Song: The Gates of Rock and Roll
Artist: VAST
Bass Player: Thomas Froggat
Album: Music For People
Tabbed by: John Prather ([email protected])
Member of the Bass Tab Archive Tabbing Army ~
http://www.basstabarchive.com

As with any song the fingerings are a bit subjective, but the notes are
accurate (i.e. the G on the B string could also be played on the E). Feel 
free to experiment with other fingerings if they make you feel more 
comfortable, but I'm notating my best guess as to how they're played
by Thomas. Great feel on this song.

Fat ass bass tone for the verse:

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|————————————————1—1————/5——0—0—0—0—0———0——1——0————————————————|
B|——3—3—3—3—3———3—————3——————————————————————————————————————————| 

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|—10—10—10—10—10———10—8—8—8—8—8———8—7—7—7—7—7——7————————————————|
B|—————————————————————————————————————————————————8—8————8——————| 

One slight variation every other time through:

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|————————————————1—1————/5——0—0—0—0—0———12——13——12—————————————|
B|——3—3—3—3—3———3—————3——————————————————————————————————————————| 

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|—10—10—10—10—10———10—8—8—8—8—8———8—7—7—7—7—7——7————————————————|
B|—————————————————————————————————————————————————8—8————8——————| 

Bridge:

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|——3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3———————————————————8—8—8—8—8—7————————————————|
B|———————————————————3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3——————————————5——————————————| 

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|——3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3——1—1—1—1—0—0—0—0—————————————————————————————|
B|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 

Chorus/Heavy Riff:

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————0————————————————————————————0—————————|
E|—0—1—3—3——3———0—1—3—3—3———3—1——0—1—3—3——3——0—1—3—3—3———3—1—————|
B|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 

G|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|————————————————————————0————————————————————————————0—————————|
E|—0—1—3—3——3———0—1—3—3—3———3—1——0—1—3—3——3——0—1—3—3—3———3—1—0———|
B|———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————| 

Enjoy!

About Vast

VAST is an American alternative rock band based in Austin, Texas. The acronym VAST stands for Visual Audio Sensory Theater and is the main creation of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jon Crosby. The band is signed to 2blossoms, an independent record company created by Crosby himself.

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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Vast — The Gates Of Rock And Roll bass tabs