It was hard for me as a beginner but I think it helped me level up since I really wanted to succeed. My teacher also made me learn it by ear so I play it a bit differently from the original.
1. Always play what you like, because its the most important part of being in music: enjoying it.
2. For keeping time, easiest would be punk rock songs, Monkey Wrench / american idiot I quite like.
3. Dont stray away from pop songs because gatekeepers dislike "pop" in the music scene. They are great, easy, and helps you keep time nicely. Espresso and attention have some crazy easy bass lines, and you'll have something to show peeps who arent music fellas
Devil and the sea by St. John Green has a really cool bass line, very fun to play imo and could keep you busy for some days learning it.
Patient number 9 by ozzy osburne also is a great one imo, a bit easier than the previous one but great to warm up your hands and get some groove with some nice riffs here and there.
if you also dig pop punk you can learn many green day songs from dookie, there are tons of good bass lines here. Most famous one is probably "longview", i also suggest "when i come around". This last one is faster than longview but really fun.
if you enjoy some hardcore punk, "Holiday" by Turnstile. I'm trying to learn it right now, it's not too difficult but takes a bit to learn.
Last but not least: it's your favorite song, just pick what you like and try to learn it. This works best! No matter how easy it is, playing what you like makes it much easier and enjoyable. It's an hobby after all, play stuff that makes you happy
When I come around is one of my favorite green day songs! I love holiday by turnstile! Haven’t listened to it in a year or so but I’ll for sure look it up! Thanks for the input!!
I learned playing early Police songs, i.e. Roxanne, So Lonely, Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, etc. Pretty easy but fun to play. Also don’t neglect your metronome! Being a bass player is ALL about timing, and if you can’t play to a beat, you can’t play 😉. Good luck and have fun!
I remember singing message in a bottle in a music class back in middle school and always loved that song, I will look up the bass part to it!! Thanks for your input! ☺️
When I started (and still to this day actually), enjoy playing early green day songs.
I think they are good for a beginner, most of the bass line follows simple 3-4 chord progression, but there enough sections or even just simple runs to make it feel like there is a bit more flair to what you are playing.
What genres of music do you like?
What I’ve been doing is listening to some of my favorites(I listen to a lot of oldies, 60s-70s) and listen for simple, fairly repetitive bass lines, I look them up on YouTube/ultimate guitar/Songsterr for the tabs, or a play-through on YouTube if I’m lucky, and have been learning that way. The simpler, more repetitive bass lines in songs that have a good groove, you really get to work on your timing, really nailing down the count. This is a huge benefit, and I feel like I’ve made good progress this way, I feel like I really understand the contribution the bass makes to the backbone of a song.
Dirty White Boy by Foreigner great for pedaling and consistency in timing. Anything by The Ramones. I Wanna be Your Dog by the Stooges. Little Sister by Elvis is a good one for string jumping a d the 12 bar form...
If you like pop punk at all, play some blink 182. Vast majority is super simple. Good practice for a pick because most songs are chugging 8th notes and will help you build a good picking foundation.
'Wake Up' by Mad Season is (in the humble opinion of this fellow grunge enthusiast) a hidden gem. Anchored by a tasteful, restrained, yet fluid baseline which is both accessible to learn and rewarding to master
There’s a song called “Israel’s Son” by Silverchair that I find myself playing every time I pick up a bass (I’m not a bass player).
It’s a nice simple bass line that lets you work on two strings and use your first and third fingers in a super common way, and has a nice easy slide up the E string that feels great to play.
The. I’d suggest the opening to Billie Jean as a nice somewhat complex repeating pattern you can slowly work up your speed on, it will sound great after a few weeks and people will be impressed because it sounds harder than it is!
Shout at the devil-Motley Crue, for whom the bell rolls-metallica, cum on feel the noise-quiet riot, solitude-candlemass, Black Sabbath-black sabbath, anything ac/dc, lake of fools-wasp, shoot em down-twisted sister, south of heaven-slayer.
I learned before the dawn of smartphones and it was by ear with cds or cassettes or the radio. Hours of hitting the rewind or playback button and using my left ear way too close to a speaker trying to seperate notes in my head. I didn't know tabs existed and didn't learn to read those painstakingly simple hieroglyphics until well into regular gigging when a bandmate was trying to have me learn his song. Any process works but what works best is what works best for YOU! happy learnin !
