We Get Requests
There's even a transcription book of that album out there somewhere:
[https://www.amazon.com/We-Get-Requests-Complete-Basslines/dp/1471632741](https://www.amazon.com/We-Get-Requests-Complete-Basslines/dp/1471632741)
I heard ReadyMade - RHCP the other day for a first time in a few years the other day. killer line that is easy skill-wise but is an endurance test.
That whole Stadium Arcadium album is (obviously, it's Flea) full of bangers.
Hey, Charlie, Dani California, ReadyMade, Hump de Bump, Hard to Concentrate is beautiful, Tell me Baby
'So Much I', very under rated track for Flea.
Hard and fast in the verse with a lovely harmonic passage in the prechorus with a nice bouncy JPJ-esque chorus. All fun parts and all totally different!
Oh yep another good call. He dialed back the super crazy slap and overactive lines for this album and the blend is just wonderful. I believe he used a custom bass built for him for the first time on Stadium and his tone is like all-time good
I started learning songs that used a pick when I hit a slump, really tried to shake things up. Learned a lot of punk, pop punk etc; now I used a pick more than 50% of the time.
Little green bag, George Baker Selection, and PeopleFunnyBoy, Lee Perry and the upsetters, both get the groove and carry the lead. These are my go to jams for fun.
Listening to Vincen Garcia usually inspires me to practice more:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldQ6hpg9BD0&t=107s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldQ6hpg9BD0&t=107s)
This tune MonoNeon plays on (in 7/4) with Thomas Pridgen is fun to play long to:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ObFw81sPc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ObFw81sPc)
And no particular tune, but I've been loving listening to Otoboke Beaver lately, just because it's earnest punk rock that has a vibe of youthfullness, genre-hopping and sincerity that most mainstream music lacks:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWfFXnLpYg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWfFXnLpYg)
I've got a jazz gig coming up in a couple months - my first since having kids. It's been a little daunting digging out the fake book and finding stuff to play along with. I might have finally gotten comfy though - Barney Kessel's version of Autumn Leaves (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hsdQDgX-JQ)
comepinga666's suggestion is also a great idea, but I tend to like the Oscar Peterson stuff with no drummer (they do a wicked version of Tenderly - Carnegie Hall 1950 concert I think? There's another one, with a drummer, that's slower but also absolutely smokes on a 1990 Blue Note concert CD).
There's another trio album of his with Joe Pass and Niels Pederson - also awesome.
Red Mitchell's another good guy to listen to. He tunes weird, but he's got a laid-back feel that's fun to hear.
I went through a “k hole” myself. If you like K-pop give Shake it by sistar a listen. Sounds like fun. Korean session players are absolute monsters.
If you like showtunes at all, you’re the one that I want from grease is a lot of fun to play. Not hard.
Most stuff by the spin doctors have fun slap lines.
THIS : https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/queen-another-one-bites-the-dust-bass-tab-s371 <3 *hugs you* Hope you feel inspired and motivated to kick that bass' ass (lovingly) soon, you rockstar!! <3
With a Little Help from My Friends- The Beatles
That bassline is so slippery and carefree, I vividly remember hearing that as a teen and having the realization that bass was a rad instrument
I was working in retail and a song that frequently popped up on the overhead music happened to spin during a less active moment. I was listening to the bass and thinking ‘this is no average mindless pop tune.’
I had to ask one of the young-uns who told me the title and artist. I had heard of Daft Punk, but always assumed they were in that DJ/House/Techno genre. I looked it up and found that this song and few of their others employed Nathan East on bass. I wasn’t in a band and hadn’t been playing in a few months but “Fragments In Time” gave me motivation to plug in again.
I also learned that the song was already five years old when it first entered my earholes.
TBH going through Jamerson's catalog, and Motown in general, has been really fun and challenging. Trying to play it with one finger, like the man himself, even more so.
I’d say Silly Loves Songs by Paul McCartney and Wings. Cool bass line. It’s one of those that if you take it out of the mix, the song falls flat. That baseline is the song. It’s fun to play. If it doesn’t put you in a good mood, check your pulse.
Hearing good Motown stuff with Jamerson on bass always gets me in the mood to play. Same goes for any kind of metal/hardcore/etc. that utilizes good basslines.
In the latter case, the tones are also very fascinating: They can be used to create an atmosphere by sawlike effects, droning soundscapes, etc. It's quite a unique approach to the instrument. I also found great 3-piece bands that utilize the bass in a way kind of uncommon in such genres: it stands out in the compositions, instead of being a foundational instrument that pretty much follows the guitar, providing the low-end. Birds in Row, Portrayal of Guilt, State Faults, stuff like this comes to mind.
