PINBALL WIZARD
for Bass

Artist: The Who                       Words and Music by
Album: Tommy                              PETE TOWNSHED


q- quarter note (1 beat)
e- eighth note  (1/2 beat
s- sixteenth note (1/4 beat)
g- grace note (Play quickly before the following note)

(NOTE: In case it helps anybody, I put the chord changes on top of the bass
TABS. That's what the uppercase letters mean. The lowercase letters are the
time values.)

The bass comes in after the intro, starting with the verse.

VERSE:


This is over the Bsus4-B chord progression

"Ever since I was..........

Bsus4                B
    q q g e e e e e   q q   g e e e  e
G--------------------|----------------------
D-------6-9-6--------|------6-9-6-----------
A-----7--------7-----|---7---------7--------
E---7------------7-7-|-7---------------7-----

"From Soho...........

Asus4                A
    q q g e e e e e   q q  g e e   e  e
G--------------------|-----------------------
D-------4-7-4--------|-----4-7-4-------------
A-----5--------5-----|---5---------5---------
E---5------------5-5-|-5--------------5------

"I ain't seen.........
Gsus4                G
    q q g e e e e e   q q g e e   e  e
G--------------------|-----------------------
D-------2-5-2--------|----2-5-2--------------
A-----3--------3-----|--3---------3----------
E---3------------3-3-|-3--------------3-------

"That deaf............

F#sus4
    q q  g e e e (eighth rest)
G------------------------------------------
D--------1-4-1-----------------------------
A-----2--------2---------------------------
E---2--------------------------------------

For the following lines, I haven't given time values because the notes change
with the chord and that is easy to hear.

After "Sure plays a mean pinball," play this twice:

Riff 2:
    B B A D E E
G----------------------------------
D----------------------------------
A---2-2-0-5------------------------
E-----------0-0--------------------


Play the verse bassline

Play Riff 2

During "I thought I was.......," Play this 4 times:

Riff 3:
    D Csus2 G G
G--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------
A---5-3--------------------------------
E-----------3-3------------------------


Verse
Riff 2
Riff 3
Verse
Riff 2

*** When the song changes keys, There is a guitar part similar to the intro.
DO NOT PLAY DURING THIS.  Play when the vocals come in (Like the first verse).

Last Verse

"Even on my favorite table......."

Dsus4                    D
    q   q  g e   e e  e    q  q  g  e e  e  e
G------------------------|-------------------------
D------------------------|-------------------------
A------12-12------12-----|---12-12-------12--------
E---10-------10-10---10--|-10-------10-10---10-----

"His diciples lead......."

Csus4                 C
    q  q g e  e  e e    q q g  e e  e  e
G---------------------|----------------------------
D---------------------|----------------------------
A-----10-10-----10----|--10-10------10-------------
E---8-------8-8----8--|-8--------8-8----8----------

"He's got crazy......."

Bbsus4                Bb
    q q g e e  e e      q q g e e e e
G---------------------|----------------------------
D---------------------|----------------------------
A-----8-8------8------|----8-8-----8----------------
E---6-----6-6----6----|-6------6-6----6-------------

"That deaf........"

Asus4
    q q g e e e e
G----------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------
A-----7-7-----7--------------------------------------
E---5-----5-5---5-------------------------------------

After "Sure plays a mean pinball," play this twice:

(Again, the notes follow the chord, so I have not put time values.)

G--------------||
D--------------||     END OF SONG
A-------3---1--||
E---5-5---1----||

A few notes:

The verse lines all have the same rythym

The verse lines (except for the last) all have the same fingering patters,
they just slide down two frets when the chord changes.  The last verse
follows this pattern, but with its own fingering pattern.

Questions? Comments? Corrections?

John Kingsley
estreeter103@aol.com

Have Fun!