Bass Start - 00:03
[Intro]
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|--------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2-------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|---------7-5-7|
G|------------|------------|
D|------------|------------|
A|-5--5--5--5-|-7--7--7--7-|
E|------------|------------|
[Verse 1]
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-7-----/--------|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|----------------|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|-------------|--------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-------------|--------------|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----7-\|-3--3--3-0-3-|-2--2--2---2-/|
E|----------------|----------------|-------------|---------2----|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-------------|----------------|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----7-\|-3--3--3-0-3-|-2--2--2---2/12\|
E|----------------|----------------|-------------|---------2------|
G|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------|
D|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------|
A|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------|
E|7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7----|
[Chorus]
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|--------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2-------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|---------7-5-7|
G|------------|------------|
D|------------|------------|
A|-5--5--5--5-|-7--7--7--7-|
E|------------|------------|
[Verse 2]
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|-------------|--------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-------------|--------------|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----7-\|-3--3--3-0-3-|-2--2--2---2-/|
E|----------------|----------------|-------------|---------2----|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----6-7|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
D|-6-7-----6-7----|-6-7-----6-7----|-------------|----------------|
A|-----6-7-----6-7|-----6-7-----7-\|-3--3--3-0-3-|-2--2--2---2/11\|
E|----------------|----------------|-------------|---------2------|
G|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------|
D|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------|
A|------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------|
E|7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7--7-/-12-12-12-12|-7----|
[Chorus]
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|--------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2-------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|---------7-5-7|
G|------------|------------|----------------|---------------|
D|------------|------------|----------------|---------------|
A|-5-5---5-5--|-7-7---7-7--|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|-9\------------|
E|------------|------------|----------------|---------------|
[Instrumental]
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|--------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2-------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|---------7-5-7|
G|------------|-------------|----------------|---------------|
D|------------|-------------|----------------|---------------|
A|-5--5--5--5-|-7--7--7--7-/|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|-9\------------|
E|------------|-------------|----------------|---------------|
[Chorus]
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|--------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2-------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|---------7-5-7|
G|------------|-------------|----------------|---------------|
D|------------|-------------|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|-9-9-8----\----|
A|-5--5--5--5-|-7--7--7--7-7|----------------|---------------|
E|------------|-------------|----------------|---------------| * \ slowly
[Outro]
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|---------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2--------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----2------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|----------4-2-4|
G|--------------------|--------------------|---------|--------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|-2-------|2-------------|
A|--------------------|--------------------|----2----|---2----------|
E|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|-4p2--4p2--4p2--4p2-|---------|---------7-5-7|
G|------------|------------|----------------|---------------|
D|------------|------------|-6-7-----6-7----|-7-------------|
A|-5-5---5-5--|-7-7---7--7-|-----6-7-----6-7|---------------|
E|------------|------------|----------------|---------------|
********************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| p pull-off
********************
Bass Tabs |
|
Title |
Helicopter |
Artist |
XTC |
Tablature Type |
ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID |
Hu4NaIC_fko |
Interactive Bass Tab Guide
Interactive bass tabs provide a better experience than ASCII tabs. With playback, loop, print features and a responsive display that follows the screen of your device.
Use these buttons to control the digital tab player.
Symbol | Function |
| Move cursor to the first bar |
| Play interactive tabs |
| Pause playback |
| Loop |
| Print the tab |
| Zoom |
Page | Switch between page and horizontal view mode |
How to Read Bass Tab: A Beginner's Guide
1. Understanding the Basics
a. Strings:
Bass tab consists of horizontal lines representing the strings of the bass guitar.
The lowest-pitched string (usually the E string) is at the bottom, and the highest-pitched string
(usually the G string) is at the top.
b. Numbers:
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to play on a specific string.
For example, if you see "3" on the E string, it means you should press down the third fret on the lowest string.
2. Reading Bass Tab Example
In this tab:
- Play the note on the 1st fret of the E string.
- Play the open E string.
- Play the 3rd fret on the A string.
- Play the 1st fret on the A string.
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|---------3-------|
E|---1-1---1---3---|
3. Playing Techniques
a. Hammer-ons and Pull-offs:
Hammer-ons are represented by an "h" (e.g., 5h7 means play the 5th fret and hammer onto the 7th fret).
Pull-offs are represented by a "p" (e.g., 7p5 means play the 7th fret and pull off to the 5th fret).
b. Slides:
Slides are often indicated by an "/" or "\\" between two numbers (e.g., 5/7 means slide from the 5th fret to the 7th fret).