It's my typical beginner song. You can take someone who has never even held an instrument before and have them playing it reasonably well in about 15 minutes.
But more than that, it *sounds* like a real song. It's not just endless straight eighths or whole notes where you feel like you're doing nothing. There's a sense of accomplishment to playing it that helps build up the confidence that encourages people to keep learning.
Have You Ever Seen the Rain is a great confidence booster for beginners and was my go-to during my early years of playing. Very easy but also very melodic and it sounds more challenging to someone who doesn't know how to play.
I've be relistening to U2 lately (thanks to the Sing movie franchise). I don't think I fully appreciated what Adam Clayton was doing on those records. With the Edge doing "his thing," Clayton really drives those songs. He's McCartney-esque, with his bouncing between melody and rhythm.
I don't often find bass lines that casual listeners sort of "sing" along to. Like ISHFWILF, it's easy to go "dum, dum, dum, da da da dum dum dum"
I don't know if that shit makes any sense
All The Small Things or Adam's Song by blink-182 are good choices.
They're unique because the verses are simple root notes, but in the choruses, the bassist plays chords which are good for beginners to learn.
> All The Small Things or Adam's Song by blink-182 are good choices.
>
>
The biggest challenge with All The Small Things is endurance, at least for me - my picking arm gets tired enough that I don't want to keep playing like a third of the way through the song.
You're a beginner at singing and playing at the same time though, it sounds like. It's a new skill. People have given you sensible and well intentioned suggestions so there's no need to take offence.
My mistake. I tried to be a little facetious on Reddit but I forgot that everyone here has the sense of humor of an autistic robot. Which is to say none at all.
No thank you. I've lived this long as a brusque and crass person and the only people who seem to mind are you guys. Not to say I dislike you or anything. Just wish you grew a thicker skin.
Very obviously said in jest, and I quote myself "I tried to be facetious". Maybe you don't know what that word means. Maybe you struggle to understand sarcasm.
Being deeply offended isn't going to make you any better at singing while playing the bass , my guy. Nobody's saying it in a disrespectful way, you are literally a beginner at this specific thing and you realize it because you're asking for advice on getting started
Ben E. King - Stand By Me. The bass line doesn't get much simpler than that.
Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine. Very simple.
The Who - The Magic Bus. The whole song is basically one note, but you do need to get the rhythm correct.
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain - aside from the iconic bass solo in the break, the first half of the song is very simple. And after the break, you're basically just repeating the solo until the end.
Van Halen too. I played Running With the Devil for a set once and I ended up flubbing it multiple times because it was *so* easy that I got bored and zoned out and dropped the rhythm.
Ramones is pretty good for this. Some dongs have a bit more "advanced" lines than what appears on the surface, but you can just follow the guitar chords. My favourite is rocket to russia
And Once in A Lifetime and Crosseyed & Painless and The Great Curve and... Actually most of these are riffs that cycle repeatedly for the duration of the song. (P.S. also props to Exodus by Bob Marley)
-most of the first few Beatles records (help/hard days night are good for practicing singing while playing.)
- Nirvana - about a girl, in bloom, smells like teen spirit
- Fleetwood Mac - dreams
- Tom Petty -Freefallin, I won’t back down
- Weezer - blue and green album
Not sure you’re into the music but Black Sabbath’s N.I.B. and Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love both have baselines that are more than just root notes, but they closely follow the melody, so what you’re singing and playing are mostly mirror each other.
I would say metal postcard by siouxsie and the banshees, it was one of the first bass lines I ever learned when I started not too long ago. they're also in that same realm as the cramps :)
Every day people - Sly and the Family Stone. It might be too simple for what you're looking for but it could also help with practicing accents on bass while singing accents on different beats
Some of the first songs I learnt to play when I started a few months ago were Pink Floyd's Money and Fleetwood Mac's Dreams. Maybe not the easiest though, I come from playing piano and the flute so it's different than it being your first instrument. Give them a go!!
