
Victor Wooten — What did he say?

What did he say?
Victor Wooten
tabbed by Phil ([email protected])
Ok, here's the deal, Vic recorded the album 'what did he say?' 
by himself
for the most part (with guest musicians for drums and what not) 
and if
you will notice, there's more than one bass in there, but he's 
the only
person playing the bass in all the songs. he recorded several tracks
over each other, but it's still just him, thus, not all the song 
is here,
but this is the main part; you can play this and it will still sound 
good.
The verse parts are not 100% accurate, but those are the notes 
he uses,
if you improvise, it sounds just as good and hey, it's almost 
like jamming
with Victor :) Note: the slaps and pops: you can slap/pop them 
or just
pluck with your fingers, it's up to you.

For the most part, this is accurate.
+ = slap
— = pop
/ = upslide
\ = downslide
^ = bend
h = hammer—on
p = pull off (?: reverse hammer—on)
x = muted note

    Intro             Verse (improvise! each one is different)
G|——————————————————|——————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————————|——————6—6—6h8—6—8p6———————————|
A|——————————————————|——————————————————————————————|
E|—0—1—2—4—5—6—7—8\—|——4h6———————————————x—4h6—————|
                       +   — — —   — —     +
   Chorus (play twice)
G|———————————————————————6—————————————————————————————————6—————————
D|——————6h8——————6—6h8p6—————————6h8————————————6h8——————6———6h8p6———
A|—————————————————————————————6—————————————————————————————————————
E|—3——4—————x4h6————————————3————————x4h6——3——3—————x4h6—————————————
        —    +   — —     —       —    +       ^
   (chorus cont'd)
G|—————————————————————————————————6————|
D|————————————————x6x8——————6—6h8p6——6——|
A|————6——8——10/11———————————————————————|
E|—3———————————————————x4h6—————————————|

   Interlude (play 3 or 4 times)
G|—6—666—6—666—6—666—6—633———|
D|———————————————————————————|
A|———————————————————————————|
E|———————————————————————————|
For the rest of the song, just improvise along the same notes that
have been used for most of the song, it still sounds good and it
really is like jamming with one of the greats :)

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 — What Did He Say? bass tabs