All Along The Watchtower Bass Tab

All Along The Watchtower

Written by Bob Dylan.

As Played by Dave Mattews Band at FloodZone, 
and recorded on 'Remember two Things.'

Transcribed at 10:48pm, October 4, 1997, by Cody Rahn

(Elaboration is Welcome)

\=slide down from
/=slide up to
s=slide between
h=hammer
p=pulloff
*=harmonic (the placing is where the number is, not the star)

Here's Dave's version of Dylan's classic, All along the Watchtower.
This is my favorite version (yes, now it tops the Hendrix rendition for me), 
and the bassline is as straight-forward as can be. The harmonics
during the intro are a bit tricky, but not too hard at all.

Remember to keep as soft as you can in the intro, like you're playin an 
upright or something. It has to sound very bassy while still being a higher
note.


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|-----------------------------------|--------------------------*5-------|
D|-----------------x-----------------|------------------------------*5---|
A|-----------------x-----------------|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|

     
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|-----------------------------------|--------------*5-*5-------10s9s10--|
D|---*5------------------------------|----------------------*5-----------|
A|*5---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|---9-------9\---------9----9-------|--------------10s9s10--------------|
D|-------------------9-----9---------|--------------------------10s9s10--|
A|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
G|---------------------------*5------|------------------*5------*5-------|
D|--7----------------------------*5--|--------------------*5------*5-----|
A|-----------------------------------|-*5--------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
    ^ 
     Hold the 7 till it fades out.

     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &      
G|--*5-------------------------------|
D|----*5-----------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|



Then, the bass waits until the second part of the verse, 'No reason to get
excited,' and hits with the drums and horn:


     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &  
G|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-----------1-----------------------|

      ...No  reason  to get exci_______ted



The bass does this whenever the drums and horn do.

The bass riff for the rest of the song is basically the same. I can't
possibly write all the little variations used, but the main one as I see it
goes like this. The drums come running in, and the bass comes in on count 1.

 
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &  
G|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------7---------------7--------|----------3-------3---3-3---3h5----|
E|---5---5---------5-3---3-------5----|--1---1-----1----------------------|


This is repeated in the appropriate places for the rest of the song. There
is no bass during the guitar/horn solo, and the bass hits with the vocals 
during the section in brackets:

"out side in the cold distance, a wild cat did growl, [de la la la]"

That's about the only important variation on the riff worth mentioning.

Have fun! 

Cody


*****************************************
"Could I have been Anyone Other than Me?"

Dave Mattews
*****************************************