Sloop John B

Sloop John B Bass Tab

SLOOP JOHN B (Bassline)

As recorded by The Beach Boys
(From the 1966 Album PET SOUNDS)

Words and Music by Traditional
Arranged by The Beach Boys

Transcribed by Slowhand

Gtr I (Eb Ab Db Gb) - 'Carol Kaye - Bass (1/2 step down)'

 Intro                  1st Verse
  Q=126
 4/4
  Gtr I (1/2 step down - Eb Ab Db Gb)
  W          W           W          W
|----------|----------||----------|------|
|----------|----------||----------|------|
|----------|----------||----------|------|
|----------|----------||----------|------|

  W          H    Q  Q    Q.   E +E  E E E   H    +E  E E E
|----------|------------|----------------2-|-----------------|
|----------|------------|------------2-4---|-2----(2)-0------|
|----------|---------2--|-0----2-(2)-------|------------4-2--|
|----------|------------|------------------|-----------------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|-2------2--4--|-2------0-----|--------------|---------------|
|----2-4-------|----2-4----4--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--4---|
|--------------|--------------|----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  E E   Q.   E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|
|-0------0-----|--------------|---------------|--------2--0---|
|----0-2----4--|-2----0-2--4--|-0------0--5-4-|-2----2--------|
|--------------|----2---------|----0-2--------|---------------|

                                Chorus
  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q     Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------||--------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------||--------------|---------------|
|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--||-0------0--2--|-0------0--2---|
|----0-2-------|----0-2-------||----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--4---|
|----0-2-------|----0-2-------|----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|-2------2--4--|-2------0-----|--------------|---------------|
|----2-4-------|----2-4----4--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--4---|
|--------------|--------------|----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  E E   Q.   E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|
|-0------0-----|--------------|---------------|--------2--0---|
|----0-2----4--|-2------2--4--|-0------0--5-4-|-2----2--------|
|--------------|----2-4-------|----0-2--------|---------------|

                                2nd Verse
  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q     Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------||--------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------||--------------|---------------|
|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--||-0------0--2--|-0------0--2---|
|----0-2-------|----0-2-------||----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--4---|
|----0-2-------|----0-2-------|----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|-2------2--4--|-2------0-----|--------------|---------------|
|----2-4-------|----2-4----4--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--4---|
|--------------|--------------|----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  E E   Q.   E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|
|-0------0-----|--------------|-----------0---|--------2--0---|
|----0-2----4--|-2------2--4--|-0------0----4-|-2----2--------|
|--------------|----2-4-------|----0-2--------|---------------|

                                Chorus
  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q     Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------||--------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------||--------------|---------------|
|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--||-0------0--2--|-0------0--2---|
|----0-2-------|----0-2-------||----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|
|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--|-0------0--4---|
|----0-2-------|----0-2-------|----0-2-------|----0-2--------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    W          W
|--------------|--------------|----------|------|
|-2------2--4--|-2------0-----|----------|------|
|----2-4-------|----2-4----4--|----------|------|
|--------------|--------------|----------|------|

  W          W          Q  E E Q  E E   Q.   E Q  Q
|----------|----------|---------------|---------------|
|----------|----------|-----------0---|--------2--0---|
|----------|----------|-0------0----4-|-2----2--------|
|----------|----------|----0-2--------|---------------|

                                3rd Verse
  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q     Q.   E +H       Q  Q  E E E E
|--------------|--------------||---------------|----------------|
|--------------|--------------||------2-(2)----|-------------2--|
|-0------0--2--|-0------0--2--||-0-------------|-2--0------0----|
|----0-2-------|----0-2-------||---------------|-------0-2------|

  +Q.   E +H       Q  Q  E E E E   +Q.   E +E  E E E   Q.   E Q  Q
|----------------|---------------|-----------------2-|---------------|
|-(2)---2-(2)----|---------------|-------------2-4---|-2----0--------|
|----------------|-2--0------0-0-|-(0)---4-(4)-------|--------4--2---|
|----------------|-------0-2-----|-------------------|---------------|

  Q  E E Q  Q    Q  E E Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q
|--------------|--------------|-------------|--------------|
|-2------2--4--|-2------0-----|-------------|--------------|
|----2-4-------|----2-4----4--|-------------|--------------|
|--------------|--------------|-5--5--5--5--|-5--5--5--5---|

  Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  H      W
|-------------|-------------|------------|------|
|-------------|-------------|------------|------|
|-5--5--5--5--|-------------|------------|------|
|-------------|-7--7--7--7--|-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
|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|------------------|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-||-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
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-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
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------*|
|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-----------------|------------------*|
|-----------------|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--*|

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

We come on the sloop john b
My grandfather and me
Around nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night
Got into a fight
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home

So hoist up the john bs sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up
I wanna go home

The first mate he got drunk
And broke in the capns trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff john stone
Why don't you leave me alone, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up I wanna go home

So hoist up the john bs sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, let me go home
Why don't you let me go home
(hoist up the john bs sail)
Hoist up the john b
I feel so broke up I wanna go home
Let me go home

The poor cook he caught the fits
And threw away all my grits
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
Let me go home
Why don't they let me go home
This is the worst trip I've ever been on

So hoist up the john bs sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, let me go home
Why don't you let me go home
Bass Tabs
Title Sloop John B
Artist The Beach Boys
Tablature Type ASCII Tab
YouTube ID nSAoEf1Ib58

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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).

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