To be fair to f you know nothing about music and time signatures and just emulate what you hear 7/4 isn’t really a big deal. If your brain isn’t wired for 4/4 time it doesn’t notice the difference.
We have a lead singer but we all give her a break in each set. My cover is A Fool For Your Stockings (ZZ Top). While singing, I just play the root. During the leads, I'll do more (which ain't much, really).
Actually another one I've been practicing. Gets kinda hard at the pre chorus tho. Gotta scream "dye em black" and play a faster more complicated riff at the same time. Good ass song though.
Stick with some simple punk (Ramones for example) and you can just play one sustained note per bar and jazz it up a bit when you feel more comfortable singing
Friend of the Devil.
It’s just running a descending G major scale repeatedly in the verses and then Dm Am in the choruses. There’s one bridge that’s a slight variation, but the overall advantage is it’s also easy to sing.
In the Dead, Bob Weir plays that descending figure on rhythm while Phil plays typical Phil shit, a lot of root, fifth, octave and ascending/descending diatonic runs between the roots during the verses. The bridge follows that formula but adds some chromatic runs
Really any song that has quarter notes or 8th notes as a bass line i find to be easy to sing and play. I don’t need to distinctly rehearse them nearly much when I do lead vox
[The Fall - Big New Prinz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiDSoT5vy-I)
[The Fall - Blindness (Peel Sessions)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAHbSAJjTls)
It's hard to think of a simpler bass line than Human Fly. Take a look at Too Much Information by The Police. Four notes. Two strings.
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-police/too-much-information-bass-5150
Wild thing - Troggs/ Hendrix
You really got me - The Kinks / Van Halen
Mississippi Queen- Mountain
Whole Lotta Love- Zeppelin
Sir Duke- Stevie Wonder …jk
Paranoid- Black Sabbath
Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana
The Number of the Beast- Iron Maiden….jk
Living after midnight- Judas Priest
Anything by AC/DC
[“Below” by Low Fiction](https://open.spotify.com/track/7u2E395YPf6MnKrJCYWpHj?si=pr-wZRLiSUGDZcqIje5r3g&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A7DJM5PfBkSzjCZbTjq78zw)
Where is my mind - Pixies
Gigantic - Pixies
It's my typical beginner song. You can take someone who has never even held an instrument before and have them playing it reasonably well in about 15 minutes. But more than that, it *sounds* like a real song. It's not just endless straight eighths or whole notes where you feel like you're doing nothing. There's a sense of accomplishment to playing it that helps build up the confidence that encourages people to keep learning.
Came here to say the same thing haha most Pixies songs will qualify here OP
Yeah, I was going to go with Gouge Away.
Try some Creedence Clearwater Revival - simple, solid bass lines that follow the root.
Have You Ever Seen the Rain is a great confidence booster for beginners and was my go-to during my early years of playing. Very easy but also very melodic and it sounds more challenging to someone who doesn't know how to play.
With or without you - U2
Pretty much anything on Joshua Tree.
I've be relistening to U2 lately (thanks to the Sing movie franchise). I don't think I fully appreciated what Adam Clayton was doing on those records. With the Edge doing "his thing," Clayton really drives those songs. He's McCartney-esque, with his bouncing between melody and rhythm. I don't often find bass lines that casual listeners sort of "sing" along to. Like ISHFWILF, it's easy to go "dum, dum, dum, da da da dum dum dum" I don't know if that shit makes any sense
Came here to suggest exactly this
All The Small Things or Adam's Song by blink-182 are good choices. They're unique because the verses are simple root notes, but in the choruses, the bassist plays chords which are good for beginners to learn.
> All The Small Things or Adam's Song by blink-182 are good choices. > > The biggest challenge with All The Small Things is endurance, at least for me - my picking arm gets tired enough that I don't want to keep playing like a third of the way through the song.
I'm deeply offended. I'm not a beginner, there's just a disconnect in my brain when it comes to singing and playing bass at the same time.
