[Intro]
Listen to the track to hear timings
G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|-4/11-----------------11-11\-----|
E|---------------------------------|
When drums enter:
G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------6-6---------------------| x2
E|4-4----------------6-6-----------|
G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------6-6---------------------|----------6-6--------------------|
E|4-4--4-4-----------6-6-----------|4-4--4-4-----------6-------------|
[Verse]
'I guess I knew...'
G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------6-6---------------------| x2
E|4-4----------------6-6-----------|
G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|---------6-6---------------------|----------6-6--------------------|
E|4-4--4-4-----------6-6-----------|4-4--4-4-----------6-------------|
'My friends put on...'
G|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
D|------6-4p-------------4-4-4----------|------6-4p------------4-4-4---4/6-6-6-8h-8|
A|-----------6----6-4p-6h-----4-4-4-6h-6|-----------6----6-4p-6h-------------------|
E|4-4-----------------------------------|4-4---------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D|------6-4p-------------4-4-4------------|------6-4p-------------4-4-4---6----|
A|-----------6----6-4p-6h-------4-4-4-6h-6|-----------6----6-4p-6h-------------|
E|4-4-------------------------------------|4-4---------------------------------|
[Chorus]
(in triplets)
G|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-----------4-4-4-4-6h-6|
E|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----------------------|-----------------------4-4-4-4-4-4------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
D|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-----------------------|-----------------------6-6-6-6-6-6-----------|
A|-----------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-----------4----------|
E|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
'Ooh'
G|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------6-6-6-6-6-6-----------|-----------------------6-6-6-6-6-6-----|
E|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-----------6-6-6-6-6-6|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-----------6----|
[Verse]
G|---------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------6-6---------------------| x2
E|4-4----------------6-6-----------|
G|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D|------6-4p-------------4-4-4------------|------6-4p-------------4-4-4---6----|
A|-----------6----6-4p-6h-------4-4-4-6h-6|-----------6----6-4p-6h-------------|
E|4-4-------------------------------------|4-4---------------------------------|
[Chorus]
G|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-----------4-4-4-4-6h-6|
E|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----------------------|-----------------------4-4-4-4-4-4------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
D|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-----------------------|-----------------------6-6-6-6-6-6-----------|
A|-----------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-----------4----------|
E|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
Note that the bass doesn't play over the 'oohs' the second time, and instead plays just
the 4/16 slide as in the intro.
[Bridge]
G|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
E|11-11-11-11-11-4---4-2p-4-9-9-9-9-9-6----6/9-9|11-11-11-11-11-4---4-2p-4-9-9-9-9-9-6/9-9|
G|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E|11-11-11-11-11-4---4-2p-4-9-9-9-9-9-6---6/9-9|11-11-11-11-11-4---4-2p-4-9-9-9-9-9-6---|
[Chorus]
G|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-----------4-4-4-4-6h-6|
E|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----------------------|-----------------------4-4-4-4-4-4------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
D|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-----------------------|-----------------------6-6-6-6-6-6-----------|
A|-----------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-----------4----------|
E|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
[Outro] (3:28)
G|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-9-9-9-9-6-----------4-4-4-4-6h-6|
E|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-------------9-9-9|-----------------------4-4-4-4-4-4------------|
G|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
D|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-11h-11------------------|---------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|6-6-6-6-6-6-6-9-9-9-6-6-----------4----------|
E|---------------------------------------9-9-9|-----------------------4-4-4-4-4-4-----------|
G|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
D|-------6-4p---------------4-4-4----------|------6-4p--------------4-4-4---4/6-6--6h8-8|
A|------------6----6-4p-6h-------6-4-4-6h-6|-----------6----6-4p-6h---------------------|
E|4-4--------------------------------------|4-4-----------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D|------6-4p--------------4-4-4-------------|------6-4p-------------4-4-4--------|
A|-----------6----6-4p-6h-------6-4-4-4-6h-6|-----------6----6-4p-6h-------------|
E|4-4---------------------------------------|4-4--------------------------6-6-5-4|
***********************************
| / Slide-up
| \ Slide-down
| h Hammer on
| p Pull off
***********************************
Bass Tabs |
|
Title |
What Once Was |
Artist |
Her’s |
Tablature Type |
ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID |
5mKX21of0sM |
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).