Kuti fela - Confusion bass tab
Tune: Confusion
Artist: Fela Kuti
Tab Credit: Dan Mash
I'm just doing this for fun. I'm damn sure nobody's ever going to lay eyes on this tab. It
doesn't seem to matter whether I bother notating the rhythm or the durations of each tone.
The bass line to Confusion is a 4-bar figure repeated over and over again, yet it never gets
old. Remarkable.
================
1. 2.
G|---2--------------4--4---|---2----------- ---4------0-|
D|-4---4---0-2-------------|-4---4---0-2--- ------------|
A|-------------------------|--------------- ------2-2---|
E|-------------------------|--------------- ------------|
3. 4.
G|---2--------------4--4---|---2---------- ----------------|
D|-4---4---0-2-------------|-4---4---0-2-- ----------------|
A|-------------------------|-------------- 0~---2--5-------|
E|-------------------------|-------------- ----------------|
Notice that Phrase 1 and 3 are the same. It's only their follow-ups that differ. And, the
follow-ups only differ in their last few tones.
So, repeat the cycle as 1-2-3-4.
Play the open A string near the end of phrase 4 with closure and authority, and the B and D
(2--5 on the A string) as an invitation to plunge headfirst into the future (the immediate
musical future of the groove). In the tab, I indicated one of these qualifications with the "~"
symbol.
Also: I admit that the last part of the cycle sometimes sounds like something else...
specifically:
Ending 2
G|---2---------- ----------------|
D|-4---4---0-2-- ----------------|
A|-------------- ------2--5------|
E|-------------- --3~------------|
Or some combination of the two. A lot of times the simplest afro-beat basslines are hard to
discern, even for me, who's an expert in the field.
At this point, I want to say to you: Now go make _____ proud! ______ WOULD BE the Africa 70
bassplayer(s), but I don't know who ______ is. That's because the record labels don't give a
damn about listing the performance credits when they manufacture, package, and ship the digital
re-releases of Fela's albums (I can't speak for the original vinyls, which I've never seen.)
The bass line presents a challenge:
1) Can you play through the entire tune with the steadfast tightness of _____, Africa 70's
bassplayer for this recording?
