That's where many of us started in the mid-sixties. Surf proved boring and rock was just getting interesting, Motown was more original and a lot of fun to play. Start with "My Girl" by the Temptations.
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Recommend some classic, must-know songs that are beginner friendly (i.e. EASY !!)
- Thread starter Brocephus
- Start date
Agreed. I feel the same way about La Grange. Sure the notes are simple but the feel can take some time to master. "Texas Shuffle" I believe it's called and it's good to master at any stage of the game.
Here's one I really dig that I think a beginner could handle: "Dear Mr. Fantasy" by Traffic.
However, It does have some serious groove and interesting fills on bass. It's another that can take a lot of work to do it justice.
@OP. Always, always listen to the song 1st and try hear the bass lines. There's so many things going on in Dear Mr. fantasy that will blow your mind. If someone doesn't agree then I think bass guitar is not for them.
However, It does have some serious groove and interesting fills on bass. It's another that can take a lot of work to do it justice.
@OP. Always, always listen to the song 1st and try hear the bass lines. There's so many things going on in Dear Mr. fantasy that will blow your mind. If someone doesn't agree then I think bass guitar is not for them.
Another must know IMO: "Listen to the music" by the Doobies. Great tone and it is really running through the scale. I love to play it after many many years.
Use your pinky on your fretting hand and try staying in one position as much as possible.
If you play this song right you should be grinning from ear to ear.
Use your pinky on your fretting hand and try staying in one position as much as possible.
If you play this song right you should be grinning from ear to ear.
Yep, just find the root motion. Once you've done that, you can experiment from there.
Actually, I got in the mood to learn something simple a couple days ago. I chose this. Easy and fun.
I know you asked for suggestions from experienced bassists but I thought I'd throw this one onto the thread anyway. As a fellow new player without great musical memory, I found it pretty easy to learn - yet still a bit challenging for a beginner.*
(There's also a YouTube video for the song using Rocksmith that I found extremely helpful. Much more so than the various bass tabs online that didn't seem to match up. Not to my ear, anyway.)
*EDIT: And by "challenging" I mean that there's enough going on to keep it interesting. I was able to learn by breaking it down into parts and, 2 days of casual playing later, I can play it all the way through by memory. I still need practice to be able to play it flawlessly.
(There's also a YouTube video for the song using Rocksmith that I found extremely helpful. Much more so than the various bass tabs online that didn't seem to match up. Not to my ear, anyway.)
*EDIT: And by "challenging" I mean that there's enough going on to keep it interesting. I was able to learn by breaking it down into parts and, 2 days of casual playing later, I can play it all the way through by memory. I still need practice to be able to play it flawlessly.
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If there's interest in learning the chord progression and following the root motion with options approach, take a look at this website I stumbled across. These are listed as 3-chord songs (why there is 4 or more listed I don't know). There's a whole lot more there.
