What Basslines make you happy to play?

[Paul S]

I have this constant inner turmoil.  At best I am an average player but I am also a perfectionist.  So, generally speaking, the basslines that make me happy are the simple ones that I can play comfortably and perfectly.  I tend not to play too many notes but like to make each one count.  I can then relax and get into a zone of enjoying the music.  Most of the blues/rock I play now falls into this category and as @chris_b said earlier to lock in with a drummer during a good ol' fashioned shuffle is a thing of joy, get the rhythm bouncing along.  One of my favourites at the moment is the old Freddy King instrumental 'The Stumble'.

 

But every now and then it has been forced upon me to learn more complicated bass lines.  I struggle but always get there and these type of basslines also make me happy - to have successfully ventured out from my comfort zone for a short time.  An example of this - when I was in a Bon Jovi tribute band the song 'Keep The Faith'.  Better players than I would listen to it then play it straight off but, to get it absolutely spot on took me a lot of work.  I am a primarily a pick player, which didn't help - a finger player would have done the trickier bits by grazing across the strings I am sure but bouncing around octaves and strings with a pick I found hard.  Still I got there.  Didn't help that the drummer would always speed up, either.   

[xgsjx]

The Waking by Kurt Ellington is a fantastic bassline, sounds great on fretted lekky bass & is a joy to play. 
 

 

[Chezz55]

From recent setlists:

 

Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin

Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac

Running Down A Dream - Tom Petty

White Room - Cream

Come Together - Gary Clarke Jnr

Fever - Peggy Lee

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

24 minutes ago, Paul S said:

An example of this - when I was in a Bon Jovi tribute band the song 'Keep The Faith'.  Better players than I would listen to it then play it straight off but, to get it absolutely spot on took me a lot of work.  I am a primarily a pick player, which didn't help - a finger player would have done the trickier bits by grazing across the strings I am sure but bouncing around octaves and strings with a pick I found hard.  Still I got there.  Didn't help that the drummer would always speed up, either.   

Bit of bad form there fella. I’ve played that song with him many times without issue.

In fact, I’ve probably played more songs with him as the drummer than anyone else in my life.

[Beedster]

Sympathy for the Devil 👿 

[Beedster]

 

[gjones]

Most early Pretenders songs have great basslines. Back On The Chaingang and Kid are two of my favourites to play.

[Jon the Boat]

"You can do magic" by America, it's very simple (most of the way through) so suits my skill level, but is just a great groove.

[meterman]

One I often noodle away on is “Bass Catch” by Carol Kaye / The Greasy Bass Blues Band. Carol plays electric pick bass and (I think?) Ray Brown plays upright bass. It’s only a two chord vamp with a simple turnaround but I love jamming along to it:

 

 

Another one would be the version of “Have I Sinned” by Lloyd Charmers. As with a lot of 1970s reggae singles I don’t know who’s playing bass but it’s a great line to play along with. Easy peasy but I love it:

 

[Mudpup]

Get the Funk Out by Extreme. We do it in my covers band and it took me ages to get fluid with it. I kept getting particulalry tangled up on the breakdown that pops up a few times in the song and had to get the guitarist to patiently walk me through it on multiple occasions. I'm pretty sure the songs whole bass line was written by a guitarist rather than a bass player! I love playing it partly because I know how much time I put into it.

 

Other ones that make me smile inwardly are some Durannie ones like Rio and Save a Prayer, Stuart Zenders Too Young to Die and Everyday (lovely use of space in that one) and anything off Simple Minds New Gold Dream album. I also enjoy some grungy stuff such as STP's Plush or Alice in Chains Damn that River/Man in the Box

[Hellzero]

Get the Funk Out was originally written and certainly played by Nuno Bettencourt (and Gary Cherone for the lyrics) as he was a bassist playing too many notes, before becoming that talented guitarist. 😉

[Paul S]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Bit of bad form there fella. I’ve played that song with him many times without issue.

In fact, I’ve probably played more songs with him as the drummer than anyone else in my life.

 

Well, that was my experience, Warren, and it is nothing different to anything I said at the time to his face.  Just because you and he are buddies doesn't make it bad form.  If your experience is different then good for you but that is what I found. 

 

But thank you for once again criticising me on a public forum.

