Aerosmith – Back In The Saddle (Bass Tab)

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tabbed by: Bryan Chim E-mail: [email protected] If you want to follow along, here is a link to my bass cover: This has always been a confusing song for guitarists/bass players alike -- That delicious chorus riff has the personality of a guitar, but also the depth and growl of a bass. What could it be? A Baritone Guitar? 6-String Bass? Carrot on a Stick? Human Hair tied to a Goat Skull? Most reputable sources say it's Joe Perry on his Fender VI Bass (if you're referring to that particular riff), but there is of course Tom Hamilton's 4-string to back it up. In my interpretation, I chose to blend together (what I thought were the coolest) bits of both Joe Perry's and Tom Hamilton's parts, particularly in the verses and the breakdown. * Thus, this tab is not 100% one part or the other. Without further ado, let us go forth and rock! (And don't forget the chorus pedal!)

INTRO (without chorus pedal):
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|4-------------x-|4-------------x-|4-------------x-|4-------------x-| (x2)

G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
A|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
E|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|9-9-9-9-9-9-9\--|

CHORUS RIFF (always with chorus pedal) 
(for the purposes of timing, treat each "-" as 1/16 of a bar,
assuming each repetition of the riff were to cover 2 bars):
G|---------------------6--665-----|
D|------4--------4-----------6----|
A|4-6-6---6---------678-----------|
E|------------456-----------------| (x4)

You can try introducing some muted or extra notes here and there; have fun with it!
       |     ||     |           | |
G|---------------------6--665-------|
D|------4--------4-----------6-x(6)-|
A|4-6-x---6--------x678-------------|
E|----------xx456-------------------|

NOTE: With overdrive, chorus and heavy picking technique, you may not distinctly hear the notes when playing the "456" or "678" triplets, which is perfectly fine!

VERSE 1 (without chorus pedal):
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|----x456------4---4-----4-4-2---|
E|2-4-------4-4---4---4-4---------| (x4)

(slight variation here in the last half of the verse -- follows the rhythm guitar)
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------| 
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|  
A|-----x456------4-----4---4-4---4|-----x456------4-----4---4---4-4|
E|-2-4-------4-4---4-4---4-----4--|-2-4-------4-4---4-4---4---4----|

G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|-----x456------4-----4---4-4---4|-----x456------4-----4---4---4--|
E|-2-4-------4-4---4-4---4-----4--|-2-4-------4-4---4-4---x---x----|

CHORUS RIFF (x4)

VERSE 2 (without chorus pedal):
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|----x456------4---4-----4-4-2---|
E|2-4-------4-4---4---4-4---------| (x4)

(on the 4th repeat, I do a slide up from F# for the key change)

VERSE 2 Key Change:
G|--------------8-----8---8-8---8-|
D|--------------8-----8---8-8---8-|
A|----x678------------------------|
E|4-6-------6-6---6-6---6-----6---| (x4)

(dig in for those last few power chords, it's a wicked cool part of the song) CHORUS RIFF (x4)

BREAKDOWN 1 (with chorus pedal **just leave it on for the rest of the song):
G|----------------|----------------|-------------------|--------------------|
D|----------------|----------------|/8-11-10-8-6-------|--------------------|
A|----------------|----------------|-------------8-----|--------------------|
E|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|---------------7-6-|4-4-4-4/16-16-16\---| (x4)

(this is another fun place to play around with muted strums and/or 5th-octave chords) CHORUS RIFF (x4)

BREAKDOWN 2 -- for the finish! 
(I chose to follow Perry's little melody in the 1st half of the 4-bar pattern):
G|----------------|----------------|-------------------|--------------------|
D|----------------|----------------|/8-11-10-8-6-------|--------------------|
A|4---3-----------|6\4-------------|-------------8-----|--------------------|
E|--4---4-4-4-4-4-|----7\6-6-6-6-6-|---------------7-6-|4-4-4-4/16-16-16\---| (x5) 

ENDING:
G|----------------|-------------------|--------------------|
D|----------------|/8-11-10-8-6-------|------------------6-|
A|----------------|-------------8-----|------------------6-|
E|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|---------------7-6-|--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|