Beginner Songs

[VinalTap]

I just started to play bass a little while ago and I was wondering if anyone could name some good songs that have easy basslines.

[skaliwag66]

Eight days a week by the beatles is easy and sounds great.
try any of the early beatles stuff thats what i am learning

[DocBop]

Get some Blues and start playing along. Simple stuff, but teaches common chord movements, learning to feel simple 4 bar phrases, playing with the drums, dymanics, playing with a feel. Develops your ear for hearing common changes. Can start just playing roots then learn songs with simple lines like Born In Chicago, Drivin Wheel, etc. Once you get the hang of it then Walking Blues lines. Finish by kickin' some ass with SRV. A lot to be learned playing Blues than can be applied to any other music you move to later.

[Audiophage]

Yeah, blues is good to start on, or Metallica. Most basslines aren't. Just learn what you like.

[fenderhutz]

Play some slower 6/8 Lynard Skynard. Will teach you good tempo and chord structure. Tuesdays Gone comes to mind.

Wonderful Tonight is a good slow one.

The reason I say slow songs it really is a timing thing.

Rock- good practice song "creep" by radiohead.

As far as just parts to learn that are fun. Learn "Rappers Delight, Low Rider, Under Pressure"

Everyone will have an opinion on this.

[Chipsonfire]

Lately I've been doing things by Gorilllaz. They have basslines that are simple, easy to hear and fun to play

[Belgand]

Dave Marks has been posting some excellent beginning song lessons on YouTube, just search for "DaveMarks". He used to have everything linked more easily off of his website (www.davemarks.com), but he's been making some changes. Still, if you're going to follow along with the video lessons definitely go to his site and get his sheets for them. The fact that the sheets are in standard notation and tab rather than just tab was a big plus for me.

Anyhow, so far there's: U2 - With or Without You, The Police - So Lonely, Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit, and Bob Marley - Stir It Up.

As someone who's only been playing for about a month myself I've found this to be exactly what I needed. The only complaint I'd have is that it trends much more heavily towards pick-style rather than finger-style and, not to put pick-style players down, but I've been working on learning finger-style mainly as I start due to the greater technical challenges it can present a novice.

[Belgand]

Been messing around a bit more and thought I'd add a few more songs suitable for beginners.

"Where's Summer B?" by Ben Folds Five is rather basic, it's all quarter notes and shifts between simple patterns in first and second position. Plus (and aside from being a fan, this is the reason I was looking into their music) since it's piano/bass/drum it's very easy to clearly make out the bass line.

I prefer this tab, but there's another one by Tim Swan that's floating around the Internet that I really ought to try out.

As well, the Pixies have a number of great songs with very simple basslines. "Gigantic" is just:

------------------|----------------------
------------------|----------------------
--------5-5-7-7-2|-2-2-2-3-3-5-5--------
-3-3-3------------|---------------3------

played as straight eighths at 110 bpm and repeated for the entire song (with the slight exception of the guitar break). Technically the shift to the 7th fret isn't necessary (you can play it all in 2nd position if you wish), but that's the way Kim Deal plays it.

"Where Is My Mind?" isn't really any harder, but is structured in a way that you're better off looking for some tabs.