The Boy In The Bubble Bass

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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 +
G ---|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D ---|7---4---5---6---|7\--------------|----------------|----------------(7)
A ---|----------------|--x-3-x-5-5---x-|----3-x-5-x-3-5-|--x-3-x-5-5-----|
E /5-|--2---3---4-----|----------------|5---------------|--------------5-|
 
[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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[Intro]
  | Am | Am C D   | Am C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (accordion only)
  |   Am    | Am C D   | Am C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (chromatic ascent)
 
[Verse 1]
  |   Am    | Am C D   | Am C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (chromatic ascent)
 
[Chorus]
  |   G   | G C D   | G C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (triple feel)
 
[Post-Chorus]
  | Am  /D C |  C D   | Am C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (octave slides)
 
[Verse 2]
  |   Am    | Am C D   | Am C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (chromatic ascent)
 
[Chorus]
  |   G   | G C D   | G C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (triple feel)
 
[Post-Chorus]
  | Am  /D C |  C D   | Am C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
   (octave slides)
 
[Verse 3]
  |   Am    | Am C D   | Am C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (chromatic ascent)
 
[Chorus]
  |   G   | G C D   | G C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (triple feel)
 
[Chorus]
  |   G   | G C D   | G C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (triple feel)
 
[Chorus]
  |   G   | G C D   | G C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (triple feel)
 
[Outro]
  |   G   | G C D   | G C D  C D |  C D    | 2x
  (triple feel)
 
  (repeat and fade)
X