Nice and Easy – Bass for Beginners # 8

Here is a quick look at a few songs that are fairly simple to start with, but provide some opportunities for fun. In addition, they provide more tools to help you create your own bass lines.

David has written about Feelin’ Alright, which is a very simple song, consisting of two chords: E and A. Whether you prefer the Dave Mason or the Joe Cocker version, you will remember that the song has a lot of dynamics in it, which makes it feel like there are more than 2 chords.

Disclaimer: The following charts are the work of the author and are intended for educational purposes only.

Where to Play

On the bass, the E and the A are always in the same relationship to each other: same fret, one string over. This pair appears in several places on the fretboard. The ‘E’ can be found as the open E-string and the A-7, D-2, G-9, and E-12, plus a few more above the octave (12th fret). As described in Tone Loco, the notes will have a different tone depending on where you play them.

So when should you play where? When in doubt, start in the middle. So the basic verse riff might be played on the 7th fret of the A and D strings. The rhythm pattern is solid and a bit funky, with a lot of quiet space during the 3rd and 4th beats.

OK, so you have to pay attention to the beat, and the ‘B’ in the transition is good, but this can get old quick.

Note: there are many songs where the bassline is BORING! However, if you start to get “creative” when the listeners expect “simple” it can backfire. One of our bands played a few Fleetwood Mac ballads, which would sometimes make me very drowsy. But the girls could sing it really well, and the rhythm guitarist played all the little fills (the lead went for beer), and the audience loved it. So I had to play it, and keep the energy and timing correct – hey when you’re only playing one or two notes per measure, you better get them right! Sometimes you have to take a back seat to the song or the rest of the band.

Having said that, there are still some things you can do. First, play the verse in the different places mentioned above. Play it on the 12th fret when the verse is soft or low energy. Play the open ‘E’ when you want that low growl, or you’re starting to build the energy heading into the chorus. Sometimes you can do the reverse; play it low and soft to provide the “foundation” for a soft vocal, or play it high and bright to call attention to the energy you’re adding. But don’t mess around with the rhythm too much during the verses. You’ll get your chance during the chorus and solo break.

Playing the Riff

Most songs have a recognizable riff somewhere. Feelin’ Alright may not have a “signature” riff, but the Joe Cocker version has the brass parts which certainly suggest a good line. This is pretty fast, but it’s entirely based on the Box, so you can handle it.

Taking the Fifth

Just as the bass walk is a “classic” for rock and roll, the lower 5th is very common for folk songs (and polkas!). The normal method is to play the root of the chord on the first beat of the measure and the lower 5th on the 3rd beat. As it turns out, the lower 5th is on the same fret as the root, one string lower (so you have to play the root on the A or D string. Here are some examples showing a couple of ways to play it.

Polkas are played twice as fast (and often in 2/4 time)

Here is one song that has made good use of the lower 5ths and turned it into a nice little bass sequence.

So now you have even more tools to work with. As a beginning bassist, the trick is to apply these tools to the different songs you learn. The more you play, the more you will see that most of these tools will work on many songs, and you will be able to sound very good on a song you’ve never played.

Good Luck!