Tunings: D A (the "standard") Slide bass played with a pick, and a metal slide, for best effect. Note: this is not a "dropped D" tuning below the low E string on a standard bass, but the open D string. Mark called D the key of Morphine, but used several tunings for his 2 string basses, each one listed with the transcript. If you don't own a 2 string bass, you can play this music on a 4 or 5 using the 2 highest strings, retune the G string up to an A, you will find the action too low to use a slide without fret buzz, to solve this problem some people dedicate an old 4 string bass for slide, moving the D and G strings to the center position and installing something to raise the nut 1/4". I made my own 2 string slide bass from scratch, you can see that project on this page: the Bat Bass

Here is a partial list of Morphine songs organised by the bass tuning used to play them. Just knowing what the open tuning is may be enough help for some people to teach themselves how to play these songs. I am working on transcriptions of some of these which I'll be posting here eventually. Underlined/Linked songs have been transcribed, click to view. I'll add more whenever I have some spare time, latest update, 4/27/12: "Wishing well". I've had requests for the following: The Night, I'm free now, and the Saddest song. Wishing well was a request also so I moved it up the list a bit, but haven't decided what I'll do next yet. The Night is so sad, I have a hard time listening to it sometimes.

Standard tuning songs DA

1 All Wrong
2 Cure for pain
3 Empty box
4 French fries with pepper
5 Have a lucky day (aka I feel lucky)
6 Honey White
7 I'm free now
8 In pursuit of Lilah (instrumental interlude)
9 It's not like that anymore
10 Justine
11 the Only one
12 the Other side
13 Potion
14 Pretty face
15 Rope on fire (D minor)
16 the Saddest song
17 Shadow (I know you -part V) (lydian)
18 Shame
19 Thursday
20 You speak my language

Mark's second most favourited tuning was CG, as least based on the songs I've analysed so far.

21 A good woman is hard to find (still in the works, but enough info to get you playing the parts.)
22 Buena
23 Cocoon
24 Radar
25 Bye be Johnny

Songs in other alternate tunings:

26 Wishing well. Tuning: AE

27 Whisper DF (a minor third open tuning)

28 the Night. Tuning Bb F

I got this very nice email from someone who found my work on this project useful, I appreciate it and share it with their permission:

"Hi, my name is Santiago and I'm just writing you this to say thank you. Mostly about the great work you are doing with the Morphine tabs, but also for the inspiration you give me as an artist.

I'm also writing you for a kind of selfish reason, but not really. Morphine has been my favourite group since I found about them, about a year ago, maybe less. As a bassist, I love the complex simplicity of Sandman, may he rest in peace. I love his voice and the whole concept of the band. The way they decided not to go the same way as everyone did: sax instead of guitar? Fuck yeah! Two stringed bass played with a slide? Why the fuck not!

I tried for a long time to play some of their tunes, mostly cure for pain, which was the easier and most known, but I developed a taste for that sweet slide (I made one myself with a broken bottleneck). I was desperately hopeless until I found your web. You saved me there, pal, and I really want to thank you for uploading all those tabs. They are great, with a lot of effort on them, I can see that. This said, I thought maybe I could make a request: I see you are tabbing those songs one by one, and it's a thrill to see a new one now and then, but it would be great if one of the next ones was one of this:

The Night
I'm Free Now
Wishing Well
The Saddest Song

I really love those, and it hurts not to be able to play them. I would really appreciate it if you could make those transcriptions.

Again, I want you to know that there's at least one person who really appreciates what you are doing and he's thankful.

Cheers and thanks"