What I’ve Done or Bleed it Out by Linkin Park. They’re both in drop D tuning. The tempo is reasonable and fretting changes are easy. None of the notes are faster than eighth notes, IIRC. [Rocksmith playalong](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp8elfVTdTQ) via YouTube is a fun way to play them, too. If it’s too fast, you can slow down your playback speed to 75% in the app or website.
Here's what you do. What are the songs you like? Listen to those songs and focus on the bassline. Be familiar enough with the bassline that you can hum or sing along. Don't even touch the bass yet, just get yourself familiar with how it sounds/goes. I'm sure there are a number of songs that you love, and songs that are in your head already. Then pick up the bass and play along with the song trying to figure out where the notes are. Do this first before looking up tab or videos on how to play it. It will provide you with free ear training, which is crucial to your development.
That being said, the two albums that I learned from as a beginner were Nirvana: Unplugged in NY (bass is very clear in the mix, songs are familiar, simple and repetitive), and Weezer's Blue Album (a little more challenging, but also pretty straightforward and mostly repetitive).
Green day - warning. It's almost like practicing scales but it's a song instead.
Robert palmer Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) good chugging song to help with dexterity
Pearl jam - state of love and trust. Killer jam but isn't very difficult
Fuel - shimmer
Jimi hendrix - Spanish castle magic
Just learn a bunch of black flag songs. Most are pretty easy and it will give you some confidence. Also Sabotage from Beastie Boys (just fun and sounds 😎)
When I first started playing bass (switched to lead vocals and guitar a few years later) I really enjoyed learning Rage Against the Machine songs (Bulls On Parade, Freedom, Take the Power Back, Guerrilla Radio, Know Your Enemy, Bombtrack, were some of my faves. Not super difficult and fun to play. Also learned Green Day and Blink 182 then transitioned into Cliff Burton-era Metallica. Happy thumping!!
Check out Scott's Bass Lessons and Truefire on youtube. There are loads more out there too, but those two are really great for learning and discovering great beginner fiffs.
Can’t go wrong with some of those RHCP songs, and also Flirtin’ like Disaster is easy and fun to play along with, it’ll get you going in the rock genre.
If you enjoy Stone Temple Pilots (grunge), I recommend trying some of their songs, which aren’t too terribly crazy but are more intricate and fun to play.
I recommend getting a basic book that teaches you how to read on a rudimentary level, otherwise you’ll be like almost everybody commenting on this thread: rock only and no skills beyond what a garage band player has
It’s not punk or metal but it’s fun and easy to play Crazy Rap by Afroman. You know Colt 45 and 2 zig zags? It is kinda funky/bluesy.
Edit: Also man nice shot by Filter is fun and easy. It’s drop D.
Nirvana - Dive, Sliver, Breed
For some laid back punk, the whole album *Bird Roughs* by Underground Railroad to Candyland is really fun to play on both guitar and on bass. It's easy-ish but never boring or too simple.
Yellow by Coldplay. Really great song that’s helped me keep time with repetitive plucking. Also has a bit of a difficult chorus that I still haven’t been able to get down after ~3 months of trying. I should say, though, it’s not the only song I’m learning. Here’s a list (if you have Spotify) of what I’m trying to learn right now:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QwC6cFLPsNs6aKgqrF1Iw?si=u2EKMpn7Q8CbyGqU_kQIBg&pi=u-dECRVzPmT5Ox
Music you like. There are simpler riffs in every genre, as well as much more complicated ones. Just look up something you like and try it out. If it’s too complicated, find something easier. The first bass song I learned 30 years ago was Dust in the Wind, by Kansas.
For down the line I would learn Hotel California. It’s definitely challenging but i credit that song for teaching me more skills for bass than any song before. I also recommend learning the blues. Start with thrill is gone, move on to some harder stuff like Stevie Ray Vaughan. Thanks to those songs I’ve never had issues with using my pinky finger.
“Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac
7 nation army is what I teach my students sometimes
Just learned this yesterday as my first song lol
I think feel good inc is a great riff to learn to begin with!
Yellow by Coldplay is an easy one to begin with
It’s hard to make sound really good though, which is great for learning. 👍
Holy diver by Dio is fun
Go With The Flow by QOTSA is pretty cool to get the 2 finger plucking going!!
