The Predictable Bassist

The walk in "Hey Joe".

 

Double-stops from Lou Reed's Walk on the wild side?

I like to play the old Batman theme.

 

http://youtu.be/4wNknGIKkoA

I guess I'm showing my age here.

 

Blame it on the fact that I'm still learning, but I'm guilty of over-using a few riffs…whether it's to warm up or to try out a bass hanging on the wall;

• The incredibly simple slap-line of "Urgent" by Foreigner
• "Notte In Bovisa" by Calibro35 (great jazz-groove song…if you haven't heard it, look it up)
• The intro of "Defender" by Manowar
• "Let's Groove" by Earth Wind and Fire

Maybe, someday, I'll actually be proficient enough to start coming up with my own riffs, licks and chops. But until then, I'll keep pathetically falling back upon my "old reliables".

 

I always play "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" by Culture Club, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "You Spin Me Round" by Dead Or Alive, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham, and "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

 

I usually play a generic blues groove with double and triple stops in an open key. Spain, Jaco stuff I can barley still remember. Blackbird in triple stops then I run out of ideas. Haha occasionally I can recall a Parker head or two.

 

Is this what bass players in general play, or what we personally play? Myself I play the riff from "Every Thing That You Do" by Wet Willie. It's somewhat obscure, but I was in a band with a conga player/singer who loved it. Or "Day Tripper" or the riff from "Cold Shot" by SRV.

 

Actually I probably have a lot in common with you as I have played with the Platters and the Coasters...etc. but tried to be a Jazz player for many years. Haha.

 

Sorry should have prefaced my comment with hey Jimmym.

 

My old standby is the riff of Heart of the Sunrise. It always throws people off. My new standby is the riff in "Freddie's Dead" from the Curtis Mayfield song on the Superfly soundtrack. Again, no one ever does that one.

 

I actually only play riffs I write when trying out new basses. That way I don 't bore the poor salespeople with the same old songs. I've had them come up to me and actually say "That's really cool! What song is that?". Plus, it's nice to know if a bass will work for MY writing, not someone else's.

 

I usually play the horn break in "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder.

 

if I hear another 13 year old butchering "tainted love", or "do you really want to hurt me" on a 7 string ibanez at guitar center, I'm gonna go postal....

As for me, I always fall back on royalty free stuff (I'm afraid of getting sued by the original artists). I'll usually slap a few lines from Happy Birthday, Home on the Range, or "he's a jolly good fellow!"

 

Brick House!

 

My usuals, to test versatility
- Portrait of Tracy
- RHCP's "Can't stop"
- Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild"
- Incognito's "Colibri"

 

"Aquarius" from Hair. Great bass-line, all in one, groove and slap included

 

I usually freestyle, trying out different play styles and genres.

Mostly the freestyle starts with Cortez The Killer, and it escalates from there on...