50 Bass Songs to Learn for Beginners

Learning to play the bass guitar can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Fortunately, many popular songs have bass lines that are accessible to beginners. This article compiles a list of 50 songs perfect for those just starting, covering various genres and techniques to help you develop your skills.

Why Learn Bass with Songs?

Most tuitional material for beginning bass guitarists is pretty uninspirational. You have to wade through a ton of theoretical crap before you get to do the thing you picked up the bass to do - play some tunes! Musical theory has its place of course - if you aspire to any level as a musician you’ve got to know your instrument, scales, harmony, chord theory etc etc. But give a guy a break! Later on - when you can drive - if you want to learn how the motor works and get your hands dirty you can. Most of us don’t ever bother - we’re content just to cruise along. And it’s probably the same for prospective bass players.

Easy Songs to Get Started

Here are some excellent choices for beginner bassists, ranging from instantly recognizable riffs to simpler, repetitive lines:

1. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes: This song has a simple and iconic bass line.
2. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana: Arguably the easiest bassline on this list, making it a popular first song.
3. Another One Bites The Dust by Queen: An immediately recognizable and achievable bass line for beginners.
4. Know Your Enemy by Green Day: A straightforward bass line that's great for practicing rhythm.
5. Come Together by The Beatles: A worthy challenge with hammer-ons, slides, and bends.
6. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People: A catchy bass line that's not too difficult to learn.
7. Yellow by Coldplay: The intro and verse are consistent and full of repetition.
8. Every Breath You Take by The Police: A straightforward and recognizable bass line.
9. Friday I’m In Love by The Cure: An introduction to alternate bass tuning (drop D).
10. Beat It by Michael Jackson: Relies on repeating the same four riffs at different intervals.
11. With Or Without You by U2: Despite sounding prominent, the bassline is very easy for beginners.
12. Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes: The riff is simple, though the song is fast.
13. Let It Be by The Beatles: Mostly stays in the same area of the fretboard, minimizing stretching.
14. Bad Reputation by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: The main challenge is the song's fast tempo.
15. Traitor by Olivia Rodrigo: A good choice if you like pop music, as it is one of the best easy bass songs for beginners.
16. Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie: A classic rock song with a simple, yet effective bass line.
17. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac: The bassline stays on the same string and is repeated several times.
18. Plastic Hearts by Miley Cyrus: The bassline mostly repeats itself with little variation.
19. Everlong by Foo Fighters: Played in drop D tuning.
20. Kids Aren’t Alright by Fall Out Boy: A straightforward song that isn’t too fast.
21. Dancing In The Street by Martha and The Vandellas: Mostly revolves around open notes.
22. Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers: A modern indie song with a manageable bass line.
23. Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish: Has a few slides but is not too complicated.
24. About Damn Time by Lizzo: Has a few slides and moves strings a lot, but it’s not super fast.
25. As It Was by Harry Styles: Another easy bassline from a popular contemporary artist.
26. Valerie by Amy Winehouse: A good introduction to dead notes (ghost notes).
27. I Miss You by Blink-182: A pop-punk classic with a simple and catchy bass line.
28. Your Song by Elton John: Possibly one of the simplest songs, with only one or two notes per bar.
29. Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley: The bass tab might look daunting, but it’s manageable when broken down.
30. This Charming Man by The Smiths: A great introduction to hammer-ons on bass.
31. Wonderwall by Oasis: Despite being overplayed, it’s worth learning on bass.
32. All Of Me by John Legend: There’s really not much to the bassline.
33. Iris by Goo Goo Dolls: A great way to introduce players to natural harmonics.
34. Mary On A Cross by Ghost: There’s not much to it except an occasional slide.
35. Hurt by Johnny Cash: A well-known rendition with a simple bass line.
36. Zombie by The Cranberries: The bassline is pretty consistent.
37. Where Is My Mind by The Pixies: A memorable bass line that's not too difficult to play.
38. Imagine by John Lennon: The bass line is not complicated.
39. Take Me To Church by Hozier: A good introduction to vibrato on bass guitar.
40. The Loneliest by Måneskin: As far as Måneskin songs go, this one is pretty mellow, so the bassline isn’t too hard to keep up with.
41. Decode by Paramore: In Drop D tuning, so you will need to retune your bass.
42. Use Somebody by Kings Of Leon: A popular rock song with a manageable bass line.
43. Teenagers by My Chemical Romance: Although the tab might look complicated for beginners, it’s not too bad once you familiarize yourself with the melody of the song.
44. Back In Black by AC/DC: Although metal is a daunting genre, the bassline is not as hard as you might imagine.
45. Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen: Another pretty easy bass line that mostly repeats itself.
46. Mr. Brightside by The Killers: Most of the bassline is straightforward, but the breakdown might be confusing for newer bassists.
47. Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey: The intro riff is doable if you’ve mastered the timing and know when to play and when to pause.
48. Starlight by Muse: Muse tabs are usually pretty challenging, but this one is much simpler compared to their other songs.
49. All Too Well by Taylor Swift: A modern pop song with a bass line that's easy to follow.
50. 50 Short Melodies in First Position: Beginner Bass is a collection of 50 short, fun, and accessible melodies in First Position for the beginner bassist. Dynamics are at the discretion of the student and teacher, and bowings should be amended as needed. How Beautiful Are the Feet [G.F. Handel] Pastoral Symphony [G.F. Handel] Ah! Holy Jesus The New Squire/Peasant Cantata [J.S. Bach] Hornpipe [G.F. Handel] Up on the Housetop [Benjamin R. Hanby]

Techniques to Learn

As you learn these songs, you'll encounter various bass techniques:

• Alternate Tuning: Friday I’m In Love and Everlong are in drop D tuning, requiring you to retune your bass.
• Hammer-ons: This Charming Man is a great introduction to hammer-ons.
• Slides: Happier Than Ever and About Damn Time incorporate slides.
• Dead Notes: Valerie is a good introduction to dead notes, which have no pitch.
• Natural Harmonics: Iris introduces players to natural harmonics.
• Vibrato: Take Me To Church is a good introduction to vibrato.

Additional Resources

David Heyes (b.1960) studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish, later at the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his post-graduate studies in Prague with František Pošta (Principal Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra). David's collaborative work gained him a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher, and commissioner of new music for double bass and he works with composers throughout the world to expand the double bass repertoire by commissioning new music and by rediscovering forgotten ones.

Read also: Bass for Beginners

Read also: Learning Bass

Read also: Beginner Bass Lessons

tags: #50 #bass #songs #to #learn #for

Popular posts:

• Comprehensive Internship Guide
• Learning Interior Design: A Comprehensive Guide
• Choosing a Dog Training Path
• Adult Learning: Key Theories
• Discover Adichie's impact on education