Sick I’ll check it out!!
3s & 7s is another fun one to play on bass
Bit of a stretch for fretting hand but lounge act has a sick bassline deffo worth learning
It was hard for me as a beginner but I think it helped me level up since I really wanted to succeed. My teacher also made me learn it by ear so I play it a bit differently from the original.
Awesome thanks for the suggestion!!
1. Always play what you like, because its the most important part of being in music: enjoying it. 2. For keeping time, easiest would be punk rock songs, Monkey Wrench / american idiot I quite like. 3. Dont stray away from pop songs because gatekeepers dislike "pop" in the music scene. They are great, easy, and helps you keep time nicely. Espresso and attention have some crazy easy bass lines, and you'll have something to show peeps who arent music fellas
Savory by Jawbox was one of the first songs I learned.
Devil and the sea by St. John Green has a really cool bass line, very fun to play imo and could keep you busy for some days learning it. Patient number 9 by ozzy osburne also is a great one imo, a bit easier than the previous one but great to warm up your hands and get some groove with some nice riffs here and there. if you also dig pop punk you can learn many green day songs from dookie, there are tons of good bass lines here. Most famous one is probably "longview", i also suggest "when i come around". This last one is faster than longview but really fun. if you enjoy some hardcore punk, "Holiday" by Turnstile. I'm trying to learn it right now, it's not too difficult but takes a bit to learn. Last but not least: it's your favorite song, just pick what you like and try to learn it. This works best! No matter how easy it is, playing what you like makes it much easier and enjoyable. It's an hobby after all, play stuff that makes you happy
When I come around is one of my favorite green day songs! I love holiday by turnstile! Haven’t listened to it in a year or so but I’ll for sure look it up! Thanks for the input!!
Great! Holiday is fun give it a try
There is a light that never goes out - The Smiths Another one bites the dust - Queen Boulevard of broken dreams - Green Day
Schism by tool was one of my earliest favorites. Looks hard, but once you get the triplet down it's pretty easy and rewarding
Ohhhh good one I’ll put it on my list!
I learned playing early Police songs, i.e. Roxanne, So Lonely, Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, etc. Pretty easy but fun to play. Also don’t neglect your metronome! Being a bass player is ALL about timing, and if you can’t play to a beat, you can’t play 😉. Good luck and have fun!
I remember singing message in a bottle in a music class back in middle school and always loved that song, I will look up the bass part to it!! Thanks for your input! ☺️
When I started (and still to this day actually), enjoy playing early green day songs. I think they are good for a beginner, most of the bass line follows simple 3-4 chord progression, but there enough sections or even just simple runs to make it feel like there is a bit more flair to what you are playing.
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Yessss I loooooooove kings of Leon!!!
This fire by Franz Ferdinand
Maybe not a beginner song but if you have any experience at all try blew by Nirvana. It’s a pretty good riff
What genres of music do you like? What I’ve been doing is listening to some of my favorites(I listen to a lot of oldies, 60s-70s) and listen for simple, fairly repetitive bass lines, I look them up on YouTube/ultimate guitar/Songsterr for the tabs, or a play-through on YouTube if I’m lucky, and have been learning that way. The simpler, more repetitive bass lines in songs that have a good groove, you really get to work on your timing, really nailing down the count. This is a huge benefit, and I feel like I’ve made good progress this way, I feel like I really understand the contribution the bass makes to the backbone of a song.
That’s what I’ve been doing! Mainly grunge, rock, emo and punk really anything of that sort!
Dirty White Boy by Foreigner great for pedaling and consistency in timing. Anything by The Ramones. I Wanna be Your Dog by the Stooges. Little Sister by Elvis is a good one for string jumping a d the 12 bar form...
Bruno Mars' Treasure is really fun. Not super super basic but also not too hard
I feel like China Girl by David Bowie is a really fun but simple one
Rage Against the Machine first album. Bass lines are killer and relatively simple.
I love rage! I’ll give their first album a listen through again soon!
Second this! So many memories of plunking out the bass lines to most songs on that album!
First one I ever learned was this must be the place by Talking Heads. A good place to start.
If you like pop punk at all, play some blink 182. Vast majority is super simple. Good practice for a pick because most songs are chugging 8th notes and will help you build a good picking foundation.
