# What are some good, relatively easy songs for a beginning Bassist to master? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281 "2011-01-20T03:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/1 "2011-01-20T03:11:49Z")
I’ve been practicing bass for a few months now, and I’ve recently been dedicating more time to it. I had a couple lessons, but now I’ve just been practicing along with youtube videos and whatnot to get the basics down. I’ve gotten pretty good at the basic fingering, and now I’d like to move on to mastering some songs. I started out with Money by Pink Floyd, because my instructor gave me the bass tablature for it. I’ve gotten parts of it down pretty well, but I’m still far from mastering it. I’m looking for some good recommendations for other pretty easy songs that I can master before I move on to more difficult ones. I’m mostly interested in rock songs, but songs from other genres are fine too. Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/2 "2011-01-20T03:34:02Z")
If you’re into Hendrix, he did some songs with fun, simple bass parts. I like playing Who Knows and Manic Depression. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/3 "2011-01-20T13:23:11Z")
I was a big Geddy Lee fan when I started - if you like Rush, you can have a lot of fun with the likes of Working Man and What You’re Doing, while building up to the solos. And there are a lot of fun, simple basslines on the first 2 Clash albums. Now I’m just starting on upright, and am working mainly on folk/bluegrass. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/4 "2011-01-20T13:33:14Z")
Whenever I pull out my bass, the first song I always play is “Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago” by Soul Coughing. Simple verses with a good walking bass feel. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/5 "2011-01-20T14:06:55Z")
The Pixies! I’m fond of Gigantic and Debaser. Damage, by Yo La Tengo. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/6 "2011-01-20T14:20:36Z")
The first song I learned on bass was Hall & Oats’ Maneater. After that, it was the theme to the TV show “Barney Miller”. Then I moved on to Iron Maiden. It sounds like skill-wise you’re between Maneater & Maiden. I’d put on a Police CD and commence grooving. When you get good, go for the theme to “Night Court.” If you’re enjoying Money, there’s more Floyd that’s pretty easy & fun too. Hey You and Another Brick are good places to start. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/7 "2011-01-20T17:31:51Z")
When I was 14 years old, I learned to play bass by trying to play along with [old Black Sabbath albums](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoid_(album)). In essence, Geezer Butler taught me how to play bass. 🙂 If you try this, don’t bother trying to learn the fast-n-intricate stuff Geezer is doing… just play along with Tony’s chord progressions. It’s pretty easy to do. You don’t even need sheet music; you can do it all by ear. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/8 "2011-01-20T17:33:40Z")
Another great learning tool is [The Ventures](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ventures). ---
**Author:** ![Beniamino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@Beniamino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beniamino)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/9 "2011-01-20T18:12:04Z")
“Orion”, by Metallica, on the “Master of Puppets” album. Really great melodic song that’s surprisingly easy to play. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/10 "2011-01-20T18:44:17Z")
How about ‘[Fever](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGb5IweiYG8)’ as sung by Peggy Lee? ‘Robert Frost’, written by Jay Leonhart, would also be a good one. Sorry, I can’t find a free audio sample online. It’s on the album ‘Salamander Pie’, and a PDF of the chart is available at [Jay’s website.](http://www.jayleonhart.com/) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/11 "2011-01-20T19:18:14Z")
I’m posting to follow along (I’m also trying to learn the bass). I’ve had good luck with some George Thorogood songs – maybe Move it on Over? Also, I second some of the Police songs – Roxanne, So Lonely. How about Chameleon by Herbie Hancock? It’s not actually bass on the track, but it’s nice and repetitive (and funky!). Also, Mr. Big Stuff by Jean Knight. A bit more advanced is I’ll Take You There by the Staple Singers. If you want something more modern, try Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes or Reptilia by The Strokes. