Bass Tabs
Tommy The Cat - Primus
Arranged for a four-string. T: Thumb Slap P: Index Pop S: Downstroke(Strum) U: Upstroke(Strum) +: Right Hand Tap x 3 T S T T T P TPTPTPTP SU T T T P P P G:|-----------|--4----------------------|-44-------------------12-| D:|-----------|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-44---------3h5-13/15----| A:|-----------|*-----------------------*|-------------------------| E:|-0--/--10\-|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|----0h3x3x3x-------------| LONG SLIDE x 7 S TPTPTP TPTPTPTP S T T T P TPTPTPTP S G:|-3/4------------------|--4----------------------|-4-r-| D:|-3/4--x-x-3h5-5-5-5-0-|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4-e-| A:|----------------------|*-----------------------*|---s-| E:|-----x-x-x---5-4-3-0--|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---t-| “I remember it as if it were a meal ago...†“...And it was a rare occasion such as this that he did.†T T T T T T T T T G:|--------------------------------| D:|--------------------------------| A:|--------------------------------| E:|-5---/----17--15\14\12\10\7\5\3-| long slide x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P T T T T G:|--4----------------------|-4--------------------| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-2---------3h5--------| A:|*-----------------------*|----------------------| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x---1-2-3-4-| X 10 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P TPTPTPTP S G:|--3----------------------|--4----------------------|-3-R-| D:|*-3---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-3-E-| A:|*-----------------------*|*-----------------------*|---S-| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---T-| “The air was thick with catcalls...†“...Tommy the Cat is my name, and I say unto thee...†P P P P P G:|-13/17-12------------------| D:|----------12h15x13h14-12X\-| A:|---------------------------| E:|---------------------------| “Say baby...†x 3 S T T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P G:|--4----------------------|-4-------------r-| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------3h5-e-| A:|*-----------------------*|---------------s-| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x----t-| x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P SUSUSUSU G:|--4----------------------|-4---------------------| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------3h5-77776665| A:|*-----------------------*|---------------77776665| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x------------| x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P T T T T G:|--4----------------------|-4---------------------| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------3h5---------| A:|*-----------------------*|-----------------------| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x----1-2-3-4-| x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P G:|--4----------------------|-4---------7/14--------| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------------------| A:|*-----------------------*|-----------------------| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x------------| [ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/p/primus/tommy_the_cat_btab.html ] x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP SU T T T P SUSUSUSU G:|--4-------5h7-7-7-7-0-|-44-------5h7-77776665--| D:|*-4-------------------|-44-----------77776665-*| A:|*---3x5x7x---7-6-5-0--|----3x5x7x-------------*| E:|----------------------|------------------------| S T T T P TPTPTPTP SU T T T P SUSUSUSUSUSU G:|--4-------5h7-7-7-7-0-|-44-------5h7-999x7x5x4x3x-| D:|--4-------------------|-44-----------777x5x3x2x1x-| A:|----3x5x7x---7-6-5-0--|----3x5x7x-----------------| E:|----------------------|---------------------------| x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P SUSUSUSU G:|--4----------------------|-4-------------77776665-| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0--|-4---------3h5-77776665*| A:|*------------------------|-----------------------*| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x-------------| S T T T P TPTPTPTP SUSUSUSUSUSU G:|--4----------------------|-4xx5x7x8x9x11-| D:|--4---------3h5-5-5-5-0--|-2xx3x5x6x7x9--| A:|-------------------------|---------------| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---------------| (Technically, you need to drop to B for the next part. But you can do it with your E. You just have to mute it.) T T T T T T T T T T T T P P P P P P G:|-------------------------|-----------20-17\-15-12-| D:|-------------------------|-----12-----------------| A:|-------------------------|-7/14-------------------| E:|-0X0-7-0X0-7-0X0-7-0X0-7-|------------------------| + + + + + + + + + + + + + T G:|-7-7--x-7/-7-7--x-7/--x-x-x-x-x-----| D:|------------------------------------| A:|-7-7--x-7/-7-7--x-7/--x-x-x-x-x-----| E:|-x-x----x--x-x----x--------------2\-| * detune to D(drop D) x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T T P T T T T T T T T G:|--4----------------------|-4------------------------------| D:|*-4---------------------*|-4------------------------------| A:|*-----------3h5-5-5-2-0-*|-------------3h5--------1-2-3-4-| D:|----0h3x3x3x---3-3-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x3x---1-2-3-4---------| “Say baby...