#TAB028 - Secret Base
Free Tabs + Pro Tips
Difficulty Level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Song: Secret Base
Artist: Zone
Genre: Japanese/Anime
Tuning: Standard (EADGBe)
Anime: Anohana (ED)
Capo: None
BPM: 135 (Swing)
🎭 Saddest Anime Songs Countdown: #2 🎭
We’re almost at the top! Coming in at #2 on our saddest anime songs list is a song that’s both nostalgic and heart-wrenching—Secret Base (Kimi ga Kureta Mono).
If you missed the previous songs, catch up here:
👇 #5:
👇 #4:
👇 #3:
This song isn’t just sad—it’s a wave of childhood memories, friendships, and bittersweet goodbyes. If you’ve seen Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, you know exactly what I mean.
💫 Secret Base – The Ultimate Nostalgic Tearjerker
Originally released by ZONE in 2001, Secret Base became iconic after being used as the ending theme for Anohana. The song tells the story of a summer friendship, filled with happy moments and the sadness of parting ways.
The gentle melody and heartfelt lyrics hit extra hard in the anime, as it perfectly captures the emotions of loss, regret, and longing for the past. Even without the story, the song itself is pure nostalgia.
🔥 Things to Watch Out For
Key Signature
Right at the start of the score, you’ll notice six sharps!
That means: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, and E#—so be extra careful while playing!
Swing Pattern
If you’re new to swing patterns, it simply means that instead of playing straight eighth notes evenly, the rhythm has a slight bounce. Think of it as a long-short feel:
Normal: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Swing: 1 +2 +3 +4 +1 +2 +3 +4 +
For instance, here’s how it sounds:
Normal:
Swing:
If you’re not familiar with swing rhythms, it might take a bit of practice. That’s why I rated this 3 stars in difficulty!
Counting
Since the song has a swing feel, keeping steady timing is crucial.
But here’s the tricky part—this isn’t a regular swing pattern! Some sections mix dotted quavers and semiquavers, making the rhythm a challenge to count out loud.
Tip: Instead of counting everything, try listening to the song multiple times until you can hum along. Then, practice humming the rhythm without the song before playing it!
Repetitive Notes
Take a look at bars 1-3 and bars 9-11—both sections start a phrase, but they aren’t exactly the same.
Example: Bar 3 has six 9s on the 2nd string ⬆️, while bar 11 has eight 9s ⬇️!
If you don’t pay attention, you might accidentally repeat too many or too few notes.
Tip: Just like counting, try humming these sections first before playing—it helps lock in the rhythm!
Secret Base is one of those songs that stays with you forever. It’s the perfect mix of nostalgia, sadness, and childhood memories wrapped in a beautiful melody.
Did this song make you cry the first time you heard it? Let me know in the comments!
And we’re almost there—next time, we’re gonna talk about the #1 saddest anime song!
⚡ Share this with a friend who needs a good dose of anime nostalgia!
Until next time, happy guitar-ing! 🎶
PS: What’s the #1 thing that made you want to check out this newsletter? Reply and let me know, I READ EVERY REPLY!
Vocal Melody:
