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Top Five Bass lines You Think Every Player Should Know

#41
CGremlin said:
There are a lot of tunes that are good to know for no other reason than they're good warm-ups or general exercises. Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" is good for building stamina, for instance, "Sir Duke" is a nice warm-up that gets you all over the neck, and "Birdland" is good for working on harmonics.
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Completely agreed. I'd also consider those to be somewhat quintessential songs within their genres with quintessential bass parts well worth knowing. And if we're talking about a general public popularity contest they'd all rank there too. Good choices!
 
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#47
Just some I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Waiting Room - Fugazi
Footprints - Wayne Shorter
Liar - Rollins Band
So What - Miles Davis
 
#49
Growlmonkee said:
it didn't come up, but, every performing bass player (pro , or not), needs to know "Happy Birthday", ...it's gonna come up, it's not hard, but, may not be as simple as you think, if you haven't played it, and can be embarrassing if you have a blank look when asked to play it for someone.
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"Happy Birthday" is a good one to practice a little ear training. Don't cheat and look up the tab. Another one which you could possibly be asked to play (primarily US citizens) and is more challenging is the "Star Spangled Banner". Hint... refer to C Major and using Flea's version as a reference may lead you astray.
 
#50
A lot of people say Sir Duke, but I don't know that many bassist that can play it well and honestly, I wouldn't want to be in a band that would want to play it. It's blasphemy but to me, it's just a really corny, dixieland sounding song. Albeit a popular one...

Just talking about Stevie songs, I think Master Blaster is more useful to know.

Along with that, I'd add:

A couple of songs played by James Jamerson. (doesn't matter which)
Texas Flood - Stevie Ray
Crosscut Saw - Albert King
All Blues - Miles Davis
Any Jazz Blues, but in all keys
A couple of songs played by Pino Palladino (doesn't matter which)
 
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#54
Any of Michael Jackson's 5 most famous songs could do it.

...now to look like I'm not lazy:

Bob Marley - Jamming
Ben E King - Stand By Me
Earth Wind & Fire - Let's Groove Tonight
Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
(Interchangeable) Michael Jackson - Pretty Young Thing/Beat It/Billie Jean/Smooth Criminal [notable mentions: Baby Be Mine, Rock With You, Remember The Time]
 
#55
Hey You Pink Floyd
All Right Now Free
Ramble on Zeppelin
Simple Man Lynyrd Skynyrd

and for me, Somewhere Over the Rainbow in C major, even the kids know that one.

First song I learned on the bass was Money, after the first intro it's just 1,2,3,4 over and over.
 
#56
OK, not necessarily the TOP five, but definitely among my most favorite, and not mentioned here yet.

Led Zeppelin: Thank You
Stone Temple Pilots: Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart
Sublime: Santeria
The Doobie Brothers: Long Train Running
The Beatles: Don't Let me Down
 
#57
Interesting list to read as I'm still looking to learn these famous lines, if only for fun and as items to play when looking at new gear.

My early learning attempts:
Another One Bites the Dust
House of the Rising Sun
Love Me Tender (not really a bass line)
Pub with no beer

Q: Why Brown Eyed Girl over Moondance?
 
#58
I'm looking at a lot of people's lists and trying to picture some of these songs ever getting called at a gig or a jam. Isn't the point of knowing these songs in case someone asks, Hey, do you know...? You can't just go picking stuff because YOU like it. There has to be a chance that NOT knowing it will leave your pants around your ankles sometime sooner than later.
 
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#59
Jeff Bonny said:
I'm looking at a lot of people's lists and trying to picture some of these songs ever getting called at a gig or a jam. Isn't the point of knowing these songs in case someone asks, Hey, do you know...? You can't just go picking stuff because YOU like it. There has to be a chance that NOT knowing it will leave your pants around your ankles sometime sooner than later.
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My list had to do with learning a certain style vice any particular song. Although I did mention a couple specifics.
 

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