Roger Miller's "King of the Road" Full Bass Tab

One of my most popular blog posts here continues to be the bass tab I made for my video of me playing along to a few lines of "King of the Road" by Roger Miller. In that video I played a little of the original bass part but I also improvised a bit. And I tabbed out the whole part that I played, which was less than a minute long.

Since this post was so popular and I've had many requests for that tab, I decided to tab out the whole darn song. No improvising. Just the original part played by the original studio bassist. To the best of my ability. Some parts are a little harder to hear and decipher. I even listened to a stereo version of the song but it can still be difficult. Took quite some time to do also. The song is only about 2:10 long but tabbing out a part can take very long. So I hope you all will appreciate the effort and use it in good fun! And if you really appreciate the work I put into it, there is still a donate button on my page. Thanks!

G  :----------------------|-----0-3-----------|---------------------|
D  :3-5-3-0---------0----0|1--------0-1-2-3---|-2-3----1-h3-3-1-----|
A  :--------1---0-1-------|-------------------|-----------------3---|
E  :----------------------|-------------------|-------------------1-|

G  :-------------------|------------------|------2-3--3-2--0-|
D  :-------------0----0|1----1----1-2-3---|-3--3-------------|
A  :----0-1----1-------|--------1---------|------------------|
E  :1-3----------------|------------------|------------------|

G  :--0-0-2-3--3-0---------|-----0-3-----------|----------0------|
D  :3--------------3------0|1--------0-1-2-3---|-------3----1--0-|
A  :-----------------1-----|-------------------|-----------------|
E  :-----------------------|-------------------|-----------------|

G  :-------------------|------------------|----0-2-3--3-2-2-0-|
D  :3---0--------0----0|1----1----1-2-3---|-3-----------------|
A  :--3---1----1-------|--------1---------|-------------------|
E  :-------------------|------------------|-------------------|

G  :---0-2-3--3-0---------|------------------|----------3-2--0-|
D  :-3------------3------0|1----1--0-1-2-3---|-----------------|
A  :----------------1-----|------------------|-----------------|
E  :----------------------|------------------|-----------------|

G  :--0-2-3----0----3--|------------------|------0----------|
D  :3------------3-----|1----1--0-1-2-3---|-3--3----3--1--0-|
A  :-------------------|------------------|-----------------|
E  :-------------------|------------------|-----------------|

G  :------------------|------------------|-----------------|
D  :---3-------------1|1----1--0-1-2-3---|----------3-1--0-|
A  :-3---1----1-1-----|------------------|-----------------|
E  :------------------|------------------|-----------------|

G  :-------------------|------------------|------2-3--3-2-2-0-|
D  :3---0--------0----0|1----1--0-1-2-3---|-3--3--------------|
A  :--3---1----1-------|------------------|-------------------|
E  :-------------------|------------------|-------------------|

G  :0---0-2-3--3-0---------|--------------------|----------------|
D  :--3------------3------1|1----1--0-1-1-2-3---|----------------|
A  :-----------------1-----|--------------------|----------------|
E  :-----------------------|--------------------|----------------|

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

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

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

G  :1---3-4--------------|-----------------|------------1--2-|
D  :--4--------4---------|-----------------|----------4------|
A  :-------------2--2----|-------2---------|-----------------|
E  :------------------4-2|0----4----0--2---|-----------------|

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

G  :--1-1-3-4--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D  :4------------1---------|-----------------|---------------4-|
A  :---------------2--2----|-------2---------|----------2--2---|
E  :--------------------4-2|0----4----0--2---|-----------------|

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

G  :--1-1-3-4----1----4-1--|------------------|----------------|
D  :4--------------4-------|------------------|----------4-----|
A  :-----------------------|-------2-2--------|----------------|
E  :----------------------2|0----4-----0--2--2|----------------|

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

G  :----------------|
D  :-4--------------|
A  :----------------|
E  :----------------|

King of the Road Bass Tab

A couple of years ago I posted a shorted video on YouTube of myself playing a portion of the intro to the 1965 classic song "King of the Road" by Roger Miller. The original song was performed with an upright bass--double bass, acoustic bass, string bass, bass violin, whatever your preference--but I used an electric bass and I played the opening and a portion of the first verse note for note. Then for the remainder I improvised ever so slightly. I kept the video really short because I was not sure anyone would want to watch me playing bass for the whole 2 minute length of the song. (Actually I try to keep all my 'cover' videos short for that reason).

Many folks have asked me for the tab of what I played in that video. I am glad to make it available right here (see the glad face :D ) and I ask that if this is beneficial to you that you would consider making a donation by clicking the PayPal button on the upper right hand side of this page. I don't want to be like Public Radio or television asking for funds every hour but I do want to make known that my donation link is now active and live.  Additionally, making this tab--and others in the near and distant future--available here saves you the trouble of having to contact me, giving me your email address and waiting till I can steal some a moment away from my survival routine before getting back to you and sending what you asked for. 

I created this tab using a special software program. I realize that by putting it out there on the world wide web anyone can claim it and say it is theirs. But please rest assured that I am the originator of this tab and it is completely my work.

Here is the video:

Here is the tab:

G  :-------------------------|-----0-3-----------|--------------------|

D  :3-5-3------------0--0---0|1--------0-1-2-3---|-3-3----1-3-3-1-----|

A  :------5-1--1-0-1------4--|-------------------|----------------3---|

E  :-------------------------|-------------------|------------------1-|

G  :-------------------|------------------|------2-3--3-2--0-|

D  :-------------0----0|1----1----1-2-3---|-3--3-------------|

A  :----0-1----1-------|--------1---------|------------------|

E  :1-3----------------|------------------|------------------|

G  :------------------|------------------|-----------------|

D  :-3-0--------3----3|1----1----1-2-3---|-------3--3-1--0-|

A  :-----1----1----1--|--------1---------|-----------------|

E  :------------------|------------------|-----------------|

G  :-----------------|-----------------|------2-3--3-2--0-|

D  :-----------0----0|1----1----1--3---|-3--3-------------|

A  :-3--1----1-------|--------1--------|------------------|

E  :-----------------|-----------------|------------------|

G  :---0-2-3--3-0---------|-------------------|------------------|

D  :-3------------3------3|1----1--0-1-2-3----|------------------|

A  :----------------1--1--|----------------3--|------------------|

E  :----------------------|------------------1|-------1--1-3-1-4-|

G  :-------------------|-----------------|----------------|

D  :-------------0----0|1----1----1--3---|-3--------------|

A  :--0---1----1-------|--------1--------|----------------|

E  :1---1--------------|-----------------|----------------|

So this tab is just what I played in the video. Nothing more, nothing less. Please keep in mind that the song starts in the key of B flat and then modulates up to B. The part that changes to the key of B is not written out here but this tab can still be used by adding 1 to each number--so 3 becomes 4, 5 becomes 6, 0 becomes 1, and so on--or just moving everything up 1 fret.

Have fun!