How to Play AOOO 水中少女 (Suichu Shoujo) on Bass Guitar with TAB

Updated: 27 Sep, 2026 • 0 • min read

Table of Contents

If you're learning AOOO – 水中少女 (Suichu Shoujo) on bass, there's more to getting the part right than simply finding the next fret number.

This guide is built around a 5-string bass in B E A D G tuning, with a practical focus on rhythm, articulation, note length, string control, dynamics, and making the TAB feel like an actual bass line under your fingers.

And yeah, that's where things get interesting. A TAB can tell you where to play a note, but it doesn't automatically teach you how to make that note feel good.

So instead of treating the 水中少女 Bass TAB like a list of numbers, we're going to use it as a starting point for better bass practice.

If you're exploring more Japanese bass TABs, you can also check out the J-Pop Bass TAB section on rikytone.

AOOO – 水中少女 Bass TAB at a Glance

Item	Details
Artist	AOOO
Song	水中少女 (Suichu Shoujo)
English Title	Mermaid
Bass	5-string bass
Tuning	B E A D G
Practice Focus	Rhythm, articulation, note length, dynamics, string control, and consistency

Don't Just Chase the Fret Numbers

One of the biggest traps with Bass TAB is getting too focused on the numbers.

You see a fret number, play it, look at the next one, move your hand, and repeat.

Technically, you're learning the part.

Musically, though? Not quite yet.

A better approach is to ask yourself what each note is doing inside the phrase.

Is the note supposed to be short or sustained?
Is it part of a repeated rhythmic idea?
Does the next note arrive immediately or after a small gap?
Does the phrase feel more natural in one position?
Where does the bass line seem to breathe?

Those questions turn TAB reading into actual music practice.

Build the Rhythm Before the Speed

If a bass phrase feels awkward at full tempo, don't immediately assume the problem is your fingers.

A lot of the time, the real problem is that the rhythm hasn't been internalized yet.

Try practicing the phrase with the fretboard movement separated from the rhythm first.

Step 1: Say the Rhythm

Before playing the notes, tap your hand or lightly count the pulse.

You don't need complicated music theory here. Just get a feeling for where the notes sit inside the beat.

Step 2: Play One Note

Choose one comfortable note and reproduce the rhythm using that single pitch.

This removes the fretboard problem from the equation.

Step 3: Add the Actual Notes

Once the rhythm feels comfortable, put the actual TAB back into the exercise.

Now your hands aren't trying to solve rhythm, fingering, string changes, and timing all at once.

Practice Stage	Main Goal
Rhythm only	Feel where the notes land
One-note version	Build timing consistency
Actual TAB	Combine rhythm and fretboard movement
With recording	Check how the part sits in context

Why Note Length Matters So Much on Bass

Here's something bass players sometimes underestimate: the silence after a note is part of the bass line too.

Playing the correct pitch isn't enough if every note rings for the wrong amount of time.

Try taking a short section from the TAB and deliberately practice three versions:

Let the notes ring naturally.
Stop the notes earlier.
Hold the notes longer.

Listen to how different each version feels.

This exercise makes you much more aware of your right-hand attack and left-hand muting.

Think About the Space Between Notes

A clean bass player isn't only controlling the notes they're playing.

They're also controlling the space between those notes.

That's especially important when you're playing with a tight rhythmic arrangement. A note that stops slightly too late can blur into the next one, while a note that gets cut too early can make the phrase feel thin.

So when practicing 水中少女, don't just listen for whether the pitch is correct. Listen for the shape of each phrase.

5-String Bass: Think in Registers

A 5-string bass gives you more range, but the biggest advantage isn't simply having a lower note available.

You also get more options for where to play the same musical idea.

That means you can think about the bass in terms of registers instead of only individual strings.

Register	What to Watch	Practice Idea
Low	Unwanted vibration and note clarity	Slow playing with extra attention to muting
Middle	Consistent attack and position changes	Loop short phrases and keep your hand relaxed
High	Unnecessary tension and uneven volume	Play slowly and compare note volume

The Low-B String Is an Option, Not a Requirement

Having five strings doesn't mean you have to use the fifth string every chance you get.

That's one of the easiest habits to fall into when moving from a 4-string to a 5-string bass.

If a phrase feels cleaner on another string or in another position, there's nothing wrong with choosing the route that gives you better control.

The goal is not to prove that you're using the entire instrument.

The goal is to make the bass line feel comfortable, controlled, and repeatable.

A Simple 5-String Decision Check

Does this position keep my hand relaxed?
Can I reach the next phrase without a huge shift?
Can I mute the unused strings comfortably?
Does this route make the rhythm easier to execute?
Can I repeat the same movement consistently?

