Slides

For a slide, the forward slash (/) is used to indicate an upward slide, and the backward slash (\) is used to represent a downward slide.

G:-----5/7-----7\5----
D:--------------------
A:--------------------
E:--------------------

You may see a slide symbol that does not have a note designated as the starting point. In that case, just start your slide from a few frets above or below depending on the direction you are headed. This is more than likely just a decoration or an ornamentation of the note, rather than a transition between 2 notes like above.

G:-----/7--or--\7---
D:------------------
A:------------------
E:------------------

One other symbol commonly used for slides, is an "s".

G:---5s7---7s5----
D:----------------
A:----------------
E:----------------

 

Reference Lessons

For more information on slides, check out this lesson.

Slides - Another bass guitar technique used to ornament a note, or to transition between notes.

 

Bends

Bend are not very common on the bass, but here is how they are notated if you do see them. The most common symbol used for a bend in Internet tab, is the "b". The "b" is placed between two different numbers. The first number indicates the fret you are playing. The second number indicates the pitch that the bent note should sound like. You will not play the note represented by second number. It is only a reference to tell you how far to bend. Sometimes the second note is written in parentheses, just to clarify that it is not plucked.

G:----------- or -----------------
D:-----7b9----------7b(9)---------
A:--------------------------------
E:--------------------------------

 

Reverse Bends (Release Bends)

A reverse bend is indicated by an "r". The first number that you see is the note that the second note sounds like when bent. Sometimes the note is bent before you pick it, this is known as a pre-bend. Other times the reverse bend will be part of a bend, then a reverse bend combination. Either way you are hearing the bent note come back down to the note represented by the second number.

 
G:----------- or -----------------
D:-----9r7----------(9)r7---------
A:--------------------------------
E:--------------------------------

 

Smears

A smear is when you bend a string just slightly, not enough to bend the string up to the next half step higher(1 fret ). This is sometimes indicated by just a "b" after a note, with no real indication of how far to bend it. Or, sometimes you will see a .5. The .5 indicating a quarter of a step bend. A quarter of a step would be equal to half of one fret. This is by no means an exact measurement of how far to bend.

G:------------- or ---------------
D:-------5b------------5^(.5)-----
A:-----7----7--------7--------7---
E:--------------------------------