 

[tauzero]

In the past:

 

Go your own way
Badge
Purple Rain (my way)

 

Current:

 

Sweet Child O' Mine (my way)
She Sells Sanctuary
Make me smile (Come up and see me) - extra bonus is I do lead vocals on it

 

Occasional:

 

Fever

 

A couple of my own songs, including this one (with Mrs Zero on vocals):

 

 

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

 

Well, that was my experience, Warren, and it is nothing different to anything I said at the time to his face.  Just because you and he are buddies doesn't make it bad form.  If your experience is different then good for you but that is what I found. 

 

But thank you for once again criticising me on a public forum.

 

Well, at least you have the right to reply, unlike the drummer in question.

What key did you play it in? I seem to remember you used a 5 string in JJ. Maybe I’m misremembering it.

[Paul S]

15 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Well, at least you have the right to reply, unlike the drummer in question.

What key did you play it in? I seem to remember you used a 5 string in JJ. Maybe I’m misremembering it.

 

I didn't name him, it was just a throw away humorous remark about making a song I was already struggling with even more difficult.   I'm sure you have more important things to concern yourself with than making an issue out of nothing.

 

It ended up as F# - as I recall it started off life in G: as per studio recording but then as you know everything we played was tuned down half a tone.  And, yes, I used a 5er but that didn't impact on how I played it.

[Woodinblack]

59 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Well, at least you have the right to reply, unlike the drummer in question

 

Not that it is my argument, but neither do the hundreds of other guitarists, singers, keyboard players or drummers that get joked about here.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

42 minutes ago, Paul S said:

It ended up as F# - as I recall it started off life in G: as per studio recording but then as you know everything we played was tuned down half a tone.  And, yes, I used a 5er but that didn't impact on how I played it.

I think it makes it harder to play that song on a standard tuned bass in F# as you lose the option of using the open D, assuming of course your 5 wasn’t detuned.

For that reason I just have a separate bass tuned down a half step and play the whole Jovi set on that.

[Paul S]

5 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

For that reason I just have a separate bass tuned down a half step and play the whole Jovi set on that.

Yes, that's exactly what I did. 

 

I struggle(d) to express myself about what key something is in when playing it detuned for JJ.  The fingering positions on the fretboard are the same as playing the studio versions at concert pitch but actual note is half a tone down.  So does it start on the G or an F#?  🥴  3rd fret of the second fattest string, anyway.  I always played the the little triplet thing at the end of each phrase on the open D string with pull offs and hammer ons.  I assumed fingerstyle it would be played more elegantly by raking down the strings but maybe not.

[miles'tone]

Off the top of my head, any Family Man bassline and the entire Stone Roses debut album. 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

28 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Yes, that's exactly what I did. 

 

I struggle(d) to express myself about what key something is in when playing it detuned for JJ.  The fingering positions on the fretboard are the same as playing the studio versions at concert pitch but actual note is half a tone down.  So does it start on the G or an F#?  🥴  3rd fret of the second fattest string, anyway.  I always played the the little triplet thing at the end of each phrase on the open D string with pull offs and hammer ons.  I assumed fingerstyle it would be played more elegantly by raking down the strings but maybe not.

Funny old riff that one. It actually sounds nicer (IMHO) being played with a pick. Cleaner I suppose, but then you have all that hopping over the A.

Arguably easier finger style, but I think it loses something.

[iconic]

At the moment..

Rio

T connection Do What You Wanna Do

Melba Moore Mind Up

Sultans Of Swing....but far too fussily. 

Same Old Scene

Easy Rollers

 

I, erm, like a bit of quick fingering. 

 

[SteveXFR]

Thunder kiss 65 by White Zombie

Journey to the end of East Bay by Rancid

Stinkfist by Tool

War by System of a Down 

Attack of the incompetent lizard people by Skulls Awake (my band)

[Lozz196]

On 06/05/2023 at 09:53, gjones said:

Most early Pretenders songs have great basslines. Back On The Chaingang and Kid are two of my favourites to play.

Not tried to work Kid out but Back On The Chaingang is def one of my faves to play. 

[Simon.]

I always enjoy playing Stax & Motown stuff, but the line that makes me happy every time I play it is Soul Limbo.

 

Not the most challenging, but when it locks in with the drums, it never fails to make me smile.

[nilorius]

Go on, until million !!!