Sergeant Baker bass tab by Primus

Okay, I'm finally getting around to typing in those bass
tabs I've been promising ya'll for months. It's my first attempt at
posting tabs so please be gentle. ;) I tried to use spaces to represent
the timing of the music, but I'm sure it's not perfect. When in doubt,
listen to the CD. Also, I went into a lot of detail on which riffs to play
when. It may be too much detail. Again, when in doubt, listen to Les play
it.

I'm posting my tabs in the same format that Jeffrey Swing (The Swingman)
uses. Thus, I will adopt his notation:

Key to notation:
  h - hammer-on from previous note
  \ - slide up to note
  S - slap the note with the right-hand thumb
  V - downstroke strum
  ^ - upstroke strum
|-3-| - triplets (symbol above the staff)

SERGEANT BAKER from "Sailing the Seas of Cheese"
Song by PRIMUS; Tablature by Dave Walker
-------

One of the coolest songs from "Sailing the Seas of Cheese," Sergeant Baker
is fairly easy and straight-forward to play. It can be played using a
4-string; however, I find it MUCH easier on a 5-string.

The beginning riff is very simple. It is played very freely; listen to the
CD for timing.

Beginning riff             play 2x
E|----------------------------------------------|
A|*-------2-------------------------2-----------|
D|-----------3--2--1-------------------3\-------|
G|*-(0)-0-------------3--0321/5--0---------1----|
B|----------------------------------------------|
(X) = This note is only played the first time.

E|----------------------------------------------|
A|--------2-------------------------2----------*|
D|-----------3--2--1-------------------3\-------|
G|------0-------------3--0321/5--0---------2#--*|
B|----------------------------------------------|
# = This note is slapped the second time.

       play 3x        whistle blows
E|--------------------|  |--------------------|
A|*----------7-------*|  |--------------------|
D|-------6-----9------|  |-------6------------|
G|*----9-------------*|  |-----9--------------|
B|---7----------------|  |---7----------------|

The rest of the song is basically variations on the same basic riffs (with
some typical off-the-wall ad libbing by Les). I tabbed out the basic riffs
below, and then I list which ones should be played in order (although you
can mix it up however you want).

Riff 1A:      V ^
E|-----------------9-10-11h------|
A|-----------7-----9-10-11h------|
D|-------6-----9-----------------|
G|-----9-------------------------|
B|---7---------------------------|

Riff 1B:      V  ^
E|-----------------9--10---------|
A|-----------7-----9--10---------|
D|-------6-----9-----------------|
G|-----9-------------------------|
B|---7---------------------------|

Riff 2A:
E|-------------------------------|
A|-----------7-------------------|
D|-------6-----9-----------------|
G|-----9-------------------------|
B|---7-------------9S-10S-9S-7S--|

Riff 2B:
E|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
D|-------6-----------------------|
G|-----9-------------------------|
B|---7----------------10S-9S-7S--|

Okay, now play the above riffs as follows:

1A, 2A, 1A, 2A, 1Bx2, 1A, 2A, 1Bx11 (ad lib added on last one)
1B, 2A, 1B, 2B

1A, 2A, 1A

and then...
       |-3-|
E|-------------------13----------|
A|----------------11-------------|
D|-------6--9-999----------------|
G|-----9-------------------------|
B|---7---------------------\0----|

Continue playing the riffs as follows:

1Bx3, 2A, 1Bx10 (ad lib added on last one)

1B, 2A, 1B, 2B, 1B, 2A, 1B, 2B

Now we need to add a couple more riffs:

Riff 3A:
E|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
G|--5--5-8--7--5-5---------------|
B|-------------------------------|

Riff 3B:
E|-------------------------|-----------------------|
A|-------------------------|-----------------------|
D|-------------------------|-----------------------|
G|-------------------------|-----------------------|
B|--5--5-8--7--5-5--5-8--7-|-5-5--5-8--7---5---8---|

Play 3Ax2, 3B, 3Ax2, 3B, 3Ax2, 3B

Play 3A + (8 on the B string)

Play 3A + (6 on the B string)

Play 3B with ad lib

Okay, were at the home stretch. Finish the song by playing...

1A, 2A, 1B, 2??? (I can't figure out this fill)

1Bx2, 1A, 2A, 1Bx4, 1A, 2A, 1B, 2B

1B, 2A, 1B, 2B

1B, 2A, 1B, 2B

I said right...
1B, 2A, 1B, 2B

and end with...

E|----------------------|
A|----------------------|
D|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
B|-----------10S-9S-7S--|


That's it. I hope it's helpful and correct.

"Steers and queers. Steers and queers. A where you come from there's steer
and queers. And I ain't see no horns boy!!" - Les Claypool

Fish On!!

Dave Walker (dwalker@qualcomm.com)
Engineer and "Les Claypool WannaBe"
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