HELP ME, RHONDA (Bassline)
As recorded by The Beach Boys
(From the 1965 Album SUMMER DAYS (AND SUMMER NIGHTS!!))
Words and Music by Brian Wilson & Mike Love
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Carol Kaye - Bass'
1st Verse
Q=144(8=s8)
4/4
Gtr I
W Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|----------|------3---------|----------------|
|----------|----3---6-3---3-|------3---------|
|----------|-4----------6---|----3---6-----3-|
|----------|----------------|-4--------4-6---|
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|------3---------|------3---------|------3---------|----------------|
|----3---6-3---3-|----3---6-3---3-|----3---6-3---3-|------3---------|
|-4----------6---|-4----------6---|-4----------6---|----3---6-----3-|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-4--------4-6---|
Pre-Chorus
$
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q Q Q E E Q Q Q Q
|------3---------|------3---------||--------------|-------------|
|----3---6-3---3-|----3---6-3---3-||--------------|-------------|
|-4----------6---|-4----------6---||-1--1--1--1---|-1--1--1--1--|
|----------------|----------------||------------1-|-------------|
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q E E Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
|-------------|--------------|-------------|-------------|
|-4--4--4--4--|--------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-6--6--6--6-5-|-4--4--4--4--|-6--6--6--6--|
|-------------|--------------|-------------|-------------|
Chorus
$$
E E Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q E E Q Q Q E E
|--------------|-------------||--------------|--------------|
|--------------|-------------||--------------|--------------|
|-3h4-4--3--4--|-6--4--3--4--||--------------|--------------|
|--------------|-------------||-4--4--4--6-4-|-4--4--4--6-4-|
Q Q Q E E Q Q Q E E Q Q Q E E Q Q Q E E
|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
|-4--4--4------|-4--4--4--4-4-|--------------|--------------|
|----------6-4-|--------------|-4--4--4--6-4-|-4--4--4--6-4-|
Q Q Q E E Q Q Q E E Q Q Q E E Q Q Q E E
|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
|--------------|------------3-|-4--4--4------|-4--4--4--4---|
|-4--4--4------|-4--4--4--6---|----------4-6-|------------4-|
|----------6-4-|--------------|--------------|--------------|
To Dbl. Coda
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q E E E E E E Q H
|-------------|-------------|---------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|---------------|-------------|
|-------------|-4--4--4--4--|-6--6--6-6-6-6-|-------------|
|-6--6--6--6--|-------------|---------------|-4-----------|
2nd Verse
To Coda
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|------3----------|------3---------||------3---------|-----------------|
|----3---6-3---3--|----3---6-3---3-||----3---6-3---3-|------3----------|
|-4----------6----|-4----------6---||-4----------6---|----3---6-----3--|
|-----------------|----------------||----------------|-4--------4-6----|
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|------3---------|------3---------|------3---------|----------------|
|----3---6-3---3-|----3---6-3---3-|----3---6-3---3-|------3---------|
|-4----------6---|-4----------6---|-4----------6---|----3---6-----3-|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-4--------4-6---|
Interlude
D.S. al Coda &
|-3-|
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q Q Q E E E
|------3---------|------3----------||------3---------||----------------|
|----3---6-3---3-|----3---6-3---3--||----3---6-3---3-||----------------|
|-4----------6---|-4----------6----||-4----------6---||-4--4--4------3-|
|----------------|-----------------||----------------||----------4-6---|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
Q Q Q E E E Q Q Q E E E Q Q Q E E E Q Q Q E E E
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|
|----------------|----------------|--------------3-|-4--4--4------3--|
|-4--4--4------3-|-4--4--4------3-|-4--4--4--4-6---|----------4-6----|
|----------4-6---|----------4-6---|----------------|-----------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
Q Q Q E E E Q Q Q E E E Q Q Q E E E Q Q Q Q
|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
|-4--4--4--4-3---|----------------|----------------|---------------|
|--------------6-|-4--4--4------3-|-4--4--4------4-|-6--6--6--6----|
|----------------|----------4-6---|----------4-6---|---------------|
Outro
D.S.S. al Dbl. Coda &&
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q E E E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------||------3---------|
|-4--4--4--4--|-------------|-------------||----3---6-3---3-|
|-------------|-------------|-------------||-4----------6---|
|-------------|-4--4--4--4--|-4--4--4--4--||----------------|
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|------3---------||-------3---------|------3----------||
|----3---6-3---3-||o----3---6-3---3-|----3---6-3---3-o||
|-4----------6---||o-4----------6---|-4----------6---o||
|----------------||-----------------|-----------------||
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
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. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
Bass Tabs |
|
Title |
Help Me, Rhonda |
Artist |
The Beach Boys |
Tablature Type |
ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID |
QPnBrK6D26g |
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).