* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* -------------THE COMPLETE, FULL VERSION-----------------*
*  ME & MY BASS GUITAR -- by Victor Wooten                *
*  Tablature by David D'aranjo, 2003 (daranjo@hotmail.com)*
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Victor Wooten's awesome slapping skills are put into full effect on this track from his 1996 debut album, "A Show of Hands". "Me & My Bass Guitar" is a complex sounding song that is actually pretty accesible once broken down. As with many of Victor's jams, lots of ghost notes (written "x" on the tab) fill up space and give it that funky, complex groove. Also, check out Victor's website to get familiar with his "hammer, slap, pluck" technique. It is in full gear here.

Victor also has a secret to keeping his strings from vibrating too much: he puts a fuzzy hair tie on the neck, dampening the strings enough to keep them under control. You can see this in any of his videos or pictures of him playing. Use a small hair tie to play this song -- it is essential to reaching his distinctive sound.

This tab makes an attempt at all sections of the recorded version of the song, and tells you how to string them together at the end. Though Victor may play it differently, the overall effect is achieved! Happy tabbing.

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SLAMMIN' INTRO GROOVE
The song begins with a percussive INTRO GROOVE. This should be easy to figure out. Aside from the chords he "strums", the other notes are just percussive experiments he does with his palms higher up on the neck.

Play along with the CD and be sure to "strum" those notes with all the fingers of your right hand. He ends the intro with a quick tap on the G-string's 23rd fret before launching into the MAIN GROOVE. For that tap, use either you right hand thumb or index finger.

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G--------------------------x--x-----x-----x-----x--x--|
D--------------------------x--x-----x-----x-----x--x--|
A-------START==>-----------x--x-----x-----x-----x--x--|
E--------------------------x--x-----x-----x-----x--x--|
    "ah"        "uh"

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
D-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
A-----9-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----10----|
E-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
      S                                         S

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
D-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
A-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
E-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----x-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----x-----|
D-----x-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----x-----|
A-----9-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----10----|
E-----x-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----x-----|
      S                                         S

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----x-----------x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----|
D-----x-----------x------x----x-----x-----x-----x-----|
A-----x-----------x-------x---x-----x-----x-----x-----|
E-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----x-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----x-----|
D-----x-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----x-----|
A-----9-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----10----|
E-----x-----------x--------x--x-----------x-----x-----|
      S                                         S

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
D-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
A-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----11----|
E-----x-----------x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
						S

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----x-----x-----x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
D-----x-----x-----x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
A-----x-----x-----x--------x--x-----x-----x-----12~~~~|
E-----x-----x-----x--------x--x-----x-----x-----x-----|
					 	S~~~~~~

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----------x-----x-----x-----------x-----x----t23----|
D-----------x-----x-----x-----------x-----x-----------|
A~~~~~~-----x-----x-----13~~~~~-----x-----x-----------|  To MAIN GROOVE
E-----------x-----x-----x-----------x-----x-----------|
~~~~~~~			S~~~~~~			R


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MAIN GROOVE / VERSE
Essentially, the main groove is based on triplets. The first method of playing this groove involves tapping the note with your left hand (marked L; the "h" by the number stands for 'hammer-on'), slapping the second ghost note with your thumb (marked R), and then finishing off the triplet with a mute pluck (marked P) on the G string. Mute the G string with the 'fat' of your playing fingers.

MAIN GROOVE, without tapping
      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----------x--------x--------------x-----------------||
D-------------h6--x----h7--x--------------------------||
A----------------------------h7--x--------x-h5--------||
E----h7--x----------------------------h5-------h6~~~--||
      L  R  P  L  R  P  L  R  L  R  P  L  R  L  L

If this strikes you as a little difficult, here is an easier way to do it. There is no plucking involved. You just tap the note with your left hand (marked L), and slap the remainder of the muted ghost notes with your right thumb (marked R):

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G-----------------------------------------------------||
D-------------h6--x--x-h7--x--------------------------||
A----------------------------h7--x--x-----x-h5--------||
E----h7--x--x-------------------------h5-------h6~~~--||
      L  R  R  L  R  R  L  R  L  R  R  L  R  L  L

Either way works. Practice them slowly at first and build speed. When you have the 'bass' of it, let's add the right hand chord tapping.

MAIN GROOVE, added tapping with right hand - index & middle
      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G---(t19)------------x--------------x-----------------|
D---(t19)-----h6--x----h7--x--------------------------|
A----------------------------h7--x--------x-h5--------|
E----h7-------------------------------h5-------h6~~~--|

G---(t16)------------x--------------x-----------------||
D---(t16)-----h6--x----h7--x--------------------------||
A----------------------------h7--x--------x-h5--------||
E----h7-------------------------------h5-------h6~~~--||

Note that both measures of the groove are the same, except for the tapping with the right hand (written in parenthesis) which goes from 19 to 16. Listen carefully to the CD to get Victor's experimentations with the tapped chords. He sometimes will repeat the hit on beat 2 of the measure, and also sometimes slides the chords up on the release. There's a method to his madness, but I'll leave that for you to find out. Now on to the chorus. . .


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BREAKDOWN/VAMP and CHORUS
This is a toughie. Practice this slowly and the speed will come.

      1  e  &  a  2  e  &  a  3  e  &  a  4  e  &  a
G---(t16)------------x--------------x--------x--------|
D---(t16)-----h6--x----h7--x--------------------------|
A----------------------------h7--x--------------------|