If the answer is yes, you've probably found a practical route.

Make Your Right Hand Consistent

Your fretting hand gets most of the attention when reading TAB, but your plucking hand controls a huge part of the final result.

Whether you use fingers or a pick, try to keep the attack consistent from one repetition to the next.

Fingerstyle

If you're playing with two fingers, pay attention to whether one finger naturally hits harder than the other.

A simple exercise is to play a repeated note while alternating your index and middle fingers. The goal is not maximum speed. The goal is to make the two attacks feel as similar as possible.

Pick Playing

If you use a pick, watch your pick depth and attack angle.

You don't need to dig aggressively into the strings. A controlled stroke is usually easier to repeat, especially when you're working on a part with frequent rhythmic movement.

Technique	Main Check	Common Issue
Fingerstyle	Even alternating attacks	One finger becoming noticeably louder
Pick	Repeatable stroke depth	Inconsistent attack between notes

Use Accent Practice to Understand the Groove

Here's a fun practice trick that can reveal rhythmic problems surprisingly fast.

Take a short repeating phrase from the TAB and play it several times. On each repetition, slightly change where you feel the main accent.

You aren't changing the notes. You're training your sense of pulse.

Try focusing on:

The beginning of each beat.
The backbeat or surrounding rhythmic pulse.
The first note of the phrase.
The transition into the next phrase.

After that, return to the original feel and notice whether the timing feels easier.

This kind of exercise is useful because it separates mechanical finger movement from rhythmic awareness.

Don't Let String Changes Break the Groove

String changes can create tiny timing problems that are easy to miss while you're practicing alone.

You might play every note correctly, but the moment your hand moves to another string, the next note arrives just a little late.

That's why string transitions deserve their own practice.

Isolate the Transition

Find the two or three notes immediately before a difficult string change and the two or three notes immediately after it.

Loop only that small section.

Start slow enough that you can move between strings without tension.

Then gradually increase the tempo while keeping the movement relaxed.

Problem	What to Try
Next string is easy to miss	Practice the string movement separately
Timing slips during movement	Lower the tempo and keep the pulse steady
Hand feels tense	Reduce unnecessary finger and wrist movement
Open strings ring	Add deliberate fretting- and plucking-hand muting

Practice Dynamics, Not Just Accuracy

Once you can play a section without major mistakes, don't immediately move on.

Try playing the same phrase at a few different intensity levels.

Very relaxed.
Normal playing strength.
Slightly stronger attack.

The notes should remain controlled at every level.

This is useful because it teaches your hands that "correct" doesn't have to mean playing with exactly the same physical force every time.

You want control over your attack rather than simply having one default volume.

Use Short Loops Instead of Endless Full-Song Repeats

If you're stuck on a section of 水中少女, don't keep restarting the entire song.

That's a classic practice trap.

You'll spend most of your time playing parts you already know and only a tiny amount of time actually working on the problem.

The 8–12 Second Loop

Pick a short section that contains the difficult movement.

Play it slowly several times. Once it feels stable, increase the tempo a little.

Then connect that section to the phrase immediately before and after it.

This gives you a much more efficient practice cycle.

Loop Stage	Goal
Slow	Remove unnecessary tension
Comfortable tempo	Build consistency
Near target tempo	Test control under pressure
Connected phrase	Make the transition feel natural

Ear Training: Can You Predict the Next Note?

Here's where Bass TAB practice can become a lot more interesting.

After you've repeated a section enough times, stop looking at the TAB for a moment and listen to the phrase.

Can you predict where the next bass note is going?

You don't have to know the exact fret number.

Just try to hear the movement before your fingers play it.

If you can start predicting the shape of the bass line, you're moving beyond mechanical TAB reading and building a stronger connection between your ears and your hands.

A Simple Ear-to-Hand Exercise

Listen to a short phrase.
Pause before playing it.
Try to hum or mentally imagine the next note.
Play the phrase using the TAB.
Repeat the process with less visual help.

This is especially useful for players who want to become less dependent on written TAB over time.

Record Yourself and Check the Details

Recording yourself is one of the easiest ways to catch problems that don't feel obvious while you're playing.

You don't need a fancy studio setup. A basic phone recording is enough for a practice check.

Listen for These Things

Are the notes evenly timed?
Do some notes jump out louder than others?
Are note endings clean?
Do string changes create tiny gaps?
Does your attack change when the phrase gets harder?
Are unused strings staying quiet?
Does the low-B string sound controlled?

Don't try to fix everything in one session.

Pick one problem, record another take, and compare the two.

