
A——————————————————————————————|
D———0———3———0———5———7————7878——|

This part is hard to hear because it matches
the drums quite well. So be very careful and
throw this down over it:

G———————————————————————|
D———————————————————————|
A———————————5——3——5——0——|
D——7——55——0—————————————|

Your gonna have to be careful because this part 
flows in pretty seamlessly.
G—————————————————|
D—————————————————|
A—0—3———0———0——0——|
D—————5———5———5———|

Then back to this beat, remember to follow 
the drums.
G———————————————————————|
D———————————————————————|
A———————————5——3——5——0——|
D——7——55——0—————————————|

Again, just follow Adam's beat for this part
G———————————————————————|
D———————————————————————|
A—0————3————5————0————7—|
D———————————————————————|

Now the moment of peace comes. "I still may... and i still may"
Play harmonics at this point. Each harmonic is struk 4 times, then
be ready to change timeing like never before.
G———————————<5>————|
D—————<5>——————————|
A——<7>———<5>———————|
D——————————————————|

This rush is what feeds into the next part. Very quick now.
G———————————————————|
D——5———2————————————|
A————————3———0——————|
D——————————5———77———|

Now this part you play along with Adam, this time on the D
string, he's also gonna throw in small changes. Stay with
this main piece and DO NOT slow down, throw in improv if
your talented enough to keep pace and beat.
G————————————|
D————————————|
A————————————|
D—0—3—5—0—7——|

Now you'll notice the change come up that seems to be leading
somewhere.  This part is a breeze as long as you master when 
it starts.
D——————————————————————|
D——————————————————————|
A——————————————————————|
D—3—0—2—0—0—2—3—0—2—0——|

This is where "I must keep reminding myself of this"
comes in.  Continually play it, very rythmic, so don't
think it's easy.
G——————————————————————————————|
D——————————————————————————————|
A——————————————————————————————|
D——5h7—5h7—7——5h7—5h7—7—7——————|

Then end on
G————————————————————————————|
D————————————————————5———————|
A———————————————5h7————7—————|
D——5h7—5h7—7—7———————————————|

Flow naturally into this. Getting close now.
G————————————|
D————————————|
A————————————|
D—7—5—5—0—3——|

Now listen carefully and he switches it to:
G————————————————————————|
D————————————————————————|
A————————————————————————|
D—77—5—7—5—5—00—2—0—3—3——|

Then back to the first riff. Slow and heavy.
G———————————————————————————|
D———————————————————2———2———|
A———————0—————————3———0—————|
D—3—0—5———5—0—3—0———————————|

And voila! End on F (3rd fret on D string)

The Bodhi Bassist.

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 — The Patient bass tabs