Bob Egan's MOST EXCELLENT LIST OF 3-CHORD and 4-CHORD SONGS (note: this site is in BETA)
G, A, D - All You Need is Love (The Beatles)
G, Am, C - The Boys Are Back in Town (Thin Lizzy)
G, B, C (v) C, B, Bb, A (c) (G,E) - Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding)
G, Bm, Em, A, C, D - Love Has No Pride (Linda Ronstadt)
G, C, D - Love Me Do (The Beatles)
G, C, D - Good Golly Miss Molly (Little Richard)
G, C, D - I Fought the Law (Bobby Fuller Four)
G, C, D - Route 66 ( Bobby Troup)
G, C, D - Further on up the Road (Eric Clapton)
G, C, D - Rain (The Beatles)
G, C, D - All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)
G, C, D - The Mighty Quinn (Bob Dylan)
G, C, D - Free Falling (Tom Petty)
G, C, D - Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
G, C, D - Cecelia (Paul Simon)
G, C, D - Move It On Over (George Thorogood & the Destroyers)
G, C, D - You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)
G, C, D - Lonesome Fugitive (Merle Haggard)
G, C, D - Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran/The Who)
G, C, D - Barbara Ann (The Beach Boys)
G, C, D - All Together Now (Beatles)
G, C, D - Joy to the World (Three Dog Night)
G, C, Am, D7, A7 - Jingle Bells (Traditional)
G, C, Bb - My Sharonna (The Knack)
G, C, D, (Em) - This Little Light of Mine (Traditional)
G, C, D7 - Yakkidy Yak (The Coasters)
G, C, D7, Em - Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
G, C, Em, D - Kum Ba Yah My Lord (Traditional)
G, C, Em - Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes)
G, C7, D7 - Geat Balls of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis)
G, C7, D7 - Hound Dog (Elvis Presley)
G, D, Am - G, D, C - Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan)
G, D, A - Dear Mr. Fantasy (Traffic)
G, D, C - The First Cut is the Deepest (Cat Stevens)
G, D, C - Em, C, G, Am - Take It Easy (Eagles)
G, D, C - Already Gone (Eagles)
G, D, C (F, D7) - I'm A Believer (Monkees)
G, D, C (Em) - Silent Night (Traditional)
G, D, C - Thunder on the Mountain (Bob Dylan)
G, D, C - Already Gone (The Eagles)
G, D, C - Small Town (John Mellencamp)
G, D, C - Jack and Diane (John Mellencamp)
G, D, C -Cm, Bb, F - Green Tambourine (Lemon Pipers)
G, D, C - Queen Bitch (David Bowie)
G, D, C -C, Em, D - Shine (Coldplay)
G, D, Em, C (chorus=Bm) Pork and Beans (Weezer)
G, D, Em - F, C, D - Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
G, D, A - Praise You (Fat Boy Slim)
G, D, Em - Am, G, D - G, B - Come On Feel Noise (Quiet Riot)
G, Em - A, C, G - Hand In My Pocket (Alanis Morisette)
G, Em, C, D (V) C, Bb, G (c) - I'll Be Watching You (Sting)
G, F, C (Em) - Ramblin' Man (Allman Brothers)
G, F, C - Mother (John Lennon)
G, F, C - Sympathy for the Devil (Rolling Stones)
G, F, C7 - Fortunate Son (Creedence)
G, F, C - Pink Houses (John Mellencamp)
G, F, C, Eb - G, D, C, D - Baby, Won't You Follow Me Down? (Bob Dylan)
G, F#, E - I Just Wanna Be Your Dog (Iggy Pop)
G7, C7, D7- Wooly Bully (Sam the Sham & the Pharoes)
many thanks (again) to all for weighing in here, this thread got a lot more traction than I was anticipating !
Many of the recommended songs were good (i.e. realistic) suggestions, while a number of others were a little......optimistic.
Lately I've been playing along with numerous backing tracks, particularly country/blues I-IV-V patterns, in various keys, and various tempos, and working on my climbs into or out of the root, that kinda thing.
I'm still trying to cement that bassist's consistency and repetition into my head, and wean myself off that guitar player's tendency to wander and "riff".
Also playing to some generic mid-tempo pop-rock backing tracks, as well as a slow blues, with no bass, which has been interesting and helpful.
BTW, the above post from Doc Blue was pretty good, but I question one or two of the chord patterns. I've always known Sympathy For The Devil to be E,D,A, not G.F.C.
Anyway, it's all good, thanks again !
Many of the recommended songs were good (i.e. realistic) suggestions, while a number of others were a little......optimistic.
Lately I've been playing along with numerous backing tracks, particularly country/blues I-IV-V patterns, in various keys, and various tempos, and working on my climbs into or out of the root, that kinda thing.
I'm still trying to cement that bassist's consistency and repetition into my head, and wean myself off that guitar player's tendency to wander and "riff".
Also playing to some generic mid-tempo pop-rock backing tracks, as well as a slow blues, with no bass, which has been interesting and helpful.
BTW, the above post from Doc Blue was pretty good, but I question one or two of the chord patterns. I've always known Sympathy For The Devil to be E,D,A, not G.F.C.
Anyway, it's all good, thanks again !
