Steve PMHCongratulations! You have bought a bass guitar and are looking forward to playing cool songs people can recognize, but you don’t know where to begin?
Look no further, we have collected a list of 55 Best Easy Bass Lines that will help you impress anyone.
You will find a wide array of classic tunes, from Pop, to Reggae, but mostly Rock anthems that will make anyone sing along.
Our list of the best easy bass lines will help you explore and define your new sound by adventuring into catchy, famous and fun songs that will impress your family and friends.
As a beginner bass player, you will realize that unlike playing the guitar or the piano, it is difficult to find tunes whose bass lines are identifiable and recognizable by the general public, but these 55 Easy Bass Lines will make anyone tap their feet or sing to the beat.
The best way to learn to play the bass and to test yourself on this new instrument is to listen to tunes that you like.
Enjoying what you play is the first secret to succeeding.
You can find a variety of artists and songs on this list, so you can choose the ones that best suit you, your style, and your audience.
Whichever song you choose, we assure you will sound like a rockstar!
Before we continue our journey through the 55 Best Easy Bass Lines, it is essential that you learn how to read bass tabs.
We have included an explanation below.
How to read bass tabs
The strings on the bass run EADG, from the top down.
The numbers you will find on every string line is the number of the fret you have to press when you play each string.
‘O’ is an open string, ‘1’ is the first fret at the very end, and so forth.
Other notations you might find include: ‘h’ for hammer, ‘p’ for pop, and ‘s’ for slide.
When you first start playing the bass, your fingers might be slow, as they might not be used to these new movements, but don’t worry, as you practice and work down this list of 55 Best Easy Bass Lines, the movements will become easier and faster.
It is important that you focus on the sound, and most important, to enjoy it!
(It is normal to make mistakes at the beginning, don’t be too hard on yourself, remember: “Practice makes perfect.”)
1- The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
Although the song originally has no bass, and the riff is played by Jack White on the electric guitar, learning this tune on the bass will make you sound cool and edgy.
It is a simple riff, but it is full of power, and probably everybody will know it!
If you like rock, Seven Nation Army, by the White Stripes might hit the spot for you, it is young, modern and badass!
Below you will find the tab for ‘Seven Nation Army’, by The White Stripes:
G|—————————————|
D|—————————————|
A|—7–7-10-7-5-3–2————|
E|—————————————|
2- Queen – Under Pressure
This tune is a classic, and it has been featured on multiple movies as well. It is assured that the people around you will know it and will like to sing along to it.
This is the tab for the intro of the song:
G|——————————————|
D|——12-12-12-121212———|
A|——–—————————12—|
E|——————————————|
3- Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
It can’t get more classic and groovy than this. Once you learn this bass line, you will be able to make anyone in the room want to dance!
This is the first riff of the song:
G|———————————|
D|——4——2-4-2————|
A|———4————4-2-4—|
E|———————————|
4- Bob Marley and the Wailers – Three Little Birds
A very family-friendly tune that everyone can sing along to, as mentioned earlier, this list of 55 Best Easy Bass Lines includes a wide array of classic tunes, from Pop, to Reggae.
So bring out the hippie in you and put on your good vibes, this is a great tune to start off with!
Intro (play twice):
G|———————|———————|———————|———————|
D|———————|———————|———————|———7—7——|
A|———————|——7—4—7—|———————|——9—9—9——|
E|5—5—5———|———————|5—5——5—5—|———————|
5- AC/DC – Back in Black
Another rocker tune that will make you feel badass.
G|-------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-------5-5-5-----4-4-4---------------------------|
E|-0-------------------------7-4--7-5--7-6--7-7----|
Another tip for practicing is to keep the music playing on the background as you play along, that way you can soak up the rhythm, and it will improve your tempo.
Also, if you are practicing without music, a good method to keep time correctly is to use a metronome on the background, to keep you on track.
Even though it might feel annoying at the beginning, in the long-term, it can really make a difference between becoming a regular bass player or a pro.
6- Queen – Another One Bites the Dust
If you are looking for easy bass lines, this will be the most frequently recommended song of all time. Our 55 Best Easy Bass Lines list couldn’t miss this one.
Written by Queen’s bass player, John Deacon, the bass line of ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ is one of the most iconic base lines ever created and a must-know for every bassist.
G|——————————————|
D|——————————————|
A|——————————————|
E|-5-3—0-0-0—0-0-0-3-0-5|
7- Cream – Sunshine of Your Love
An iconic, recognizable, classic, and time-defying riff.
