Warm-up / Guitar Center must-know songs

heymelbs · #1 10-19-2007, 11:12 AM

I'm looking for those songs that when you play the bass part, everyone knows what songs you're playing and it allows you to show your bass prowess (even though you might really suck). They have to be songs that are recognizable by many so I'm probably looking more in the Classic Rock vein. Here's my current list
Pink Floyd - Money
Nazareth - Hair of the Dog
Joe Jackson - Something Going on Around Hear
Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer

They don't have to be awesome songs either.

Lucas G · #2 10-19-2007, 11:22 AM

i bet if you really wanted to show off in a guitar center you could run through some scales.

Matthew Bryson · #3 10-19-2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucas G

i bet if you really wanted to show off in a guitar center you could run through some scales.

+1

DocBop · #4 10-19-2007, 12:05 PM

Play some Jaco that will turn heads. Go into a store and play Teen Town, Donna Lee, Portrait of Tracy people will notice. Play The Chicken and make it groove you will have drummers and guitar player join you. Playing endless clicky-clackety Flea licks you just sound like a GC sales person.

doctorjazz · #5 10-19-2007, 12:09 PM

Seconded for Jaco. The Chicken is a great groove, Come On, Come Over is another good one. I've also got a live recording of him tearing it up on Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, although on that one he's playing stuff that's really similar to The Chicken.

pointbass · #6 10-19-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucas G

i bet if you really wanted to show off in a guitar center you could run through some scales.

Or even just tune the bass .... puts you miles ahead of the rest ...

Terrik · #7 10-19-2007, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucas G

i bet if you really wanted to show off in a guitar center you could run through some scales.

+1000

the next time i go through GC and hear some bad slap bass, i'm going to my truck, pull out a hatchet and chop off some fingers...

stedtale · #8 10-19-2007, 12:20 PM

don't go to GC...

osciphex · #9 10-19-2007, 12:21 PM

My guitar center standards are typically Portrait of Tracy or random noodling in harmonic minor...

prattguy · #10 10-19-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pointbass

Or even just tune the bass .... puts you miles ahead of the rest ...

.....i´ll just settle with one of Les Claypool faves for that purpose, Roundabout-YES, from the FRAGILE album.

lunarpollen · #11 10-19-2007, 12:26 PM

I usually play the bass line to "Penny Lane"

Infernal Affair · #12 10-19-2007, 01:31 PM

Wait. You want to show off in Guitar Center of all places?

Well, there's several songs I've recognized people play:
- Rush - Tom Sawyer
- Queen - Another One Bites the Dust
- Some Jamerson stuff
- Some Flea stuff

Then always the requisite fast slap riffs, but I'm more impressed if someone just lays down a solid groove.

You could always just go with "Stairway" or Extreme's "More than Words."

**Freddels** · #13 10-19-2007, 01:42 PM

If you really suck, just turn up the amp. People will notice.

**Thor** · #14 10-19-2007, 01:51 PM

Of course, grabbing a music book and playing from it
is usually enough to cause a few cardiac arrests.

heymelbs · #15 10-20-2007, 08:01 AM

Some good responses. Actually I think electric guitar players have the most licks they can rip out on their instruments. The electric guitar player in our band will crank out some Van Halen, Dokken, etc. and everybody's like "hey I know that one." Bass player's turn, and all I got is some scales and a blues line - no way man. There are some good bass lines out there that people recognize and that's really what I'm after.

Here are two examples:
The song Money has a great bass line, everybody knows it.
Roxanne has a great bass line, many recognize the song, but few recognize the song if you're going solo.

I teach lessons to a few kids and after about 5 lessons they are looking for a song that sounds like something. While I'm teaching technique, scales, etc. sometimes it's fun to give them some music that they can enjoy playing (besides Smoke on the Water).

I actually don't go to GC for the basses, but to play the acoustics. While I'm there, I like to try a few basses - brands like Schecter that I've never played but always wanted to try. That's when it's fun to be able to "strut your stuff."

Jezz8me · #16 10-20-2007, 08:25 AM

Seinfeld theme :P

great fun to play easy recognisable and when you slap idiots will think your playing it anyway

stealth51 · #17 10-20-2007, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucas G

i bet if you really wanted to show off in a guitar center you could run through some scales.

Bravo!

fenderhutz · #18 10-20-2007, 08:28 AM

Play the bass line for the Map song from Dora the Explorer.

You may even get people to sing along.

"There's a place you wanna go, I'm the one you need to know, I'm the map"

heymelbs · #19 10-20-2007, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jezz8me

Seinfeld theme :P

great fun to play easy recognisable and when you slap idiots will think your playing it anyway

Good one! What's the best way to learn it - tabs, or just by listening to the music and mimicking?

Jezz8me · #20 10-20-2007, 08:36 AM

tab i learnt it from in about 1/2 an hour, it would take 2 seconds for someone that can slap though.