Your favourite bass lines to play?

[Angel 493]

I've been off of bass playing for many years now. I was only a 'bedroom' player, but I kind of drifted away some years ago after I went from 5 strings to 4. I play various other instruments and the bass just kind of faded away. 

Anyway, this year I felt like galvanising interest again and going back to 5 strings. Not only that, I also decided to build my own bass to really get my interest going. The build is going fine so far (although I'm not sure that many will like the finish that I am going for!).

Anyway, back on topic - I have always been a lazy bassist, and basically have never learned bass lines, my preference was always to just 'play along' to stuff based around the chords (hey, I'm in the bedroom, I can do what I want!). Just recently I saw a video of Nathan East playing Stevie Wonder's Sir Duke, and it was such a fabulous bass line I thought I should try and learn that! So, leading on from there, I was wondering what other bass lines bass players enjoy playing? I'm looking for a learning list to get out of my lazy playing!

[PaulWarning 1,368]

at the moment its' Dancing with Myself, simple but effective, the way I like to think of my bass playing 😁

[Baxlin 903]

Aren’t many of us Bedroom Bassists currently?

Try Stealers Wheel’s  ‘Stuck in the Middle’ - Including a bit of Noel Redding’s ‘Hey Joe’ riff.

And I’ve recently found some ‘bass backing tracks’ on YouTube, things like Sunny, Georgia on my Mind, and Fly me to the Moon.  
 

Enjoy!

Edited August 2, 2020 by Baxlin

[Nail Soup 975]

Not well known songs, but nice and bass driven.......
Mind Your Own Business by Delta 5

Totally Wired by The Fall

both good fun to play!

 

both pretty old too come to think of it 😐

[Steve Browning 1,551]

Somebody To Love by Queen is a great one. It fair skips along and is (as always) wonderfully melodic with some lovely little touches. The notes aren't hard but the feel is fun to capture.

[mike257 221]

If you enjoyed learning Sir Duke, you could stay with Stevie and add I Wish and Master Blaster to the list. Both fun lines to play. 

There was an isolated bass part of the original Sir Duke line posted on here a little while ago, worth looking that up for a little listen!

[Japhet 1,345]

I enjoy playing a lot of stuff I'll never get to play in a band. Quite a bit of Steely Dan stuff. One of my current favorites to play along to is Anthony Jackson's bass line on Donald Fagan's version of Ruby Baby. This guy Troy also picks some cracking stuff to cover from all genres on his channel and does a great job.

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Japhet

[ezbass 2,601]

Currently: Gold by Spandau Ballet, Tear a Your Playhouse Down by Paul Young (I trip over the 16th note outro part though ☹️), Spirit of Radio by Rush. 
 

Seeing @Japhet’s post reminds me that I must relearn Haitian Divorce, always enjoyed that, along with Josie.

Edited August 2, 2020 by ezbass

[Slappindabass 392]

I am quite enjoying learning a bit of Duran stuff due to JTs lock down videos, 

 

Rio, is a particular favourite, enjoying planet earth also. 

[Painy 499]

A couple that I always enjoy are Extreme, Get The Funk Out (one of the rare songs that I'll play with a pick) and Thin Lizzy, Emerald.

My band has recently learnt Ozzy Osborne, Bark at the Moon which is good fun too and I also learnt Muse, Hysteria a few weeks ago just for fun. 

None of them are difficult to play as such but they're all busy enough to be interesting. 

[paul_5 1,173]

I Want You Back and ABC by the Jackson 5.

Ab is such a lovely key.

[Skinnyman 9,066]

Another one for Ruby Baby. Gorgeous bass line. 

I also love the flow of the bass line in Don’t Stop Believing. It’s not hard but really nice to play along with.

Like you, I used to busk a lot of lines but this year I finally got round to learning Living On A Prayer properly. Great fun

[bassbiscuits 1,146]

September, by Earth Wind and Fire is great to play.

Too Much Too Young by the Specials.

Lately been digging the bass to Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now.

