Never Too Much Bass Tab (Luther Vandross)

This is a bass guitar tab for the song Never Too Much by Luther Vandross. It features a very original bassline which utilizes different techniques. Luther Vandross sang the entire bassline, as can be read in this interview and was then played by Marcus Miller.

Bass Tab (Never Too Much)

The bassline for Never Too Much is a vital element in the song, because it is so prolific and well-known. Learning to play it, is not just a question of hitting the right notes, but is really more a challenge in getting the right timing, rhythm and technique. I recommend going back to the song and listening to it often to get it right. The major parts of the bassline are tabbed below, so you can enjoy playing it with your band.

Never Too Much

The classic intro of Never Too Much is played like this:

G|—————–
D|—————–
A|—————–
E|–5–4–5–6–7–

After the intro, the verse begins. This is both played instrumental and played with Luther Vandross singing over it. The verse of Never Too Much has two major components and it has some fills. The fills are open to your own creativity. I propose one little option that I like to play, but feel free to go back to the record and take that or come up with something yourself. Underneath is the first part of the verse. Try slapping the string for the best sound.

G|————–
D|————–
A|————–
E|–5–7–5–7–

Here is the mentioned fill. It makes a nice transition to the second verse part. It doesn’t have to be slapped.

G|—————————–
D|—————————–
A|————–5–7–5——–
E|–7–5–7–7———–7–5–

Back to the main part of the bass tab which is basically a G-note in two octaves. The first three notes can be slapped and the latter three notes should be timed really well and be plucked. Do this with either one finger or use two, whatever suits you best. Again, the timing is the most important.

G|——————–
D|———–5–5–5–
A|——————–
E|–3–3–3———–

The there is a transition back to the verse.

G|———–
D|———–
A|———–
E|–3–5–7–

This completes the verse. The chorus is next up, which can be quite difficult to get right. Especially the transition from verse to chorus can be hard to grasp at first. So listen to the record well and see how and when it is played. The first notes are plucked and then immediately after the plucking you slap the open E-string with your thumb. Repeat this in the rhythm, get the other three notes and play another chorus. Once you get it, it’s a quite addictive little groove.

G|————————————–
D|–7–9–7–9————————–
A|————————————–
E|————–0–0–0–0–0–2–3–5–

After repeating this, you head back to the very first intro. Play the whole thing again and you are basically there. Creating nice original fills and straying away from the bass tab makes the song pop even more, but getting the basics right is absolutely vital. Slapping, plucking and doing this in the right rhythm will make the pretty basic notes really stand out. Have fun with it and don’t hesitate to ask questions!