Smokin' Bass Tab

Boston - "Smokin"
From "First Stage" Album
Bass in Standard Tuning (5 String is used in the interlude)
tabbed by jjhand

   Guitar intro
G|-----------|------------|------------|-------------------------|
D|-----------|------------|------------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5p4---|
A|-rest------|-rest-------|-rest-------|-----------------------7-|
E|-----------|------------|------------|-------------------------|

Verses:

Riff 1 -
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------3---|
E|-5---5---5---5---|-5---5---5---3---|-5---5---5---5---|-5---5---5-------|

Riff 2 (w/ Vocals) -
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----4---5---7---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-5---------------|-5---3---2-3-----|-----------------|-------------3---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-5---5---5---5\3-|-5---5---5-------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-5---------------|-5---3---2-3-----|-----------------|-0---0---0-------|
E|-----2---3---5---|-----------------|-5---5---5---5\3-|-------------3---|

Riff 3 / Prechorus
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-7-------7-------|-5-------5-------|-7-------7-----7-|-3-----------5---|
E|-------0---------|-------------5---|-------0-----0---|---------3-------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-5---5---5---5\3-|-5---5---5---5\3-|-5---5---5---3---|-5---5---5---5---|

Chorus: play 2x - the last note with * is on second time through
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-2h4p2--------------|
A|---------0---0---|---------5---5---|-3---3---5---5---|-------3qb--0-------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------*3---|

Play Verse again, some rhythms may vary

Play Chorus again, some rhythms may vary

End chorus with
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-5---------------| hold for 16 beats
E|-----------------|

Organ solo (1:31)
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0-----------|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---3---2---|
E|-----------------|---------3---4---|-----------------|-----------------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----7----7p5------|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---------------|-0---0---0---0---|-/7----------7----|
E|-----------------|-----2---3---4---|-----------------|---------------8--|

(1:40)
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0-----------|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---3---2---|
E|-----------------|---------3---4---|-----------------|-----------------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---/7----7-7-7-7-7-7-|
A|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0-----------|-0---0---0---0---|-0-------------------|
E|-----------------|---------3---4---|-----------------|---------------------|

(1:51)
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|--------7\-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-0----7-----7p5--|-0---------------|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---3---2---|
E|---------------8-|-----2---3---4---|-----------------|-----------------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-------7\--------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-0---7-----------|-0---------------|-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0---3---|
E|-----------------|-----2---3---4---|-----------------|-----------------|

(2:02)
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-------7\--------|-----------------|-------7\--------|-7---4---5---7---|
A|-0---7------7p5--|-----4---5---7---|-0---7-----------|-----------------|
E|---------------8-|-5---------------|-----------------|-----------------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
D|-------7\--------|-------7\--------|-----------------|---------7p5-------|
A|-0---7------7p5--|-0---7------7p5--|-0--0----3--3----|-5----------7p6p5--|
E|---------------8-|---------------8-|-----------------|-----------------8-|

G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-0---------------| hold until fade out
E|-----------------|

Harpsichord/Guitar Interlude (2:18)

play this throughout (16x)
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-0---0---0---0---|
E|-----------------|

Organ Re-enters, and Bass plays w/ alternating chords (2:41):
G|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
D|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
A|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
E|-6---------|-5---------|-3---------|-5---------|-6---------|-5----3----|

G|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
D|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
A|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
E|-5---------|-(5)-------|-3---------|-1---------|-0---------|

(2:55) This sounds like a 5-string, but the 2 low notes can be played up an octave
G|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
D|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
A|-----------|-----------|-1---------|-0---------|-(0)-------|-2----2----|
E|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
B|-3---------|-1---------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|

G|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|
D|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|
A|-2----2----|-2----2----|-2----2----|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--0-|
E|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|

G|------------|-------------|
D|------------|-------------|
A|-0--0--0--0-|-0--0--0--/7-|
E|------------|-------------|

End of interlude, back to Verse Riff (3:12) -
G|------------|------------|------------|------------|
D|-7\---------|------------|------------|------------|
A|------------|------------|------------|------------|
E|----2--3--4-|-5--5--3--4-|-5--5--3--4-|-5--2--3--4-|

G|------------|------------|------------|-------------|
D|------------|------------|------------|-7-5---------|
A|------------|------------|------------|-----7-5-----|
E|-5--5--3--4-|-5--2--3--4-|-5--5--5--5-|---------8-5-|

(3:23)
G|-----------------|-----------------|------------|------------|
D|-----4---5---6-7-|-----------------|------------|------------|
A|-5---------------|-5---3---2-3-----|-----organ--|------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-5----------|------------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|------------|------------|
D|-----4---5--7p5--|-----------------|------------|------------|
A|-5-------------7-|-5---3---2-3-----|-----organ--|------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-5----------|------------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|---5-------------|
A|---------7-------|-5-------5-------|-7-------7------|-3---3-------5---|
E|-0---------------|-------------5---|-------0--------|---------3-------|

Play Verse again

Ending (4:07)
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-7--7-----7------|-5--5--5--5------|-7--7-----7------|-3--3--3-----5---|
E|-------0---------|-------------5---|-------0---------|----------3------|

G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
E|-5---5---5---5\3-|-5---5---5---5\3-|-5---5---5---3---|-5------------|

Key:
| /  slide up
| \  slide down
| h  hammer-on
| p  pull-off
| qb quarter bend (slight + in pitch, for bluesy sounding lick)

Bass Tabs
Title	Smokin’
Artist	Boston
Tablature Type	ASCII Tab
YouTube ID	bDI-AdnIK08

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).

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