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Van Morrison — Moondance (ver 2) bass tabs

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Moondance (Van Morrison)


Tabbed by vincesmyth

The song is different in every version,
but rotates round the following riff.

VERSE

G |———————————————————————————————————————————|
D |—(5)7—7—9———7—7—9———7—7—9—7—9—10—9—7—9—————|
A |——————————7———————7————————————————————7———|
E |———————————————————————————————————————————|
"well, it's a marvellous night for a moondance....."

and some variations....
G |————————10—/————————10—/———10—7———/—————————/——————————|
D |—7—9—10————/—7———10————/—7——————9—/—7—5—————/——————————|
A |———————————/———7———————/——————————/—————9—7—/———3—5—7——|
E |———————————/———————————/——————————/—————————/—5————————|

BRIDGE
x3
G ||——————————————————————||———————————————————|
D ||.———————5—7——7———————.||———————————————————|
A ||.—5—7—8————————0—2—3—.||—5—5—5—5——7—7—7—7——|
E ||——————————————————————||———————————————————|
"and all the night's magic"

CHORUS
x3
G ||——————————————————————5—7—||—————————————————7————|
D ||.———————————0———5—7—7————.||———————————0———5———7——|
A ||.—————0—0—3———7——————————.||—————0—0—3———7————————|
E ||——0—3—————————————————————||—0—3——————————————————|
"can I just have...."

try playing G ——————————9—8—7—|| instead the second time thru

during SOLO (very variable, here's one I use sometimes)

G |————————7—9—10—7—————————————14—12————12———|
D |—7—9—10——————————10—7—9—10—7———————14——————|
A |———————————————————————————————————————————|
E |———————————————————————————————————————————|

G |—14—12——————————————————————————————————|
D |———————14—12—10—9—7———7—9—10—7——————————|
A |————————————————————7——————————10—9—8———|
E |————————————————————————————————————————| leads into BRIDGE


STOP PRESS:::: a version was transcribed in BASSIST April 2000,
but using different fingering and something very odd in the BRIDGE
section. I haven't tried it out yet, but will probably stick to
what I know works.



Tablature player for this song:
Van Morrison - Moondance (ver 2) Bass Tab

About Van Morrison

Van Morrison, OBE (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a critically acclaimed Northern Irish singer and songwriter with a reputation for being stubborn and idiosyncratic. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely viewed as among the greatest ever made.

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! 🎸

Other versions of Moondance

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