Beatles Bass Lines

[Ric5]

Good bass line!

The Beatles- 13- Got to Get You Into My Life (Stereo Remastered 2009) - YouTube

 

[jwj1701]

+1 stratovani, one of my favorite beatles song, bass line or not. And yes Ukiah, i have the complete scores myself. Only note for note where Macca's concerned.

 

[Matt R.]

all of them

 

[ajpaul59]

Here's my favorites that we play regularly... All fairly challenging in different ways, especially when singing lead...
All my Lovin; Saw her standing there; 8 days a wk; Help; I'm a loser; Day Tripper; And you bird can sing; Rain; Birthday; Nowhere Man; Don't let me down; One after 909; Taxman; She Said She Said; Mustard/PolyPam/Bathroom Window; Here comes the sun; With a little help

 

[AZJim]

I highly recommend a book by Tony Bacon and Gareth Morgan, "Paul McCartney - Bass Master - Playing the Great Beatles Basslines" (www.amazon.com/Paul-McCartney-Playing-Basslines-Softcover/dp/0879308842)

Beatles Complete Scores is great for the sheer volume, but it's not always 100% right. Bacon and Morgan are both bassists and have gone really in depth into Paul's playing over the years. I actually wish I had written this book. They include transcriptions of only 9 songs, but they are really detailed and dead-on for what I can tell. And they also have a very informative chart of every recorded Beatle song and which bass was most likely played (and who played it, not always Paul of course.) Excellent book.

 

[ubergumby]

The Word

 

[JHandley]

really got a hold on me, nice blues
bassline and song I've always liked

 

[winterburn69]

Ones I like to play:
Hey Bulldog
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Help!
She Loves You
Come Together
A Hard Day's Night
Get Back
Eight Days A Week
All You Need is Love
Money (That's What I Want)
Back in the USSR
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Helter Skelter
Hello Goodbye
Drive My Car
Girl
Wait
You Never Give Me Your Money
Mean Mr. Mustard
The End

Ones I wish I could play:
I Saw Her Standing There
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Rain
I'm Looking Through You
Day Tripper
Revolution
Ticket to Ride

 

[AtomicPunk]

I particularly enjoyed learning the bassline to "All You Need is Love".

 

[BluesOnBass]

All My Loving
8 Days a Week

both have great walking bass lines. classic beatles. classic mccartney.

+1

 

[john_martin_sai]

All My Loving
8 Days a Week

both have great walking bass lines. classic beatles. classic mccartney.

...another Paul walking bassline. (warning: LOUD)

Tell Me Why -The Beatles Bass Cover - YouTube

 

[miltslackford]

Great thread.

We should start some kind of online repository where we can scan our notes in and share them for teaching.

I have got a LOT of mileage out of 'Hello Goodbye'.

I use it a lot with students to show them triads and scales and root notes being used.

There's even a major pentatonic thrown in.

It's a great tune because it's crammed with easy application of basic theory.

It's surprising how many truly great basslines he's made, what a guy!

 

[rtslinger]

I would say the nice little walking bass line in Tell me why is a pretty good one
as is Oh darling

 

[AQP]

Nice easy one here, "When I'm 64"

 

[Stick_Player]

Nice easy one here, "When I'm 64"

You are of course referring to the Bass Clarinet part?

 

[Chief2112]

Not trying to hijack here but didn't want to start another thread and thought this was the perfect place to ask.

I've only been playing since September. Learning Eight Days a Week right now. Fun little bass line and not difficult. Anyway, I've watched a few people cover it on YouTube. There aren't that many good ones really. So I've seen quite a few people covering who don't use their pinky at all on the verse part. Using OFPF as much as possible I have been using it a lot during that part. Are the guys who are using only three fingers between four frets using bad technique or are they just more experienced players who find that type of movement most comfortable?

Also is the song played down around the 7th fret or lower on around first position? I've seen it done both ways and I have a hard time telling from the recording where the octave sits.

 

[Stick_Player]

Are the guys who are using only three fingers between four frets using bad technique or are they just more experienced players who find that type of movement most comfortable?

I'd vote: Bad Technique.

If you are coming from 'Double Bass technique', you use 1, 2, 4 - index, middle, pinky/ring (together). Each finger covers a half-step (or one fret). There is more shifting required - and this is the technique I use.

Then there is 'bass guitar technique'. Utilizing fingers 1, 2, 3, 4 for each half-step (or one fret). I do use this technique occasionally, depending on the line (lots of chromaticism, perhaps - i.e., Jaco/Donna Lee).

But, there are players with so-called 'bad' technique that are extremely good.

 

[lo_freq_geek]

We cover:
Saw Her Standing, Birthday, & While My Guitar gently Weeps
all fun to play but the bassline for While my Guitar.. is so tasty - especially in the chorus. I'd also like to cover Bulldog but have the bass do the signature riff with a "pianio bass" kind of tone.

 

[sammyp]

thank for the replies guys ....transcribed and taught 8 Days a Week (awesome intro to some pop walking) and I Wanna hold your hand ....

i'll be picking lot's more from the suggestions as well ....it's not just for students it's a great education for me as well!

due to Rock Band pretty much all the young kids know and like these songs!

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

I don't know how I could forget to mention "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey". The bass break near the end of the song is a true rocker.