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Nice and easy songs to play along to

#5
im looking forward to the input on this thread, as a beginner, id like to know the "basic songs" i can learn that will sound good and are simple even though im a beginner.

Ben E King - Stand by Me (Dmanlamius has a great youtube video on it too.)
 
#10
hayden06f4i said:
im looking forward to the input on this thread, as a beginner, id like to know the "basic songs" i can learn that will sound good and are simple even though im a beginner.
Click to expand...

I used to jam along with The Lawrence Welk show. No joke. Very good professional musicians playing loads of standard chords changes, and lots of room for scales and improvisation whenever you want. And how could you not be HAPPY when watching TLWS? And, since they don't repeat too many songs, you'll need to be "on your feet" for each corny show.
 
#13
"I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers, bass by David Hood. Fun to play, it's got a perfectly crafted bass solo that's not at all about flash or ego gratification, and it's a great record.

My own personal easy to play learning tool was "Good Hearted Woman" by Waylon and Willie (technically I think it's credited to "The Outlaws")... But anyway, I hated that simple I IV V thing with just root/five and a walk up. But at the time I realized I was going to be playing at every gig (sometimes more than once a night) for a while so I could either hate it or learn from it. So, I decided I'd use it to focus on different aspects of bass playing. Getting exactly the tone I wanted from my fingers. Finding the exact length to hold each note depending on the rest of the band. Controlling the dynamics with not only volume, but with timbre, and space. Hitting the note exactly with the kick drum or playing different parts of the song with different feels.

That silly song with its four notes made me a much better player.

jte
 
#15
CCR-down on the corner, have you ever seen the rain, bad moon rising

AC/DC-back in black, you shook me all night long

U2-with or without you

Scorpions-rock you like a hurricane

Radiohead-creep

Here are a few easy songs that I play, hope this helps get you started. I have lots more, but I'm at work can't think right now...LOL :bassist:

Edit:Seen what I mean, I thought you were asking for songs for you to learn augh...work
 
#16
deathbyjune said:
The Distance is def not easy, Krowser. Maybe for you loL!

Maybe try Sunshine of Your Love by Cream. That was the first one I learned on bass.
Click to expand...

Ok fine, real easy? Try some Nirvana!

And, as weird as this may sound. Slipknot. The basslines are so simple it's not even funny. Duality is a good example.

Surfacing is even worse, is a combination of B and B# for the whole damn song, it good to practice rythm, until you hit that solo in the middle of the song.

4/4, played in triplets
E--------11-10-9-------6-5-4
B-9-8-7----------6-5-4-------3-2-1-0
x4

Have fun!
 
#17
Here's a list that I give my students. They aren't too hard to learn, AND they are good exercises as opposed to say Tell Her No (Zombies) House of the Rising Sun, etc... which are pretty basic.

Money-Pink Floyd. Good movement and time exercise.

Sunshine of Your Love-Cream moves the fingers around a bit and gets you out of one position.

Day Tripper-Beatles All over the neck, so fun movement, also stretches the hand.

Freddy Freeloader-Miles Davis Good Walking exercise

Crossfire-Stevie Ray Vaughn/Tommy Shannon. Good fun blues with just enough different interval notes to work on your duration.

Dream On - Aerosmith Good exercise for dotted notes

Heard it Through The Grape Vine-Marvin Gaye. Good groove practise, especialy with a drummer or machine.

White Room-Cream good timing exercise
 

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