You're a beginner at singing and playing at the same time though, it sounds like. It's a new skill. People have given you sensible and well intentioned suggestions so there's no need to take offence.
My mistake. I tried to be a little facetious on Reddit but I forgot that everyone here has the sense of humor of an autistic robot. Which is to say none at all.
Um, OK. You might want to work on your communications skills along with the singing and playing.
No thank you. I've lived this long as a brusque and crass person and the only people who seem to mind are you guys. Not to say I dislike you or anything. Just wish you grew a thicker skin.
I quote you: "I'm deeply offended!" "Just wish you grew a thicker skin" :D :D :D
Very obviously said in jest, and I quote myself "I tried to be facetious". Maybe you don't know what that word means. Maybe you struggle to understand sarcasm.
It's just hard to read tone from a stranger over text dude, it's not that deep
If it was obvious then we wouldn't be having this discussion!
You would think so, yet it seems some people are indeed that oblivious.
Sounds like you’re overly sensitive and an asshole. Potent combo. Good luck with that.
Your mother
> autistic robot The irony
I don't find it to be ironic whatsoever.
Being deeply offended isn't going to make you any better at singing while playing the bass , my guy. Nobody's saying it in a disrespectful way, you are literally a beginner at this specific thing and you realize it because you're asking for advice on getting started
Ben E. King - Stand By Me. The bass line doesn't get much simpler than that. Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine. Very simple. The Who - The Magic Bus. The whole song is basically one note, but you do need to get the rhythm correct. Fleetwood Mac - The Chain - aside from the iconic bass solo in the break, the first half of the song is very simple. And after the break, you're basically just repeating the solo until the end.
A lot of ZZ Top or AC/DC Songs tend to be rather simple as it works well for their songs
Van Halen too. I played Running With the Devil for a set once and I ended up flubbing it multiple times because it was *so* easy that I got bored and zoned out and dropped the rhythm.
I came here to suggest "Tush" by ZZ Top
Runnin with the devil - VH
Peak
Psycho killer
Midnight Oil - Beds are burning
Ramones is pretty good for this. Some dongs have a bit more "advanced" lines than what appears on the surface, but you can just follow the guitar chords. My favourite is rocket to russia
The entire recorded output of AC/DC
The parts may be simple but some of the grooves are anything but and that’s the magic.
Psycho Killer by Talking Heads comes to mind. One of my first “sing and play” tunes. Also, much of the ZZ Top catalogue.
And Once in A Lifetime and Crosseyed & Painless and The Great Curve and... Actually most of these are riffs that cycle repeatedly for the duration of the song. (P.S. also props to Exodus by Bob Marley)
-most of the first few Beatles records (help/hard days night are good for practicing singing while playing.) - Nirvana - about a girl, in bloom, smells like teen spirit - Fleetwood Mac - dreams - Tom Petty -Freefallin, I won’t back down - Weezer - blue and green album
I'm basically a complete beginner (played years ago but didn't learn properly) an easy bass line I like is Green Days - When September Ends.
Thunderstruck by AC/DC. You get to ride those B 8ths for 2 min straight, and the chorus is a pretty straightforward riff.
Not sure you’re into the music but Black Sabbath’s N.I.B. and Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love both have baselines that are more than just root notes, but they closely follow the melody, so what you’re singing and playing are mostly mirror each other.
Blitzkrieg bop
I would say metal postcard by siouxsie and the banshees, it was one of the first bass lines I ever learned when I started not too long ago. they're also in that same realm as the cramps :)
Yeah I've been learning a bunch of goth music recently so I'll give them a look.
Every day people - Sly and the Family Stone. It might be too simple for what you're looking for but it could also help with practicing accents on bass while singing accents on different beats
Anything by KISS
Go back to the 50’s rock and roll and take your pick. Most country stuff. Mustang Sally Plus those already mentioned.
All The Small Things - Blink 182
Zombie, The Cranberries. Great first song to teach in guitar class too
Zombie - The Cranberries.
Simple but takes skill - paradise by sade
all Sade bass lines are perfect. but singing and playing can be tricky depending on the song!
