White Lines bass tab by Grandmaster Flash

Bass tabs

Song: White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
Artist: Melle Mel
Album: None (released as a single, 1983)

Standard tuning EADG

🏷Legend:
* = staccato
()= continued note
s = 16th note (will appear above bar)

NOTE: Riff 1 is played w/ echo during the intro only;
it's played clean during the rest of the song.

CREDIT NOTE: You may notice the artist I credit in this tab
is not the artist under whose name you found it. The reason
for this is simple: Grandmaster Flash actually had nothing to
do with this song, and the only reason his name is on it is
because Sugar Hill Records wanted to cash in on his name,
despite the fact that Flash left the label a year before the
song was produced. I only submitted this tab under Grandmaster
Flash because not many people would know to search under
"Mel Melle." For more info regarding the false credit,
check out the song's wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Lines_(Don't_Don't_Do_It)

Follow along with the song:

INTRO

"Fun, baby..."/crystal sounds = rest x4 bars
Percussion synth = rest x4 bars


RIFF 1 (x2)

  s s s sss   s s s sss   s s s sss s   sss s sss
G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
D |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—03—03—03—030*———|—03—03—03—030*———|—03—03—03—0303—03|(3)0303—03—030*——|
E |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &


— REST x2 bars


RIFF 2 ("Ahhh...")

G |—————————————————|—————————————————|—12——————————————|—14——————————————|
D |—————————————————|—9———————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A |—10——————————————|—10——————————————|—10——————————————|—10——————————————|
E |—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|—————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

— Repeat RIFF 1 (Verses) (x8)


RIFF 3 (Chorus) (x8)

   s  sss s  sss
G |————————————————————|
D |———53——030—35—3—035—|
A |————————————————————|
E |—3——————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

— Repeat RIFF 2

— Repeat RIFF 1 (x8)

— Repeat RIFF 3 (x8)

— Repeat RIFF 2

— Repeat RIFF 1 (x8)


RIFF 3.a (Chorus w/ alterations)

      (x3)                  (x3)
   s  sss s  sss   s  sssssssssss  s  sss s  sss  ssssssssssss
G |————————————————————|——————————30——————|————————————————————|—30——30——————————|
D |———53——030—35—3—035—|———53——035——430———|———53——030—35—3—035—|———43——430———————|
A |————————————————————|———————————————43—|————————————————————|——————————43—————|
E |—3——————————————————|—3———————————————6|—3——————————————————|————————————6*———|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

— Repeat RIFF 2

— Repeat RIFF 1 (x12)

— OUTRO (RIFF 3 w. variations)

      (x3)                  (x5)
   s  sss s  sss   s  sssssssssss  s  sss s  sss   s  sssssssssss
G |————————————————————|——————————30——————|————————————————————|——————————30——————|
D |———53——030—35—3—035—|———53——035——430———|———53——030—35—3—035—|———53——035——430———|
A |————————————————————|———————————————43—|————————————————————|———————————————43—|
E |—3——————————————————|—3———————————————6|—3——————————————————|—3———————————————6|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

    (Fade out)
   s  sss s  sss
G |————————————————————|
D |———53——030—35—3—035—|
A |————————————————————|
E |—3——————————————————|
  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &