Bass Tab Reading Question

squirefan01 · Post by **squirefan01** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:47 am

For bass tabs, I am unsure about what this means...

x - muted string

g--7-7---------7-7----
d--0-0---------0-0----
a--5-5---x-x---5-5----
d--0-0---x-x---0-0----

...when the fret positions stack up on top of each other. From the sound of the song, there is no strumming going on, so I'm not sure how this should be played.

This is for Tool's "Sober", transcribed at www.tooltabs.net.

http://www.tooltabs.net/tabs/tool/bass/undertow/sober.htm

A little help??

Thanks

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:49 am

I read that as a chord. If you don't want to strum it you could simultaneously pluck all four strings, I suppose...

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:11 am

I'm just a hack bass player, and I'm not familiar with the song or the band, but all those notes are Ds - maybe plucking all (or a couple) is the way to go.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:24 am

A 12-string Hamer would make mincemeat out of that tab with very little work...

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:51 am

It's a chord strummed in as punchy a manner as you can manage, judging by the song. I always used a D barre chord, but it lacked the extra bottom of the dropped D. I think he uses a pick, although you could use your fingernails (it gets hard on your hands after a while, though).
He plays a CS I believe & uses some overdrive also.
The video only gives you brief glimpses of the bass. Reminds me of a short film made by a Czech film maker I saw on PBS in a collection of independent film maker's shorts.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:26 am

Greg, I don't think that tab is right - it's overcomplicating. It should be like this:

G -7-7--x-x-7-7----
D -0-0--x-x-0-0----
A ------x-x--------
E ------x-x---------

It is indeed a strummed D octave, played with a pick. I was able to nail the sound dead on with the toaster of my c64.

squirefan01 · Post by **squirefan01** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 2:44 pm

Yeah, alot of these tooltabs look pretty complicated. Pretty much over my head, but at least now I know what they mean

I'll try your way John. Thanks for the tips. I'm not sure what the original bass player in Tool (Paul D'Amour) played, but Justin Chancellor plays a Wal bass and uses a pick. I love the sound on the new 10,000 Days CD.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:40 pm

Paul D'Amour indeed used a 4001CS, proabbly among other things as well, though I could be wrong about that. Not a big Tool fan but I know a bit about them.

dean712 · Post by **dean712** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 9:20 pm

I used to play that song in a cover band back when I lived in Oklahoma City. The tab you posted at the beginning of the thread is consistent with what I used to play, FWIW. Drop the E string down to D, then play chords on all 4 strings. Where it has the xx's, you can mute using a left hand muting technique where you keep all 4 strings under your left hand, but not fully fretted, and strum the chords. Lock in with the drums and be aggressive - its a great song. I used to play it on a stingray, which was even more over the top. Have fun with it, it's a classic song and a good one to learn chord power on bass from.

squirefan01 · Post by **squirefan01** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 1:50 am

Thanks Dean!

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:04 am

Actually, I still play that song, and what that is, is just the pick hitting the strings but not actually making a note. I play that on a 5-string using the low D, not the regular D.