G|—8—8—6—8—————————|
D|———————8—7—6—————|
A|———————————6—9—6—|
E|————————————————|
8- Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
If you are into grunge, this is the perfect one for you. Honor Kurt Cobain by rocking that bass guitar to the powerful riff of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
Main Riff:
G|——————————————|
D|——————————————|
A|————1111————4444——|
E|-1-11—————4-44—————|
How are your fingers feeling? Are you enjoying these 55 Best Easy Bass Lines?
9- Black Sabbath – Iron Man
Whether you are a fan of Ozzy or Dio, this is a classic Black Sabbath tune, definitely worth knowing on the bass guitar.
G|———————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————|
A|—————7-7—10—9-10-9-10-9————7-7—|
E|-7—10-10———————————-10-10————|
10- Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water
Another simple, but catchy and rocker tune. Remember to keep your sound clean and to focus on the fingers you are not using as well!
G|———————————————————————|
D|———————————————————————|
A|———5—————6—5————5—————––––|
E|–5–8———5—8————5—8——8—5—––––––|
11- Queen – We Will Rock You
Another of Queen’s rock anthems.
G|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-10-10-10-10-5-5-5-5-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-----|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-| (2x)
E|---------------------|-------------3-0-|-----------------|
12- The Beatles – Come Together
Who doesn’t love The Beatles? Paul McCartney plays the bass on this song on his iconic Hofner bass guitar.
‘Come Together’ is the perfect tune to practice slides on the bass strings, as it uses slides throughout the whole song.
Main Riff:
G|————————10————————–|
D|———————————12/5 (slide)—|
A|————10-12———————————|
E|–10–10—————————————––|
13- Ben E King – Stand By Me
This is the ballad of the 55 Best Easy Bass Lines, a song we can all sing along to, regardless of our age, right?
The cool thing about this song is that once you learn the main phrase, you will be able to play along with the entire song!
G||------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D||*-7-----7-------6-|-7-----7-----7-6-|-4-----4---------|-4-----4-----4---| A||*-------------7---|-----------------|-------------7---|---------------7-| E||------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|| D|---------------4-|---------------6-|-7-----7-------6-|-7-----7-------6-*|| A|-5-----5-----5---|-7-----7-----7---|-------------7---|-------------7---*|| E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------||
14- Rick James – Superfreak
Talking about age, would the youngest people in the family know the chorus of this song?
(“Can’t Touch This”) Fun, and groovy, along with Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’, you can bring the rhythm to the dance floor!
G|---------------------------|
D|---------------------------|
A|-3h5--3--2--0---------2--0-|
E|----------------0--3-------|
15- Pink Floyd – Money
Although the riff of the song was composed and performed in an unconventional time signature (7/4 as opposed to 4/4, the conventional rock beat), ‘Money’ is one of the most epic bass lines you can learn.
Repeat through the whole song:
G|——-4—————————4————————|
D|o——-4—————–0———4—————–0—o|
A|o-2——-2-r—–0—2-r—–2——-2-r—–0—2-r—–o|x4
E|—————2—————————2—————-|
16- Journey – Don’t Stop Believing
‘Don’t Stop Believing’, was originally released as the second single of Journey’s 7th studio album, Escape, in 1981.
It became a number 9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on it original release, after entering the chart at position 56 on October 31st, 1981.
In the UK, however, the song was not a Top 40 hit on its original release, but it reached number 6 in 2009.
This proves the time-defying success of the song, if you learn this bass line, you will be much loved by every member of the family, (and maybe that special someone), regardless of their generation.
G|—————–|—————–|—————-|—————–|
D|—————–|—————–|—————-|—————–|
A|—————2-|———–4-6-4-|———-4-7—|———–6-7—|
E|-0———2-4—|—————–|————–5-|—————0-|
17- Led Zeppelin – Dazed and Confused
Although Jimmy Page is best known for his amazing solos on Led Zeppelin, John Paul Jones has also a bunch of kick ass bass lines that you might want to learn.
The intro bass line of ‘Dazed and Confused’ is simple and will help you get into more Led Zeppelin songs as well!
This is the tab for the Intro bass line for ‘Dazed and Confused’:
G|----||------------|------------| D|----||------------|------------| A|----||10----9-----|8-----7-----| E|--0-||------------|----------0-| G|------------|------------|| D|------------|------------||* A|5-----4-----|3-----2-----||* E|------------|----------0-||
18- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
Something more modern and romantic, ‘Californication’, by Red Hot Chili Peppers is another all-time favorite at our 55 Best Easy Bass Lines list for you.
