It can be difficult for those without a guitar or bass teacher to learn how to play the instrument, and most times these aspiring musicians pick up a few tabs in order to try and learn a few basic songs.
Bass tablature, known as bass tabs in short, is a simple system of notation that essentially just provides the tuning and the succession of fret numbers to be played. Timing is also often displayed in tablature, though it is hardly as accurate as it would be in standard sheet music.
E, A, D, G and Proper Tuning of the Guitar
Perhaps the most important step to take before beginning play is to properly tune the bass guitar – typically in the standard tuning of E, A, D, G from top (thickest) string to bottom. Five-string bassists will likely tune their instruments to B, E, A, D, G or variably E, A, D, G, C – from top to bottom. A chromatic tuner is invaluable and is a necessity for any bass playing beginner.
How to Find Free Bass Tabs Online, Bassmasta.net, 911tabs.com
It's very simple to locate excellent bass tabs online, with two of the best sources being bassmasta.net and 911tabs.com. Both of these sites offer extensive tab libraries from bands and artists ranging from Garth Brooks to Muse to Children of Bodom
The best way to choose a tab to begin with is to assess the difficulty of the song itself. Typically, songs with an easy to follow rock beat (Scorpion's Rock You Like a Hurricane, The Tragically Hip's New Orleans is Sinking, Neil Young's Keep on Rockin' in the Free World) are the best choices, initially.
How to Read Bass Tablature or Bass Tabs
The first visual hurdle to clear when looking at a bass tab is to understand what the individual lines denote. The toughest thing to comprehend initially is that for a four-string bass tab, the top line denotes the G string – so that from the top the strings are noted as G, D, A, E.
From there, take a look at the numbers presented on each string. The song is read from left to right, and the notes are very roughly spaced according to time and the patience and ability of the person creating the tab. For example, if on the bottom string a 5 is noted – one must find the fifth fret from the head of the guitar (a 0 denotes that the string is to be played open, without any fretting involved) and sound the note.
Several other notations are common in bass tablature, such as “ ~ ”, which relays to the bassist that they should sustain the note, “ b ” tells the player to bend the note, “ h ” for hammer-on and “p” for pull-off.
“ S ” and “ P ” are slap and pop respectively, but beginners should focus more on proper fretting and timing rather than flair.
By understanding the basic language of tablature, a bass player can take their instruction into their own hands, and begin learning their favourite songs. It is best to begin with songs that you know quite well; in this manner it becomes easier to intuit the timing of the bassline, which makes it much easier to predict upcoming changes and keep up with the song.
Other Articles Related to Music and Bass Guitar by Nicholas Morine
Intrepid bass players might like to know a little bit about buying a first bass guitar, those who already have their own bass might like a few simple punk rock bass tabs, or perhaps some hard rock and heavy metal bass tabs.
Nicholas Morine - Nicholas Morine Bachelor of Arts, English Language & Literature Master of Philosophy, Humanities (Candidate) Memorial University ...
