Introduction

If you’re a fan of reggae music, chances are you’ve heard of Bob Marley and his iconic songs such as “No Woman No Cry”, “One Love”, and “Stir It Up”. The bass line for “Stir It Up (ver 2)” is not only catchy but relatively simple for beginners to learn. In this article, we’ll provide you with the bass tabs and instructions to help you master this classic reggae tune.

Bass Tabs

Before we dive in, here’s the tablature for the bass line:

G|-------------------|-------------------|
D|-------------------|-------------------|
A|---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-0-----------------|-3-----------------|
				

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-3-3---------------|-2-2-3-----------|
				

To play the song, you’ll need to repeat the verse and chorus sections as follows:

Intro
Verse (x4)
Chorus (x2)
Verse (x4)
Chorus (x2)
Instrumental Bridge (x4)
Chorus (x2)
Verse (x4)
Chorus (x2)
Outro
				

Instructions

Now that you have the tabs and song structure, let’s break down the individual sections and learn how to play them.

Verse

The verse section consists of a repeating two-bar pattern with a simple bass line consisting of the notes A and E:

G|-------------------|-------------------|
D|-------------------|-------------------|
A|---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-0-----------------|-3-----------------|
				

To play this, start with your index finger on the second fret of the A string. Pluck the string with your right hand index finger, then hammer your fourth finger onto the fifth fret of the same string without plucking it again. Next, pluck the open E string with your right hand thumb, followed by the third fret of the E string with your fourth finger. Repeat this pattern for the whole verse section.

Chorus

The chorus section has a slightly more complex bass line, but it’s still relatively simple:

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-3-3---------------|-2-2-3-----------|
				

Start by plucking the second fret of the A string with your index finger, followed by the open D string with your right hand thumb. Then, use your fourth finger to pluck the third fret of the E string, and hammer onto the fourth fret. Finally, pluck the second fret of the D string with your index finger, followed by the open A string with your right hand thumb. Repeat this pattern for the whole chorus section.

Instrumental Bridge

During the instrumental bridge section, the bass plays a riff that’s similar to the chorus but with some variations:

G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-------0-0-0-0-0-|
E|-3-3-----3-3-----|-3-3-3-----3-3-3-|
				

Start by playing the same pattern as in the chorus section, but instead of playing open A and D strings, play the third fret of the E string with your fourth finger, followed by the second fret of the D string with your index finger. Repeat this pattern for the whole instrumental bridge section.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve learned how to play the bass line for “Stir It Up (ver 2)” by Bob Marley. With simple yet catchy bass lines, this song is a great choice for beginner and intermediate players who want to learn how to play reggae music. By practicing the tabs and instructions provided in this article, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this classic tune.