EasyClassic Rock
You Can Call Me Al
Paul Simon
- Starts on
- A string, 3rd fret
- This excerpt
- Bass intro
- Strings used
- A
- Written in
- C (open-ish)
The tab
Tab is short for tablature: a picture of the strings. Numbers are frets. 0 means play the string open.
Computer notes — not the original recording.
The bounce
A
2nd thickest
3
3
3
wait
3
1
0
Again
A
2nd thickest
3
3
3
wait
3
1
0
Rhythm in words
Da-da daa (wait) da da-da. Same thing twice.
How to play this
- 1Stay on the A string. Fret 3 is your home (a C).
- 2Two short 3s, a longer 3, a rest, then 3, 1, 0.
- 3That little walk 3-1-0 is the grin at the end of the riff.
Practice slowly
Keep your picking hand bouncing. If the rest disappears, it turns into a scale. Start with Hear the notes at full speed or slower, then copy on the guitar. If a note buzzes, press a little closer to the fret wire — not in the middle of the space.
This arrangement is a simplified educational excerpt for learning. Playback is a computer playing the tab notes, not the original recording. It is not a full transcription and is not affiliated with Paul Simon.