Easy Bass Songs for Beginners: 10 Bass Lines to Learn First

By Igor Odaryuk · Updated October 29, 2026

The best first bass songs have a short riff that repeats, a steady tempo and notes on one or two strings. “Seven Nation Army”, “Another One Bites the Dust”, “With or Without You” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” are the four I recommend starting with. Below are ten songs in the order I would learn them, with what each one teaches you.

After teaching more than 750 students, I can say that the songs that work best for a first month are not the most impressive ones. They are the ones you can play from start to finish along with the record, because playing a whole song in time teaches you more than learning ten intros.

A few notes before you start. All songs here work on a standard four-string bass tuned E, A, D, G. If you are new to tab, read how to read bass tabs first, and if you are not sure where notes sit on the neck, keep the bass notes chart open. Always learn the part slowly first, then play it with the original recording.

1. “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes

The most famous beginner riff of all, and a fun fact: there is no bass guitar on the record. Jack White played it on guitar through an octave pedal, which is why it sounds like bass. The riff is seven notes, E, E, G, E, D, C, B, and you can play all of them on the A string (frets 7, 7, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2).

What it teaches: moving along one string, and holding notes for their full length instead of cutting them short.

2. “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen

John Deacon wrote this song and its bass line, and the bass carries the whole track. The riff is three repeated E notes, then the same three E notes followed by E, G, E and A. The rests between the notes matter as much as the notes themselves.

What it teaches: playing with space, and muting cleanly so the rests are silent.

3. “With or Without You” by U2

Adam Clayton plays steady eighth notes on just four roots, D, A, B and G, for most of the song. It sounds simple, and it is, but staying perfectly even for almost five minutes is a real test.

What it teaches: endurance and even eighth notes with alternating fingers. Use a metronome until it feels automatic.

4. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana

Krist Novoselic follows the root notes of the four-chord riff, F, B flat, A flat and D flat. You only need one note for each chord, which makes it a great first rock song.

What it teaches: following chord roots, which is the most common job a bass player has.

5. “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson

One of the most recognizable bass lines ever recorded. It is a single eight-note pattern, F sharp, C sharp, E, F sharp, E, C sharp, B, C sharp, repeated in steady eighth notes through most of the song.

What it teaches: crossing strings smoothly and keeping a groove steady for a long time without speeding up.

6. “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King

The bass line is the hook of this song. It repeats over a simple four-chord progression in A (A, F sharp minor, D, E), and once you know the shape you know the whole song.

What it teaches: playing a melodic bass line that moves between chords instead of only hitting roots.

7. “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie

Another John Deacon line. Repeated D notes with a jump down to A and back, played with a light, bouncy feel. Most people recognize it after two notes.

What it teaches: playing repeated notes evenly with alternating fingers, and getting the bounce right.

8. “Come As You Are” by Nirvana

The bass doubles the guitar riff, which moves between a handful of notes on the low strings. The recording is tuned a whole step down, so tune to D, G, C, F to play along with the record. It is a step up from the songs above because the riff is longer and the rhythm is less square.

What it teaches: playing a longer riff from memory and locking in with a guitar part.

9. “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream

Jack Bruce’s riff in D is one of the classic rock bass lines: D, D, C, D, A, A flat, G, D. Bass and guitar play it together.

What it teaches: chromatic movement (A, A flat, G) and using all four fingers of the fretting hand, one finger per fret.

10. “Come Together” by The Beatles

Paul McCartney’s line is built around D, with slides and a slinky feel. Save it for when the first nine feel comfortable, because the feel is harder than the notes.

What it teaches: slides, ghost notes and playing with feel rather than just correct notes.

How to Learn a Song on Bass

1. Listen first. Play the song two or three times and focus only on the bass. Hum the line before you try to play it.
2. Learn the riff slowly. Use a metronome at a tempo where you make no mistakes, even if that is half speed.
3. Learn the structure. Know where the verse, chorus and bridge start, and count bars. This is how you stay in the song when you make a mistake.
4. Play along with the record. Start to finish, without stopping. Slow the recording down with any player that changes speed without changing pitch if the original is too fast.
5. Record yourself. Listen back for rushed notes, uneven volume and strings ringing where they shouldn’t.

When These Feel Easy: Groove Songs

Once you can play these ten songs, the next step is groove. Funk and soul bass lines teach note length, ghost notes and feel. I break down three of my favorite grooves step by step: The Whispers, “And the Beat Goes On”, Shalamar, “There It Is” and Fat Larry’s Band, “Act Like You Know”. For blues, start with my guide to blues bass guitar.

If you want ready material with tabs and drum loops, my 32 Grooves Pack has 32 bass lines built for exactly this stage, and the Ultimate Bass Vault covers the full path with more than 8 hours of lessons. New to bass altogether? Start with my guide on how to play bass guitar.