†x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T T P G:|--4----------------------|-4---------------r--------------| D:|*-4---------------------*|-4---------------e--------------| A:|*-----------3h5-5-5-2-0-*|-------------3h5-s--------------| D:|----0h3x3x3x---3-3-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x3x----t--------------| x 6 T T T G:|-------------------------|--------------------------------| D:|*-----------------------*|--------------------------------| A:|*-----------------------*|----------------------------7\--| E:|-------------------------|----------------------0-0-------| X 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P T T T T G:|--4----------------------|-4---------------------| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------3h5---------| A:|*-----------------------*|-----------------------| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x----1-2-3-4-| x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P G:|--4----------------------|-4-------------r-| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------3h5-e-| A:|*-----------------------*|---------------s-| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x----t-| x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P SUSUSUSU G:|--4----------------------|-4-------------77776665-| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------3h5-77776665-| A:|*-----------------------*|------------------------| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x-------------| x 3 S T T T P TPTPTPTP S T T T P G:|--4----------------------|-4-------------r-| D:|*-4---------3h5-5-5-5-0-*|-4---------3h5-e-| A:|*-----------------------*|---------------s-| E:|----0h3x3x3x---5-4-3-0---|---0h3x3x3x----t-|
main riff variant G-|--25t---------25t-------------25t---25t---25t---------|- D-|*-24t---------24t-------------24t---24t---24t--------*|- A-|*----------------------------------------------19h\--*|- E-|------16h-15h-----18h-17h-16h------------------19h\---|- Note: about 99.9% of the basses in existance do not have a 25th fret. My fretless has only 24, but I hit the G-string at the very end of the fingerboard, which sounds about right. You could raise your G-string to a G# if you wanted to.
Ahh yes, the chorus. This section requires slapping and strumming. It also requires some big ol' distortion. All of the pedals that I have tried gives me the sound that Cliff Burton got on "Anestasia, Pulling Teeth". But I still have no clue to get the "motorcycle" tone that Claypool gets. Any suggestions? E-mail me or post anything that might help all of us Primus fans. I know that he has an ADA bass preamp, that runs about $600. There has to be a less-expensive solution. Back to the chorus, it requires that you play a low D during one part. I guess that if you had a Hipshot detuner, you could change the string down to a D, and back up. I just play a low E and hope that I don't offend anybody. I will write the D on a B string as if you were playing a five string bass. I will write down the variants, listen to the tape to figure out the order that you play them. main chorus riff V ^ V G-|---------------------------------------17-18-20--|- D-|*--------------------------------------17-18-20--|- A-|*------------------------------------------------|- E-|--0S-3S-2p-0p-0S-5S-3p-2p-0p--0S---0S------------|- variant one V ^ V ^ V ^ G-|-----------------------------------20-20-20-20-20-20\---|- D-|*----------------------------------20-20-20-20-20-20\--*|- A-|*------------------------------------------------------*|- E-|--0S-3S-2p-0p-0S-5S-3p-2p-0p--0S------------------------|-
variant two G-|----------------------------------------------|- D-|*--------------------------------------------*|- A-|*--------------------------------------------*|- E-|--0S-3S-2p-0p-0S-5S-3p-2p-0p--0S--------------|- B-|------------------------------------3S-4S-----|- For the interlude at the end between two of the chorus sections, you could just tap anywhere on the fretboard (hitting at least two of the strings) for three measures, do some swooping slides, and then do the final chorus, or you could make up your own part.