Bass tabs
AMERICAN WOMAN (Bassline)
As recorded by The Guess Who
(From the 1970 Album AMERICAN WOMAN)
Words and Music by Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, Gary Peterson & Jim Kale
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Jim Kale - Bass'
Prelude Intro
Q=107(8=s8) ritardando Q=60(8=sQ=92(8=s8)
4/4
Gtr I
Wx31 W H. Q W
|-------------|----------|------------||------|
|-------------|----------|------------||------|
|-------------|----------|------------||------|
|-------------|----------|------------||------|
H Q E E W +Q Q E S S E E
|-------------|-----------|--------------------||
|-------------|-----------|--------------------||
|-------------|-----------|----------------5-6-||
|---------5-5s|=12--------|-(12)-------5s7-----||
Interlude
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
||-------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------||
||o------------------|------------5-----|------------------|------------------||
||o-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-||
||-------------5s7---|------------------|------------5s7---|------------5s7---||
1st - 3rd Verses
$
E E Q E E S S E Q Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|------------------|-----------------|------------------|-------------------|
|------------------|-----------5-----|------------------|-------------------|
|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7--7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5--|
|------------5s7---|-----------------|------------5s7---|------------5s7----|
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|------------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|------------5-----|------------------|------------5-----|-------------------|
|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5--|
|------------------|------------5s7---|------------------|------------5s7----|
To Coda
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|------------------|------------------|------------------|--------------------||
|------------------|------------5-----|------------------|-------------------o||
|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7--------o||
|------------5s7---|------------------|------------5s7---|------------5-6-7---||
Guitar Solo
E E Q E E S S E E E Q Q S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
||-------------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
||o------------------|-----------5-----|------------------|------------5-----|
||o-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7----5-7-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|
||-------------5s7---|-----------------|------------5s7---|------------------|
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|------------------|------------------|------------------|--------------------||
|------------------|------------5-----|------------------|------------5------o||
|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7---5-7-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5--o||
|------------5s7---|------------------|------------5s7---|--------------------||
Interlude
S S S S S S S S +E E Q
||----------------------------|
||o---------------------------|
||o-7-7-7-7-7---5-7-(7)\------|
||----------------------------|
1. 2.
D.S. al Coda
S S S S S S S S +E E Q S S S S S S S S +E E Q
|----------------------------||----------------------------||
|---------------------------o||----------------------------||
|-7-7-7-7-7---5-7-(7)\------o||-7-7-7-7-7---5-7-(7)\-------||
|----------------------------||----------------------------||
Outro
&
E E Q E E S S E E E E E E E S S S S
|------------------|---------------------|
|------------------|---------------------|
|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7-5-7-7-------5-|
|------------5s7---|-------------5-6-7---|
E S S E S S E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|-----------------------|-------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-5-7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5--|
|-----------------5s7---|------------5s7----|
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|------------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|------------5-----|------------------|------------------|-------------------|
|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5--|
|------------------|------------5s7---|------------5s7---|------------5s7----|
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|------------------|------------------|
|------------5-----|------------------|
|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|
|------------------|------------5s7---|
E S S E S S E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|-----------------------|--------------------|
|-----------------5-----|--------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-5-7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5---|
|-----------------------|------------5s7-----|
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|------------------|------------------|
|------------5-----|------------------|
|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-|
|------------------|------------5s7---|
E S S E S S E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|-----------------------|--------------------|
|-----------------------|--------------------|
|-7-7-7-7-7-5-7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5---|
|-----------------5s7---|------------5s7-----|
E E Q E E S S E E S S E S S E E S S E
|------------------|-----------------------|
|------------5-----|-----------------------|
|-7-7-7--7-7---7-5-|-7-7-7-7-7-5-7-7-----5-|
|------------------|-----------------5s7---|
E S S E S S E E S S E E E Q E E S S E
|-----------------------|------------------*|
|-----------------------|------------------*|
|-7-7-7-7-7-5-7-7-----5-|-7-7-7--7-7-----5-*|
|-----------------5s7---|------------5s7---*|
Duration 🏷Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature 🏷Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc 🏷Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
American woman gonna mess your mind
American woman, she gonna mess your mind
Mm, American woman gonna mess your mind
Mm, American woman gonna mess your mind
Say A
Say M
Say E
Say R
Say I
C
Say A
N, mm
American woman gonna mess your mind
Mm, American woman gonna mess your mind
Uh, American woman gonna mess your mind
Uh!
American woman, stay away from me
American woman, mama, let me be
Don't come a-hangin' around my door
I don't wanna see your face no more
I got more important things to do
Than spend my time growin' old with you
Now woman, I said stay away
American woman, listen what I say
American woman, get away from me
American woman, mama, let me be
Don't come a-knockin' around my door
Don't wanna see your shadow no more
Coloured lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else's eyes
Now woman, I said get away
American woman, listen what I say, hey
American woman, said get away
American woman, listen what I say
Don't come a-hangin' around my door
Don't wanna see your face no more
I don't need your war machines
I don't need your ghetto scenes
Coloured lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else's eyes
Now woman, get away from me
American woman, mama, let me be
Go, gotta get away, gotta get away
Now go go go
I'm gonna leave you, woman
Gonna leave you, woman
Bye-bye
Bye-bye
Bye-bye
Bye-bye
You're no good for me
I'm no good for you
Gonna look you right in the eye
Tell you what I'm gonna do
You know I'm gonna leave
You know I'm gonna go
You know I'm gonna leave
You know I'm gonna go, woman
I'm gonna leave ya, woman
Goodbye, American woman...
