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----------- REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE - The Four Tops ----------- Written by: Holland / Dozier / Holland Bass played by: the incomparable James Jamerson - as always, on a P-bass with his finger Released: 1966 on Motown Records Tabbed by: benmneb E-mail: benmneb@gmail.com Based on the sheet notiation from the essential "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" book by Dr. Licks Tuning: Standard Timing: 4/4 Tempo: 120 BPM Note: there is a fairly accurate tab already posted here, but it still has numerous errors, all of which have been corrected here. This tab includes each variation Jamerson plays in each section, as per the original recording. Sure... you could just play the first verse three times, but as we all should know, its in these subtle variations that the bass line comes alive. As one of Jamersons fellow Funk Brothers said: "Jamerson never played the same lick twice." =============================================================================== INTRO: (0:00 - 0:16) Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|----------------|----------------|--------8-8---8-|--------8-------| A|6---6---6-6-----|6---6---6-6---68|-------8----8--8|-------8-8----5-| E|-------6-------6|-------6--------|6---6-----------|6---6-----6-9---| Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|----------------|----------------|--------8-8-----|8r8r8r--8-8-----| A|6---6---6-6-----|6---6---6-6---68|-------8----8-8-|--------------0-| E|-------6-------6|-------6--------|6---6-----------|------------6---| VERSE 1: (0:16 - 0:47) Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Abm7 Gb/Bb Db 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|-------1--------|----------------| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---| E|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-| Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Abm7 Gb/Bb Db 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|-------1--------|----------------| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---| E|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-| Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Gb/Bb Gb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|----------------|------------4-3-| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4---0-|1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|----------------| E|4---4---4-------|--------4---4---|---------------4|2-2-2-2-2-2-----| Bb/D F7 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-02|3-3-3-3-3-3---3-|----------------| A|----------------|------------3--3|-------0------0-| E|----------------|----------------|1---1---1-3-4---| CHORUS 1: (0:47 - 1:04) Bb Eb/Bb Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------|--------8-8---8-| A|-------8----8--8|-------8----8---|6-6-----6-6---8-|-------8----8--8| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------|6---6-----------| Bb Eb/Bb Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------|--------8-8---7-| A|-------8----8--8|-------8----8--8|6-6-----6-6---8-|-------8----8---| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------|6---6-----------| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------| D|8-8-8-----------| A|-------X------0-| E|--------6-6-6---| VERSE 2: (1:05 - 1:34) Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Abm7 Gb/Bb Db 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|-------1--------|----------------| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--1--4-1---|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---| E|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-| Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Abm7 Gb/Bb Db 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|-------1--------|----------------| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--1--4-1---|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---| E|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-| Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Gb/Bb Gb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|----------------|4-4-4-4-4-4-4-3-| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4---0-|1-1-1-1-1-1-1-4-|----------------| E|4---4---4-------|--------4---4---|----------------|----------------| Bb/D F7 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-02|3-3-3-3-3-3---3-|----------------| A|----------------|-----------03--3|-------0--------| E|----------------|----------------|1---1---3-4-5-7-| CHORUS 2: (1:35 - 2:08) Bb Eb/Bb Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------|--------8-8---8-| A|-------8----8--8|-------8----8---|6-6-----6-6---8-|-------8----8--8| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------|6---6-----------| Bb Eb/Bb Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------|--------8-8---7-| A|-------8----8--8|-------8----8--8|6-6-----6-6---8-|-------8----8---| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------|6---6-----------| Eb/Bb Ebm 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|8r8r8r--8-8-8-8-|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------| A|---------------8|-------8----8--8|-------8----8--8|6-6-----6-6---8-| E|----------------|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------| Bb Eb/Bb Ebm 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------| A|-------8----8--8|-------8----8--8|-------8----8---|6-6-----6-6---8-| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------| Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------| D|--------8-------| A|-------8-8--0---| E|6---6-----6---3-| VERSE 3: (2:08 - 2:38) Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Abm7 Gb/Bb Db 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|-------1--------|----------------| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--1--4-1---|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---| E|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-| Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Abm7 Gb/Bb Db 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|-------1--------|----------------| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---|----------1-4-4-|----4--X--4-1---| E|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-|4---4---4-------|--------4-----3-| Abm7 Gb/Bb Db Gb/Bb Gb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|-------1--------|----------------|----------------|--------------43| A|----------1-4-4-|----4--1--4---0-|1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|------------4---| E|4---4---4-------|--------4---4---|---------------4|2-2-2-2-2-2-----| Bb/D F7 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-X2|3-3-3-3-3-3---3-|----------------| A|----------------|-----------03--3|-------0------0-| E|----------------|----------------|1---1---1-3-4---| CHORUS 3: (2:39 - fade out) Bb Eb/Bb Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------|--------8-8---8-| A|-------8----8--8|-------8----8---|6-6-----6-6---8-|-------8----8--8| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------|6---6-----------| Bb Eb/Bb Ebm Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-|------8---------|--------8-8---8-| A|-------8-8--8--8|-------8----8---|6-6-----6-6---8-|-------8----8--8| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------|----------------|6---6-----------| Bb Eb/Bb 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + G|----------------|----------------| D|--------8-8---8-|--------8-8---8-| A|-------8----8--8|-------8----8--8| E|6---6-----------|6---6-----------| =============================================================================== Notes: X = dead note r = rest Appendix: Undeniably a beautiful bass line that provides the core and drive for the entire song, in my opinion easily one of Jamerson's finest, and a great piece to play solo. Its my pleasure to provide it here in it's most complete and comprehensible version, as a work of this magnificence and complexity truly deserves. This tab is written be as close to how Jamerson would have played it as possible. As most Funk Lovers will know, Jamerson preferred to play all notes below the fifth fret with open strings. For a lot of songs this works 100% (I Can't Help Myself, Same Old Song) and for other it doesn't (Bernadette, Reach Out). The open A at the end of each section frees up the fretboard for a moment to let your hand easily move to the next position. On a good bass there is no noticeable change in tone. Enjoy, and have fun trying to play it all with just one finger. ===============================================================================