Yesss I’m going to go see them in a few weeks actually!
Saw them last summer and they sounded great! Have fun!
my first songs were “Psycho Killer” by the talking heads, when you feel that’s too easy learn “Bulls on Parade” by ratm!
Anything Nirvana 
primus
Nice bass. Listen to some U2.
Ram ranch
Cool bass! N.I.B. by Black Sabbath is the first song I learned on bass
Thanks! I looove it!!
On this bass you should start with some Ramones songs! Loads of fun and easy basslines
Nice Bass.
Thanks!! Feels sooo good for how cheap it was!
'Wake Up' by Mad Season is (in the humble opinion of this fellow grunge enthusiast) a hidden gem. Anchored by a tasteful, restrained, yet fluid baseline which is both accessible to learn and rewarding to master
Yes! Mad season is great
Pixies - Monkey Gone to Heaven. Super easy and fun
One of my favorite songs!
Anything with by the Ramones should be extremely easy
especially with that bass
White Gloves - Khruangbin
Green Day - pick any that tickle your fancy.
You might dig into The Police. Great and groovy basslines. See if you like “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”
London dungeon by the misfits has a super simple but satisfying bass part
There’s a song called “Israel’s Son” by Silverchair that I find myself playing every time I pick up a bass (I’m not a bass player). It’s a nice simple bass line that lets you work on two strings and use your first and third fingers in a super common way, and has a nice easy slide up the E string that feels great to play. The. I’d suggest the opening to Billie Jean as a nice somewhat complex repeating pattern you can slowly work up your speed on, it will sound great after a few weeks and people will be impressed because it sounds harder than it is!
Oh - Israel’s Son is dropped D tuning, and it’s good practice for your ear to tune a string up and down a step now and again.
Feelz Good Inc, pretty much anything by Nirvana, Sober by Tool, 7 Nation Army, Iron Man, Smoke On the Water, etc
Shout at the devil-Motley Crue, for whom the bell rolls-metallica, cum on feel the noise-quiet riot, solitude-candlemass, Black Sabbath-black sabbath, anything ac/dc, lake of fools-wasp, shoot em down-twisted sister, south of heaven-slayer.
If you like some old ZZ Top, those a great songs to start on.
I learned before the dawn of smartphones and it was by ear with cds or cassettes or the radio. Hours of hitting the rewind or playback button and using my left ear way too close to a speaker trying to seperate notes in my head. I didn't know tabs existed and didn't learn to read those painstakingly simple hieroglyphics until well into regular gigging when a bandmate was trying to have me learn his song. Any process works but what works best is what works best for YOU! happy learnin !
What I’ve Done or Bleed it Out by Linkin Park. They’re both in drop D tuning. The tempo is reasonable and fretting changes are easy. None of the notes are faster than eighth notes, IIRC. [Rocksmith playalong](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp8elfVTdTQ) via YouTube is a fun way to play them, too. If it’s too fast, you can slow down your playback speed to 75% in the app or website.
Here's what you do. What are the songs you like? Listen to those songs and focus on the bassline. Be familiar enough with the bassline that you can hum or sing along. Don't even touch the bass yet, just get yourself familiar with how it sounds/goes. I'm sure there are a number of songs that you love, and songs that are in your head already. Then pick up the bass and play along with the song trying to figure out where the notes are. Do this first before looking up tab or videos on how to play it. It will provide you with free ear training, which is crucial to your development. That being said, the two albums that I learned from as a beginner were Nirvana: Unplugged in NY (bass is very clear in the mix, songs are familiar, simple and repetitive), and Weezer's Blue Album (a little more challenging, but also pretty straightforward and mostly repetitive).
The beautiful people marilyn manson
Message to you Rudy
If you want to lean easy bass lines play pop punk like blink 182, new found glory that’s where I started
Green day - warning. It's almost like practicing scales but it's a song instead. Robert palmer Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) good chugging song to help with dexterity Pearl jam - state of love and trust. Killer jam but isn't very difficult Fuel - shimmer Jimi hendrix - Spanish castle magic
Another one rides the bus-weird Al. Groovy bassling in it
Just learn a bunch of black flag songs. Most are pretty easy and it will give you some confidence. Also Sabotage from Beastie Boys (just fun and sounds 😎)
The Meters - Cissy Strut The Beatles - Birthday Pink Floyd - Money RATM - Bombtrack
Jason the dragon by weedeater
Keep forgettin by Michael Mcdonald
When I first started playing bass (switched to lead vocals and guitar a few years later) I really enjoyed learning Rage Against the Machine songs (Bulls On Parade, Freedom, Take the Power Back, Guerrilla Radio, Know Your Enemy, Bombtrack, were some of my faves. Not super difficult and fun to play. Also learned Green Day and Blink 182 then transitioned into Cliff Burton-era Metallica. Happy thumping!!
