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  :----------------|

It's Christmas!

One of the hardest things about recording under not-so-ideal conditions and with not-so-ideal gear is coming up with a mixdown of the song which sounds satisfactory.That's the trouble I'm having once again. I usually end up making several mixdowns because after mastering each one they usually all end up sounding bad on one playback source or another.

I've already made a couple of mixes/masters of my new holiday song, "It's Christmas," and have not been pleased. I will try once again tonight. Have I mentioned how difficult it is to get a good recorded drum sound? Of course I have. But it's also pretty hard getting a solid recording of an upright bass. On a whim I decided to play my upright for this song to give it a little more of an acoustic sound and feel--a kind of 60's folk/jazz vibe if you will. I'm more of an electric bass player so playing this huge acoustic bass is completely different and physically demanding. This is the first song with vocals that I played upright bass on.

The bass track came out sounding pretty nice but quite weak on some notes. Even going back to some 60's tunes such as Roger Miller's "King of the Road" and Ian & Sylvia's "Rocks & Gravel" which both begin with upright bass intros and continue throughout, I don't hear any weak notes but rather solid consistency throughout. On the other hand, I did listen to "Stay" by Astrud Gilberto which also features upright bass and noticed some less audible bass notes being played. And when I say less audible what I mean is that there are certain notes that don't have that deep, booming quality. And the bass playing on "Stay" is a lot busier than on "King of the Road" and "Rocks & Gravel," so perhaps there are a lot more weaker bass notes being played. I just don't know what it is. I'm going to try working on tweaking that track a little more and see what I come up with. Not only for that reason but also because the bass overall is a bit too booming compared to those older recordings.

There are a few more things I'm going to play around with the attempt to come up with a final version that is most sonically pleasing to my musical ear. That will be later on tonight. For the time being, I have uploaded the 2nd version to Soundcloud and YouTube and it happens to be the version that will be featured on the "Justin Sane Show Christmas Special" tonight at 7pm CT on CNEU Radio; Christmas Eve on Insane Realm Radio at 5pm CT; day after Christmas at 10am CT on Digital Mayhem Radio; Friday at 3pm CT on Digital Revolution Radio; and a few other places after that.

Here it is on Soundcloud:



And here it is on YouTube:



Hoping I will have the final, best-sounding version ready tonight.

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!