"Proof that you're a bass player" songs

[Bassist4Eris]

I went to a small high school. There was only one other bass player, and we were friends. It was the 80s, and we were metalheads. One day he came over to my house and played Cliff Burton's "Anesthesia" note-for-note. After that, I practiced until my fingertips literally felt like they were on fire they hurt so bad, but I managed to learn the solo too.

 

[Benjamin Earl]

hahahaha the scene I grew up in was a little bit post-punk

Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
Here Comes Your Man - Pixies
Surfing Cow - Dead Milkmen
Time for Livin - Beastie Boys
Higher Ground - RHCP version
Killing in the Name - RATM

 

[Ostie]

Just watched an interview with Geddy Lee where he mentions a Stones song, "2120 S. Michigan Avenue", as a song he needed to be able to play to "prove he was a bass player" in order to audition for a certain band as a young teen.

It has been said that if you wanted a gig as a bassist in Detroit in the 70s, you had better be good enough to play "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey note-for-note or you wouldn't even be considered.

At parties, if someone trots out a bass, there will be those (generally enthusiastic non-musicians) who will issue challenges: "Can you play Smoke On The Water? Barney Miller? Another One Bites The Dust? Got The Time? Longview? Teen Town? DEAN Town?"

Here, it was "Tom Sawyer". If you could handle that, you could handle just about anything. And if your band could pull off YYZ, you were nothing short of musical royalty at the high school.

So what songs were the "proof" songs when you were growing up?

You're joking, right? Nobody ever says at a party,"Hey, get your bass out and play it! We want to hear a bass solo!"

 

[Plectrum72]

Interstate Love Song by STP, played correctly not just faking it by mirroring the guitar.

 

[miles'tone]

In the small town I come from, the fact that I actually owned a bass meant I was in demand!

 

[AxtoOx]

Wow, the diversity suprised me, being used to people STILL yelling "Freebird"

 

[Guild B301]

I guess you didn't actually watch the video.

Sure, I did. It's funny.
I guess I have a dry sense of humor, which doesn't always translate well in text.

 

[MustangWally]

'Pump It Up' by Elvis Costello was a requirement (and the only one that comes to mind atm). You had to be able to really drive each song, make folks want to get up and dance!

 

[Jay2U]

2112 Overture / Temples of Syrinx by Rush (of course).

 

[JRA]

my crowd didn't really operate that way (they mostly wanted to know that a cat could play what was written and then embellish/solo). but lots of bands (70s) used to want to warm up on weather report tunes before they got down to the business at hand...so 'jaco stuff' was popular for awhile.

 

[Diminishedfilth]

Mines's a toss-up between Seek and Destroy and Smooth Operator by Sade.

 

[rollie 55]

You're joking, right? Nobody ever says at a party,"Hey, get your bass out and play it! We want to hear a bass solo!"

I thought it was a joke as well. I suppose it just goes to show we live different world's

 

[Lagado]

I come from a rural area, so the song of the people was; "I've Got a Brand New Combine Harvester", by The Wurzels.

A long ago bassist friend of mine confessed many years back that he had done some work for The Wurzels, he was very secretive about the whole thing.

 

[punchdrunk]

Growing up, (I'm 43) ours were Master of Puppets, Holy Wars, etc.... nowadays I find folks dig "I was made to love her" and pretty much anything chordal to show your bassplayin cred... slapping something like "Sinister Minister" really gets em tho.

 

[dalkowski]

Muskrat Love (America version)

 

[Doctor Roberts]

I'd say "Around the world" by RHCP...The tune wasn't particularly hard, but the distorted tone on a bass was something unheard of in my school, given that distortion/OD pedals made specifically for bass were out of everyone's reach, for both price and availability, and really no bass players used any pedals at all.

At some point, I bought a DOD Grunge FX69, which I used to play that tune, among others. The general public were really impressed, but I got frowned upon by the small community of bass players for using a pedal and worse, a guitar pedal...They felt like I was cheating (either that, or they were really concerned about the loss of low end at 15 years old).

To this day, I still use a DOD OD on my bass (YJM 250), although I haven't played that tune for 18 years or so.

 

[Pedullist]

I auditioned for a band of 19 year olds when I was 15. We played a couple of Metallica songs, Robert Palmer, ZZ TOP, Living Colour and Metallica's For Whom The Bell Tolls. But I had never seen Metallica play, so I didn't know it was a bass during the intro. So the band started, and all 4 members were looking at me to play the intro. And there was nothing except for my puzzled face. The guitarist explained it was actually bass with a lot of distortion and quickly taught me how to play it. Being able to learn it on the spot so we could play the song after all, the audition was successful. Then the singer and guitarist asked my parents for permission and I was part of the band. Good times. I'm still thinking that the mistake which allowed me to show how fast I could learn something new did the trick.

 

[franvarin]

Hmm...interesting question for sure. I dont really recall any one specific song. Although my approach and experience learning to play was different. Maybe by this definition I'm not a bass player after 40+ years. Back when I started we had radio and records, I learned songs by rote not understanding the first thing about what I was playing or why. Then I learned that there are different techniques and genres of playing. I learned walking basslines, some music theory, practice scales and modes to understand why they existed and how to use them. Then learned how to construct bass lines based on chord structures. I listened intently and studied pro players and tried to understand the choices they made in constructing lines. I learned a lot and never worried about what songs I had memorized. Most of my playing experience has been with original music and not cover songs although I have played them from time to time. I can't believe my experience is unique just a different path.

 

[Killing Floor]

I love the bass line for "Express Yourself", but the Seinfeld Theme was originally recorded on a synth keyboard.

Yeah, I know. Every bassist knows that. But for about 15 years every non-bassist thought it was a bass so they would ask bassists to play it. L'il bass player inside joke here.

 

[rollie 55]

Hmm...interesting question for sure. I dont really recall any one specific song. Although my approach and experience learning to play was different. Maybe by this definition I'm not a bass player after 40+ years. Back when I started we had radio and records, I learned songs by rote not understanding g the first thing about what I was playing or why. Then I learned that there are different techniques and genres of playing. I learne walking basslines, some music theory, practice scales and modes to understand why they existed and how to use them. Then learned how to construct bass lines based on chord structures. I listened i tently and studied pro players and tried to understand the choices they made in constructing lines. I learned a lot and never worried about what songs I had memorized. Most of my playing experience has been with original music and not cover songs although I have played them from time to time. I can't believe my experience is u ique just a different path.

Exactly the same as me