G|—————————9——9——7h9———————————7——7—————————————9——9——7h9————————————10——10——7~———| D|———7——7————————————10——————————————10~—7——7—————————————10——————————————————————| A|———————————————————————8——8——————————————————————————————————8——8———————————————| x2 E|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|
Remember what the ‘h’ and the ‘p’ stand for? ‘H’ is to hammer and ‘p’ is to pop.
This can be a good song to improve your technical abilities and fingering strength.
19- Kiss – God of Thunder
There is nothing like a good Kiss song to bring out the glam rocker in you.
Bass tab for the song:
Gb|------------------------------------------------| Db|------------------------------------------------| Ab|-------7---------7-----------7---------7--------| Eb|----0---------7-----0-----0---------7-----0-----| Gb|------------------------------------------------| Db|------------------------------------------------| Ab|-------7---------7--3-----0--3--5--5b-5--3h-5---| Eb|----0---------7---------------------------------|
20- The Beatles – Love Me Do
One of The Beatles’ earliest releases, ‘Love Me Do’ was the debut single of the English rock band, backed by ‘P.S. I Love You’, released in 1962.
G—————————| |—————————————| |—————————| |—————————————| D—5—————5—|x3|———5———5—————|x1|—5—————5—|x5|———5———5—————|x1 A———5—3———| |—3———3———3———| |———5—3———| |—3———3———3———| E—————————| |—————————————| |—————————| |—————————————|
21- War – Low Rider
This fun and funky tune was released in 1975 and it brings all the good vibes you might be looking for on the bass!
G————————————————————————————— D—————————————3———3h5—3h5————— A———————1—3—5———5————————————— E——1—3————————————————————————
22- Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
If you are looking for something more modern and alternative, ‘Feel Good Inc.’, by the British virtual band, Gorillaz, might be the perfect song for you!
Gorillaz was created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn, and artist Jamie Hewett.
The band consists primarily of four animated characters: Stuart ‘2-D’ Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs.
‘Feel Good Inc’ was released as a single in 2005, and it reached number 2 in the United Kingdom, and number 14 in the charts in the United States.
The bass line for ‘Feel Good Inc’ was composed by Jamie Coxx. It is a catchy, must-learn riff for any bassist.
The tuning in the original song is Eb, but it can be transcribed into standard tuning, as in the tab below:
Main Intro Riff:
G|————————————————————————|
D|————————9—8—––8––8—9—8—————–|
A|—6––6—8—9—————————————8—6——|
E|————————————–––——————————–|
23- Rage Against the Machine – Bombtrack
If you are looking for some 90s’ iconic bass players, Tim Commerford might hit the spot for you.
He is known for his heavy distorted and gritty tone that later on became the benchmark for many modern rock songs.
The good news is that the bass line for this song is not complex, actually, it is a typical supporting bass line, fitting right into our 55 Best Easy Bass Lines.
An important thing to keep in mind while practicing these songs, as we have mentioned earlier, is to focus on your sound.
For this song, you can try to get a deep, warm, and fat tone. The best thing about this tune, is that standing up, and jumping around is almost mandatory!
While playing along to the track, pay attention to synchronizing your pull-offs and bends with the guitarist.
Bass tab of the chorus:
G|——————————–|————————————————–|
D|———4—————–4—2—————4–—————6—5—4—|
A|——————————–————————————4—3—2—|
E|–0–2–––0–2–0–2—————0—2———0—2——————|
24- The Offspring – Pretty Fly for a White Guy
Americana is probably one of The Offspring’s best albums.
‘Pretty Fly for a White Guy’ is the fourth track, and it made it to number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as reaching the charts in 15 different countries.
There are a lot of bass notes in this song, so it can be seen as a little challenging as a beginner, but the rhythm never changes, so once you nail the rhythm, you’ll have no problems.
Verse:
G|————————————————————–|
D|———————2–0————————2–0——|
A|–2–2––0–2–2———2—2––0–2–2————–|
E|———2—————————2————————|
25- Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
Another rock hit from the 70s, ‘The Chain’ is a song by the British-American rock band: Fleetwood Mac.
The song was released in their critically acclaimed best-selling album: Rumours.
‘The Chain’ is the only song from the album credited to all five members of the band, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood.
(Fun fact: In that time, if you wanted to edit a song, you had to manually splice tapes with a razor blade!)
There is no bass for the first minute of the song. It comes in with the lyric “And if you don’t love me now”, and it goes like this:
G|——————————–|————————————————–|
D|——————————–|—————–———————————|
A|——————————–|————————————————–|
E|–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–|–5/12–12-10-8-8-8-10-10-10——|
It is a good tune to practice your sliding skills.
26- Yes – Owner of a Lonely Heart
‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ is a song by the British progressive rock band: Yes. It is the first track, and single from their eleventh studio album, 90125.
