tabbed by whatisititisit
victor wooten
imagine this
[email protected]

Key: x      = ghost note
      or / = slide
     (7)    = quiet note, or optional note added in variations
         = harmonic

Introduction. Starts with open bottom D string, and play some harmonics if 
you like, then:

(Slowly, with vibrato)
G———————————————————————————————————————————————
D————————————————————/9————7—5——————————————————
A—5————7——9———7—5—7——————————————9—7—5——————————
D—————————————————————————————————————————(7)———



Main riff. Comes lots of times. Initially keep the notes short.

 1  2   3   4     1  2   3   4      1  2   3   4     1  2   3   4       
G————————————————|—————————————————|————————————————|———————————————|
D————————————————|—————————————————|————————————————|———————————————|
A———————2————————|————————————————5|———————2————————|———————————————|
D———4—4—————2———7|———0—0—5———7—————|———4—4—————2———7|———0—0—5—5——2—0|

As the song progresses the notes tend to get longer and more legato.
Also the riff gains some variations e.g.

Timing similar to above
G——————————————————————|———————————————(7)|————————————————|————————————————————|
D——————————————————————|——————————————————|————————————————|————————————————————|
A—————————2—2——————————|———————————————5—5|——————2—2———————|———————————————(5)——|
D——(0)4—4—————2———7(7)7|——x4—4—5—5—7——————|——4—4——————2———7|——4—4—5—5x4—2—0——(0)|

The last bar especially can be all sorts of random notes as long as they end on 
a bottom D. It's surprising what you can get away with.



Other riff. This happens 3 times. The ending of the main riff is slightly modified,
e.g.

   1 2  3   4    1 2   3  4
G—|—————————————|————————————|
D—|—————————————|————————————|
A—|—————2———————|————————————|
D—|——4—4————2——7|——4———5——7——|

And then (long notes):
  
  1 2 3 4   1 2 3  4    1 2 3 4    1 2 3  4   1  2  3  4  1  2 3  4 
G——————————|———————————|——————————|——————————|———————————|————————————|
D——————————|———————————|——————————|——————————|———————————|————————————|
A—2———4———5|————7——5———|—————————2|——————————|———————————|—————3——4——5|
D——————————|——————————5|————7—————|————2——4——|—5————6——2—|—7——————————|

The third time it is more interesting, e.g.

  1 2 3 4    1 2   3  4     1 2     3 4    1 2 3  4   1  2  3  4  1  2 3  4 
G———————————|——————————————|——————————————|——————————|———————————|————————————|
D———————————|—————45—4—————|——————————————|——————————|———————————|————————————|
A—2———4—/7—5|———57————7—5——|—————————————2|——————————|———————————|—————3——4——5|
D———————————|—————————————5|———5—x5—7—2———|————2——4——|—5————6——2—|—7——————————|



Middle, calmer, section (happens after the other riff plays for the third time):
(Note: This is the bassline. The other bass track plays a virtuosic melody 
improvisation. I can't write that sort of stuff down!). You can work out the timings
yourself.

G————————————————————————————————————————————————————3—————————————————————
D——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A—————————————2————————————————3——3—1——————————————1————2———3———6—7—8——————
D—0———5———4————————5———2———0———————3———2———4———3———————————————————————————



Followed by a main riff in F rather than D:

Timings as before
G—————————————————|———————————————|———————————————|————————————————|
D—————————————————|——————————————3|———————————————|————————————————|
A——————5———————3x3|——————1———3————|——————5———————3|————————————————|
D—x7—7————x5——————|——3—3——————————|——7—7—————5————|——7—7—88887—5——3|

and again, going back to D (more funky than this in fact):

G—————————————————|———————————————|———————————————|————————————————|
D—————————————————|——————————————3|———————————————|————————————————|
A——————5———————3x3|——————1———3————|——————5———————3|————————————————|
D—x7—7————x5——————|——3—3——————————|——7—7—————5————|——7—7—5—5—4—2——0|




Finish with a few jazzed—up repetitions of the main riff in the original key,
replacing the last bar of the last repetition by:

 1   2    3    4   1  2  ....  last few harmonics     
G—————————————————————————————————————————————————
D—9—7————————————————————————————————
A————10975—4—7————————————————————————————————————
D——————————————7——5——4——0—————————————————————————

About Victor Wooten

Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American solo bassist, composer and author.

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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Victor Wooten — Imagine This bass tabs