BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN (Bassline)
As recorded by Cream
(From the 1968 Album WHEELS OF FIRE)
Words and Music by Booker T. Jones & William Bell
Arranged by Cream
Transcribed by Slowhand
Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Jack Bruce - Bass '
Intro
Q=92
4/4
Gtr I
Q. E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|--------------3b3.5-|-------------------|--------------3b3.5--|
|----------3-5-------|-5--------3--------|----------3-5--------|
|------3-5-----------|------3-5----------|------3-5------------|
|--------------------|------------6b6.5--|-3-------------------|
1st Verse
Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|-------------------|--------------3-||---------------|--------------3-|
|-5--------3--------|----------3-5---||-5--------3----|----------3-5---|
|------3-5----------|------3-5-------||------3-5------|------3-5-------|
|------------6b6.5--|-3--------------||------------6--|-3--------------|
~
Q E E E E Q Q E E +E Q E Q E E +E E E E Q E E E E E E
|---------------|-----------------|------------------|----------------|
|-5--------3----|-----------------|------------------|----------------|
|------3-5------|------2-(2)-3--4-|-5----5-(5)-6-5-4-|-3----3-3-2-3-1-|
|------------6--|-3---------------|------------------|----------------|
2nd Verse
~ ~ ~
Q E E E E Q Q E E E e E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|---------------|----------------||--------------------|--------------------|
|----------3----|----------3---3-||----------3---------|----------3---------|
|------3-5------|------3-5-------||------3-5-----------|------3-5-----------|
|-3----------6--|-3--------------||-3------------6b6.5-|-3------------6b6.5-|
~
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|--------------------|--------------3b3.5-|---------------|--------------3-|
|----------3---------|----------3-5-------|-5--------3----|----------3-5---|
|------3-5-----------|------3-5-----------|------3-5------|------3-5-------|
|-3------------6b6.5-|-3------------------|------------6--|-3--------------|
~
Q E E E E Q Q E E +E Q E Q E E +E E E E Q E E E E E E
|---------------|-----------------|------------------|----------------|
|-5--------3----|-----------------|------------------|----------------|
|------3-5------|------2-(2)-3--4-|-5----5-(5)-6-5-4-|-3----3-3-2-3-1-|
|------------6--|-3---------------|------------------|----------------|
3rd Verse
~ ~ ~
Q E E E E Q Q E E E e E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|---------------|----------------||--------------------|--------------------|
|----------3----|----------3---3-||----------3---------|----------3---------|
|------3-5------|------3-5-------||------3-5-----------|------3-5-----------|
|-3----------6--|-3--------------||-3------------6b6.5-|-3------------6b6.5-|
~
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|--------------------|--------------3b3.5-|---------------|--------------3-|
|----------3---------|----------3-5-------|-5--------3----|----------3-5---|
|------3-5-----------|------3-5-----------|------3-5------|------3-5-------|
|-3------------6b6.5-|-3------------------|------------6--|-3--------------|
~
Q E E E E Q Q E E +E Q E Q E E +E E E E Q E E E E E E
|---------------|-----------------|------------------|----------------|
|-5--------3----|-----------------|------------------|----------------|
|------3-5------|------2-(2)-3--4-|-5----5-(5)-6-5-4-|-3----3-3-2-3-1-|
|------------6--|-3---------------|------------------|----------------|
Guitar Solo
~
Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|---------------|--------------3-||---------------|--------------3-|
|----------3----|----------3-5---||-5--------3----|----------3-5---|
|------3-5------|------3-5-------||------3-5------|------3-5-------|
|-3----------6--|-3--------------||------------6--|-3--------------|
Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|---------------|--------------3-|---------------|--------------3-|
|-5--------3----|----------3-5---|-5--------3----|----------3-5---|
|------3-5------|------3-5-------|------3-5------|------3-5-------|
|------------6--|-3--------------|------------6--|-3--------------|
~
Q E E E E Q Q E E +E Q E Q E E +E E E E Q E E +E E E E
|---------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
|-5--------3----|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
|------3-5------|------2-(2)-3--4-|-5----5-(5)-6-5-4-|-3----3-(3)-2-3-4-|
|------------6--|-3---------------|------------------|------------------|
~ ~
Q E E +E E E E q Q E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|------------------|---------------|-------------------|--------------------||
|------------------|---------------|----------3--------|----------3---------||
|-5----5-(5)-6-5-4-|-3-----3-5-1-3-|------3-5----------|------3-5-----------||
|------------------|---------------|-3----------6b6.5--|-3------------6b6.5-||
4th Verse
~ ~
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|--------------------|--------------------|
|----------3---------|----------3---------|
|------3-5-----------|------3-5-----------|
|-3------------6b6.5-|-3------------6b6.5-|
~
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|--------------------|--------------3b3.5-|
|----------3---------|----------3-5-------|
|------3-5-----------|------3-5-----------|
|-3------------6b6.5-|-3------------------|
~
Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E +E Q E
|---------------|--------------3-|---------------|-----------------|
|-5--------3----|----------3-5---|-5--------3----|-----------------|
|------3-5------|------3-5-------|------3-5------|------2-(2)-3--4-|
|------------6--|-3--------------|------------6--|-3---------------|
Q E E +E E E E Q E E +E E E E Q E E +E E E E q Q E E E E
|------------------|------------------|------------------|---------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|---------------|
|-5----5-(5)-6-5-4-|-3----3-(3)-2-3-4-|-5----5-(5)-6-5-4-|-3-----3-5-1-3-|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|---------------|
Outro
~
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|--------------3b3.5-|--------------3b3.5-||---------------|--------------3-|
|----------3-5-------|-5--------3-5-------||-5--------3----|----------3-5---|
|------3-5-----------|------3-5-----------||------3-5------|------3-5-------|
|-3------------------|--------------------||------------6--|-3--------------|
Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q
|---------------|--------------3-|---------------|
|-5--------3----|----------3-5---|-5--------3----|
|------3-5------|------3-5-------|------3-5------|
|------------6--|-3--------------|------------6--|
Q E E E E E E Q E E E E Q Q E E E E E E
|--------------3-|---------------|--------------3-*|
|----------3-5---|-5--------3----|----------3-5---*|
|------3-5-------|------3-5------|------3-5-------*|
|-3--------------|------------6--|-3--------------*|
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
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. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
