Backwater (ver 2) bass tabs
Song: Backwater
Artist: Meat Puppets
Album: Too High to Die (1994)
Bassist: Cris Kirkwood
Tabbed by LoudLon for Big BassTabs.com
Standard tuning (EADG)
LEGEND:
r = rest
s = 16th note
INTRO (x2):
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—4———————————————|—3———————————————|—5———————————————|
E |—0———————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
VERSE 1 (x2):
sss sss sss sss
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—r——3333—r———|—————————————————|
E |—0—0—r——0000—r———|—2—2—r——2222—r———|—————————————————|—0—0—r——0000—r———|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
CHORUS 1 (x2):
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—4—4—r—4—————————|—3—3———3—3—3—3———|—5—5———5—5—5—5———|
E |—0—0—r—0—————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
VERSE 2 (x2):
sss sss sss sss
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—r——3333—r———|—————————————————|
E |—0—0—r——0000—r———|—2—2—r——2222—r———|—————————————————|—0—0—r——0000—r———|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
CHORUS 2 (x2):
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—4—4—r—4—————————|—3—3———3—3—3—3———|—5—5———5—5—5—5———|
E |—0—0—r—0—————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
BRIDGE:
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|
A |—————————————————|—————————————————|
E |—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
(Repeat next staff x2):
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—|—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|
E |—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—|—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
GUITAR SOLO 1 (x2):
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—4—4———4—————————|—3—3———3—————————|—5—5———5—————————|
E |—0—0———0—————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
VERSE 3 (x2):
sss sss sss sss
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—————————————————|—3—3—r——3333—r———|—————————————————|
E |—0—0—r——0000—r———|—2—2—r——2222—r———|—————————————————|—0—0—r——0000—r———|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
CHORUS 3 (x4):
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—4—4—r—4—————————|—3—3———3—3—3—3———|—5—5———5—5—5—5———|
E |—0—0—r—0—————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
OUTRO (Repeat 1st staff x3):
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—4—4—r—4—————————|—3—3———3—3—3—3———|—5—5———5—5—5—5———|
E |—0—0—r—0—————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
(Tempo slows)
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|—4—4—r—4—————————|—3———3—3—3—3—3—/—|—5—5—5—5—5—4—2—0—|
E |—0—0—r—0—————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
G |—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|
A |—————————————————|
E |—0———————————————|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Follow along with the song:
Introduction
Backwater (ver 2) is an iconic song by The Meat Puppets, known for its intricate bass lines and catchy melodies. If you’re a bass player, then this is one song that you’ll definitely want to learn how to play. In this article, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive guide to playing Backwater (ver 2) on bass, including detailed bass tabs and tips for perfecting your technique.
Getting Started
Before we dive into the bass tabs for Backwater (ver 2), it’s important to note that the song is played in drop D tuning. This means that you’ll need to tune your bass so that the lowest string is dropped down from an E to a D.
Once your bass is properly tuned, it’s time to start learning the song. We recommend starting with the main riff, which is played throughout most of the song. Here’s how it goes:
Main Riff
G|—————–|
D|—————–|
A|——-7-7-6-7—|
D|-0-0-0———–|
This riff is played in a loop throughout most of the song and is the foundation of the bass line. Practice playing it slowly at first, gradually increasing the tempo as you become more comfortable with the notes and finger placement.
The Verse
After the main riff, the verse kicks in with a walking bass line that’s both melodic and driving. Here’s how it sounds:
Verse
G|—————–|—————–|
D|—————–|—————–|
A|——-7-7-6-7—|——-7-7-6-7—|
D|-0-0-0———–|-0-0-0———–|
As you can see, the verse is similar to the main riff, except that it has a walking bass line that moves up and down the fretboard. This adds a lot of depth and interest to the bass line, making it a lot of fun to play.
The Chorus
Next up is the chorus, which is where the song really starts to rock. Here’s the bass line for the chorus:
Chorus
G|—————–|—————–|
D|—————–|—————–|
A|——-7-7-6-7—|——-7-7-6-7—|
D|-0-0-0—–0-0-0-|-0-0-0—–0-0-0-|
As you can see, the chorus is very similar to the verse, except that it ends with a powerful progression that leads back into the main riff. This really helps to build the energy of the song and keep the listener engaged.
Tips for Perfecting Your Technique
Now that you have the basic bass tabs for Backwater (ver 2), it’s time to start practicing. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you work on perfecting your technique:
- Focus on your finger placement. Make sure that you’re pressing down on the strings firmly and placing your fingers in the correct position.
- Practice playing the song slowly at first, gradually increasing the tempo as you become more comfortable with the notes and finger placement.
- Pay attention to your timing. Make sure that you’re playing in time with the rest of the band and the overall rhythm of the song.
- Experiment with your tone. Try adjusting your bass and amplifier to get the right sound that suits the song.
Conclusion
Backwater (ver 2) is a great song for bass players of all levels. With its intricate bass lines and catchy melodies, it’s sure to be a hit with any audience. By following the bass tabs and tips provided in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this amazing bass line and bringing it to life in your own playing.