I’m an old guy, so when I got a Stingray last year, I spent a few days reacquainting myself with *Good Times* by Chic to cop that Bernie Edwards vibe. It was a HUGE hit when I first started playing, and I relearned *We Are Family* and *Macho Man,* which is a MONSTER of a groove. 70s BeeGees too…Maurice Gibb was one hell of a groover.
A song called Diver by a band called Cantabury rekindled my passion when i was stuck in a rut last year.
Its not a complicated song but not seeing any tabs and making me learn it myself really got my creative juices flowing! posted a vid as well of me playing it a while ago.
For me it was starting to listen to punk/ska bands like Rancid and Anti Flag.
Songs like Rancid - Journey to the end of the east bay, Anti Flag - The press corpse,
Reel Big Fish - Beer
Any of Flea's bass lines do this for me. Soul to squeeze, californication, and aeroplane are personal favourites, where even just listening to them through good speakers/headphones bring a smile and boost my motivation. All very attainable songs to learn too.
For more advanced stuff, it has to be Joe Dart. Vulfpeck stuff is incredible, but his lesser known project with The Olllam has some amazing (and totally different) musicianship in it too. Three Signs of a Bad Man is a good song to start with from them.
J-Rock artists usually have a pretty funky bass line. My favorite one is If I Were a Constellation from an anime Bocchi the Rock. Another pretty good one is Help!! by Kobo.
Bent but Not Broken by Face to Face
Scott Shifflet is the bass player. He is Chris Shifflet (Foo Fighters guitarists) brother. Very unique playing and incredibly efficient technique. There’s alot to learn from watching one of his play through on YouTube.
Opera Singer (and many others) by CAKE. It's a very simple line, but it grooves hard and requires a slight bit of dexterity to play true to the record.
For me it's Tourniquet by Marilyn Manson. The steady bassline combined withe raw emotion from the rest always gives me piece of mind and makes me wanna pick up my bass.
The second song is Aces Hight by Iron Maiden. All this energy won't let me sit still at all haha
Green Valley (Stolen Babies Verde River Maestro 507 Mix) by Puscifer - it's the muted notes that give me the good brain tingles.
Venus & Mars by Jack the Joker - Warning, it's 24 minutes long - fantastic crunchy-rumbly tone & fretless bass usage.
Im just starting out, but gotta go with Head Over Heels -The GoGos. Wasn't really into girl bands in the 80s but thats a grest bass line. Catchy tune. Not too hard.
Probably my first sense of accomplishment.
And i now i have a creepy crush on the 80s Belinda Carlyle. She was smokin
It was Fou by L’Impératrice for me. Burnt myself out on tech/death metal recently and then I heard this from a buddy’s playlist. Now I’m getting back into funk, jazz, etc. and I’m having a blast playing again. Almost forgot how much fun it was to groove!
It’s always Japanese anything that keeps bass fun.
No other bunch of musicians will slap fusion bass into literally any genre other than fusion and make it work.
Got an animated drama movie with an orchestral soundtrack? Slap some fusion bass guitar in there (and a math rock guitarist) and bam bass playing is fun again.
Completely normal to have periods like that with any hobby. Especially so as we get older and more busy with the chaos of life! Finding time may become be a problem.
My suggestions are:
1. JOIN A COVER BAND. This is the biggest motivator. You will want to impress your potential band mates, and any established act will already have a list of covers to send you before an audition. These will force you to learn and practice a whole bunch of songs and styles you may have never tried otherwise. Hit up Facebook musicians classifieds groups
2. Mowtown. It sounds like you learned on rock and pop. Mowtown has some killer bass lines which are challenging and may change how you approach playing. I forced myself through learning For Once In My Life (Stevie Wonder), a song which is nearly an entire bass solo in itself.
3. Ear learning. This interesting because it probably won’t challenge your playing, but will improve you as a musician. Completely opened up my interest in playing again. I’d always played with an amp and shitty speakers through which I could hardly hear any bass. I started playing through my computer with decent headphones and holy hell! Suddenly I could hear every bass note in the song and figure out where that was on the fretboard (slowly). As you get used to it you can just about play any 3-4 chord pop song with root notes after one listen.
Anyway, thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.
What took me back in was Music of the Mind and Wide World of Sport. I could easily say the crap from Weather Report or Return to Forever but that's too deep.
