The Boy in the Bubble

Bass Tab

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Bass3

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

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The Boy in the Bubble – Paul Simon

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Written by: Paul Simon/Forere Motloheloa

Bass player: Bakhiti Kumalo

From: “Graceland” (1986)

Tabbed by: maguri

Tuning: E-A-D-G (The album version is a little sharp. To play along to

the recording you’d have to tune up a little to match

the tuning there.)

I'm not a bass player but the bass line is so intriguing, I had

to have a go.

This is what I hear on the recording. It is played on a fretless bass,

and the slides really make sense on that kind of instrument. The ghost

notes (x) are important to glue the groove together. Other than that,

Kumalo plays some minor variations here and there (I included one for

the verse).

Listen to this tab: https://soundcloud.com/maguri/the-boy-in-the-bubble_bass-demo

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[Intro] / [Verse]

chromatic octaves ascending in the first bar

Am C D Am C D C D C D

+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Verse

chromatic octaves ascending in the first bar, variation

Am C D Am C D C D C D

+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

G ---|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D ---|7---4---5-------|----------------|----------------|----------------(7)
A ---|-----------/5-3-|--x-3-x-5-5-----|----3-x-5-x-3-5-|--x-3-x-5-5-----|
E -5-|--2---3---x-----|--------------x-|5---------------|--------------5-|

[Chorus] / [Outro]

triple feel in the first bar

G C D G C D C D C D

+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

G ---|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D ---|5---5-5-5---5-5/|----------------|5---------------|----------------|
A ---|----------------|--x-3-x-5-5-----|----3-x-5-x-3-5-|--x-3-x-5-5-----|
E ---|----------------|--------------3-|--x-------------|----------------|

(triple feel)

Post-Chorus

octave slides in the first bar

Am D C D Am C D C D C D

+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

G --|-----------/7-5-|----------------|----------------|---------------|
D 5/|7---------------|----------------|----------------|-------------5/(7)
A --|-----------/5-3-|--x-3-x-5-5-----|----3-x-5-x-3-5-|--x-3-x-5-5----|
E 3/|5---------------|--------------x-|5---------------|-------------3/(5)

Tab Legend

/ = slide

notes in brackets at the end of lines = beginning of the next bar

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