Edited August 2, 2020 by bassbiscuits

[Hellzero 4,001]

As a fretless player : Wherever I Lay my Hat (that's my Home) by Paul Young, not that complicating, but you have to play with lots of feeling.

And another that I like to play : Papa was a rolling Stone by The Temptations. To me the most difficult bass line to play correctly all along. You can get lost if you don't focus. And there's a trap in the notes as most people play it wrong.

[sykilz 193]

I mean it's not the most complex bass line ever written, it's all about ( if you're right handed) the right hand action and rhythm, but it's sooooooo much fun to play

 

[Bassfinger 1,682]

Hold The Line.  Not especially difficult to play, but it takes a bit of flair to play it well so it goes with the groove.  Definitely my favourite to play.

A close run second would be Damage Case by Motorhead. It's just great fun to thump through that one.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Bassfinger

[Lozz196 4,769]

Too many by The Jam to name all, but Tube Station, Eton Rifles, Going Underground, Funeral Pyre and It’s Too Bad are particular faves, as are Pump it Up by Elvis Costello and Livin on a Prayer & It’s My Life by Bon Jovi.

[Old Man Riva 584]

Like Lozz says too many to mention, but these are some of my regular play-along tracks... 

Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow - Joni Mitchell

Custard Pie - Led Zeppelin 

Moonage Daydream - Bowie

 

[Woodinblack 4,332]

Mine vary depending on what I am learning, so currently 'I can't go for that', 'Josie' by Steely dan (which caused me to learn Peg) and a few other motowns for my group, and cycle through the 40 or so in my main group,, but away from stuff I have to play, there  are some I always gravitate to playing that I dont play in groups. 

Fool for your loving, Hit me with your rhythm stick, Master Blaster, Schism, Down in the tube station, spirit of radio, December 63, Roundabout and 'something very strange' (last one by Spocks beard, the previous ones should be self explanatory). 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Woodinblack

[AndyTravis 6,722]

Behind The Lines - Face Value version.

Just Love it.

She Caught The Katy - Blues Brothers soundtrack and the mad galloping bits you don’t expect.

Edited August 2, 2020 by AndyTravis

[hiram.k.hackenbacker 3,456]

1 minute ago, AndyTravis said:

Behind The Lines - Face Value version.

Just Love it.

She Caught The Katy - Blues Brothers soundtrack and the mad galloping bits you don’t expect.

I used to play a lot of the Blues Brothers tunes in a previous band and one of my favourites was 'Going Back to Miami'. We did lots of the other ones too including 'Flip, Flop & Fly', but there seemed to be some resistance to doing 'She Caught The Katy' and there never was a decent explanation as to why. Great tunes.

[Woodinblack 4,332]

47 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I used to play a lot of the Blues Brothers tunes in a previous band and one of my favourites was 'Going Back to Miami'. We did lots of the other ones too including 'Flip, Flop & Fly', but there seemed to be some resistance to doing 'She Caught The Katy' and there never was a decent explanation as to why. Great tunes.

Surprised noone mentioned that to us. We do motown but one of our number is a mad keen blues brothers and commitments guy that used to be in a blues brothers band, so he is normally suggesting we do some more of theirs.

[Ricky 4000 7,645]

Staying with Stevie, "I was made to love her" is a classic Jamerson bassline.

 

Lady Marmalade - The Labelle version from 1975. I love to play along to that.

 

And then there's this:

 

[Rich 5,278]

Ska and reggae basslines are an absoute joy to play. My current favourites from our set are the Specials' "Nite Klub" and "Gangsters", The Selecter's "On My Radio", Susan Cadogan's "Hurts So Good", Rancid's "Time Bomb", The Toasters' "I'm Running Right Through The World" and absolutely anything by Bob Marley.

[Woodinblack 4,332]

10 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

And then there's this:

Yes, aint no mountain high enough, have been playing that recently a bit since it was over social media. Its a fun (and educational) line to do.

1 minute ago, Rich said:

Ska and reggae basslines are an absoute joy to play. 

They always are. Luckily we have quite a few Ska tunes in my main group set.