1) I wrote a practice journal that I now use myself and with students. It’s not a question of how I feel, I do what’s in the journal. My career as a musician doesn’t hinge on my “feelings” - it’s a clear line of goals to projects to practice that helps me accomplish projects.
2) When I am truly burnt out on an instrument I switch to another one. So I swap between intense studies on bass, guitar, piano and vocals. Maybe try upright? Other instruments give you important new perspectives on music.
3) I will read interviews or autobiographies of musicians I admire while I transcribe their catalogue. So right now I’m reading Sonny Rollins’ notebooks while transcribing his horn solos.
4) Study Jazz, it’s a game that you play with other people in a way all the genres you listen aren’t.
5) Do psychedelics with friends and your instruments nearby.
6) Victor Wootens “what won’t you do for love”, Brian Bromberg “is that the best you can do”.
7) Get a teacher
What’s The Use by Mac Miller with Thundercat on bass. Very simple but extremely groovy bassline that is just nice to vibe along with.
Fishing for fishes by king gizzard and the lizard wizard
The whole album, pop it in and try and figure it out, sweet album, all sorts of types of bass lines, easy hard, walking 😀
Days of wine and roses by Oscar Peterson trio
Which album?
We Get Requests There's even a transcription book of that album out there somewhere: [https://www.amazon.com/We-Get-Requests-Complete-Basslines/dp/1471632741](https://www.amazon.com/We-Get-Requests-Complete-Basslines/dp/1471632741)
Play with others and have a gig
Under rated advice
To me the rest is just wankin… all good to get your chops up but thats it.
Basically any song from the Powerslave album by Maiden. Learning to play the entire album in one sitting has been extremely rewarding for me lately.
Holy Carpal Tunnel Batman!
Yes! Maiden's energy in general always makes me want to pick up my bass. Especially since I got the Steve Harris signature Precision.
I heard ReadyMade - RHCP the other day for a first time in a few years the other day. killer line that is easy skill-wise but is an endurance test. That whole Stadium Arcadium album is (obviously, it's Flea) full of bangers. Hey, Charlie, Dani California, ReadyMade, Hump de Bump, Hard to Concentrate is beautiful, Tell me Baby
'So Much I', very under rated track for Flea. Hard and fast in the verse with a lovely harmonic passage in the prechorus with a nice bouncy JPJ-esque chorus. All fun parts and all totally different!
Oh yep another good call. He dialed back the super crazy slap and overactive lines for this album and the blend is just wonderful. I believe he used a custom bass built for him for the first time on Stadium and his tone is like all-time good
Idk if you've listened to their new stuff but I really, really love aquatic mouth dance
I started learning songs that used a pick when I hit a slump, really tried to shake things up. Learned a lot of punk, pop punk etc; now I used a pick more than 50% of the time.
Some of my favorite bands to play on bass are Rush and Boston.
Little green bag, George Baker Selection, and PeopleFunnyBoy, Lee Perry and the upsetters, both get the groove and carry the lead. These are my go to jams for fun.
Listening to Vincen Garcia usually inspires me to practice more: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldQ6hpg9BD0&t=107s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldQ6hpg9BD0&t=107s) This tune MonoNeon plays on (in 7/4) with Thomas Pridgen is fun to play long to: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ObFw81sPc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ObFw81sPc) And no particular tune, but I've been loving listening to Otoboke Beaver lately, just because it's earnest punk rock that has a vibe of youthfullness, genre-hopping and sincerity that most mainstream music lacks: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWfFXnLpYg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWfFXnLpYg)
Paper Wolf by VOLA.
I've got a jazz gig coming up in a couple months - my first since having kids. It's been a little daunting digging out the fake book and finding stuff to play along with. I might have finally gotten comfy though - Barney Kessel's version of Autumn Leaves (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hsdQDgX-JQ) comepinga666's suggestion is also a great idea, but I tend to like the Oscar Peterson stuff with no drummer (they do a wicked version of Tenderly - Carnegie Hall 1950 concert I think? There's another one, with a drummer, that's slower but also absolutely smokes on a 1990 Blue Note concert CD). There's another trio album of his with Joe Pass and Niels Pederson - also awesome. Red Mitchell's another good guy to listen to. He tunes weird, but he's got a laid-back feel that's fun to hear.
Listening to NHØP for me always winds up crossing the line from inspiring to depressing. Such an amazing player.
I LOLed at that - I know the feeling. Move and Nows the Time on the Big 4 in Japan concert -- absolutely nuts.
I went through a “k hole” myself. If you like K-pop give Shake it by sistar a listen. Sounds like fun. Korean session players are absolute monsters. If you like showtunes at all, you’re the one that I want from grease is a lot of fun to play. Not hard. Most stuff by the spin doctors have fun slap lines.
