Help with tabbing some songs

[David]

Originally Posted by jld92

I've looked at several of the songs that have been transcribed professionally over the years. Usually they are just piano, guitar and vocal. It would be awesome if they would include the bass part though.

The guitar magazines -- Guitar, Guitar Player et al. -- have published guitar tablature for numerous Fleetwood Mac songs. Check out the back issues, especially issues published around THE DANCE (1997-98).

There's a musician's bass magazine, too. I think it's called BASS PLAYER. It might run bass tablature from time to time.

There are also about three folios of music published of FM songs with guitar tablature, & one of them (that I know about) has tablature & staff notation for every song on RUMOURS. It was published in 1992 or 1993. It's probably out of print now, but I bet you can find it on eBay. I own a copy of it & while I don't read tablature, the staff notation for the various keyboards is very accurate.

In fact, I just found some info from one of the Nicks Fix pages:
http://www.nicksfix.com/songbook.htm

Rumours - Fleetwood Mac, Off the Record (1992)

International Music Publications Limited
Southbend Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8HN, England
order reference number - 18282

[jld92]

Thanks. I'll have to look into that.

[jedw]

No snobbery intended, becasue my bass playing is very amateurish.
But I think tabs are a last resort on bass,
first you should always just try to follow a song by listening, and playing EXACTLY what is on a record isnt always necessary anyway; all the pro players- they never do quite the same thign twice. Not even John McVie possibly the most no-nonsense guy I've ever seen on a stage.

[Moz]

Is it possible to figure out the bass part of a song by looking at piano sheet music (of the same song)?

[jld92]

Originally Posted by Moz

Is it possible to figure out the bass part of a song by looking at piano sheet music (of the same song)?

I usually just look at the chord progression and play something that fits. I use guitar chords but I suppose you could use the piano part as well.

[Moz]

Originally Posted by jld92

I usually just look at the chord progression and play something that fits. I use guitar chords but I suppose you could use the piano part as well.

I don't know how well that works will bass, but I tried it out anyway with SOTM. Here's a very bare bones intro....

G
D
A
E 5555555555-0-111111111111-0-55555555555-0-11111111111

The chorus is kind of hard for me because there's sliding and little high notes everywhere.

[Moz]

I've figured out the rest of SOTM and now Walk a Thin Line, but I'll probably put those up here tomorrow as they're driving me nuts now.

[jld92]

Originally Posted by Moz

I don't know how well that works will bass, but I tried it out anyway with SOTM. Here's a very bare bones intro....

G
D
A
E 5555555555-0-111111111111-0-55555555555-0-11111111111

The chorus is kind of hard for me because there's sliding and little high notes everywhere.

I just try to get a feel for key and chord progression that way. I'm not saying that it is the end-all-be-all to bass playing. I usually just try to imitate what I hear but still make it my own. I know I'm not John McVie so why should I have to play every note to perfection? If it works then it works. I don't know...that's just the way I look at it (which may sound totally ridiculous).

[Moz]

Here's Walk a Thin Line.

I've seen so many things that made me wonder
A --------------3---3--------
E --3---3-3---3-------1---1--

But sometimes it's hard to tell
A --------------3---3-------
E --3---3-3---3-------1-----

I said, "Take your time,"
A ----------------3---3-------------------3---3---
E --1-3---3-3---3-------1---1-3---3-3---3-------1-

But no one was listening
A ----------------3--------
E --1-3---3-3---3----------

I walk a thin line
A --3-------------------3---3----
E ----1---1-3---3-3---3-------1--

They told me that I never would recover
A ----------------3---3--------
E --1-3---3-3---3------1---1---

Still some say they knew me well
A --------------3---3-------
E --3---3-3---3-------1-----

I said, "Stay by my side,"
A ----------------3---3-------------------3---3---
E --1-3---3-3---3-------1---1-3---3-3---3-------1-

But no one said nothing
A ----------------3--------
E --1-3---3-3---3----------

I walk a thin line
A --3----------------------
E ----1---1-3---3-3---3----

(Instrumental)
A --3---3-3---3---------------5---5-5---5-----------------
E --------------3---3-3---3-----------------3---3-3---3---

A --5---5-5---5--------------5---5-5---5-----------------
E --------------3---3-3---3------------------------------

A ----------------5---5-5---
E --3---3-3---3-------------

And I said, "Please turn the tide,"
A -5-------------3---3-------------------3---3---
E ---3---3-3---3-------1---1-3---3-3---3-------1-

But no one said nothing
A ----------------3--------
E --1-3---3-3---3----------

I walk a thin line
A --3-------------------3---3-3---3--
E ----1---1-3---3-3---3--------------

(Instrumental)

And I said, "Fate takes time,"
A -5-------------3---3-------------------3---3---
E ---3---3-3---3-------1---1-3---3-3---3-------1-

But no one was listening
A ----------------3--------
E --1-3---3-3---3----------

I walk a thin line
A --3-------------------3------------
E ----1---1-3---3-3---3--------------

[David]

Isn't it more common for bassists to listen to the source recording (in a headset, for example) & then just copy it?

[Moz]

Originally Posted by David

Isn't it more common for bassists to listen to the source recording (in a headset, for example) & then just copy it?

Thats what I usually do

[Moz]

Here's how I play That's Enough For Me...

Intro

G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------11111111----------33333333--------------------|
A|1111111111111111----------11111111-----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|

Verse

G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------11111111----------33333333--------------------|
A|1111111111111111----------11111111----------11111111-----------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------| x2

Chorus ("Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh..)

G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------11111111----------33333333--------------------|
A|1111111111111111----------11111111----------11111111-----------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------| x5

Verse

G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------11111111-----------33333333-------------------|
A|1111111111111111----------11111111-----------11111111----------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|

Outro

G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|33333333----------33333333-------------------------------------|
A|---------11111111----------11111111----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|