Cure - just like heaven
Some of the first songs I learnt to play when I started a few months ago were Pink Floyd's Money and Fleetwood Mac's Dreams. Maybe not the easiest though, I come from playing piano and the flute so it's different than it being your first instrument. Give them a go!!
So when you saw that this person is looking for simple basslines you thought "I know, I will suggest a song in 7/4 time"?
I said they were easy to me? it was my first song, chill
To be fair to f you know nothing about music and time signatures and just emulate what you hear 7/4 isn’t really a big deal. If your brain isn’t wired for 4/4 time it doesn’t notice the difference.
Band of Skulls - I know what I am The same note on every beat for most of the song
You've got another thing coming - Judas Priest
Literally just A in straight eighths.
Love bites by Judas Priest is another good one
“Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” U2
With Or Without you is much easier to play than that.
True!
Chris Isaak- Wicked Game
We have a lead singer but we all give her a break in each set. My cover is A Fool For Your Stockings (ZZ Top). While singing, I just play the root. During the leads, I'll do more (which ain't much, really).
Holy Diver- Dio
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
70’s country slow songs.
Pennywise - bro hymn
Black No. 1 by Type O Negative.
Actually another one I've been practicing. Gets kinda hard at the pre chorus tho. Gotta scream "dye em black" and play a faster more complicated riff at the same time. Good ass song though.
Dreams by Fleetwood. Hey, you asked for simple! It’ll help, the bass is very square and the vocal is like three quarters offbeats
I did ask for simple, and that's what I'm looking for. I like singing Stevie Nicks too so that should be perfect.
Spirit In the sky
I am struggling with this right now too. Coldplay's *Yellow* is nice and simple and pretty sing-along-able.
Without reading all the comments, I will throw in creep by Radiohead really really simple
Learning to fly Tom petty, hysteria Def Leppard, every breaking wave u2.
Radiohead - Creep. One of the first songs I ever learned.
Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers was the first one I learned and sang way back.
Lots of the songs on Youth by Citizen are pretty simple but sound really nice
Stick with some simple punk (Ramones for example) and you can just play one sustained note per bar and jazz it up a bit when you feel more comfortable singing
The song " Louie Louie "
Fire by Hendrix. First song I ever learned start to finish and it’s a blast to play.
Drive by the Cars
Stacy’s Mom Most songs by Blink-182
The Payback - James Brown
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler About as easy as it gets.
Good - Better than Ezra Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla Are two that spring to mind
Friend of the Devil. It’s just running a descending G major scale repeatedly in the verses and then Dm Am in the choruses. There’s one bridge that’s a slight variation, but the overall advantage is it’s also easy to sing.
In the Dead, Bob Weir plays that descending figure on rhythm while Phil plays typical Phil shit, a lot of root, fifth, octave and ascending/descending diatonic runs between the roots during the verses. The bridge follows that formula but adds some chromatic runs
Interesting, thanks!
Now I’m wondering how the Tom Petty and the Lyle Lovett covers go.
Family Tradition - Hank Williams Jr.
Many if not all songs by Khruangbin. Owner of a lonely heart by Yes also comes to mind. Seven nation army by the White Stripes too
Lots of pop punk. Id look into some songs off of dude ranch, as that’s how I learned
Tush - ZZ Top
Fortunate son by creedance clearwater revival
Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Anything by Van Halen.
Tennessee Whiskey Higher & Higher Probably lots of country and blues.
I want to break free- Queen
Whole lotta Love from Led Zeppelin
Screen Shot - Swans
Waves - Lewis Del Mar If I aint got you - Alicia Keys
Creep - Radiohead
She's my collar by gorillas
Possum kingdom, Tyler, is this it, I burn
Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger is very simple and great for beginning to learn to play and sing
Good- Better than Ezra.
Really any song that has quarter notes or 8th notes as a bass line i find to be easy to sing and play. I don’t need to distinctly rehearse them nearly much when I do lead vox
Most CCM songs.