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/12 "2011-01-20T19:40:09Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > The Pixies! I’m fond of Gigantic and Debaser. Damage, by Yo La Tengo. Pixies, yes. I figured Kim Deal’s basslines would be some of the easiest to learn. > [@RitterSport](#): > > I’m posting to follow along (I’m also trying to learn the bass). I’ve had good luck with some George Thorogood songs – maybe Move it on Over? Also, I second some of the Police songs – Roxanne, So Lonely. > > How about Chameleon by Herbie Hancock? It’s not actually bass on the track, but it’s nice and repetitive (and funky!). Also, Mr. Big Stuff by Jean Knight. A bit more advanced is I’ll Take You There by the Staple Singers. > > If you want something more modern, try Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes or Reptilia by The Strokes. Good suggestions. Reptilia is my favorite Strokes song, so I’ll definitely give that one a go. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/13 "2011-01-21T15:45:51Z")
I guess that’s all of them, then. FWIW, I’ve tried Another One Bites the Dust by Queen and Psycho Killer by the Talking Heads – for some reason, I have extra problems with them. Psycho Killer isn’t hard in the main section, but I totally lose it during the chorus. Dazed and Confused isn’t too bad if you have the tabs. Also, Whole Lotta Love. Back to funk, She’s a Bad Mama Jama (by Carl Carlton?) is a blast to play. Have you found that online bass tabs tend to be pretty awful? First of all, the format that’s typically used is very difficult (IMO) to read. But, they are often just wrong. I’ve had much, much better luck with tabs from real books, and they usually have the music notation along with it, so it can be a good way to learn to read music, or to associate the notation (if you can already read it) with the actual notes on the bass. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/14 "2011-01-21T16:00:13Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > I’ve been practicing bass for a few months now, and I’ve recently been dedicating more time to it. I had a couple lessons, but now I’ve just been practicing along with youtube videos and whatnot to get the basics down. I’ve gotten pretty good at the basic fingering, and now I’d like to move on to mastering some songs. > > I started out with Money by Pink Floyd, because my instructor gave me the bass tablature for it. I’ve gotten parts of it down pretty well, but I’m still far from mastering it. > > I’m looking for some good recommendations for other pretty easy songs that I can master before I move on to more difficult ones. I’m mostly interested in rock songs, but songs from other genres are fine too. Thanks. 🙂 I have mentioned this in other starter bass threads: **Talking Heads’ version of Take Me to the River**. 3 freakin’ notes pretty much the whole song - E G A. Now - can you make them groove? Can you be the ENTIRE FOUNDATION that the song is constructed on? That is like the ultimate chef’s challenge - can you take so few ingredients and own the recipe? It’s not as easy as it sounds. Victor Wooten is one of the - if not THE - best bassists around. In his book [The Music Lesson](http://www.amazon.com/Music-Lesson-Spiritual-Search-Through/dp/0425220931) he goes on a story/parable/journey which can get a little “mystic” at times, but his first point is clear and true: the groove comes first. How about some Red Hot Chili Peppers? \*\*Give It Away \*\*has a simple bass riff during the verses that is the essential center of that groove. Can you sell that when you play? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/15 "2011-01-21T18:41:36Z")
Agreed that it’s all about the groove. I’ll give that Talking Heads song a try later. While I’m here – how about Waiting Room by Fugazi? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/16 "2011-01-21T18:57:28Z")
[Peter Gunn!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CHjYHwNzx0&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/17 "2011-01-21T19:00:19Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > [Peter Gunn!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CHjYHwNzx0&feature=related) Oh yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/18 "2011-01-21T19:11:58Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I was a big Geddy Lee fan when I started Nonetheless, YYZ would be quite a discouraging choice for the OP :D… ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/19 "2011-01-21T19:54:17Z")
> [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > Nonetheless, YYZ would be quite a discouraging choice for the OP :D… Tell me about it. I gave Red Barchetta a try, but could only get through the opening. Someday though… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281/20 "2011-01-21T20:00:11Z")
If **WordMan** ’s going to go to the trouble of posting the notes in Take Me to the River, I think I have to give it a shot, too. It’s not my favorite Talking Heads song but it never hurts to learn another. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-relatively-easy-songs-for-a-beginning-bassist-to-master/568281.md?page=2)