Calm Like A Bomb bass tabs
CALM LIKE A BOMB
Rage Against the Machine
This is a correction of the tab posted by A.B. (purple150@hotmail.com)
Tabbed by Shor Bowman (abowman@sas.upenn.edu)
A.B. did a nice job with the tab, but the introductory bass solo was
wrong. I don't know what kind of professional tabbed that intro, but
it was clearly in the wrong key. This is the redone version, in the
correct key, and I'm pretty sure it's 100% accurate. Mail me if you
have any questions, comments, etc.
P.S.—I credit A.B. with the tablature for the chorus/guitar solo.
This is the solo at the beginning of the song:
G——————0—2————————————0——0———————————————————————————————————————|
D———2—4—————4—2—0—2—4——————2—0—————0—2—4——0———————0—2——2—————————|
A——————————————————————————————4—0——————————4—2—4————————4—2—1———|
E———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————2|
G—————————————————————————————0—2————————————0——0————————————————|
D—————0—————2———0——4—0—2——2—4——————4—2—0—2—4——————2—0————————————|
A——2————2—4———4———————————————————————————————————————4——0———————|
E————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
This is played during the verse:
G—————————————5/7————————————————5/7——|
D——————9—7—9——————————————9—7—9———————|
A—————————————————————————————————————|
E——7——————————————————7———————————————|
Sometimes:
G———————————————————————————|
D—————9—7—9——9—7—9——9—7—9———|
A———————————————————————————|
E—7—————————————————————————|
This is played during the "chorus":
G————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
D————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A————————————————————————————————————5—5—————————————————————————|
E——5—7—xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx—5—7—5—7——7——7—————————————————————————————|
G—————————————————————————————————————————|
D—————————————————————————————————————————|
A———————5—————————5———————————5———————5———|
E—5—7—x———7—x—x—x————7——5—7—x———7—5—————7—|
This is played during the guitar solo:
G—————————————————————————————9—7—9—————————————|
D———————————————————————————————————————————————|
A—7—x—7—x—7—x—7—5—5—5—5—7——7—————————7——5—5—5—5—|
E———————————————————————————————————————————————|
That's it; enjoy! The dashes imply the spacing between notes :)
x=muted string
/=slide
Calm Like A Bomb Bass Tabs
Introduction
If you’re a fan of Rage Against the Machine and want to learn how to play one of their most popular songs on bass guitar, then you’re in the right place! In this tutorial, we’ll be going through the bass tabs for “Calm Like A Bomb” from their 1999 album “The Battle of Los Angeles”.
This song is known for its heavy bass line, funky groove, and political lyrics. It was written by bass player Tim Commerford and showcases his unique style of playing. Commerford is known for using a lot of slap and pop techniques in his bass lines, and “Calm Like A Bomb” is no exception.
Before we dive into the tutorial, it’s important to note that if you want to play this song like a pro, you’ll need to practice a lot and get your timing and technique down. Don’t worry if it sounds a bit messy at first, with time and practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
Tutorial
First, let’s take a look at the bass tabs for the intro of the song:
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|--------------3-------------------|
E|--0--0--3--3-------3--3--0--0--3--3|The intro is a simple yet catchy riff that’s played throughout the song. It’s important to get the timing right on this riff, so practice it slowly at first and gradually speed it up.
Verse
The verse is where things start to get interesting. Here’s the bass tab:
G|------------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----3--2--0-------------------------------0--2--3-----|
E|--0-----------3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3-----------0--|This riff requires a lot of speed and accuracy, so take your time practicing it. The tricky part is the quick jump from the 3rd fret on the A string to the 2nd fret, so make sure to focus on that.
After the first verse, there’s a short instrumental part where you play the intro riff again before going into the chorus.
Chorus
The chorus is the most recognizable part of the song. Here’s the bass tab:
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|-----3--2------0--0--0--2--3--2-----|
E|--0--------3-----------------------|This part is a bit easier than the verse, but still requires good timing and technique. Pay attention to the slides between notes and make sure they’re smooth.
After the first chorus, there’s another instrumental part where you play the intro riff again, followed by the verse and chorus again.
Bridge
The bridge is a bit different from the rest of the song, but still follows the same style. Here’s the bass tab:
G|--------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|--0--0--3--0--0--0--3--5--5--5--5--3--3--3--3--0--0--|This part is a bit slower and more relaxed than the rest of the song. It’s important to maintain a steady rhythm throughout.
After the bridge, there’s another instrumental part where you play the intro riff again, followed by the chorus one last time.
Outro
The outro is essentially the same as the intro, but with a slight variation. Here’s the bass tab:
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|--------------3-------------------|
E|--0--0--3--3---3--3--2--2--0--0--3--3|This time, instead of playing the 3rd fret on the A string, you play the 2nd fret. This gives the outro a slightly different feel from the intro.
And that’s it! Those are all the bass tabs for “Calm Like A Bomb” by Rage Against the Machine. Practice these tabs and you’ll be able to play the song like a pro in no time!
Conclusion
Learning how to play “Calm Like A Bomb” on bass guitar is not an easy task, but with hard work and practice, anyone can do it. This song is a great example of Tim Commerford’s unique style of playing, and it’s a lot of fun to play once you get the hang of it.
Remember to focus on your timing and technique, and don’t get discouraged if it takes a while to get it right. Keep practicing, and soon enough, you’ll be able to play “Calm Like A Bomb” with confidence and flair!
Furthermore, in addition to the bass tabs, we provided in-depth explanations of each section of the song, including the intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro. Additionally, if you’re having trouble with any of the techniques used in the song, such as slap and pop, take a look at some instructional videos online for more help. Lastly, we hope this tutorial was helpful for you in learning how to play “Calm Like A Bomb” by Rage Against the Machine on bass guitar.