Togenashi Togeari’s ROSES IN THORNS: A Bass Player’s Take

Table of Contents

Learning ROSES IN THORNS by Togenashi Togeari (トゲナシトゲアリ) on bass is not just about finding the right frets. The real challenge is making the bass line feel connected, controlled, and musical from one phrase to the next.

That is where this guide comes in.

Instead of treating Bass TAB like a simple list of numbers, we’ll use it as a starting point for working on phrasing, groove, note grouping, dynamics, fretboard movement, muting, timing, and musical consistency.

The goal is simple: learn the part, understand what your hands are doing, and then make the bass line feel natural instead of mechanical.

ROSES IN THORNS Bass TAB at a Glance

Detail	Information
Artist	Togenashi Togeari (トゲナシトゲアリ)
Song	ROSES IN THORNS
Instrument	4-string bass guitar
Tuning	E A D G
Main Practice Focus	Phrasing, groove, dynamics, note grouping, and fretboard control
TAB Purpose	Independent bass practice and study reference

What Makes a Bass Line Feel Natural?

Here's the funny thing about bass.

You can play every note correctly and still sound like you're struggling.

Why?

Because correct notes are only one part of the equation.

A convincing bass performance also depends on:

• when the note starts
• how the note is attacked
• how long the note lasts
• how the next note is approached
• how much space is left between phrases
• how the bass sits inside the rhythm

That combination is what we can call phrasing.

And phrasing is one of the biggest things worth developing while learning a song like ROSES IN THORNS.

Start With the Shape of the Phrase

Before worrying about speed, listen to the bass line as a series of musical shapes.

Instead of thinking:

“Fret 5, fret 7, fret 5, next string…”

try thinking:

“This phrase starts here, moves upward, creates tension, then resolves.”

That small change in mindset can make practicing much easier.

Your fingers need to know the frets, but your ears need to understand the direction.

When you understand the shape, memorization becomes less dependent on individual numbers.

Use TAB as a Map, Not a Cage

Bass TAB is useful because it shows you where the notes can be played on the instrument. But don't let the numbers completely control how you think about the music.

Once a phrase becomes familiar, start looking for:

• repeated movements
• ascending or descending ideas
• small position shifts
• open-string opportunities
• repeated rhythmic patterns
• places where the phrase naturally breathes

This is where TAB becomes more than notation.

It becomes a way to understand how the bass line is organized across the fretboard.

Standard E A D G Tuning

ROSES IN THORNS is approached here in standard 4-string tuning:

String	Pitch	Register
4th	E	Lowest register
3rd	A	Low-mid register
2nd	D	Mid register
1st	G	Highest register

Before practicing, check your tuning carefully. Standard tuning gives you a predictable relationship between the TAB and the physical layout of the bass.

Find the Pocket Before You Find the Speed

The phrase “find the pocket” gets thrown around a lot by bass players, but the basic idea is pretty simple.

Your notes should feel like they belong exactly where they are sitting in the rhythm.

If you rush a note, the groove can feel nervous.

If you drag a note, the groove can feel heavy.

If every note lands consistently, the bass starts feeling locked in.

That's why practicing slowly is not a beginner-only thing.

Even experienced players use slower tempos to examine tiny timing details.

The Half-Speed Reality Check

Take a short section of the TAB and play it significantly slower than the original performance.

At that tempo, listen for things you normally don't notice:

• notes that start slightly early
• notes that arrive slightly late
• uneven finger attacks
• accidental ringing between notes
• position changes that create tension

Slow practice is basically putting a magnifying glass over your playing.

And yeah, sometimes the magnifying glass is rude. That's kind of the point.

Group the Notes Instead of Counting Everything Separately

When a phrase contains several notes, try grouping them into small musical units.

For example, instead of thinking about six individual notes, you might hear them as:

2-note idea → 2-note idea → 2-note resolution

The exact grouping depends on what you hear in the music, but the concept is useful.

Your brain handles musical shapes more naturally than a giant stream of disconnected numbers.

This also makes memorization easier because you're remembering relationships rather than isolated fret numbers.

