THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (Bassline)
As recorded by The Jackson 5
(From the 1970 Album CHRISTMAS ALBUM)
Words and Music by K.K. Davis, Henry Onorati & Harry Simeone
Arranged by Jackson 5
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Wilton Felder - Bass'
[Intro]
Q=74
4/4
Gtr I
Wx4
G|--------|
D|--------|
A|--------|
E|--------|
[Verse 1]
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G||------------------------------|------------------------------||
D||o-----------------------------|-----------------------------o||
A||o-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-5-|-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-5-o||
E||------------------------------|------------------------------||
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D|-7---5-6-7---5-6-7---5-6-7-7-|-7---5-6-7---5-6-7---5-6-7-7-|
A|---7-------7-------7---------|---7-------7-------7---------|
E|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-------------------------------|
D|-7---5-6-7---5-6-7---5-6-7-7---|
A|---7-------7-------7-----------|
E|-------------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e e e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|-------------------------||
D|-5---3-4-5---3-4-5-----------|-----4-5-7-7-7---5-6-7-7-||
A|---5-------5-------2-3-4-5-5-|-5-5-----------7---------||
E|-----------------------------|-------------------------||
[Bridge]
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-5-|
E|-----------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e Q E S S S E S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|-7-----------------------|
A|-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-5-|----5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-5--|
E|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e E
G|-----------------------------||
D|-----------------------------||
A|-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-0-3-4-5-2-||
E|-----------------------------||
[Verse 2]
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|
A|---2-------2-------2---------|---2-------2-------2---------|
E|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e E
G|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---|
A|---2-------2-------2---------|---2-------2-------2---------|
E|-----------------------------|---------------------------2-|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|------------------------------|
D|------------------------------|
A|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2--|
E|---2-------2-------2----------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|
E|---2-------2-------2---------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e E e S S S e e e S S S E E
G|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---|---------------4-5-6-7---|
E|---2-------2-------2-------0-|-5-0-3-4-5-5-5---------0-|
[Bridge]
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e e e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-------------------------||-----------------------------|
D|-2-----------------------||-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|
A|-----0-1-2-2-2---0-1-2-2-||---2-------2-------2---------|
E|---2-----------2---------||-----------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|
D|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|
A|---2-------2-------2---------|
E|-----------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
Q e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|------------------------|-----------------------------|
D|-4--2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|-2---0-1-2---0-1-2---0-1-2-2-|
A|------2-------2---------|---2-------2-------2---------|
E|------------------------|-----------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------||
D|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-||
A|---3-------3-------3---------||
E|-----------------------------||
[Verse 3]
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G||------------------------------|------------------------------||
D||o-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-o||
A||o---3-------3-------3---------|---3-------3-------3---------o||
E||------------------------------|------------------------------||
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-|
E|---3-------3-------3---------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S E E
G|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|-------------------------3---|
A|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-----|
E|---3-------3-------3---------|---3-------3-------3-------1-|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e e e S S S e e e S S S e e e S S S e e
G|-------------------------|-------------------------|
D|---------------0-1-2-3-3-|-3-----------------------|
A|-1-----0-1-1-1-----------|-----1-2-3-3-3---1-2-3-3-|
E|---1-4-------------------|---3-----------3---------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|------------------------------||
D|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3--||
A|---3-------3-------3----------||
E|------------------------------||
[Bridge]
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|
D|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-|
A|---3-------3-------3---------|
E|-----------------------------|
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e Q Q e S S S e e
G|-----------------------------|--------------------|
D|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-|----3--3---1-2-3-3--|
A|---3-------3-------3---------|-3-------3----------|
E|-----------------------------|--------------------|
[Outro]
|-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|
e S S S e S S S e S S S e e e S S S e S S S e S S S e e 9x
G|-----------------------------||-------------------------------||
D|-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-||o-3---1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3-3-o||
A|---3-------3-------3---------||o---3-------3-------3---------o||
E|-----------------------------||-------------------------------||
************************************
Duration Legend
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; a - acciaccatura;
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted;
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents
the duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration).
| |-3-| - triplet
| s - legato slide
| | - bar
| || - double bar
| ||o - repeat start
| o|| - repeat end
**************************************
Bass Tabs | |
Title | Little Drummer Boy |
Artist | The Jackson 5 |
Tablature Type | ASCII Tab |
YouTube ID | g5Tru2YmXjk |
Interactive Bass Tab Guide
Interactive bass tabs provide a better experience than ASCII tabs. With playback, loop, print features and a responsive display that follows the screen of your device.
Use these buttons to control the digital tab player.
Symbol | Function |
| Move cursor to the first bar |
| Play interactive tabs |
| Pause playback |
| Loop |
| Print the tab |
| Zoom |
Page | Switch between page and horizontal view mode |
How to Read Bass Tab: A Beginner's Guide
1. Understanding the Basics
a. Strings:
Bass tab consists of horizontal lines representing the strings of the bass guitar. The lowest-pitched string (usually the E string) is at the bottom, and the highest-pitched string (usually the G string) is at the top.
b. Numbers:
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to play on a specific string. For example, if you see "3" on the E string, it means you should press down the third fret on the lowest string.
2. Reading Bass Tab Example
In this tab:
- Play the note on the 1st fret of the E string.
- Play the open E string.
- Play the 3rd fret on the A string.
- Play the 1st fret on the A string.
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|---------3-------|
E|---1-1---1---3---|
3. Playing Techniques
a. Hammer-ons and Pull-offs:
Hammer-ons are represented by an "h" (e.g., 5h7 means play the 5th fret and hammer onto the 7th fret). Pull-offs are represented by a "p" (e.g., 7p5 means play the 7th fret and pull off to the 5th fret).
b. Slides:
Slides are often indicated by an "/" or "\\" between two numbers (e.g., 5/7 means slide from the 5th fret to the 7th fret).