New bass player with a fingering question

[Chorchie]

Hi all,

I am new to the bass (just started playing a few weeks ago). I was looking up the tabs for Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. All the tabs that I have seen are the following:

G|----------------------------------
D|----------------------------------
A|-7---7--10--7--5--3--5---3---2
E|----------------------------------

I rewrote it like this, though:

G|-------------------------------
D|-------------------------------
A|-7---7--10--7-----------------
E|----------------10--8---7-----


Is there a reason that the first one is more correct? Seems easier to keep everything confined to a smaller area by using the A and E strings, instead of running all the way up the neck using just the A string.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
David

 

[Ninevolt]

I haven't been playing very long either, I'd like to know from the experts too. It seems like the closer the notes the easier to play and more fluid to me? I could be wrong.

 

[HandsFree]

For me it's a matter of sound/taste.
There's nothing wrong with your rewrite, but playing that high on the E string does sound darker than the same on the A string.
I would never play it the way it's written in the first ex though.
If you want to go down on the A string I'd play that G (10 on A) on the D string.

That's my take on the subject anyway.

 

[P A U L]

The 1st example looks like how a guitar player would play it... ...

Guitar players tend to play legato on a single string easier than string hopping when stretching, which the larger scale of the bass lends it's self to. I'm not familiar w/ the song, so maybe the guy playing it in White Stripes plays it that way? Does the guitar player play bass on the WS album?

(ok, looked it up)

The video shows him playing it that way.... on guitar... He's probably using a fake bass emulation effect, IDK, but he does play it exactly as shown in the 1st example...

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

You will find there are a lot of inaccurate tabs available on the innerweb. Not only are the notes incorrect, but the fingering choices are sometimes weird.
I will usually try fingerings that are different than in a tab because they take less moving up and down the neck.
For example, I would try it like this:
G|----------------------------------
D|---------5------0-----0------------
A|-7---7------7-----3-----3---2
E|----------------------------------
Notice you don't have to move your left hand very much at all. Now, sometimes it just doesn't sound right. In this case, the G played on the D instead of the A might not be the sound for the note you want. Also, the open D may not sound like you want it to. You just have to experiment.
If you don't know your fretboard yet, you might want to make yourself a chart that shows the repeating notes. For example, the first note is an E one octave above the E string. So here is where that E can be:
G|N/A--- Not on this string
D|-2----
A|-7---
E|12--

 

[tfer]

Hi all,

I am new to the bass (just started playing a few weeks ago). I was looking up the tabs for Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. All the tabs that I have seen are the following:

G|----------------------------------
D|----------------------------------
A|-7---7--10--7--5--3--5---3---2
E|----------------------------------

The tab may well be incorrect, but this would be a great exercise to learn how to shift your left hand properly.

Fret the E notes at the 7th fret with your index finger, followed by the G with your pinky. Quickly slide down and grab the E at the 7th fret with your pinky, the D with you middle finger and stretch to the C with you index finger. Then fret the D with your pinky, the C with your middle, and finish with the B under your index finger.

 

[40Hz]

There's no incorrect way to play a passage as long as it sounds good. When it comes to TAB arrangements, it all depends on your personal preferences and playing style as well as the quirks of the bass you're playing.

Because almost every single note can be found in a few different places on the neck, you have to select which fingering (or open string) gets you the tone and/or effect you're looking for. Sometimes the most efficient fingering doesn't get you there, so you may need to start position hopping to grab the note (or notes) that sound the best to you.

And...there's also "stage presence" to consider. Live performance is visual. It's musical theater more than anything else. So consistent with playing something well, you also may need to inject some visual drama into your playing. In a jazz perforance, for example, an ultra-cool, super-efficient and seemingly effortless playing style might look especially good on stage. For metal or rock, a flashy "all over the neck" style may be more appropriate for show purposes.

Most times with bass, the beat and impulse are the most important factors to be concerned with. The notes are more left to the bass player's discretion. Which is why bass can be so appealing to a certain type of musician. Unlike a guitarist or keyboard, we don't have to play something the same way every time. Or at least not very often. We have considerably more freedom to chart our own course in an arrangement. So feel free to experiment with fingerings. And don't get too hung up on what the TAB says.

P.S. Welcome to the realm where dwelleth The Lords of the Low Frequencies, my fellow bass player! You're among friends. And I think you're gonna like it here.

 

[Chorchie]

Thank you all so much. This has been extremely helpful. In the case of this song, you are absolutely right...I didn't think of it until you mentioned it, but this bass riff is played on Jack White's guitar (using what I assume is a bass emulator) which would make sense why it is tabbed the way it is. I am just working on getting comfortable with the different fingering, so I will try as tfer suggested.

And 40Hz...thank you for the welcome...I am glad to be a part of the realm!! Looking forward to making some low frequency music!!

-David