Phrase Endings Deserve Extra Attention

One place where bass players often lose control is the end of a phrase.

The beginning feels easy, the hands are moving, and then the final note gets rushed or held for too long.

Try practicing the last note of each phrase separately.

Ask yourself:

• Does it need to ring?
• Should it stop cleanly?
• Does the next phrase begin immediately?
• Is there a small pocket of silence?

That final moment can have a surprisingly big effect on the groove.

Think About Note Length as a Musical Choice

Two bassists can play the same pitch at the same time and still produce a different result because one lets the note ring longer.

That's why note length deserves its own practice session.

Note Treatment	Result	Practice Idea
Short	Tighter and more separated	Mute immediately after the intended duration
Medium	Balanced sustain	Keep the note stable before releasing
Long	More sustained and open	Control unwanted string noise underneath

Don't assume every note should have the same duration.

Listen first, then make your hands reproduce what your ears expect.

Make Your Position Changes Boring

This sounds weird, but it's a useful goal.

The best position change is often the one nobody notices.

If your hand has to jump to a new area of the fretboard, practice that movement until it becomes almost boringly predictable.

Try this three-step method:

1. Play the note before the shift.
2. Stop and move to the next position.
3. Play the target note cleanly.

Then gradually remove the pause.

Eventually the movement should feel like one continuous action rather than two separate tasks.

Don't Chase the “Shortest” Fingering

Sometimes the physically shortest route isn't the most comfortable route.

A fingering that saves one fret of movement might force your hand into an awkward position.

Instead, compare your options based on:

Factor	Question to Ask
Comfort	Can I repeat this movement without excessive tension?
Timing	Does this fingering help me arrive on time?
Noise	Does the movement create unwanted string noise?
Consistency	Can I reproduce the same movement every time?

Choose the fingering that supports the music, not simply the one that looks efficient on paper.

Dynamic Contour: Give the Phrase a Direction

Dynamics are more than just “loud” and “quiet.”

Think of a phrase as having a contour.

Maybe it starts relaxed, becomes more intense, then settles back down.

Or perhaps the phrase stays steady while one particular note receives a little more emphasis.

When practicing, exaggerate these differences slightly.

Once you understand the shape, bring the dynamics back toward a natural level.

This is often easier than trying to discover subtle dynamics immediately.

A Useful Three-Level Dynamics Drill

Take a comfortable phrase and play it three different ways:

1. Soft: relaxed attack and lighter presence.
2. Normal: balanced attack and natural groove.
3. Strong: more energy while keeping the timing controlled.

Then play the phrase again while intentionally moving between those levels.

This teaches your hands that dynamics are something you can control rather than something that happens accidentally.

Keep the Right Hand Predictable

Whether you use fingers or a pick, consistency in the plucking hand matters.

You want the distance between your hand and the strings to remain reasonably stable.

Huge changes in attack depth can make the volume jump around from note to note.

Technique	Main Focus	Common Issue
Fingerstyle	Balanced attack between fingers	One finger becoming noticeably louder
Pick	Stable angle and depth	Uneven attack during string changes
Either	Consistent rhythm	Attack changing when the phrase gets harder

String Changes Should Feel Like One Motion

String crossing can become awkward when your hand treats every string as a completely separate destination.

Instead, practice the movement as a continuous path.

Choose a small phrase that crosses strings and loop it slowly.

Don't increase the tempo until:

• the attack stays consistent
• the movement feels relaxed
• unused strings remain controlled
• the rhythm doesn't change during the crossing

That last point matters a lot.

It's common for a player to have solid timing on one string but rush slightly when moving to another.

Muting Is Part of the Groove

Muting isn't just a cleanup technique.

It can actually shape the rhythm.

A note that ends precisely can make the groove feel tighter. A note that continues accidentally can make the same phrase feel much more open or blurry.

Use both hands when necessary:

• fretting-hand muting for notes you have just played
• plucking-hand muting for strings that should remain silent
• light contact from unused fingers when appropriate

The exact technique depends on your playing style and the phrase, but the principle is always the same:

Only let the strings you actually want to hear speak.

