Bass Drum Of Death - The Ballad Of Bandit X - табы

So, the album cover SAYS, in exact lettering: john barrett's bass drum of DEATH. Some sources will cite the
artist as John Barrett's Bass Drum of Death, but even Fat Possum themselves, which I am taking to be the
ultimate authority on this, just lists it as Bass Drum of Death, the name that the band/solo artist (it's
complicated) has been known as since at least 2009.

Bass Drum of Death
Stain Stick Skin [7" Single] 2008
B-Side (otherwise known as Track 2): The Ballad of Bandit X

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CHORDS:
Parentheses mean you can include it or not. In Amaj, for example, it technically makes it A/E but it sounds
almost the same.
Emaj - 022100
E7 - 020100 or 020130
Amaj - (0)02220 
A7 - (0)02020
B7 - x21202
Dmaj - (2)(0)0232 (use the thumb!)
D7 - (2)(0)0212
B/F# - 22xxxx



I'm not 100% sure that the solo is completely accurate, but it sounds fine. Feel free to correct me or just
experiment for yourself. There's a second, somewhat different solo lick that John plays after the bridge, but
I don't really know what it is and I typically just improvise it anyway. Like I say, I'd encourage you to just
eff around and see what works. Just listen to the song to get the rhythm down. I'm not trying to make it
100% accurate - I'm just putting this out because no-one on the net seems to have it. So when reading this,
keep in mind - the map is not the territory.

The actual song has two guitars - a rhythm that just plays the chords and a lead that does the licks.
I frankly don't think this kinda song warrants two guitars, so I'm gonna tab it how I play it. This leaves out
part of the electric lick during the verse, but that part is drowned out by the vocals and rhythm guitar
anyway. 

You can bend any of the licks any place it sounds good. I don't know if John does or not.


[Intro] 
e|-----0--------0-----|--0--------0-------------------------|
B|-----0--------0-----|--0--------0-------------------------|
G|-----1--------1-----|--1--------1-------------------------|
D|-----2--------2-----|--2--------2-------------------------|
A|----(2)------(2)----|--2-------(2)-----2--2--2----0---|
E|-0--------0---------|--0-----0---------2--2--2--------|
       This is also the verse. Every couple of times around, or between verses,
       throw in this solo lick AFTER the open E bass note at the start:
e|- ---------------|------------------|-------------------|----------------------|
B|-----------------|------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
G|-----------------|------------------|-------------------|---------------------|
D|-----------------|------------------|-----2-------------|-------------------|
A|--4-4-4-4-4-4--6p|5p4--2-----2----4p|3p2-----2----------|---------------------------------------|
E|-----------------|--------0---------|-------------5--3--|-0---------------------|
    The open E at the end is the first note of the verse, but I just included it so it's
    clear that it's, ya know, present and emphasized.
    You can also play it all on the E string and get the high E on the 7th fret of the A.

   To transition to chorus, just play the A chord at the end of the B/F#-A-E walkdown instead of the E.
   Because the A chord has an E (you can even throw in the open E bass note), the walkdown sounds complete.

The licks I use for the chorus are superbasic, and the bridge as far as I can tell has no licks, so it seems
more helpful to just show this as chords.

[Chorus]
Amaj                  GhA-ApG
They found a way out. [You can play this lick on the low E, G, or high E strings, or change it up for variety]
Amaj                       GhA-ApG
So don't you trip and fall.
Amaj         A7
I don't even know what I just
E7
saw.
B7                         Emaj (back to verse)
Oh, I'm gonna lay down the law.

To transition (from verse) to bridge, just play the D chord where you would normally hit the E bass as the
first note of the verse.

[Bridge]
Dmaj                    
Nobody is gonna take my
Amaj    A7
fall. 
Dmaj                    D7
These cheapskates don't want nu'n at
E7
all.
B7                         Emaj (back to verse)
Oh, I'm gonna lay down the law.



To end the song, just play the main riff twice, then the solo lick, then the main riff again, and end with
an E7 where you would normally have the top 4-5 strings of the first chord.


The verse lyrics, in case you are wondering, as I sing them, are:

Got a brand new pickup.
Gonna spread the news.
Forty-five from nowhere.
Singin' the same tune.

Seven bucks in my pocket.
Rollin' down the road.
When I reach my safehouse,
I got nowhere to go.

That said, this is the kind of song where I'd encourage you to make up your own lyrics and your own verses.

Cheers!
************************************


| h   Hammer-on
| p   Pull-off