Come Sail Away
Performed by Styx
Words and Music by Dennis DeYoung
Bassist:  Chuck Panozzo
>From the album "The Grand Illusion" (A&M)

This half—assed transcription is pretty close to the recording.
Overall, it follows the chords and is accurate enough for my own needs.
Enjoy!

Intro and Verse#1:  Bass tacet.

(Bass enters at last note of Verse #1.)

    G+—————————+—————————+—————————+—————————+—————————+—————————+
(4) D|—————————|—0———————|—2———————|—0———————|—————————|—————————|
(4) A|—3———————|—————————|—————————|—————————|—3———————|—————————|
    E+—————————+—————————+—————————+—————————+—————————+—3———————+
       1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4

Verse#2:

 (Play first eight bars 2X.)

G+——————————+—————————+—————————+—————————+—————————————————+
D|:—————————|—————————|—————————|—————————|———————————————3—|
A|:—3———————|—2———————|—0———————|—————0———|—————————3———————|
E+——————————+—————————+—————————+———————3—+—1———————————————+
    1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  

G+—————————————————+—————————————————+——————————————————+
D|—3———————————————|—5———————————————|—————————————————:|
A|———————————————3—|—————————5———————|—————————————0—2—:|  
E+—————————————————+———————————————3—+—3————————————————+
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  


G+—————————————————+—————————————————+—————————————————+—————————————————+
D|:——————————————7—|—7———————————————|———————————————5—|—5——————————————:|
A|:————————7———————|—————————7———————|—————————5———————|—————————5——————:|
E+—5———————————————+—————————————5———+—3———————————————+—————————————3———+
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &


G+—————————+—————————+—————————+—————————+
D|—————————|—————————|—————————|—————————|
A|—3———————|—2———————|—0———————|—————0———|
E+—————————+—————————+—————————+———————3—+
   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4   1 2 3 4


G+—————————————————+—————————————————+
D|—————————————————|—————————————————|
A|—————————————————|—————————————————|
E+—1—1—1—1—1—1—1—1—+—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—3—+
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Chorus:  (C—notes through—out)

G+——————————+——————————————————+——————————————————+——————————————————+
D|:—————————|—————————————————:|:—————————————————|—————————————————:|
A|:—3———————|—3—————3———3———3—:|:—3—————3—3—————3—|———3———3—3———3———:|
E+——————————+——————————————————+——————————————————+——————————————————+
    1 2 3 4   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Bridge:

G+——————————————————+——————————————————+
D|:—6—4—————6—4—————|—6—4———4———4———4—:|
A|:—————6———————6———|—————————————————:|
E+————————4———————4—+——————————————————+
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 

                       (Hold last note for segue.)
G+———————————————————+—————————+
D|:—————6———————6———:|—————————|
A|:———6———6———6———6—:|—————————|
E+——4———————4————————+—4_______+
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1_2_3_4_

Repeat Chorus (with slides down from C—notes)

Outro (from live albums)
                                     (Keep hammering these three notes
                                      for as long as the band holds the
                                      chords.)
G+—————————————————+—————————————————+———+———+———+
D|———————0—————2———|—3—————2—————————|———|———|———|
A|—3———————————————|—————————————3———|———|———|—3—|
E+—————————————————+—————————————————+—4—+—1—+———+
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   

Ending
G+———————————————+———+
D|:—————————————:|———|
A|:—3—3—1—3_____:|—3—|
E+———————————————+———+

About Styx

The River Styx (Greek: ????, Stux, also meaning "hate" and "detestation") (adjectival form: Stygian (pronounced /?st?d?i.?n/)) was a river in Greek mythology which formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld (often called Hades which is also the name of this domain's ruler). It circles the Underworld nine times. The rivers Styx, Phlegethon, Acheron, and Cocytus all converge at the center of the underworld on a great marsh. The other important rivers of the underworld are Lethe and Eridanos, and Alpheus. The ferryman was called Charon.

How to Read Bass Tabs

Bass tablature (tabs) is an easy way to learn songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the symbols and techniques commonly found in tabs:

1. The Basics

Strings and Frets:
Each line in a tab represents a string on your bass:
- The top line is the highest-pitched string (G on a 4-string bass).
- The bottom line is the lowest-pitched string (E on a 4-string bass).
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to press. For example:
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------------------|

A|---3---------------|

E|-------------------|

            
```
This means you play the 3rd fret on the A string.

2. Common Techniques

Hammer-On (h):
Play the first note by picking it, then press down on a higher fret with another finger without picking again.
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------5h7---------|

            
```
Pull-Off (p):
Pluck a note and then "pull off" your finger to let a lower fret ring.
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------7p5---------|

            
```
Slide (/ or \):
Move your finger up (/) or down (\) the fretboard while maintaining pressure.
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------5/7---------|

            
```

3. Advanced Techniques

Bend (b): Push the string up or down to raise the pitch. Example: G|-------7b9---------|
Vibrato (~): Shake the string slightly after playing a note to create a vibrating sound. Example: G|-------7~----------|
Muted Notes (x): Rest your finger lightly on the string without pressing a fret and pluck for a percussive "click" sound.

4. Rhythm and Timing

Tabs don’t always indicate timing, so listen to the song while reading the tab. Wider spaces between numbers mean longer pauses, while closer numbers indicate quicker notes.

5. Slap and Pop

Slap (s): Strike the string with the side of your thumb for a percussive sound.
Pop (p): Pull the string away from the fretboard and let it snap back.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tabs are a great tool to learn songs, but mastering the techniques takes practice. Listen carefully to the original track and play along to lock in the rhythm. Don’t rush — smooth, accurate playing is more important than speed. Happy jamming! 🎸

Forum

Styx — Come Sail Away bass tabs