Introduction

‘Tin Man’ is a timeless classic hit by the American rock band, America. The bass line of this song is one of the most recognizable and easy to learn for beginners. In this step-by-step guide, we will teach you how to play the bass tabs of ‘Tin Man’ on your bass guitar.

By the end of this article, you will have a good understanding of how to read bass tabs, tune your bass, and practice tabs. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Step 1: Tuning Your Bass

The first step to playing any song on your bass guitar is to make sure it is properly tuned. Here is a quick and easy way to tune your bass:

Step 1.1: Tune Your E String

Start by turning the tuning peg for your E string until it matches the sound of a properly tuned E note. You can use a tuning app or a pitch pipe to check if it is in tune.

Step 1.2: Tune Your A String

Next, use your E string as a reference to tune your A string. Press down on the fifth fret of your E string. This will produce an A note. Tune your A string until it matches the sound of the note produced by the fifth fret of your E string.

Step 1.3: Tune Your D String

Now, use your A string as a reference to tune your D string. Press down on the fifth fret of your A string. This will produce a D note. Tune your D string until it matches the sound of the note produced by the fifth fret of your A string.

Step 1.4: Tune Your G String

Finally, use your D string as a reference to tune your G string. Press down on the fifth fret of your D string. This will produce a G note. Tune your G string until it matches the sound of the note produced by the fifth fret of your D string.

Step 2: Reading the Tabs

Bass tabs are a form of musical notation that shows you how to play a song on your bass. They consist of numbers that represent the frets on your bass and lines that represent the strings. Here is an example of a bass tab for the intro of ‘Tin Man’:

G|-----------------3-5-5--3-------3-5-5--3-------3-5-5--3--|
D|-0-0-0--3-5-5--5-----------5-3-5-----------5-3-5----------|
			

The numbers on the tab represent the frets you need to play, while the lines represent the strings. The letters ‘G’ and ‘D’ at the beginning of each line represent the strings on your bass: G for the fourth string and D for the third string.

Start by playing the third fret on the G string with your index finger, then play the fifth fret on the same string with your ring finger. Repeat this pattern twice. Then, move to the D string and play the open string followed by the third and fifth frets. This will give you the intro to ‘Tin Man’. Repeat this pattern as many times as necessary to get comfortable with it.

Step 3: Practicing the Tabs

Now that you know how to read the tabs, it’s time to practice playing them. Start by playing the intro to ‘Tin Man’ several times until you feel comfortable with it. Then, move on to the verse, chorus, and bridge tabs. Here are the tabs for each section:

Verse Tabs

G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-5---0-------|
E|-------3-5-5-|
			

For the verse tabs, start by playing the open A string followed by the fifth fret of the same string. Then, switch to the E string and play the third fret followed by the fifth fret.

Chorus Tabs

G|---------5---|
D|---0-3-5-----|
A|-5-----------|
E|-------------|
			

For the chorus tabs, start by playing the fifth fret on the A string followed by the open D string. Then, play the third fret on the D string followed by the fifth fret on the same string.

Bridge Tabs

G|-------|
D|-------|
A|-3-3-3-|
E|-------|
			

The bridge section is a little easier to play. Start by playing the third fret on the A string three times, then play the open E string.