Success Story Bass Tabs - Who @ BigBassTabs.com

Success Story — The Who
From Who By Numbers, 1975
Written by John Entwistle, 1975 Hot Red Music

So long, John. 1944—2002. Goodbye to one hell of a bassist.

Tabbed by Jeremy D. ([email protected])


I'm not so sure this was done on an eight—string, but rather, some odd 
effect on the guitar. (Or maybe both a 4— and 8—string) This is the actual 
bassline I heard after quite a few listens. It also sounds like there's two 
basses during the bass solo; the normal, 'clear' one, and a fuzzy, distorted 
one. I only tabbed the clean one.

The "r" means to pluck rapidly. "/r" means slide down while rapidly plucking.
I think JE does this on a few songs, and to tab it would be murder.

Intro:
G———————————5——|———————————5——|———————————5——|——7r————————|
D—————7———7————|—————7———7————|—————7———7————|—————————————|
A———5———5——————|———5———5——————|———5———5——————|—————————————|
E——————————————|——————————————|——————————————|—————————————|

Verses
(This is an outline; listen for timing. There's more notes,
so play around with it.)

This part's played twice:

G——————————————|—————————————|——————————————|——————————————|
D——————————————|—5—5—5—3p0h3—|——————————————|——————————————|
A——5——0——3———3—|—————————————|——5——0——3———3—|——5——0——3———3—|
E——————————————|—————————————|——————————————|——————————————|

And this twice:
G——————————————|—————————————|——————————————|——————————————|
D—5—5——5—5—5———|—3—3—3—3——3——|——————————————|——————————————|
A——————————————|—————————————|——5———0———3———|—3—5——0——3——3—|
E——————————————|—————————————|——————————————|——————————————|

Second time, end the verse on:

G———————|
D———————|
A———5———|
E———————|

Bass tacet during "Deserted rock'n'roll/To try and save his soul" part,
then repeat verses.


Middle ('just like Cinderella...'), twice:

G—————————————|—————————————|———————————|
D—————————————|—————————————|———————————|
A—————————————|—————————————|6——6———3r——|
E—3——3—3——3—3—|—3—3——3—3——3—|———————————|

On the shorter verses, it's

G—————————————|——————|
D—————————————|——————|
A———————6———6—|——3r——|
E——3———3——————|——————|


Solo — it sounds like there's two basses, so it gets a bit murky here.
It's not perfect, but it's something
G—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
D—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
A—0——00—0———0—|—01———1——————|———————————————|———————————————|
E—————————————|————————1——1—|3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3|—3r—h5r0——————|


G—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
D—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
A—0——00—0—0—0—|—01———1——————|———————————————|——3/r0—————————|
E—————————————|————————1——1—|3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3|———————————————|
(slow slide)

G—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
D—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
A—0——00—0———0—|—01———1——————|———————————————|———————————————|
E—————————————|————————1——1—|3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3|—3r—h5r0——————|


G—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
D—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|
A—0——00—0———0—|—01———1————1—|—3——3—3——3——3——|———3/5r————————|
E—————————————|—————————————|———————————————|———————————————|

Repeat the verse part, hold during the "amended his decision/
to the new religion" part, and end on:

G———————|
D———————|
A———5———|
E———————|

...and there you have it.

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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Who — Success Story bass tabs