Hard songs to learn on the bass?

[cliffburtono]

I'm trying to expand my horizons on the bass and learn some new complicated songs. I've ventured through a bit of Pastorius and recently some Death Metal bands like Atheist to work on my technique a bit.

Has anyone got any good suggestions of particular songs that have intricate melodies and bass lines that would be beneficial to my self improvement to learn? Nothing too hard that will take over a week to learn, just some good songs that well help with technique development.

Thank you!

 

[capnjim]

Good times bad times by Zeppelin is fun to learn and play.
I was never a huge Zeppelin fan, but I have started listening to the bass lines and they are all really really good.

 

[40Hz]

Good bass technique (from where I'm sitting) is more about time and feel and less about melodic intricacies and speed. But that's me.

If you want to do things to stretch yourself, try going outside your preferred genre. So if, for example, you dislike jazz or bluegrass (or whatever), start working on that. Or learn and be able to play a Bach piece note for note. You'll learn more about composition and music theory by doing that than you will studying it for a semester or reading three books.

Or get away from the things that are specific to your instrument and try something else. I'm a big believer in using tenor saxaphone study books when learning bass.

Or try taking on something not in the usual 3/4 or 4/4 meters. Brubeck's Take Five is one simple sounding but deceptively difficult piece to play correctly.

For straight speed technique, virtually anything by Jaco will do. Best know your intervals inside out before you tackle him though. Or for something more melodic and accessible, check out the old school proggers such as Greg Lake of ELP and Chris Squire.

There's a lot out there. In my case, I'll listen to anything, and usually try to find some use, idea, or bit of cleverness in it that I can steal for myself. Maybe it's not the most ideal way to do it. But it's worked for me.

Luck!

 

[Joe Nerve]

I agree with all the above.

You might want to jump into copping/practicing other people's feel. The GTBTs suggestion is a good one for that, as is any Zep. Getting into some Motown would be great too.

A song that always blew me away for feel is Santeria. It's a simple song, but if you really listen to the way that song is being moved along with the bass.. that guy has got something magical going on. IMO. That bass line lives and breathes. It's not just a bunch of notes being played.

That's the kind of stuff I focus on most in my playing.

 

[DigitalMan]

If you want to add an entirely new technique to your repertoire try Animate from Rush. It is relatively simple but requires a different right hand approach that most bass players never use.

 

[capnjim]

A song that always blew me away for feel is Santeria

Yah mon!!! Killer tune. I played this on bass a while back and the notes are basic, fairly simple, but man, what a groove.
Playing this tune is kind of like when you learn to ride a bicycle. Very tough to get the groove at first, then, Bang!!... all of the sudden you have it!

 

[TMARK]

Jamerson lines are great exercises. I'm a fan of transcribing Bach pieces for bass. I look at his solo cello pieces. Many involve intense application of the circle of fifths. A real education.

 

[HandsFree]

I love practising Jeff Berlin's 'Joe Frazier'. Started years ago and I still try it regularly. Only get it right rarely.



edit: oops, I missed the 'one week to learn' bit.

 

[RyanKW]

It's not difficult, but the bass line for Penny Lane is fantastic and fun to play. I usually use it to warm my hands up when I plug in. It's kinda all over the neck.

Oh, and Master Blaster, by Stevie Wonder.

 

[Runlikegregg]

Sir Duke is fun (Stevie Wonder)

 

[40Hz]

Sir Duke is fun (Stevie Wonder)

Good one. Try doing it (with precise fingering) - and looking this happy while you're doing it:

 

[RyanKW]

Good one. Try doing it (with precise fingering) - and looking this happy while you're doing it:

I posted this on my FB, and Silky Smoove (who posts here) responded with this.

 

[40Hz]

I posted this on my FB, and Silky Smoove (who posts here) responded with this.

Seriously? He's gonna toss Nathan East back as a reply. Jeez! That's like dropping a tactical nuke as your opening move in a small bush war. This guy Silky Smoove sure is tough ain't he?

 

[RyanKW]

Seriously? He's gonna toss Nathan East back as a reply. Jeez! That's like dropping a tactical nuke as your opening move in a small bush war. This guy Silky Smoove sure is tough ain't he?

I think he was just giving me something I'd like to listen to. But yeah, he's a formidable son of a bitch

 

[40Hz]

I think he was just giving me something I'd like to listen to. But yeah, he's a formidable son of a bitch

I listened to it btw. Nice! There's at least three things in that performance I wish I had played last time I tackled Sir Duke. And I can guarantee you that I will going forward now that I've heard them.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Try these on for size.

 

[RyanKW]

I listened to it btw. Nice! There's at least three things in that performance I wish I had played last time I tackled Sir Duke. And I can guarantee you that I will going forward now that I've heard them.

You gonna do all those key changes in the breakdown?

I've never covered that one in a band. I've covered Master Blaster and I Wish. And Superstition, but everyone has done that...

 

[capnjim]

Here's another with a great groove and some pretty tasty fills.
This is probably my favorite bass tune of all time.

 

[DinoRock]

I agree with going to jazz and standards. If you want to stay with rock, go through Entwistle's catalogue both with the Who (Quadrophenia is a good place to start) and solo - get some live shows. There are YouTube videos of Entwistle soloed that I find incredibly impressive.

 

[Clark Dark]

There are some things done by Paul Jackson on Herbie Hancock's Thrust and all the Headhunter's albums that you would enjoy.