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Basic Bass Tab Reading
Bass Tab Notations


Basic Bass Tab Reading The most basic thing you need to know to read these tabs are the way the notes are portrayed. Here is how the strings are represented: G - D - A - E - Lowest pitched string ("E" string) To indicate what fret is being pushed, the number of the fret is written on the line of the string. If the song requires the 3rd fret on the A string be pushed it would be written: G --- D --- A -3- E --- So to build a chord, the frets are stacked on top of each other. A three-note C chord could be written: G -0- D -2- A -3- E --- Any string that is not used has a hyphen ( - ) in place of a fret number. Bass Tab Notations The most common standard notations are repeating and having different endings. Dynamics that are important are staccatos and mutes. Other important notations are hammering on, pulling off, bending, and sliding. For repeats, I use the standard musical notation which is two vertical bars with a colon before them. In the bass tabs, these look like this: Bridge of Riot Riot: G ------------5------------------- || D -----3----7---7-----7-------5--- .|| A -5-5--5---------8-8---8---7---7- .|| E ------.---------------.--------- || ^---- This is the repeat sign. In traditional music notation, this means repeat only once. In the bass tabs, however, sometimes these may mean repeat several times. And many of these times, the last ending is different. This is written as: Chorus of Wasting My Life: 1st ending--------------------i G -------------------------|-------------------------- || D -------2h3h2-------------|--------5h6h5------------- .|| A -3--3-----------2--3--5--|--6--6-----------5--6--8-- .|| E -------------3-----------|--------------6----------- || 2nd ending-----------------------i G ---------------------------- || D -------5h6h5-------7--8--10- || A -6--6-----------8----------- || E ---------------------------- || The endings last from the horizontal bar under the label, going until the i at the end. When there is just an ending to a section, sometimes two vertical bars are written: 2nd ending-----------------------i (from Wasting My Life Chorus above) G ---------------------------- || D -------5h6h5-------7--8--10- || A -6--6-----------8----------- || E ---------------------------- || ^---- Ending bars. When "2nd ending" is specified, that means the repeat was only done once. When "last ending" is specified, that means the repeat was done several times. A staccato is when a note/chord is played very short. In standard musical notation, these are written as a dot above/below the note. In the bass tabs, they are written with a period: Riff A of the Lounge Song: D ---.-------------- G ---5-------------- A -.---5--3--3--1-0- E -3------.--------- The periods under the notes mean that each chord is to be played short and quick. Bending a string is when you pull the string at a certain fret so that its pitch becomes that of a higher one. These are written with a b before the fretted note, and the number after is the note getting bent to: G ----- D -8b9- A ----- E ----- Sliding is when you slide your finger on the fretboard from one fret to the next. These are written with a \ for sliding down, or a / for sliding up: G ----------- D -8/9------- A -------5\3- E ----------- Hammering onto a string is when you go from a lower fret to higher one without ending the first note, ie. all in one "pick." These are written with an h: G ----- D -4h6- A ----- E ----- Pulling off a string is going from a higher fret to a lower one without ending the first note, ie. all in one "pick." These are written with a p: G ----- D -6p4- A ----- E ----- There is no sliding or bending in either hammering or pulling.