I SAW THE LIGHT (Bassline)
As recorded by Status Quo
(From the 1975 Album ON THE LEVEL)
Words and Music by Francis Rossi & Bob Young
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Alan Lancaster - Bass'
[Intro]
Q=140(8=s8/shuffle feel)
Gtr I
W W W W
G||-----------|----------|----------|-------||
D||o----------|----------|----------|------o||
A||o----------|-5--------|----------|-5----o||
E||--5--------|----------|-5--------|-------||
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-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-----------------|
E||--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
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|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-o||-----------------|-----------------||
E|------------------||-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-||
[Verse 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||o-----------------|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|
E||--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|-----------------|
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|-----------------|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------|
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|-----------------|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----------------|------------------|
[Chorus]
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|-----------------|-----------------||---------5-5-5-5-|------------------|
E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-||-3-3-3-3---------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
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|---------5-5-5-5-|-----------------|---------5-5-5-5-|------------------|
E|-3-3-3-3---------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3---------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
E E E E E E E E W +W
G|-----------------|----------|-------------||
D|-----------------|----------|------------o||
A|---------5-5-5-5-|----------|------------o||
E|-3-3-3-3---------|-5--------|-(5)---------||
[Bridge]
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|-------------------|
D|-----------------|-------------------|
A|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5---|
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 E
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-----------------|------------------|
[Guitar Solo]
H H H H E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------|-----------||------------------|------------------|
D|-----------|-----------||o-----------------|------------------|
A|-7----7----|-7----7----||o-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
E|-----------|-----------||------------------|------------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E 3x E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|------------------||-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------o||-----------------|------------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------o||-----------------|------------------|
E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--||-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--|
[Verse 3]
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|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||o-----------------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------||--5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--|
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E 3x E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
G|-----------------|------------------||-----------------|------------------||
D|-----------------|-----------------o||-----------------|------------------||
A|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-o||-----------------|------------------||
E|-----------------|------------------||-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--||
[Out-Chorus]
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 6x
G||------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
D||o-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------o||
A||o---------5-5-5-5-|-----------------|---------5-5-5-5-|-----------------o||
E||--3-3-3-3---------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3---------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--||
**************************************
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
| | - bar
| || - double bar
| ||o - repeat start
| o|| - repeat end
**************************************
| Bass Tabs |
|
| Title |
I Saw The Light |
| Artist |
Status Quo |
| Tablature Type |
ASCII Tab |
| YouTube ID |
jV3AinL5skA |
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).