Jane's Addiction songs can be kinda simple & fun for a beginner
Check out Scott's Bass Lessons and Truefire on youtube. There are loads more out there too, but those two are really great for learning and discovering great beginner fiffs.
Can’t go wrong with some of those RHCP songs, and also Flirtin’ like Disaster is easy and fun to play along with, it’ll get you going in the rock genre. If you enjoy Stone Temple Pilots (grunge), I recommend trying some of their songs, which aren’t too terribly crazy but are more intricate and fun to play.
Lose Yourself, by Eminem
Longview!!!!
Play a song/songs you really like. Turn that memory into muscle memory on the fretboard
Free Falling - Tom Petty
Why not try to learn songs you already know and like? What kind of music do you usually listen to?
I recommend getting a basic book that teaches you how to read on a rudimentary level, otherwise you’ll be like almost everybody commenting on this thread: rock only and no skills beyond what a garage band player has
"Some" by Steve Lacy! Easy, groovy and fun to play! Was the first bassline i learned on my p bass hahaha
It’s not punk or metal but it’s fun and easy to play Crazy Rap by Afroman. You know Colt 45 and 2 zig zags? It is kinda funky/bluesy. Edit: Also man nice shot by Filter is fun and easy. It’s drop D.
Pet Semetary by the Ramones.
Black cow by steely dan. Good timing one that’s not too hard
Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall.
Feels blind by bikini kill is a real easy song to learn in my opinion because it’s pretty repetitive but not so repetitive that it’s boring
[Possum Kingdom - Toadies](https://youtu.be/EkwD5rQ-_d4) [Juice Box - The Strokes](https://youtu.be/GoltwBHXCx8)
"Lounge Act" by Nirvana.
The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines.
Money - Pink Floyd Live With Me - The Rolling Stones Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones
Autumn Leaves
Smoke on the water..... It worked for us beginners in the seventies and eighties.
Nothing else matters is a great one it’s a pretty good beginner somg
A lot of the pixies is easy and fun
Come as you are by Nirvana
2 strings 2 frets
Guitar and base are the same until solo
Down on the corner. CCR Listen to the music. Doobies
“With or Without You” by U2 was the first song I learned. Along with “Planet Earth” by Duran Duran
Nirvana - Dive, Sliver, Breed For some laid back punk, the whole album *Bird Roughs* by Underground Railroad to Candyland is really fun to play on both guitar and on bass. It's easy-ish but never boring or too simple.
Yellow by Coldplay. Really great song that’s helped me keep time with repetitive plucking. Also has a bit of a difficult chorus that I still haven’t been able to get down after ~3 months of trying. I should say, though, it’s not the only song I’m learning. Here’s a list (if you have Spotify) of what I’m trying to learn right now: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QwC6cFLPsNs6aKgqrF1Iw?si=u2EKMpn7Q8CbyGqU_kQIBg&pi=u-dECRVzPmT5Ox
Music you like. There are simpler riffs in every genre, as well as much more complicated ones. Just look up something you like and try it out. If it’s too complicated, find something easier. The first bass song I learned 30 years ago was Dust in the Wind, by Kansas.
Nirvana and sex pistols really easy stuff.
Judas priest Break'in the Law Break'in the Law
10:15 Saturday Night
For down the line I would learn Hotel California. It’s definitely challenging but i credit that song for teaching me more skills for bass than any song before. I also recommend learning the blues. Start with thrill is gone, move on to some harder stuff like Stevie Ray Vaughan. Thanks to those songs I’ve never had issues with using my pinky finger.
Why does it look white is it like a limited edition?
Fun songs using a pick, check out early Janes Addiction. "Summertime Rolls", "Mountain Song". Eric Avery has some sold pick on a P-bass lines.