What's the best way to learn bass I hear you ask?
In my opinion, there's no better way than to learn directly from the greatest players in history, across a variety of styles.
When you do this, you learn how to use scales, arpeggios, triads, and more whilst playing with impeccable groove, timing, and taste. You can ONLY learn this stuff by listening and imitating.
However, if you're a beginner and you try to learn something that's too difficult, you'll set yourself up for frustration and ultimately, failure. It's all too common to have students put off because it's just too hard.
That's why you need to gain momentum from the series of small wins that learning these songs will bring you.
Ear Training For Bass Players
I have lessons on some of them and will teach more of them (so sign up to my newsletter to stay in the loop) but I really recommend that you try and figure them out by ear. Yes, it's tough at first but, ultimately, this will teach you more than anything else and will drastically aid your musical development.
Watch these two lessons to help with strengthening your musical ear:
THE Most Important Skill For A Musician (& How To Learn It)
Here is a list of ninety easy bass songs across a few different musical genres. Click the link under each list to hear the songs in a playlist with some notes for you to listen out for.
Pop
1. Can You Feel It
2. Price Tag
3. The Joker
4. Feel Good Inc
5. Dance The Night Away
6. I Want To Hold Your Hand
7. My Girl
8. Under Pressure
9. With Or Without You
10. Every Breath You Take
Rock
1. Run Like Hell
2. Livin’ On A Prayer
3. All The Small Things
4. Sunshine Of Your Love
5. Come As You Are
6. Enter Sandman
7. Sweet Home Alabama
8. Highway To Hell
9. Born To Be WIld
10. King For A Day
10 Rock Songs For Bass Players
Blues
1. Green Onions
2. Boom Boom
3. La Grange
4. Still Got The Blues
5. Love Me Like A Man
6. The Thrill Is Gone
7. Little Red Rooster
8. Jailhouse Rock
9. Sweet Home Chicago
10. Don’t Owe You A Thang
10 Blues Songs For Bass Players
Soul/Motown
1. Midnight Hour
2. Knock On Wood
3. Lean On Me
4. Higher And Higher
5. Dancing In The Street
6. I Can’t Help Myself
7. You Can’t Hurry Love
8. Uptight
9. (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay
10. Stand By Me
10 Motown/Soul Songs For Bass Players
Reggae
1. Three Little Birds
2. No Woman No Cry
3. Pressure Drop
4. Wonderful World, Beautiful People
5. 007 (Shanty Town)
6. I Am Still In Love With You
7. Private Life
8. If Love So Nice
9. Through The Fire I Come
10. Chase The Devil
10 Reggae Songs For Bass Players
Funk
1. Uptown Funk
2. Play That Funky Music
3. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
4. Chameleon
5. Fire - Ohio Players
6. Pick Up The Pieces
7. Get Up Offa That Thing
8. 1612
9. Chelsea Rodgers
10. Cosmic Girl
10 Funk Songs For Bass Players
Jazz
1. Fly Me To The Moon
2. Watermelon Man
3. Blue Bossa
4. Autumn Leaves
5. Killer Joe
6. Rhythm Changes
7. Jazz Blues
8. The Chicken
9. So What
10. The Girl From Ipanema
10 Jazz Songs For Bass Players
Latin
1. Samba de Orfeu
2. Con Alma
3. The Girl From Ipanema
4. Recorda Me
5. El Periódico de Ayer
6. How Insensitive
7. Blue Bossa - Michel Camilo (listen to his left hand)
8. Cuando Cuando
9. Afro Mambo
10. Mi Jeva
10 Latin Songs For Bass Players
Hip Hop/Rap/Dance
1. What's Golden
2. People Everyday
3.This Is How We Do It
4. Superstylin'
5. Groove Is in the Heart
6. Blue Monday
7. Around the World
8. Rapper's Delight
9. Red Alert
10. Brown Paper Bag
10 Hip Hop/Rap/Dance Songs For Bass Players
Your best teacher will be yourself. These songs and any others you ever learn, contain everything you need to know about good bass playing. The problem is, of course, you need to develop the skills to decipher the clues in the bass lines.
To do that you need to know a little about theory, have good technique, and a good consistent practice routine so that you can put the time in. I have loads of lessons on this site that will help you towards your goal of becoming a great bass player so have a look around.
