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Grooviest Paul McCartney bass lines?

#47
If you're a reader (music not words :)) this is the book to start with.
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#48
deepestend said:
I have never really learned a Paul bassline completely and I'm feeling like it is time. Any suggestions on his grooviest bass lines? I know a lot of beatles for sure, but am mostly playing jam/groove music these days and would love to learn something that applies.

Thank you!
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Check out Transatlantic's Pete Trewavas in the band's "Suite Charlotte Pike" medley, which combines tunes from Abbey Road mixed in with their own Beatlesque tunes. I can't say you'll learn Paul's original lines, but the whole thing is awesome anyway, and Pete is great:

 
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#49
Drive My Car is so groovy it works for multiple Beatle songs




I love playing this, I don't follow it note for note and actually walk it a little more than Paul did. But that initial descending walk from the F#m to the A arpeggio is good fun.




always loved this tune as well, great bass work, even if slightly out of tune in places?




tons, tons of others, Wings, Solo. McCartney is a groove machine.
 
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#50
I love the Beatles. I admire Macca and think he's a prolific musician and songwriter.

Hot take: i think his playing is unique, and often quite great, but i struggle to find a lot of his bass playing with The Beatles to be "groovy" (subjective term, after all). I find his playing gets a little busy and sometimes pushes towards the front of the beat and not sitting tight in the pocket. Ringo, especially in the mid years, had some brilliant groove.

He has some killer tracks, many named here with which I agree, and many of them have groove to them.
 
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#53
Evanforbass said:
. I find his playing gets a little busy and sometimes pushes towards the front of the beat and not sitting tight in the pocket.
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If you look at bands that have strong rhythm players ( don't have strong lead players) , seems like bass players can fill in a lot more.

Take a look at Jamerson (Motown), Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power) and Verdine White (Earth, Wind and Fire).
 
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#56
Stumbo said:
If you look at bands that have strong rhythm players ( don't have strong lead players) , seems like bass players can fill in a lot more.

Take a look at Jamerson (Motown), Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power) and Verdine White (Earth, Wind and Fire).
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For sure. For me, the difference between Macca and someone like Jamerson is in the feel of the beat. I find Jamerson sits a little more on the back side of the beat (which to me constitutes groove), where as, to my ear, Paul often almost pushes the beat forward.
In my mind, Pino has the sitting back on the beat thing mastered.
 
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