Easy Motown Basslines

[Reggaebass]

Following on from my easy funk basslines thread ,which btw I’ve picked up some really good songs to play thanks to your suggestions , I’m looking for some relatively easy Motown grooves to play to widen my bass vocabulary, I know some of you here play some so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated 

[Lozz196]

Def gonna keep an eye on this thread, love Motown

[Bassybert]

Not Motown specific but a lot of Stax basslines by Duck Dunn are great fun to play, some of them are easier and more groove orientated than Jamerson style stuff. 
 

A few personal favourites I play regularly for practice are…

 

Sitting on the dock of the bay

Tramp

Born under a bad sign

 

Some of the easier Motown tracks could be…

 

What becomes of the broken hearted

Ain't too proud to beg

You’ve really got a hold on me

Shotgun

Edited December 6, 2023 by Bassybert

[Reggaebass]

1 minute ago, Bassybert said:

Tramp

Born under a bad sign

Thanks Bb, that’s 2 I don’t know already, I’ll take a look 

[EssentialTension]

 

[EssentialTension]

 

[EssentialTension]

The previous two are Bob Babbit on bass, but this one is Jamerson ...

 

 

[EssentialTension]

 

[EssentialTension]

 

[Reggaebass]

These are great and just what I needed, thank you 

[paul_5]

Easiest Motown bassline (from a non-syncopated, treading perspective) is probably "Baby Love" by Diana Ross an the supremes - just a steady crotchet note line throughout.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by paul_5

[itu]

Buy the book! A must have: it's more than excellent including CDs, stories, and scores!

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Standing-Shadows-Motown-Legendary-Jamerson/dp/0881888826

[Japhet]

Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations

[Reggaebass]

10 minutes ago, itu said:

Buy the book! A must have: it's more than excellent including CDs, stories, and scores!

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Standing-Shadows-Motown-Legendary-Jamerson/dp/0881888826

Thanks for that itu, I’ll have a look 

[Skin Lewis]

Stax, not Motown, but this is a good one for stamina. Both David Hood's bassline and the intro shamelessly stolen from Harry J's The Liquidator (with no credit ☹️)

 

 

[Reggaebass]

8 minutes ago, Skin Lewis said:

Stax, not Motown, but this is a good one for stamina. Both David Hood's bassline and the intro shamelessly stolen from Harry J's The Liquidator (with no credit ☹️)

 

 

Thanks for that skin, I’ve actually played the Harry J Allstars one but I’ll give this one a go 

[upside downer]

This video has a pretty good explanation of James Jamerson's methods and has a PDF attached with his 'cheat code' exercise. Might be useful?

 

 

[super al]

Tears of a clown was one of my favourites when I played in the Flotonics (local soul band), such a cool groove.

3 hours ago, EssentialTension said:

 

Motown basslines are great fun to play 👍🏻

[EssentialTension]

 

[itu]

You can't hurry love

Baby love

Heat wave

 

These seem to be on the "fewer notes" side, although, as always, the feel is the thing.

[EssentialTension]

This one is comes after Gladys Knight left Motown but still has the excellent Bob Babbit on bass ...

 

 

[EssentialTension]

Another straightforward track with fewer notes ...

 

 

[The fasting showman]

I love the attitude in the playing from the band. I'd always considered it a lighthearted track but there's energy in the layers to make a great pop song.

 

[Bagman]

Four Tops

”Still Waters”

[miles'tone]

Not Motown, but James Jamerson played bass on this:

 

So simple, so clever...

Edited December 7, 2023 by miles'tone