Try the “Mute Everything” Exercise

This is a surprisingly effective warm-up.

Rest your fretting hand lightly over the strings so they cannot produce clear pitches.

Then play the rhythm of a short phrase.

You are now practicing the groove without worrying about notes.

If the rhythm feels solid even with muted strings, you have separated the timing problem from the pitch problem.

Then remove the mute and add the actual notes.

This can make difficult sections feel much more manageable.

Listen for the Space Between Notes

One of the easiest ways to make bass playing sound more mature is learning to respect silence.

Don't automatically fill every gap.

If the phrase gives you a small space between notes, let that space exist.

Silence can create:

• rhythmic contrast
• clarity
• tension
• separation between phrases
• more impact when the next note arrives

Sometimes the best note is the one you don't play.

Build Muscle Memory Without Becoming a Robot

Muscle memory is useful, but blindly repeating a phrase can create another problem: your hands keep playing even when your ears stop listening.

Try alternating between two practice modes.

Mode 1 — Technical: focus on clean movement and accurate notes.

Mode 2 — Musical: stop thinking about every finger and listen to the phrase as part of the track.

Switch between them.

Technical practice builds reliability.

Musical practice builds feel.

You need both.

Practice From Different Starting Points

Once the bass part feels familiar, don't always start from the beginning.

Pick a random section and begin there.

This is useful because it tests whether you actually know the song or whether your hands simply remember a chain of events from the intro onward.

Try starting from:

• the beginning of a phrase
• the middle of a phrase
• the last few notes before a transition
• a section after a longer pause

If you can enter the part cleanly from different points, your understanding of the song is becoming much stronger.

Use “Landing Notes” to Navigate the Fretboard

Instead of memorizing every movement equally, identify notes that feel like important destinations.

These can become your mental landmarks.

For example:

Starting point → movement → landing note → next phrase.

Once those landmarks are familiar, the smaller movements between them become easier to remember.

This is especially helpful when a phrase contains several position changes.

Ear Training: Can You Hear the Direction?

Close your eyes for a moment and listen to a phrase.

Don't try to identify every fret.

Instead, ask:

• Does the line move higher or lower?
• Does the phrase feel like it is building?
• Where does it relax?
• Which note feels like a destination?
• Where does the rhythm become more active?

This is a different kind of listening.

You are training your brain to understand the shape of the bass line before worrying about its exact location on the fretboard.

Then Connect Your Ear Back to the TAB

After listening, open the TAB again.

Now compare what you heard with what you see.

You may notice that a phrase you thought was complicated actually follows a simple movement.

Or you may discover that two sections look similar on paper but feel different because their rhythm or note length changes.

That connection between ear → TAB → fretboard → hands is one of the most valuable skills you can build from learning songs.

Record Yourself Before You Think You're Ready

You don't need professional recording equipment.

A phone is enough to give you useful feedback.

Record one complete attempt and listen back without playing at the same time.

That last part matters.

When you're holding the bass, your brain is busy thinking about the next note. When you listen afterward, you can hear the performance more objectively.

Check for:

• uneven volume
• rushed transitions
• late notes
• unwanted ringing
• inconsistent note lengths
• tension in difficult passages

Choose one issue and fix that first.

A 30-Minute ROSES IN THORNS Practice Routine

Here's a focused routine you can use without turning practice into a marathon.

Time	Focus	Goal
0–5 min	Warm-up	Relax both hands
5–10 min	Phrase grouping	Understand the musical shape
10–15 min	Position changes	Make movements smooth
15–20 min	Groove practice	Lock into the pulse
20–25 min	Dynamics and articulation	Add musical expression
25–30 min	Full run + recording	Check overall consistency

When You Keep Missing the Same Section

If one section keeps falling apart, stop playing the whole song.

Seriously.

Find the smallest section containing the problem.

It might only be two or three notes.

Then use this progression:

1. Play the difficult movement slowly.
2. Repeat it several times without increasing tempo.
3. Add the note immediately before it.
4. Add the note immediately after it.
5. Reconnect the phrase to the surrounding section.

This prevents you from practicing ten seconds of music just to fix one second of difficulty.