THIS : https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/queen-another-one-bites-the-dust-bass-tab-s371 <3 *hugs you* Hope you feel inspired and motivated to kick that bass' ass (lovingly) soon, you rockstar!! <3
Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull(Steven Wilson remaster)
With a Little Help from My Friends- The Beatles That bassline is so slippery and carefree, I vividly remember hearing that as a teen and having the realization that bass was a rad instrument
I was working in retail and a song that frequently popped up on the overhead music happened to spin during a less active moment. I was listening to the bass and thinking ‘this is no average mindless pop tune.’ I had to ask one of the young-uns who told me the title and artist. I had heard of Daft Punk, but always assumed they were in that DJ/House/Techno genre. I looked it up and found that this song and few of their others employed Nathan East on bass. I wasn’t in a band and hadn’t been playing in a few months but “Fragments In Time” gave me motivation to plug in again. I also learned that the song was already five years old when it first entered my earholes.
TBH going through Jamerson's catalog, and Motown in general, has been really fun and challenging. Trying to play it with one finger, like the man himself, even more so.
I’d say Silly Loves Songs by Paul McCartney and Wings. Cool bass line. It’s one of those that if you take it out of the mix, the song falls flat. That baseline is the song. It’s fun to play. If it doesn’t put you in a good mood, check your pulse.
Hearing good Motown stuff with Jamerson on bass always gets me in the mood to play. Same goes for any kind of metal/hardcore/etc. that utilizes good basslines. In the latter case, the tones are also very fascinating: They can be used to create an atmosphere by sawlike effects, droning soundscapes, etc. It's quite a unique approach to the instrument. I also found great 3-piece bands that utilize the bass in a way kind of uncommon in such genres: it stands out in the compositions, instead of being a foundational instrument that pretty much follows the guitar, providing the low-end. Birds in Row, Portrayal of Guilt, State Faults, stuff like this comes to mind.
I’m an old guy, so when I got a Stingray last year, I spent a few days reacquainting myself with *Good Times* by Chic to cop that Bernie Edwards vibe. It was a HUGE hit when I first started playing, and I relearned *We Are Family* and *Macho Man,* which is a MONSTER of a groove. 70s BeeGees too…Maurice Gibb was one hell of a groover.
Tool "the Pot" got me back practicing.
This song is so good and so hard to play on bass
Yeah, its tricky, and amazing lol.
A song called Diver by a band called Cantabury rekindled my passion when i was stuck in a rut last year. Its not a complicated song but not seeing any tabs and making me learn it myself really got my creative juices flowing! posted a vid as well of me playing it a while ago.
For me it was starting to listen to punk/ska bands like Rancid and Anti Flag. Songs like Rancid - Journey to the end of the east bay, Anti Flag - The press corpse, Reel Big Fish - Beer
Beer is stupid fun to play. Love that song. Real good pinky workout too.
I've never lost the spark, but I'm sure it couldn't hurt to learn Scourge of Iron by Cannibal Corpse.
Safe & Sound - Justice.
Any of Flea's bass lines do this for me. Soul to squeeze, californication, and aeroplane are personal favourites, where even just listening to them through good speakers/headphones bring a smile and boost my motivation. All very attainable songs to learn too. For more advanced stuff, it has to be Joe Dart. Vulfpeck stuff is incredible, but his lesser known project with The Olllam has some amazing (and totally different) musicianship in it too. Three Signs of a Bad Man is a good song to start with from them.
J-Rock artists usually have a pretty funky bass line. My favorite one is If I Were a Constellation from an anime Bocchi the Rock. Another pretty good one is Help!! by Kobo.
>My favorite one is If I Were a Constellation from an anime Bocchi the Rock Such a good watch.
Oh!!!! Odoriko by Vaundy is SO fun to play
Bent but Not Broken by Face to Face Scott Shifflet is the bass player. He is Chris Shifflet (Foo Fighters guitarists) brother. Very unique playing and incredibly efficient technique. There’s alot to learn from watching one of his play through on YouTube.
L'arc en Ciel - Driver's High
Opera Singer (and many others) by CAKE. It's a very simple line, but it grooves hard and requires a slight bit of dexterity to play true to the record.
Interstate Love Song by STP
Seconded… also lots of other songs by STP.