It was released in 1983, and it was written primarily by guitarist and singer Trevor Rabin, while singer Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire contributed to the final version.
|————————————————————————|———————————|| |*———————————————————————|——————————*|| |*—————————2——3————5——5——|——————————*|| |———5————————————————————|————3——3———||
27- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Around the World
Another Red Hot tune! There is no one quite like Flea on the bass, is there?
28- Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk
Going back to the modern and funky vibes of Pop music, Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’ is the perfect cheerful, fun, upbeat tune to brighten the mood of any household.
It was released as a single in November 2014, featuring Bruno Mars on the vocals.
The song’s exciting mood comes from the fusion of funk-pop, soul, boogie, and disco-pop elements.
29- Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
Keeping on the modern and pop side of music, Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ has an easy, but cool-sounding bass riff, that we just had to include in our 55 Best Easy Bass Lines.
It is also a good tune to practice your hammering skills as well.
Here’s the bass tab for the Intro and the Chorus:
G|——————————————————————————–——————————–———————||
D|—————2—————–—————4—————————————————————–—2————–||
A|—0—3h4—4—0—————2—4h5—5—2————————2————–———0—3h4—4—0——||
E|————————————————————————0—3h4—4—0——————————————||
30- Green Day – Longview
This might be a throwback to the young teenage days. ‘Longview’ is the lead single from Green Day’s third album, Dookie.
This was the band’s first single to top the Modern Rock chart in the United States, and its video received a heavy airplay on MTV.
31- Limp Bizkit – Take a Look Around
If you are looking for a band that combines rock and rap, the American band, Limp Bizkit, is your best bet.
‘Take a Look Around’ is the lead single, and tenth track of their third studio album, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
The bass line is good for beginners, so we have included it on our 55 Best Easy Bass Lines.
32- System of a Down – Hypnotize (The Intro)
Looking for something a bit heavier? This System of a Down tune will bring out the metal head in you.
Intro:
G|—5—5—7—7—7—7—8—8—7—7—5—5—4—4—||
D|——5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—5—–||
A|———————————————————————–|| X2
E|———————————————————————–||
33- KoRn – Somebody Someone
Staying on the heavy side, KoRn’s ‘Somebody Someone’ might another that interests you.
34- Disturbed – Down with the sickness
If you are enjoying the heavy tracks, this is the bass tab for Disturbed’s song, ‘Down with the Sickness’.
G|——————————————————————|
D|——————————————————————|
A|0-3-0-1-0—0-3-0-1-0—0-3-0-1-0-3-0-1-0—|
E|——————————————————————|
35- John Lee Hooker – Boom Boom
The blues tune of our 55 Best Easy Bass Lines, no one can beat the legendary John Lee Hooker and his killer blues songs.
36- Ozzy Osborne – Crazy Train
If you enjoyed ‘Iron Man’, by Black Sabbath, you are probably going to enjoy learning the bass line to ‘Crazy Train’, by Ozzy Osborne as well.
Definitely fits as a good and easy tune to learn on the bass.
37- Limp Bizkit – Re-Arranged
Limp Bizkit’s bass lines rock the house, man. Check out ‘Re-Arranged’.
38- Rage Against the Machine – I’m Housin
Coming back to Tim Commerford, and his legendary kick ass rock bass lines.
39- Joan Jett & the Black Hearts – I Love Rock’n Roll
Another classic from the 80s, rock on!
40- Nirvana – Come As You Are
Nirvana again, a legend from the 90s, this time with a different single: ‘Come As You Are’.
Intro:
G|—————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————|
A|————————0——0—————2——2—–|
E|——0—0—1—2——2——2—1—0——0——–|
Remember that if you are having a hard time with your fingers, or different positions, it’s ok!
Practice makes perfect, just stick to it and focus on the sound. Keep going, you are doing great!
41- Audioslave – Cochise
G———————————————————————————————— D—0h2——0———0————————0h2—0———————— X2 A————————2———2————————————2—————— E——————————————3—0~—————————3—0——
42- Eminem – Lose Yourself
G|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-0-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3|
D|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0|
A|——————————-|
E|——————————-|
43- Metallica – Enter Sandman
‘Enter Sandman’ was the first song that was written for Metallica’s 1991 album: Metallica.
This was also the first song in Metallica’s sound, in which the bass became the center of attention, instead of the electric guitars.
44- Foster the People – Pumped Up Kids
A chill out and relaxed tune, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ was released in 2010, and it became Foster the People’s breakthrough hit song.
