Band - Primus
Song - American Life
Album - Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991)
[Intro]
G|----0------0-----0------0h3p0-0--0--0--|----0------0-----0------------0--0--0--|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|----------x------------x---------------|----------x------------x---------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------|------------------------0h3p0----------|
D|----0h3h5--5h3p3-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
[Verse]
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h3-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x3
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|---------------------|-3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|-3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
D|----0h3h5-0h3h5-0----|-1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|-1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|
A|---------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-3-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h3-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x4
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x3
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|---------------------|-3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|-3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
D|----0h3h5-0h3h5-0----|-1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|-1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|
A|---------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-3-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x2
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
[Guitar Solo]
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|----------------------5-5--5-----------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h5--7-7--7---7---6---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------3---3---3---|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5-0h5-5---5---5---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|----------------------5-5--5-----------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h5--7-7--7---7---6---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x2
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|----------------------5-5--5-----------|----------------------5-5--5-----------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h5--7-7--7---7---6---|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h5--7-7--7---7---6---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h3-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x4
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
[Verse]
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h3-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x3
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|---------------------|-3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|-3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
D|----0h3h5-0h3h5-0----|-1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|-1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|
A|---------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
E|-3-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h3-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|----------------------3p0--------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h3-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--0h5---0h5--------5---5/7----|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|---------------------------------------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h3-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--0h3h5-5--5--5--|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|----------------------5-5--5-----------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h5--7-7--7---7---6---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
[Outro Solo]
G|------------------------0h3p0----------|----------------------5-5--5-----------|
D|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h3h5--------5--5--5--|----0h3h5--5p3h5-0h5--7-7--7---7---6---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x6
E|-3-------------------------------------|-3-------------------------------------|
G|-3----3----3----3---3----3----2----2---|-3----3----3----3---5----5----7----7---|
D|-1----1----1----1---1----1----0----0---|-1----1----1----1---3----3----5----5---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x4
E|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
G|-3---3---3---2--2---3---3---3---2--2---|-3----3----3----3---5----5----7----7---|
D|-1---1---1---0--0---1---1---1---0--0---|-1----1----1----1---3----3----5----5---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| x4
E|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
G|-3---3---3------2---3---3---3---2--2---|-3---3---3---3--3---5----5----7----7---|
D|-1---1---1------0---1---1---1---0--0---|-1---1---1---1--1---3----3----5----5---|
A|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
************************************
| x Dead note
| h Hammer-on
| p Pull-off
| / Slide up
************************************
Bass Tabs |
|
Title |
American Life |
Artist |
Primus |
Tablature Type |
ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID |
f7PlSUQiISY |
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).