English Roundabout Bass Tab by XTC

English Roundabout bass tab by XTC

Bass Tab

English Roundabout by XTC: Guitar, Bass & Songwriting Insights

"English Roundabout" by XTC is a track from their 1982 album "English Settlement." The song features intricate guitar work by Andy Partridge, utilizing jangly arpeggios and melodic riffs throughout. Colin Moulding's bassline provides a solid foundation, intertwining with the guitars to create a complex yet catchy arrangement. The production on the track is notably clean and detailed, capturing the band's quirky sound perfectly.

Difficulty: Advanced

Tempo: 172 BPM

5/4 time

[Intro] (0:00)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-7-7---------|
A|7-------9-7-9-------|7---------7---------|5-------------------|
E|--9-7-----------7---|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-7-7---------|------9-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5-------------------|7---------7---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|------------7---7---|

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------7-------------|------9-9-9---------|------7-------------|
A|5---------5---------|7-------------------|5---------5---------|
E|------------5---5---|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

[Verse 1] (0:16)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-7-7---------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5-------------------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5-5-5---|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------5-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7-7-7---|------------5---5---|--------------7-7---|------------5---5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5-5-5---|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------5-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7-7-7---|------------5---5---|

[Chorus 1] (0:40)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-7-7---------|------9-------------|------7-7-7---------|
A|7---------7---------|5-------------------|7---------7---------|5-------------------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

[Postchorus 1] (0:50)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------7-------------|------7-7-7---------|------7-------------|------7-------------|
A|----------7---------|--------------------|----------7---------|----------7---------|
E|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7-7-7---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------7-------------|------7-------------|------7-------------|------7-------------|
A|----------7---------|----------7---------|----------7---------|----------7---------|
E|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7---7---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------7---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5-5-5---|------------7---7---|------------5-5-5---|

[Verse 2] (1:11)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5-5-5---|------------7---7---|------------5-5-5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------5-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5-5-5---|--------------7-7---|------------5-5-5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|------------7-7-7---|------------5---5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------5-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

[Chorus 2] (1:35)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-7-7---------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5-------------------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|

[Postchorus 2] (1:46)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------7-------------|------7-------------|------7-------------|------7-------------|
A|----------7---------|----------7---------|----------7---------|----------7---------|
E|9-----------7-7-7---|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7---7---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------7-------------|------7-------------|------7-------------|------7-------------|
A|----------7---------|----------7---------|----------7---------|----------7---------|
E|9-----------7-7-7---|9-----------7---7---|9-----------7-7-7---|9-----------7---7---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------7---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------5---5---|------------7---7---|------------7---7---|

[Solo] (2:06)

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------7---7---|------------7---7---|------------7---7---|

G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|------9-------------|------7-------------|------9-------------|------7-------------|
A|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|7---------7---------|5---------5---------|
E|------------7---7---|------------7---7---|------------7---7---|------------8---8---|

G|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------------|
D|------10-------------|------8-------------|------10-------------|------8-------------|
A|8----------8---------|6---------6---------|8----------8---------|6---------6---------|
E|-------------8---8---|------------6---6---|-------------8---8---|------------6---6---|

[Verse 3] (2:27)

Bsas rests for 13 measures

G|--------------------|
D|------8-8-8---------|
A|6-------------------|
E|------------6---6---|

[Chorus 3 (extended)] (2:52)

G|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------------|
D|------10-------------|------8-8-8---------|------10-------------|------8-8-8---------|
A|8----------8---------|6-------------------|8----------8---------|6-------------------|
E|-------------8---8---|------------6-6-6---|-------------8---8---|------------6-6-6---|

G|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------------|
D|------10-------------|------8-8-8---------|------10-------------|------8-8-8---------|
A|8----------8---------|6-------------------|8----------8---------|6-------------------|
E|-------------8---8---|------------6---6---|-------------8-8-8---|------------6-6-6---|

G|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------------|
D|------10-------------|------8-8-8---------|------10-------------|------8-------------|
A|8----------8---------|6-------------------|8----------8---------|6---------6---------|
E|-------------8---8---|------------6---6---|-------------8---8---|------------6---6---|

G|---------------------|--------------------|
D|------10-------------|------8-------------|
A|8----------8---------|6---------6---------|
E|-------------8-8-8---|------------6---6---|

[Outro] (3:16)

G|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------------|
D|------10-------------|------8-------------|------11-------------|------9---------------|
A|8----------8---------|6---------6---------|9----------9---------|7---------7-----------|
E|-------------8---8---|------------9---9---|-------------9---9---|------------10---10---|

G|-------------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|
D|-------12----------------|------10---------------|-------13----------------|------11---------------|
A|10----------10-----------|8----------8-----------|11----------11-----------|9----------9-----------|
E|---------------10---10---|-------------11---11---|---------------11---11---|-------------12---12---|

G|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------14----------------|-------12----------------|-------15----------------|-------13----------------|
A|12----------12-----------|10----------10-----------|13----------13-----------|11----------11-----------|
E|---------------12---12---|---------------13---13---|---------------13---13---|---------------14---14---|

G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-------16----------------|-------14----------------|
A|14----------14-----------|12----------12-----------|  fade out
E|---------------14---14---|---------------15---15---|


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Published: July 5, 2025

Last updated: July 5, 2025

XTC bass tabs for English roundabout

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