Recommend Some Beginner Bass Songs

[bassistkll]

Howdy fellow TBers.

This young man is my pastor's son Miles. About a month ago he expressed interest in playing bass. I set him up with a loaner rig, he's digging it.
He started taking lessons at the local GC. His teacher asked that he bring 10 songs he'd like to learn, pastor asked me for recommendations. I'm an old guy who doesn't remember much about my beginnings 50+ years ago.
Can any of y'all recommend some tunes that'd be fun for a beginning bass player to learn these days? Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[Lobster11]

I would just ask Miles. He'll be a lot more motivated, and have a lot more fun, if he's learning songs that he knows and likes.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Ask the kid!
I say the guy should teach him 12 bar progressions with a V-IV turnaround and a II-V turnaround in all keys.
That would set him up nicely.

 

[Adrnlnjnke]

Chameleon by Herbie Hancock is a good beginner song.

 

[mambo4]

I always recommend learning to navigate a 12 bar blues (in multiple keys) as early as possible.
I think it's the best combination of fundamentals on bass guitar

• following chord changes
• swing / shuffle rhythms
• lets you jam with others easily
• blues vocabulary is almost every where in modern music styles