How to Read Bass Tabs

Learn How to Read Bass Tabs

A great bass line can really set the tone for a song. There are very few people on the planet whose heads don't immediately begin to bob when they hear the opening bass track to Queen's Another One Bites the Dust. If bass is your passion, you'll probably want to learn how to play many of the great bass lines you've heard. However, standard musical notation might not always be your best option. Sometimes complicated bass lines are watered down, or maybe you don't yet read standard notation. No problem! Bass guitar tabs are designed to help anyone with a bass quickly begin playing without formal instructions.

Just like guitar tabs, bass tabs are an easy to read version of musical shorthand.

Strings

The average bass has four strings, although some models have five or six. You can use the four string as an example, but the theory applies no matter how many strings you have.

Here's how the basic string tab looks:

G---------------

D---------------

A---------------

E---------------

The E string is the lowest, fattest string on your bass and the rest move up from there.

Frets

Frets are those small raised crossbars on the fretboard, and you create notes by pressing a string between two frets and plucking a string. In bass tabs, numbers designates the frets you should play.

For Example:

G--------4-------

D------3---------

A----2-----------

E--1-------------

If you see a 0 on a string, that means to play the string as an open note without fretting.

Time Signatures

Unlike standard musical notation, most tabs don't give any indication of timing other than which notes to play in a particular order. In most cases, you need to be familiar with the song in order to get the rhythm. However, some tabs do provide a basic rhythm below the main tab.

Technique Abbreviations

Strings and fret notations are just the basics for plucking out a bass line. There are also many playing techniques needed to create the unique sounds on your bass you hear your favorite pros play. Here's a list of many of the abbreviations you'll encounter when reading bass tabs from different musicians. These symbols are usually found noted on the string lines.

• | : Bar lines indicate you should lay your finger across all strings indicated.
• H : This means to hammer-on.
• P : This indicates a pull-off.
• / : A forward slash means you should slide your finger forward to the next note.
• \ : The backward slash means you should slide back to the next note indicated.
• B or ^ : Both of these abbreviations indicate you should bend the string to alter the pitch without fretting.
• ~ : This means to create tremolo/vibrato by wiggling the string back and forth.

As for additional bass techniques, you'll mainly find them indicated below the tab. These might include:

• T : A T means you should tap the note. Taps can be done with either hand, so you'll likely see an L or R next to the T.
• P : This is used to indicate a pop.
• S : This stands for a slap.

Those are the basics for learning how to read bass tabs. Remember, tabs are created by players for other players. They vary in both quality and accuracy for any given song. In addition to the abbreviations you find here, some bass tabbers like to use additional symbols to describe various techniques. This can be a bit confusing, but the best tabbers will provide a key so you know what they mean. In the end, if you're using a decent tab and you have a copy of the song you want to learn, you can learn to play any bass line you want. So, relax and have fun with it!