Birdland
By: Weather Report
Album: Heavy Weather
On Bass: Jaco Pastorius
Tabbed By: SackBassist


Standard Tuning (E,A,D,G)

Key:

f — False Harmonic in 1st Octive position
F — False Harmonic in 2nd Octive position
~ — Let ring
() — Optional

Intro: 

*In the original Heavy Weather version, the synth played the following part. However, 
many covers will have another bassist or a bassist using a looper do this part with a synth 
effect.

**Synth Effect 

G|—————————————|————————————————|
D|—————————————|————————————5~——|
A|———2——3———5~—|———2——3———5—————|
E|—————————————|————————————————|


Bass Harmonic Intro and Bridge:

G|—f14——f15——f14—f15—f14——f12——————|—————f12—f14—f15——f14—f12—————————f14~———|
D|—————————————————————————————f14—|—f14——————————————————————f14—f12————————|
A|—————————————————————————————————|—————————————————————————————————————————|
E|—————————————————————————————————|—————————————————————————————————————————|

G|—F14——F15——F14—F15—F14——F12——————|—————F12—F14—F15——F14—F12—————————F14~———|
D|—————————————————————————————F14—|—F14——————————————————————F14—F12————————|
A|—————————————————————————————————|—————————————————————————————————————————|
E|—————————————————————————————————|—————————————————————————————————————————|

G|—F14——F15——F14—F15—F14——F12——————|—————F12—F14—F15——F14—F12———————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————————F14—|—F14——————————————————————F14—F12———————————|
A|—————————————————————————————————|———————————————————————————————————F12—F10~—|
E|—————————————————————————————————|————————————————————————————————————————————|


3—Note Section:

G|——————————————————————————————————————|
D|————————————3——————————————3——————————|
A|—(3)—3——3—5———5—3—3——3—3—5———5—3—2—3——|
E|——————————————————————————————————————|


1—Note Section:

*Repeat lightly

**Use Chorus, Delay, Echo or similar effect

G|—————|
D|—————|
A|—————|
E|——3——|


1—Note Section Bass Octive Chords:

*Use Chorus, Delay, Echo or similar effect

G|————5————7—————9——95—————————|
D|——————————————————————————————|
A|——3—3——3—5——5——7——73———5—————|
E|——————————————————————————————|


Main Section:

*The optional notes are truly optional. Jaco on the original recording did it this way 
the first time through and did a half—bar solo every other time. I suggest the same.

G|——————————————————————————————————————|—————————7——5—————5—5—3—5—5—3—(5)—(3)—————————|
D|——————2—————————————————2—2————————5——|—————2————————————————————————————————(5)—(3)—|
A|————2————2—2—3—5—————————————2—3—5————|———2———5——3——2——3—————————————————————————————|
E|——3———————————————3—3—3———————————————|—3————————————————————————————————————————————|

Section before Bass Solo:

G|—————————————————|——————————————————|
D|——5——5——5—5—3————|——5——5——5—5—3———4—|
A|——————————————5—2|——————————————5———|
E|—————————————————|——————————————————|

Bass Solo:

G|———————————————————7/16————————16——|
D|—5—2—————3———3———5—5/14——14—14—14——|
A|—————5—————————————————————————————|
E|———————1———1———3———————————————————|


Chromatic Section:

G|——————————————————|
D|——————————————————|
A|—8—7—6—5——————————|
E|—————————9—8—7—6——|



How to do False Harmonics in Steps:

1. Place your index finger underneath the string as if you were going to do a pop.
2. Place your thumb an estimated 12 frets in front of your left hand position on the fretboard 
for an one octive false harmonic, 24 for a two octive false harmonic.
3. Pull up your index finger and thumb simultaneously and gently. If done correctly, 
you will have done a false harmonic.

I hope that's all. What a great song!

www.talkbass.com

About Weather Report

Weather Report was an influential jazz fusion band of the 1970s and early 1980s combining jazz and latin jazz with art music, ethnic music, R&B, funk and rock elements (in varying proportions throughout their career).

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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Weather Report — Birdland bass tabs