This is the main bass riff of the song:
G|-------------------------------------------------| D|-----------------------1--1--1-------------------| A|-------------------1-3---------3--1--1--1-----1--| E|--1--1--1-3--4--4-------------------------3h4----| G|-------------------------------------------------| D|-----------------------1--1--1h3p1---------------| A|-------------------1-3------------3p1--1--1h3p1--| E|--1--1--1-3--4--4-------------------------------4|
It is a good song to practice hammering and popping.
45- ZZ Top – La Grange
“La Grange” is a great choice for beginners due to its simplicity and repetitive bassline. It’s an excellent way to practice basic rhythm and groove.
46- The Ramones – Sheena is a Punk Rocker
This song’s energetic bassline is perfect for beginners looking to develop speed and stamina.
It emphasizes precise and tight rhythm, a crucial skill for any bass player.
47- Rage Against the Machine – Bullet in the Head
More Tim Commerford… This is a good song to start letting your creativity soar and make up little licks around it.
G|——————————————–|
D|————————————7——|
A|—7––7––7—7––7—–——6——|
E|——————————0————| (You can mute ‘E’ with your left thumb)
48- Herbie Hancock – Chameleon
“Chameleon” introduces beginners to the world of funky bass.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to work on rhythm and groove, as well as master the art of syncopation.
49- Meghan Trainor – Like I’m Gonna Lose You
The melodic and emotive bassline in this song provides beginners with the chance to explore melody and emotional expression in their playing.
It’s a valuable choice for practicing slower, ballad-style songs.
50- Tool – 46&2
An innately epic song, the bass line goes like this:
G|—-7—–5h7—-8p7—–5h7– -3h5——|
D|-0—–0——0——-0——-0—————|
A|—————————————————–|
E|—————————————————–|
51- Fall Out Boy – Dance Dance
This song’s dynamic and driving bassline helps beginners maintain a consistent rhythm. Its catchiness makes it a fun and motivating piece to learn and play.
52- Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight Tonight
The melodic and atmospheric bassline in this song teaches beginners how to create depth and mood through their playing.
It’s an opportunity to practice subtlety and control in a supporting role.
53- Abaco Dream – Life and Death in G&A
An all-time funky riff that will get your juices flowing.
54- The Temptations – My Girl
Coming to us from 1964, this ballad is a classic you should definitely learn. Perfect for a first date, or a sweet and cozy family reunion.
55- Sly & The Family Stone – Everyday People
Rhythmic and groovy, this tune will go hand in hand with ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ to get those disco vibes going. Plus, the bass line is very easy to learn.
Conclusion
Well done! You have gone through all of the 55 Best Easy Bass Lines. If you have learned them all, you can officially call yourself a bass player now.
These 55 Best Easy Bass Lines of all times, cross a wide array of music genres and cultural generations, specifying in rock anthems.
By practicing them, you will be able to impress anyone with your skills. These tunes will surprise metal-heads, and grandmothers alike!
Tips for practicing
A couple of things to keep in mind while you are practicing these songs on the bass:
1- Focus on your sound!
Believe it or not, the good habit and awareness of keeping a clean sound could be the element that separates you from being an amateur to becoming a good bass player.
Pay attention to the strings that you are not playing, are they ringing when they are not meant to?
When you are playing a string, the other strings MUST NOT BE RINGING!
As a beginner, it might be difficult to pay attention to such detail as you are focused on the string, the fret and the fingers you are using to play.
A good way to recognize if this is happening as you play is to record yourself playing and then playing it back, if there were strings that were ringing while you were playing and you didn’t notice, you will hear them then.
Pay attention to the strings that aren’t meant to be ringing, record yourself to hear how you sound.
2- Keep it simple.
Don’t jump into busy bass lines if you are not ready, take your time, listen to yourself and find the comfort in playing before moving on.
If you start with a bad habit and get into playing complicated bass lines without finding a clean sound first, it might be really difficult to fix it later.
Start simple, slow and clean, and you will get as far as you wish with a professional sound.
It is better to learn an instrument slowly, and well, than fast and wrong. You won’t be able to impress anyone if you don’t get a good bass sound.
3- Stick to the rhythm.
Practice with music on the background to keep you in time, or if there is no music, use a metronome.
It might be uncomfortable at first, but the more you do it, the easier it will get.
Being on time really makes a difference between trying to play, and being a GOOD BASS PLAYER.
The band will rely on you to keep the rhythm tight between the drums and the guitar (and/or keyboards). You are the spine, so you need to be solid!
Remember: practice makes perfect! The more you practice, the more comfortable you are going to feel.
Thank you for reading our 55 Best Easy Bass Lines, feel free to leave any comments or share on social media.
We wish you good luck on this musical journey!
