Introduction

Scarlet Begonias is a song by the Grateful Dead that features iconic bass lines. If you’re a bass player, mastering this song is a must. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most popular bass line variations and teach you how to play them step by step.

We’ll provide simplified tab sheets for beginners and more advanced tabs for intermediate and advanced players. Plus, we’ll cover the main groove of the song, so you can play along with confidence and style.

So, grab your bass guitar, and let’s get started!

Basic Bass Tabs for Scarlet Begonias

Before we dive into the more complex bass line arrangements, let’s start with some easy tabs for beginners. Here’s the bass line in standard tuning:

Verse/Chorus:

G|----------------|----------------|
D|--------5-------|--------5-------|
A|----7------7----|----7------7----|
E|----------------|----------------|
			

Bridge:

G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|---7--5---------|------7--5------|----------------|--------5--7----|
E|---------7------|------------7---|--5--7--8--7--5--|----------------|
			

Practice these tabs until you can play them smoothly and accurately. Once you’re comfortable with these basics, you can move on to more complex variations.

Intermediate and Advanced Bass Tabs

Here are some more advanced bass tabs for Scarlet Begonias:

Verse/Chorus:

G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|--------------5-|----------------|--------5-------|--------------5-|
A|---7-7-7-7-7----|--------7-------|----7-7------7---|--------7-------|
E|----------------|----7-7------7---|----------------|----7-7------7---|
			

Bridge:

G|----5-------5-7-|--------------5-|--------5-------|----------------|
D|-------8--------|------7-8-7-5---|----5-7------7---|--------------5-|
A|--7-------7-----|----------------|---7-------7-----|--------5-7-7---|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|---5-7----------|
			

These tabs are more challenging, but they’re essential if you want to play Scarlet Begonias like a pro. Experiment with different fingerings and techniques to find your groove.

Playing the Main Groove of Scarlet Begonias

The main groove of Scarlet Begonias is what gives the song its unique vibe and feel. To play it, you’ll need to master the following pattern:

Main groove:

G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7|-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-|5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-7-|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
			

Play this pattern in a smooth, steady rhythm, and find your own unique variations to add to the song’s charm.

Conclusion

Scarlet Begonias by the Grateful Dead is an iconic song that every bass player should learn to play. With this comprehensive guide to bass tabs, you’re now equipped with the knowledge and skills to master the song.

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, the tabs and tips in this guide will help you improve your bass playing and add Scarlet Begonias to your repertoire.

So, get practicing and rock out to Scarlet Begonias today!