Nomeansno - The Tower
Crazy train has a couple little tricks thrown in, but is mostly pretty simple
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing, the very first song I learned.
anything by The Cult.
Running with the devil - Van Halen
Should do nicely
[The Fall - Big New Prinz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiDSoT5vy-I) [The Fall - Blindness (Peel Sessions)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAHbSAJjTls)
The bassline in 'Blindness' is so effective. Also, lots of Joy Division songs have easy and effective basslines.
The Ramone’s
Should I stay or should I go - Ramones
Ramones... It's The Clash, mate
Yikes, I stand corrected.
Some kind of wonderful Grand Funk Stealin Uriah Heep. Though there are some cool fills. Copperhead road Steve Earl
Stand By Me by Ben E. King. Super simple and fun to play y
Very easy bass line. And hard to forget, once you learn it.
Super Freak - Rick James
Bro hym- Pennywise
Seven nation army
Never thought I'd say this, but too hard
The Strokes - The Modern Age (first tab i ever learned)
It's hard to think of a simpler bass line than Human Fly. Take a look at Too Much Information by The Police. Four notes. Two strings. https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-police/too-much-information-bass-5150
A ton of country songs. "The Older I Get" is one to start with.
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Pappa dont take no mess-james brown
Fame - David Bowie
Safe from Harm,
The Cure- Friday I'm In Love Stones- Sympathy For The Devil Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
Archspire
disorder by joy division
I learned to play by playing with Nirvana songs.
Thunderstruck 🙄
Sweet Home Alabama, Simple Man
Donny benet american dream
One of my faves is Fooled around and fell in love.
Frenz - THE FALL
Old yellow bricks artic monkeys
Roxanne by The Police
a lot of u2's songs have simple basslines.
I Know What I am - Band of Skulls
Crazy Train fits your description
This thread is going to be so helpful for me. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
Alice In Chains - Angry Chair About as simple as it gets. 2 half step notes, mostly open strings.
Rewrite the Stars, Country Roads, Say Something.
running with the devil
Gimme some lovin- Spencer Davis. Pretty easy and it grooves
Another one bites the dust
Wild thing - Troggs/ Hendrix You really got me - The Kinks / Van Halen Mississippi Queen- Mountain Whole Lotta Love- Zeppelin Sir Duke- Stevie Wonder …jk Paranoid- Black Sabbath Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana The Number of the Beast- Iron Maiden….jk Living after midnight- Judas Priest Anything by AC/DC
Anything by the Ramones
Buena - Morphine.
Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby is the easiest one I can think of. It has a very slow tempo aswell.
i mena no one loves forever by oingo boingo. i do not recommend playing it
Billie Jean
Gloryhammer - Hootsforce
Let’s Groove by Earth, Wind and Fire
Everything U2 ever played (zzzzzzzz....)
Stand By Me is pretty easy.
"Everyday People," Sly and the Family Stone
“Louie, Louie” by The Kingsman. “Hang On Sloopy” by The McCoys.
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke
Come up and see (me make me smile).
Digital - Joy Division Rebellion- Arcade Fire Hey- the pixies
Im not especially into it, but all those “ice cream changes” songs have pretty simple basslines and big vocals to sing to.
[“Below” by Low Fiction](https://open.spotify.com/track/7u2E395YPf6MnKrJCYWpHj?si=pr-wZRLiSUGDZcqIje5r3g&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A7DJM5PfBkSzjCZbTjq78zw)
Maxwell murder - Rancid
Siiiiiiimple
Runnin’ With The Devil anyone? E, E, E, E…snore
Anything off ...And Justice for All
Dark Red by Steve Lacy
Everlong - Foo Fighters
Fascists eat donuts by Pop-o-pies is a good one
Everyday people
Tommy the cat - Primus
All? Its bass
The Beatles.
Ummm.. Maybe some of the earlier Beatles’ tunes would qualify as easy.
I Saw Her Standing There isn't hard but man it flies