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Vanessa Carlton — Paint It Black bass tabs



This is originally by the Rolling Stones, but Vanessa Carlton has put her own mark on 
this classic.

Intro
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E——5~——————5——————5——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Bend to get that cool hippyish sound before the drums come in.

Verse
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D—————7————————7———————7———————7———————2———————2———————2———————2—————
A———————5——7—————5—7—————5—7—————5—7—————0—2—————0—2—————0—2—————0—2—
E———5————————5———————5———————5———————0———————0———————0———————0———————
On the "I see a red door..." part

Chorus
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A—————————3——5—7—5—7———————5—7—5—7———————————————————————————————————
E————5——3—————————————5——3———————————————————————————————————————————
On the "I see the girls walk by..." part

Alternate Verse
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A————————————————————————————————————5—7—7—7—5—7—7—7—5—7—7—7—5—7—7—7—
E————5—3—3—3—5—3—3—3—5—3—3—3—5—3—3—3—————————————————————————————————
On the "I wanna see it painted, painted.." part

Interlude
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D———7~———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Just before the "No more than my green sea..." part. Again, bend that A to get that trippyish
sound. The following interlude is devoid of bass.

That's the jigsaw. All the parts are there. You just have to fit them into the right order.
Good luck! And happy playing. It's quite easy actually. I think it's right. It sounds
right anyway. Let me know if I've made any mistakes.

Tablature player for this song:
Vanessa Carlton - Paint It Black Bass Tab

About Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is best known for the single "A Thousand Miles" from her debut album, Be Not Nobody.

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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