The Line you heard and just had to learn

[KingPrawn]

Aside from the classic technique bass lines we all know and love. what were the lines you heard and just had to nail?

Mine were in no particular order. I've never played any of them with a band. I just absolutely love love love the bass lines. The tone, the way it sits in the mix etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2024 by KingPrawn

[tauzero]

It's challenging, but I've nearly got it:

 

 

[Steve Browning]

The very first one was School's Out by Alice Cooper. I really liked the change from the busy verse to the simple chorus. 

 

I didn't really want to learn any others until Rythym Stick. I wanted to learn it to understand how he created it. Naturally I found I could play it but would never have thought of it. 

 

I have learned a few Pino fretless lines from Paul Young and David Gilmour. Those were just because I liked them.

[Dad3353]

Other side of this life (Jefferson Airplane...) ...

 

I like the syncopation, the varied runs and riffs, the underpinning power. Jack Casady in his prime...

 

 

[odysseus]

On one of the rare occasions I did covers, I loved playing this song! 

 

 

[Leonard Smalls]

I bought the album this originally came from thinking it was a straight-up funk album suitable for playing at my funk'n'disco DJ night, but discovered it wasn't. But eventually I grew to love it and had to play the bass line - Sunk In The Funk:

 

 

[lowdown]

Back in 1980 I got my first fretless (a defretted Jazz Bass).

The first piece I learned from start to finish was the Marcus Miller line from Dave Grusin's version of 'Friends & Strangers' (including the solo).

Nothing spectacular, although the solo took a bit of working out. 

 

 

[bassbiscuits]

Dua Lipa - Don’t Start Now

Moloko - The Time Is Now

Portugal the Man - Feel It Still

Chemical Brothers - In Dust We Trust

Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke

Ian Dury - Rhythm Stick

 

Must be loads of others over the years but they’re all ones that have made me sit up and go “ooh hello - what’s going on there then?”

 

 

[Franticsmurf]

A few years ago the BL suggested 'Christmas Wrapping' as part of our festive set list. I was familiar with the song but had never listened to it with a bassist's ear. I was immediately smitten with the bass part and settled down to learn it. It takes me a while to nail a part as it's played but eventually I got it only to have the song dropped from the list before we'd even rehearsed it. I was gutted, but glad I made the effort.

 

A couple of weeks ago a couple of mates and I had a jam and one of the songs offered up on the night was 'Runaway Baby' (Bruno Marrs). Not a song I was familiar with but what a catchy bassline. Nothing difficult, just great to play.

 

 

[Acebassmusic]

There's plenty of songs I've heard and had to (try) and learn the bassline. Some have been easier than I thought and others deceptively tough little sods 🤣 

 

The Liquid Soul one is a "sofly slapped" line which I find a bit of a sod to get it all even....good practice though. 👍 Here's a couple I've had a go at:👍

 

 

 

 

 

[Reggaebass]

8 minutes ago, Acebassmusic said:

Here's a couple I've had a go at:👍

 

 

 

 

Loving that, I’ve never heard it before, great Bassline 

[chris_b]

14 hours ago, KingPrawn said:

. . . . the way it sits in the mix . . . . 

 

 That's the hard part to learn. Anyone can learn the notes, but timing, flow and smoothness differentiate the great from the merely good.

[miles'tone]

I nailed this one this very week.

I feel a much better and happier person for it too.

[KingPrawn]

10 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

I bought the album this originally came from thinking it was a straight-up funk album suitable for playing at my funk'n'disco DJ night, but discovered it wasn't. But eventually I grew to love it and had to play the bass line - Sunk In The Funk:

 

 

So cool. Solid line

[KingPrawn]

8 hours ago, Acebassmusic said:

There's plenty of songs I've heard and had to (try) and learn the bassline. Some have been easier than I thought and others deceptively tough little sods 🤣 

 

The Liquid Soul one is a "sofly slapped" line which I find a bit of a sod to get it all even....good practice though. 👍 Here's a couple I've had a go at:👍

 

 

 

 

 

great groove

[Lozz196]

For me it’s mostly whatever Jam songs were in the charts (Eton Rifles, Tube Station, Going Underground, In The City etc) plus Pump It Up by Elvis Costello & The Attractions, My Sharona by The Knack and Girls & Boys by Blur. 

[Reggaebass]

For me it was Natural Mystic-Bob Marley, it wasn’t technically difficult but the first time I heard that smooth deep bass start to fade in I just had to play it, I went on to learn the whole Exodus album, that was many years ago and I still play those tracks now , timeless songs 

 

[Old Man Riva]

Wilton Felder on bass…

 

 

[bass_dinger]

21 hours ago, Franticsmurf said:

the BL suggested 'Christmas Wrapping' as part of our festive set list. I was familiar with the song but had never listened to it with a bassist's ear.

This one for me too. I was drawn to the "otherness " of the bassline. 

 

It seems to follow the rhythm and inflections of the vocal line, and is very melodic - as if the bassist was singing her own tune without words.