Blackbird Bass

Transcribed and tabbed by Joe Britton
 
  Artist - Jaco Pastorius
  Album  - Word of Mouth
  Track  - Black Bird
 
Written by the Beatles, Arranged for bass by Jaco Pastorius.
This tab is just the basic idea, there are a few small variations in parts.
 
[Rhythm fig. 1
G|---6-------7-------9--------18---18--|--(18)----18--------18---------|
D|*----7-------7-------7-----------14--|--(14)-------14--------14------|
A|*------0-0-----0-0-----0-0-----------|-------0--------0-0-------0-0--|
E|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
 
G|--18---------|--11---------14--------13---------16---14--|-(14)----|
D|-----14------|-----12---------12--------12-----------16--|-(16)----|
A|--------0-0--|--------0-0--------0-0-------0-0-----------|------0--|
E|-------------|-------------------------------------------|---------|
 
G|--14--------14---------14---------|--13--14---11-------||--13--14---11-|
D|-----16--------15---------15------|--14--14---12------*||--14--14---12-|
A|--------0-0-------0-0--------0-0--|--0---0----0-------*||--0---0----0--|
E|----------------------------------|--------------------||--------------|
 
G|----/11--|--10---|--9-------9--------8---|------14------------|
D|---------|--12---|----11------11-----9---|--/12--------2------|
A|---------|--0----|-------0-------0---0---|-------------0------|
E|---------|-------|-----------------------|--------------------|
 
Rest Then repeat whole of rhythm fig. 1, With this fill in the first
time bar:
 
G|--13--14--11------|-----11-9------------------|
D|--14--14--12------|----------11-9-------------|
A|--0---0---0-------|---------------12-9--------|
E|------------------|--------------------12-10--|
 
[Rhythm Fig. 2]
G|--19--------19--------14--------14---------|-9--------9---------|
D|-----17--------16--------14--------12------|---10-------10------|
A|--------0-0-------0-0-------0-0-------0-0--|------0-0------0-0--|
E|-------------------------------------------|--------------------|
 
G|---11--------11---------|--19--------19--------14--------14---------|
D|------12--------12------|-----17--------16--------14--------12------|
A|---------0-0-------0-0--|--------0-0-------0-0-------0-0-------0-0--|
E|------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
 
G|-9--------9--------8-------8---------||-9--------9----------8--|-------|
D|---10-------10-------9-------9------*||---10-------10-------9--|-1-bar-|
A|------0-0------0-0-----0-0-----0-0--*||------0-0------0-0---0--|-rest--|
E|-------------------------------------||------------------------|-------|
 
Then [Rhythm fig. 1], Skip first time bar, then rest, then:
 
[Rhythm fig. 3]
G|--6-------7-------9-------18---------|--18--------18---------|
D|----7-------7-------7--------16------|-----17--------16------|
A|------0-0-----0-0-----0-0-------0-0--|--------0-0-------0-0--|
E|-------------------------------------|-----------------------|
 
G|--18---------14---------11-------14--------|--13--------16---------|
D|-----14---------12---------7--------9------|-----11--------15------|
A|--------0-0--------0-0-------0-0------0-0--|--------0-0-------0-0--|
E|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
 
G|--14--------14---------|--12--14----9--------|
D|-----16--------15------|---------------------|
A|--------0-0-------0-0--|------------8--------|
E|-----------------------|---------------------|
                          Bass 1
 
  Bass 1 holds the double stop, and bass 2 comes in with this riff:
                        G|------------------|----------------17-------17-|
                        D|------------17-19-|-19-17-19-19-------19-19----|
                        A|---------19-------|----------------------------|
                        E|------------------|----------------------------|
                         bass 2
 
G|--19-17-------------------|--------|
D|--------19-19-17-19-19-17-|--------|
A|--------------------------|-19-17--|
E|--------------------------|--------|
 
After riff go to [Rhythm fig. 1],(this riff slightly overlaps into Rhythm 1)
 
After [Rhythm fig. 1], go to [Rhythm fig 2].
Then back to [Rhythm fig. 1] Skip first time bar
then end
X