"Go on, - play me something"......

[Blademan_98]

A walking blues bass line is another fave of mine as most people know the sound.

Really easy (another eyes shut groove!)

I usually play it in G because it was the first walking bass line I learned and that was the key I learned it in!

[Dave D]

Sir Duke is always a fave of mine. Possibly sounds more impressive than it really is and most people will recognise it.

Alternatively, don't invite your friends round, and buy your guitars online!! Its worked well for me for years!!

[charic]

I just widdle. Just kinda groove along and the occassional melodic / tap bit

[risingson]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1320695223' post='1430238']
If you want something I consider a cool riff then Chris White's line in The Zombies [i]She's Not There[/i]. I only say that one really because I was playing it yesterday.
[/quote]

I love that bass part, it's just so... 60's. It's like a line that Carol Kaye would cut. The Zombies are completely underrated, their vocal harmonies were always so good too.

[LiamPodmore]

Normally something like Beat It or Sweet Child, ocasionally even throw out Dani California too.

Liam

[munkonthehill]

I would kick in with superstition or hard to handle...Possibly the easiest and coolest lines ever

[rOB]

If its a non-muso, I'll generally play the riff to Seven Nation Army, Superstition or intro to Rock the Casbah depending on the person, very recognisable.

If its a musician then I'll play bits from my own band, which are often songs that started as bass and vocals.

On a side note, I'm really starting to like the sound of just bass and vocals without any guitar or other traditionally melodic instrument.

[The Dark Lord]

I play the keyboard part of Golden Brown on the condition that they sing. Goes down a treat if everyone has had a few.

[Merton]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1320693413' post='1430177']
I examine the bass and then play it unplugged. If I like it so far then I'll ask to amplify it. Then I play all the notes on each string to see it it plays evenly. Then I play it with right hand by the bridge, then right hand above pickup, then right hand over the end of neck, etc. I'm checking out the bass not performing for a load of onlookers.
[/quote]
This. (In a shop)

Friends never ask me to play something as they've all seen me play and know how crap I am

Edited November 7, 2011 by Merton

[Gilby]

[quote name='mercuryl' timestamp='1320701061' post='1430366']I play the keyboard part of Golden Brown on the condition that they sing. Goes down a treat if everyone has had a few.[/quote]

Funny you should say that. I've only just moved to bass but I quite often play golden brown on my accoustic when get asked to "play something". Either that or paint it black by the stones.

[dmz]

Peaches is usually recognisable by most people..............and never forget the power of the riff that is..............Summer Nights..................well a well a well a HUM................

[leftybassman392]

I used to teach for a living, so got asked to do this kind of thing quite a lot. Classic bass lines from famous songs always went down well, and for a whole bunch of reasons. A common mistake is to try to impress with technique, when often what they want is to hear a song they know.

The opening bars from 'Sweet Child o' Mine' always went down well, mainly because it's such a stand-out line in the song and people usually recognise it straight away. (Works just as well on guitar for exactly the same reason.) And yes, I do know it's a semitone flat of concert pitch.

Every once in a while you get some cocky little tyke who wants to know why you can't play 'Through the Fire and the Flame' note for note, 'cos he's teachin' 'isself ta play i'. Last time that happened I did a bit of arithmetic with the kid, just to make sure he was aware that the average note speed throughout the song is around 14 notes a second.

[Phil Starr]

The Chain, Fleetwood Mac or Pump it Up, Elvis Costello or Psycho Killer, Talking Heads

Oh, and I once played Tobacco Road with our new drummer who responded with "I used to play with the Nashville Teens" so that's now out.

Edited November 7, 2011 by Phil Starr

[Wylie]

[quote name='Gazza 2905' timestamp='1320690271' post='1430092']
I assume that most of us have been in this situation at least once in our bass playing lives.
A friend comes round to your house one evening and they know you play bass, or maybe they spy one of your basses in the corner of the room.

So they say to you:-

[i]"Go on, - play me something"......[/i]

Now, being a bass, you can't just trot out a load of songs like you can, on say, the guitar. So, I was wondering:
What do you guys play when you want to impress someone?
[/quote]


An F Lydian scale really really [i]really[/i] fast.

[xgsjx]

I like to play just a couple of long notes & slowly open the LPF as everything on the shelves rattle about

Then it's maybe a little "Fur Elise" or some "Phat Planet" or "Angel" (Massive Attack). Just to make them go Ooh! I like that.

[stoker]

Not happened to me yet but it would probably have to be some Joy Division when it does happen.

[seashell]

With me it's more the other way round. The friend is sitting there, trapped, and I'm going

'My lessons are going really well, d'you want to hear what I can play, listen to this...er um no, that's not quite right, OK listen to this then I can do this one, ..oh no that went a bit wrong there but you know what it was supposed to be, OK I can play this one really but you just have to imagine it going twice as fast...''

repeat until friend leaves the building, weeping.

[Deep Thought]

Nice'n'Sleazy. Or Seven Nation Army, or on acoustic bass, the Time is Now by Moloko

[51m0n]

Beginning of Bachs Cello Suite No 1 usually does the trick....

Or something Clutterbuck-esque, because I'm worth it....

[icastle]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1320742076' post='1430629']
'My lessons are going really well, d'you want to hear what I can play, listen to this...er um no, that's not quite right, OK listen to this then I can do this one, ..oh no that went a bit wrong there but you know what it was supposed to be, OK I can play this one really but you just have to imagine it going twice as fast...''

repeat until friend leaves the building, weeping.
[/quote]

...or the cat decides to end it all by drowning itself in the toilet...

[Bilbo]

I just play my 11 minute improvisation based on a theme from Moondance. They tend to leave after about 15 seconds.

[seashell]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1320749542' post='1430747']
...or the cat decides to end it all by drowning itself in the toilet...
[/quote]


Yeh, she probably thinks I'm strangling one of her relatives..

[mrdreadful]

The closest I've ever come to this is some chav shouting "give us a choon, mate!" at me from across the road while walking along with instrument in gigbag.

[charic]

[quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1320702882' post='1430405']
Every once in a while you get some cocky little tyke who wants to know why you can't play 'Through the Fire and the Flame' note for note, 'cos he's teachin' 'isself ta play i'. Last time that happened I did a bit of arithmetic with the kid, just to make sure he was aware that the average note speed throughout the song is around 14 notes a second.
[/quote]

Hmm... that doesn't sound right... I'll check the tab I've got. I can play it alright, it's just playing quick iirc.

[Mr. Foxen]

"Sure, just help me carry my rigs into the front room where they'll merely upset my neighbours rather than destroy them.'

Also I need an hour to sound check.

Actually I have some faux-flamenco stuff that's clacky enough to make sound on an unplugged bass and the faces I pull whilst playing it distract from the actual lack of a tune.