Don't Let Speed Hide Tension

If your fretting hand starts squeezing harder as the tempo rises, that's useful information.

It usually means your body is working harder than necessary to maintain control.

Take the tempo down and check:

• thumb position
• fretting pressure
• shoulder tension
• wrist angle
• plucking force

Relaxation isn't about playing weakly.

It's about removing effort that doesn't contribute to the sound.

Use a Tempo Ladder

Instead of jumping directly from slow practice to full speed, use several small steps.

For example:

Slow → comfortable → medium → near-target → target.

Only move upward when the phrase remains clean.

If it starts falling apart, move one step back.

There is no prize for reaching the target tempo while sounding messy.

Make One Practice Session About Sound

Once the notes and rhythm are comfortable, temporarily stop worrying about speed.

Play the same phrase and experiment with subtle changes in attack.

Try:

• lighter fingerstyle attack
• slightly stronger attack
• shorter note endings
• longer sustained notes
• more relaxed dynamics

Then compare which version feels closest to the musical character you're trying to reproduce.

This is where technique starts becoming expression.

One Important Rule: Don't Overplay

When a bassist gets excited about a part, it's tempting to add extra movement, extra accents, or unnecessary fills.

Resist that instinct while learning the song.

First, understand what the bass part is actually doing.

Then, if you're practicing creatively, you can experiment separately.

Keeping the original study and your personal interpretation as two different things makes it much easier to understand what you're actually learning.

Reference Video

Use the reference below as a listening tool while working through the bass part. Pay attention not only to the notes, but also to timing, articulation, dynamics, and the relationship between phrases.

The video is included as a listening and practice reference. The main purpose of this page is the original bass-playing guidance, practice ideas, and independent transcription resource provided here.

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What You Can Take From This Song as a Bassist

The biggest value of learning a song isn't necessarily being able to play that one song from beginning to end.

Try to take the skills you develop here into your other playing.

For example:

• Phrase awareness helps you memorize bass lines faster.
• Better note grouping makes complicated passages easier to understand.
• Controlled dynamics makes your playing more expressive.
• Cleaner position changes reduce unnecessary hand movement.
• Better muting gives you a cleaner overall sound.
• Groove awareness helps the bass sit better with drums and the rest of the arrangement.
• Ear training makes you less dependent on written material over time.

That's the bigger win.

You aren't just learning ROSES IN THORNS.

You're building skills that can follow you into the next song, the next rehearsal, and eventually your own playing style.

Quick Final Checklist

Before calling the song comfortable, run through this checklist:

• ✓ Bass is correctly tuned to E A D G
• ✓ Main phrases can be played without stopping
• ✓ You understand the shape of each phrase
• ✓ Position changes feel controlled
• ✓ Notes begin consistently
• ✓ Note lengths are intentional
• ✓ Unwanted string noise is under control
• ✓ Dynamics can be changed deliberately
• ✓ You can maintain the groove at a slower tempo
• ✓ You can play along with the reference without constantly losing your place
• ✓ You have recorded yourself at least once

About This Bass TAB

This page is intended as an educational resource for bass players who want to study and practice ROSES IN THORNS by Togenashi Togeari.

The transcription and recording presented through rikytone are independently created materials for this project. They are not presented as official materials from Togenashi Togeari or its rights holders.

Artist names, song titles, and related trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page focuses on original bass-playing guidance, practice techniques, and an independent transcription reference for educational study.

A copyright notice or educational purpose statement does not by itself determine ownership or permission. Applicable rights remain with the relevant copyright holders.

Keep the Groove Alive

ROSES IN THORNS is a good song to use as a reminder that bass playing is about much more than hitting the correct fret.

The real work happens in the details:

where the note lands, how it starts, how long it speaks, when it stops, and how it connects to the next phrase.

Take your time with those details.

Once the mechanics become comfortable, stop staring at every number and start listening to the music around your bass.

That's when the TAB stops being a page of instructions and starts becoming a tool for actually making music.

For more related resources, visit the Togenashi Togeari Bass TAB collection or explore the Anime Bass TAB section.