A REASON FOR LIVING (Bassline)
As recorded by Status Quo
(From the 1973 Album HELLO!)
Words and Music by Rick Parfitt & Francis Rossi
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Alan Lancaster - Bass'
[Intro] [Verse 1]
Q=136(8=s8/shuffle feel)
4/4
Gtr I
Wx2 Wx16
G|------------||---------||
D|------------||---------||
A|------------||---------||
E|------------||---------||
[Interlude]
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|------------------||
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--||
[Verse 2]
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--|
E|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----------------|------------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------||
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--||
[Interlude]
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|------------------||
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--||
[Guitar Solo]
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--|
E|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----------------|------------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E W
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------||
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------||
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|------||
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-1----||
[Interlude]
Wx4 E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|------------||------------------|------------------||
D|------------||o-----------------|-----------------o||
A|------------||o-----------------|-----------------o||
E|------------||--1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--||
[Verses 3 & 4]
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G||------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D||o-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A||o-----------------|-----------------|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
E||--1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----------------|-----------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------||
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------o||
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------o||
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1---||
[Outro]
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Q Q Q Q
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3--3--3--3---|
A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|--------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q q Q Q q Q Q q Q
G|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
D|-3--3--3--3--|-3--3--1--0--|-------------|--------------|
A|-------------|-------------|-1-----1--1--|----1--1------|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
Q q Q Q q Q Q q Q Q q Q Q Q Q Q
G|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
D|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
A|-1--1-----1--|-3-----3--3--|----3--3-----|-3--3--1--3---|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
Q q Q Q q Q Q q Q Q q Q Q q Q Q W +W
G|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|----------|--------*|
D|-3--3-----3--|-1-----1--0--|----0--------|--------------|----------|--------*|
A|-------------|-------------|-------4-----|-4--3-----3\--|----------|--------*|
E|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|-1--------|-(1)----*|
**************************************
Duration Legend
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; a - acciaccatura;
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted;
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents
the duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration).
| +() - note tied to previous
| \ - slide out of (to "nowhere")
| | - bar
| || - double bar
| ||o - repeat start
| o|| - repeat end
**************************************
Bass Tabs |
|
Title |
A Reason For Living |
Artist |
Status Quo |
Tablature Type |
ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID |
_f_svXqfVfw |
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).