A Focused 30-Minute Practice Plan

If you want a simple routine for working on AOOO – 水中少女, try this:

Time	Focus
5 min	Review the 5-string layout and identify the section you'll practice
7 min	Practice rhythm and note length slowly
6 min	Isolate difficult string changes or position movements
5 min	Play the section with less visual dependence on the TAB
4 min	Play along with the recording as a listening reference
3 min	Record yourself and identify one thing to improve

Thirty focused minutes can be way more useful than two hours of randomly repeating the whole song.

Use the Original Recording as a Musical Reference

The TAB gives you a practical way to study the bass part, while the original recording gives you the musical context around it.

Listen for how the bass interacts with the rest of the arrangement rather than isolating every note mentally.

Pay attention to where the bass feels more prominent, where notes seem to relax, and how the rhythm sits with the rest of the track.

For reference, the original-song video associated with this Bass TAB is included below.

Use the recording as a reference while practicing, especially when checking timing, note length, and the overall feel of the bass part.

What to Do When a Section Keeps Falling Apart

If you've practiced the same section several times and it still feels messy, stop and identify the actual problem.

What You're Feeling	Possible Practice Response
I keep forgetting the next note	Practice the phrase in smaller chunks
My fingers feel tense	Slow down and remove unnecessary movement
I lose the beat during string changes	Loop the transition at a slower tempo
The notes sound messy	Focus on both-hand muting and note endings
It sounds stiff	Listen to the original recording and work on phrasing

From Mechanical Practice to Musical Playing

There's a point where you stop thinking about every individual fret.

That's a good sign.

You don't need to forget the TAB. Instead, you want the information from the TAB to become familiar enough that your attention can move toward rhythm, feel, dynamics, and the rest of the music.

A useful progression looks something like this:

Read: understand the TAB and locate the notes.
Coordinate: get the hands comfortable with the movement.
Stabilize: make the rhythm and note length consistent.
Reduce visual dependence: play short sections with less help from the screen.
Musicalize: focus more on feel, dynamics, articulation, and context.

That last stage is where a transcription starts becoming a real practice tool instead of just a reference sheet.

VIEW BASS TAB PDF

Ready to work through the full Bass TAB for AOOO – 水中少女?

VIEW BASS TAB PDF →

The TAB is arranged for 5-string bass in B E A D G tuning. Use it alongside the practice ideas in this article and work through each section at a pace that keeps your timing, articulation, and muting under control.

A Note About This Bass TAB

This page presents an independently created bass transcription intended as an educational resource for players who want to study and practice AOOO – 水中少女 (Suichu Shoujo) on bass.

The transcription and any independently made practice material are created from a bass player's perspective to support study, technique development, and musical practice. They are not presented as the original commercial recording or as a replacement for the original work.

AOOO, 水中少女, the original recording, and related intellectual property remain associated with their respective rights holders.

Copyright and Educational Context

This article provides original commentary, practice guidance, fretboard ideas, rhythm exercises, and independently created bass-learning material.

It does not claim ownership of the original song or recording.

Copyright permissions and applicable rights can vary depending on the material and how it is used, so this educational context should not be interpreted as a blanket authorization for uses that require permission.

More AOOO Bass TABs Will Be Added

This article is part of a growing AOOO Bass TAB section on rikytone.

As more AOOO songs are covered in the future, new Bass TAB articles can be added to the collection. Each song can have its own dedicated page with its own playing notes, tuning information, practice ideas, and TAB resource.

The collection is designed to grow naturally rather than stay limited to the songs currently available.

If you're discovering this article later, check the AOOO Bass TAB collection to see which songs and resources have been added or updated.

Final Practice Checklist

Before wrapping up your session, run through this quick checklist:

✓ I know the tuning: B E A D G.
✓ I can follow the TAB without constantly stopping.
✓ I understand the rhythm of the section I'm practicing.
✓ My note lengths are intentional.
✓ My string changes don't interrupt the groove.
✓ My unused strings stay reasonably quiet.
✓ My attack stays consistent.
✓ I practiced at least one section without relying completely on the TAB.
✓ I listened back to a recording of my playing.

You don't need every box to be perfect before moving forward. The point is to know which part of your playing needs attention next.

Keep Playing

Learning 水中少女 on bass isn't just about surviving the TAB from beginning to end.

The more useful goal is to take the information on the page and turn it into timing, movement, articulation, and musical control.

Start with small sections. Lock in the rhythm. Pay attention to note endings. Keep the 5-string layout comfortable, and don't let unnecessary movement slow you down.

Once the numbers on the screen become less important and your ears start guiding your hands, you're getting much closer to actually owning the bass line.

More AOOO Bass TABs will be added and updated over time as the collection grows.

Explore more AOOO Bass TABs · Browse J-Pop Bass TABs