UPTOWN GIRL (Bassline)
As recorded by Billy Joel
(From the 1983 Album AN INNOCENT MAN)
Words and Music by Billy Joel
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Doug Stegmeyer - Electric Bass'
Intro
Q=128
4/4
Gtr I
W H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E E Q E Q Q
|----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------2--2--||
|----------|-0----0-0--1-|-2----2-2--2-|-4----4-4--4-|-5-5--5-------||
1st Verse
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E E Q E Q Q
||--------------|-------------|-------------|---------------||
||o-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------o||
||o-------------|-------------|-------------|--------2--2--o||
||--0----0-0--1-|-2----2-2--2-|-4----4-4--4-|-5-5--5--------||
2nd Verse
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E E Q E Q Q
||--------------|-------------|-------------|---------------||
||o-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------o||
||o-------------|-------------|-------------|--------2--2--o||
||--0----0-0--1-|-2----2-2--2-|-4----4-4--4-|-5-5--5--------||
Bridge
Q E E E E Q Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E
|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
|-3------3-3-2--|-------------3-|-5------5-5--5-|-------------2--|
|------3--------|-5------5-5----|---------------|-3------3-3-----|
Q E E E Q E Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E Q Q Q Q
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------|
|-3------3-3--2-|---------------|---------------|--------------|
|------3--------|-5------5-5--6-|-7------7-7--7-|-0--0--0--0---|
Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
|---------------|---------------|-------------|--------------||
|---------------|---------------|-------------|-1------------||
|---------------|---------------|-2--4--5--2--|----4--2--2---||
|-5------5-5--4-|-2------2-2--2-|-------------|--------------||
3rd Verse
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|------2-2--2--|
|-0----0-0--1-|-2----2-2--2-|-4----4-4--4-|-5------------|
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E E Q E E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------2-2-2-2--||
|-0----0-0--1-|-2----2-2--2-|-4----4-4--4-|-5-5--5----------||
Interlude
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E H H
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|
|-3----3-3--3-|-5----5-5--5-|-6----6-6--6-|-7----5----|
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E H E E Q
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|--------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-2----2---2---||
|-3----3-3--3-|-5----5-5--5-|-6----6-6--6-|--------2-----||
4th Verse
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E E Q E +E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|------2-(2)-2-2-2--|
|-0----0-0--1-|-2----2-2--2-|-4----4-4--4-|-5-5---------------|
Q. E E E E E H E Q E H E Q E E Q E E Q.
|----------------|-------------|-------------|----------------||
|----------------|-------------|-------------|----------------||
|----------------|-------------|-------------|--------2-2-----||
|-0------0-0---1-|-2----2-2--2-|-4----4-4--4-|-5-5--5---------||
Bridge
Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E Q. E E Q E E E Q E E E E
|---------------|----------------|---------------|-----------------|
|---------------|----------------|---------------|-----5-----------|
|-3------3-3-2--|--------------3-|-5------5-5--5-|-----------------|
|------3--------|-5----0-5-5-----|---------------|-3-3----3-3-3-3--|
Q E E E E Q Q E E E Q. Q Q E Q. E E E E E E E E
|---------------|---------------|--------------|-----------------|
|---------------|---------------|--------------|-----------------|
|-3------3-3-2--|---------------|-2-----2-2/---|-----7-----------|
|------3--------|-5----0-5-5----|--------------|-0-0---0-0-0-0-0-|
Q E E E Q E Q E E Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
|---------------|--------------|-------------|---------------||
|---------------|--------------|-------------|-1-------------||
|---------------|--------------|-2--4--5--2--|----4--2--/9\--||
|-5----5-5-5--4-|-2----4-5--2--|-------------|---------------||
5th Verse
W H. E E W H Q Q
||-----------|-------------|----------|-------------||
||o----------|-------------|----------|------------o||
||o----------|-------------|----------|------2--2--o||
||--0--------|-2---------2-|-4--------|-5-----------||
Interlude
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E H H
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|
|-3----3-3--3-|-5----5-5--5-|-6----6-6--6-|-7----5----|
H E Q E H E Q E H E Q E E E E E E E E E
|-------------|-------------|-------------|------------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|------------------||
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--||
|-3----3-3--3-|-5----5-5--5-|-6----6-6--6-|------------------||
Outro
Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E H E Q E
||----------------|---------------|---------------|-------------|
||o---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------|
||o---------------|---------------|---------------|------2-2--2-|
||--0------0-0--1-|-2------2-2--2-|-4------4-4--4-|-5-----------|
Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E Q. E E Q E H E Q E 3x
|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------||
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------o||
|---------------|---------------|---------------|------2-2--2--o||
|-0------0-0--1-|-2------2-2--2-|-4------4-4--4-|-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
Bass Tabs |
|
Title |
Uptown Girl |
Artist |
Billy Joel |
Tablature Type |
ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID |
hCuMWrfXG4E |
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).