This song’s main bass motif features a 16th note rhythm which will help develop picking consistency, as well as making excellent use of key rests and muted notes to provide additional groove.
This punk rock song makes an excellent bass guitar song for beginners as its consistent motif allows them to work on string skipping and sliding techniques.
Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”
Stairway to Heaven is one of the most iconic songs in rock, and has been performed by most bassists at one point or another. Additionally, numerous musicians from varying genres (country music stars to Finnish punk rock bands) have covered it.
The song tells of a woman who feels overwhelmed by all that lies ahead in a troubled world, so she goes into a store and buys a “stairway to heaven”, taking it back out into nature where she will spend her last seconds of life before heading into another dimension – death itself being inevitable in some form or fashion.
Musically, this song begins slowly with acoustic instruments before transitioning into a heavy, mid-tempo hard rock arrangement with Page’s guitar solo taking center stage – at which point, the song really takes off!
Page is known for his unique guitar solos that incorporate elements from classical, blues and metal styles. He uses finger picking techniques such as arpeggios, chord progressions and scales he learned while studying with legendary jazz guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
The lyrics of “To Be Found Out” are poetic yet vague, using metaphors and alliteration throughout its verses to critique an overly materialistic society and Plant’s argument is that spending your life gathering material possessions won’t get you anywhere except into debt and an accumulation of useless junk.
While the song does have religious undertones, its interpretation can often take on more occult connotations as well. Page’s love for Aleister Crowley and all things occult led many people to speculate there might be backwards satanic messages hidden within its lyrics.
Stairway to Heaven remains an iconic classic even after more than 30 years since its release. The song never goes out of style and remains popular with amateur guitar players looking to test out new electric instruments. So much so, that there is even an unwritten rule against playing it in guitar stores as employees cringe at hearing its sounds!
The Offspring’s “Pretty Fly for a White Guy”
YouTube user The Unusual Suspect created this mashup that features The Offspring singing “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” over titles of over 230 movies from the ’90s and beyond. This song provides both nostalgia and challenge to bassists of all skill levels; not too difficult in terms of its riffs, yet two notes must be played simultaneously with ease – bassists will typically use picks; however finger playing also works well as an option.
This song contains one of the most recognisable bass riffs in rock history. Easy to learn and integral to its melody, its opening riff makes this an excellent practice song for memorizing bass parts and string skipping/sliding skills development for bassists.
Money by Pink Floyd features another iconic bass line. With its unusual time signature of 7/4, Money may prove difficult for new bassists to learn at first. Once you get used to playing odd time signatures though, they become second nature and open up an infinite selection of songs!
Every Breath You Take by U2 is an accessible bass song to learn due to its consistent, repetitive nature and ample opportunity for practice muting strings for thicker bass sound, as well as working on developing alternate tuning for metal music. It provides beginners with a good starting point.
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
Michael Jackson was best-known as a dancer and singer, but he also provided stunning musical accompaniment. Billie Jean in particular featured an outstanding bass line that helped to define its vibey yet classy feel – an essential component in any bassist’s repertoire! With an difficulty level of 2 for its bass line composition, even beginner bassists should quickly pick it up and learn this classic track.
The bass guitar is often underestimated as an instrument, yet its presence is essential to most rock songs and can really add an exciting edge to them. Bass maintains rhythmic momentum while drums provide beats. Guitar adds harmony while bass functions closely with drummer to establish grooves that drums then follow.
If you want to learn to play bass guitar, start off with these classic rock songs designed specifically for beginners. Not only are these catchy tunes enjoyable and challenging to play but they provide a good insight into all the roles a bass guitar can fill depending on its genre or musical message.
Queen’s “Under Pressure” features an essential bass line. Though more complex than some of the songs on this list, “Under Pressure” remains an ideal way for beginner bassists to learn. The bass on this song stands out and gives it lots of character; once mastered it should prove no challenge when playing other Queen songs!
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ songs combine elements from punk, funk, and psychedelic rock styles with bass. Although their songs can be more difficult than some other styles of music, playing Red Hot Chili Peppers songs is an excellent way to build stamina and get used to fast playing – like Know Your Enemy which provides an opportunity for practicing fast bass notes as well as rhythm and timing skills.
Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On”
What’s Going On is one of the most influential soul albums ever released and an influential statement on political agency and artistic freedom for Motown artists. While other politically charged music from its time (Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks or Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew) focused more on specific details, What’s Goin’ On focused more broadly on how social issues affected him personally and deeply.
This album explores the forces that were shaping America at the dawn of the 1970s, during a period when hippie-era idealism met reality: poverty, war, drug abuse and racial divides were real issues at that time. Gaye chose instead to express his discontent through spirituality and love of humanity rather than anger – creating an album with timeless messages yet intimate resonance that feels more like an intimate night in Gaye’s boudoir than a mass call-to-action sermon.
Gaye utilized the bass playing techniques of James Jamerson during his session for What’s Goin’ On, known as Funk Brothers session musicians who created an innovative bass style to complement Gaye’s deep vocal tones and album’s explorations of sound.
Gaye made a strikingly different turn with this album than in his earlier years in the 1960s, most evident through duets with Tammy Terrell and songs like “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Even though its subject matter may have been dark, this album oozes joy while simultaneously reflecting sadness.
As the album unfolds, Gaye explores issues such as urban poverty and racism within middle class America. His powerful music reflects both these realities while at the same time remaining reflective of its time of creation.
By the time this album reached its last track, “Inner City Blues,” Gaye had started dating Janis Hunter – something which tragically ended two years later with his death. Yet this music continues to represent his legacy with its sonic brilliance and spiritual depth.