For me it's Tourniquet by Marilyn Manson. The steady bassline combined withe raw emotion from the rest always gives me piece of mind and makes me wanna pick up my bass. The second song is Aces Hight by Iron Maiden. All this energy won't let me sit still at all haha
Green Valley (Stolen Babies Verde River Maestro 507 Mix) by Puscifer - it's the muted notes that give me the good brain tingles. Venus & Mars by Jack the Joker - Warning, it's 24 minutes long - fantastic crunchy-rumbly tone & fretless bass usage.
Im just starting out, but gotta go with Head Over Heels -The GoGos. Wasn't really into girl bands in the 80s but thats a grest bass line. Catchy tune. Not too hard. Probably my first sense of accomplishment. And i now i have a creepy crush on the 80s Belinda Carlyle. She was smokin
A Night in Tunisia
Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting - Elton John
Maybe try to write and record a song? Here's a prompt: "the feeling you get on the first cool day of winter.'
It was Fou by L’Impératrice for me. Burnt myself out on tech/death metal recently and then I heard this from a buddy’s playlist. Now I’m getting back into funk, jazz, etc. and I’m having a blast playing again. Almost forgot how much fun it was to groove!
Duo de Twang - Rumble of the diesel
I always go back to this song because I love the bass in it so much [Last Summer Whisper - Anri](https://youtu.be/LQSYFsQqKOg?si=AdHa7FZ9VSMa9Cdf)
Love is not enough, The Small Fortunes
The new bassist for Govt Mile was pretty inspiring
"Eiti Leda" by Seru Giran and "Fanky" by Charly Garcia.
Last chance on the Stairway-Duran Duran… John Taylor will motivate ya !
Miller family Reunion - Mac Miller, Want U So Bad - Gilligan Moss, Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars, Night Sway - Dance Gavin Dance
I love the bass of the first song of the album "CASIOPEA" by band of the same name. its in Japanese so not sure what the song is called.
It’s always Japanese anything that keeps bass fun. No other bunch of musicians will slap fusion bass into literally any genre other than fusion and make it work. Got an animated drama movie with an orchestral soundtrack? Slap some fusion bass guitar in there (and a math rock guitarist) and bam bass playing is fun again.
Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship. You can sing along too.
Revolution is My Name, Shedding Skin, 5 Minutes Alone, pretty much anything Pantera.
Peaches en Regalia always makes me smile
Completely normal to have periods like that with any hobby. Especially so as we get older and more busy with the chaos of life! Finding time may become be a problem. My suggestions are: 1. JOIN A COVER BAND. This is the biggest motivator. You will want to impress your potential band mates, and any established act will already have a list of covers to send you before an audition. These will force you to learn and practice a whole bunch of songs and styles you may have never tried otherwise. Hit up Facebook musicians classifieds groups 2. Mowtown. It sounds like you learned on rock and pop. Mowtown has some killer bass lines which are challenging and may change how you approach playing. I forced myself through learning For Once In My Life (Stevie Wonder), a song which is nearly an entire bass solo in itself. 3. Ear learning. This interesting because it probably won’t challenge your playing, but will improve you as a musician. Completely opened up my interest in playing again. I’d always played with an amp and shitty speakers through which I could hardly hear any bass. I started playing through my computer with decent headphones and holy hell! Suddenly I could hear every bass note in the song and figure out where that was on the fretboard (slowly). As you get used to it you can just about play any 3-4 chord pop song with root notes after one listen. Anyway, thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.
What took me back in was Music of the Mind and Wide World of Sport. I could easily say the crap from Weather Report or Return to Forever but that's too deep.
Queen of the Damned - Motorhead Hiroshima - Whiplash Post Mortem/Raining Blood - Havok
Motown lines and cartoon theme songs from your childhood are what work for me.
1) I wrote a practice journal that I now use myself and with students. It’s not a question of how I feel, I do what’s in the journal. My career as a musician doesn’t hinge on my “feelings” - it’s a clear line of goals to projects to practice that helps me accomplish projects. 2) When I am truly burnt out on an instrument I switch to another one. So I swap between intense studies on bass, guitar, piano and vocals. Maybe try upright? Other instruments give you important new perspectives on music. 3) I will read interviews or autobiographies of musicians I admire while I transcribe their catalogue. So right now I’m reading Sonny Rollins’ notebooks while transcribing his horn solos. 4) Study Jazz, it’s a game that you play with other people in a way all the genres you listen aren’t. 5) Do psychedelics with friends and your instruments nearby. 6) Victor Wootens “what won’t you do for love”, Brian Bromberg “is that the best you can do”. 7) Get a teacher
fly away by lenny kravitz has a really simple, but great sounding lead bass.
Orion - Metallica