Bass Tablature

Anyone who has ever picked up a bass guitar undoubtedly wants to learn to play their favorite songs. Whether you’re a novice player tentatively playing that first song from start to finish, a music teacher looking for a simple, effective tool to assist students, or an established musician who rocks the stage every night, bass tablatures are an excellent way to master new songs and improve on your existing skills. Reading music is a big part of mastering the bass guitar, and finding the proper tablature can make the process easier and quicker. Tablature (or tab for short) is simply a book that shows finger placement instead of musical pitches. Visually, a tablature is similar to your guitar’s finger positions to make identifying the proper chord much simpler. Once you learn how to read tablature, playing your favorite songs on the bass guitar is quicker and more streamlined. Whether you take music lessons or are strictly self-taught, there’s a user-friendly tablature to help refine your skills.

Most of the industry leaders, from Hal Leonard to Alfred to Cherry Lane, have first-rate bass guitar tablatures in virtually every musical genre to choose from. If you don’t want to zero in on one particular musical genre, Hal Leonard Bass Tab White Pages Songbook has over 200 various songs with note-for-note bass transcriptions tabs. If you’re a rocker at heart, perhaps the Alfred Led Zepplin-Bass Tab Anthology Book is more your speed. With 21 songs transcriptions selected by their bass guitarist John Paul Jones, you’ll be jamming to Stairway to Heaven and all their other hits in no time. There are literally hundreds of bass tablatures available in every conceivable genre from rock, country, folk and jazz. Whether you’re playing for a crowd of thousands or an intimate circle of friends around a campfire, there’s an option perfectly suited to your talents.

The bass guitar is a wonderfully versatile instrument that appeals to a wide range of musicians and their own individual musical tastes. Naturally, there’s no one-shot tablature out there for everyone at every still level. Take some time to figure out your own unique voice, your own strengths and creative interests and most importantly - figure out what’s fun for you.