Boris The Spider Bass Tabs - Who @ BigBassTabs.com

Boris the Spider — John Entwistle
From The Who's album "A Quick One"
Bass tabbed by [email protected]
Here, I have tabbed the bass line. The guitar chords follow the notes in the bass but
are played with no third. The chord which starts the second measure of each phrase is
strummed once using the complete chord. eg
The intro goes D5 Db5 C5 B5 Bb5 F5 / G
OK here we go,
Intro;
|| ——————————————————————————|—————————————————————————— ||
||*——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————*||
||*——5——4——3——2——1———————————|——————————————————————————*||
|| ————————————————————1—————|——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——3—— ||
Verse;
|————————3——3——————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——————————————3——3——5——5——|——————————————————————————|
|——5——5————————————————————|——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——5——5————————3——3————————|——————————————————————————|
|————————5——5————————3——3——|——5——5——5——5——5——5——5——5——|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——5——5————————3——3————————|——————————————————————————|
|————————5——5————————3——3——|——————————————————————————|
|——————————————————————————|——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——5——5————————3——3————————|——————————————————————————|
|————————5——5————————3——3——|——5——5——5——5——5——5——5——5——|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
Chorus;
|| ——————————————————————————|—————————————————————————— ||
||*——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————*||
||*——5——4——3——2——1———————————|——————————————————————————*||
|| ————————————————————1—————|——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——3—— ||
Bridge                                  X3
|| ———————————————————————————————— ||    h = hammer on
||*————————————————————————————————*||    p = pull off
||*————————————————————————————————*||
|| —2h3p2h3p2h3p2h3—2h3p2h3p2h3p2h3 ||
Ending Chorus;
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——5——4——3——2——1———————————|——————————————————————————|
|————————————————————1—————|——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——3——|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——————————————————————————|——————————————————————————|
|——5——4——3——2——1———————————|——————————————————————————|
|————————————————————1—————|——3———————————————————————|
Order;
Intro
Verse—Chorus
Verse—Chorus
Bridge
Verse—Chorus
Bridge
Verse—Ending Chorus
Lyrics
Look, he's crawling up my wall
Black and hairy, very small
Now he's up above my head
Hanging by a little thread
Boris the spider
Boris the spider
Now he's dropped on to the floor
Heading for the bedroom door
Maybe he's as scared as me
Where's he gone now, I can't see
Boris the spider
Boris the spider
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
There he is wrapped in a ball
Doesn't seem to move at all
Perhaps he's dead, I'll just make sure
Pick this book up off the floor
Boris the spider
Boris the spider
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
He's come to a sticky end
Don't think he will ever mend
Never more will he crawl 'round
He's embedded in the ground
Boris the spider
Boris the spider

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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