The best easy bass songs for beginners use one or two strings, repeat a short riff, and sit between 70 and 120 BPM. Start with “Seven Nation Army”, “Another One Bites the Dust”, “With or Without You” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Then move on to riffs like “Billie Jean” and “Sunshine of Your Love”.
Songs are where bass starts to feel like music, not homework. If you’re following our bass guitar for beginners roadmap, this is your Week 4 material. Every song below uses standard EADG tuning, and the tabs are checked against the original recordings.
These easy bass songs for beginners are grouped into three levels. Before you start, make sure your bass plays well (see how to set up a bass guitar) and that you know the note names on the E and A strings from our bass guitar notes chart.
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How to Read Tab for Easy Bass Songs for Beginners
Bass tab shows the four strings as lines, with the thinnest string (G) at the top and the thickest (E) at the bottom. Each number is a fret, and 0 means the open string. Read left to right.
G|-----------| D|-----------| A|-----------| E|-0---3---5-| = open E, then G (3rd fret), then A (5th fret) on the E string
Tab doesn’t show rhythm well, so always listen to the recording while you learn easy bass songs for beginners. Set a metronome or a slow-down app to 70–80% of the original tempo, and speed up once you can play the part cleanly four times in a row.
Easy Bass Songs for Beginners, Level 1: One-String Riffs and Root Notes
1. “Seven Nation Army” – The White Stripes
The most famous “bass” riff of the century is actually Jack White’s guitar run through a pitch-shifter, but it’s the perfect first bass riff. It’s all on the A string at about 124 BPM.
G|------------------------| D|------------------------| A|-7--7-10-7--5--3--2-----| E|------------------------| E E G E D C B
2. “Another One Bites the Dust” – Queen
John Deacon’s riff lives on the E string at about 110 BPM. Mute between notes for that tight, funky feel.
G|-------------------------------| D|-------------------------------| A|-------------------------------| E|-5-3-0---0---0----0-0-0-3-0-5--|
3. “With or Without You” – U2
Adam Clayton plays steady eighth notes on four roots (D, A, B, G) for almost the entire song, at about 110 BPM. It’s a great lesson in consistent timing.
G|---------------------------------| D|---------------------------------| A|-5-5-5-5-----------2-2-2-2-------| E|---------5-5-5-5-----------3-3-3-3| D A Bm G
4. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
The four chords are F–Bb–Ab–Db, and Krist Novoselic follows the roots. Play two notes per chord at about 117 BPM.
G|---------------------| D|---------------------| A|-----1-1-------4-4---| E|-1-1-------4-4-------| F Bb Ab Db
5. “Let It Be” – The Beatles
Play the roots of C–G–Am–F in whole or half notes at about 72 BPM, and you’ll fit the song.
G|-----------------| D|-----------------| A|-3-------0-------| E|-----3-------1---| C G Am F
6. “Hey Joe” – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Follow the roots of C–G–D–A–E. It’s a fantastic workout for moving between the E and A strings without looking.
G|---------------------| D|---------------------| A|-3-----5---0---------| E|---3-----------0-----| C G D A E
Bass Guitar for Beginners Songs: Level 2 Riffs
Once root notes feel comfortable, these bass guitar for beginners songs add two- and three-string riffs. They’re still repetitive, which makes them easy to memorise.
7. “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson
Louis Johnson’s iconic line is eight notes in F# minor at about 117 BPM. Keep it even and slightly short.
G|-----------------| D|-----2-4-2-------| A|---4-------4-2-4-| E|-2---------------| F#C#E F#E C#B C#
8. “Sunshine of Your Love” – Cream
Jack Bruce’s riff is D–D–C–D–A–Ab–G–D at about 116 BPM. The first half is on the D string and the second half on the A string.
G|-----------------------------| D|-12-12-10-12-----------------| A|-------------12-11-10----5---| E|-----------------------------| D D C D A Ab G D
9. “Under Pressure” – Queen & David Bowie
The riff is five D notes and a low A, then back to D. Count it carefully at about 114 BPM and use ghost notes once you’re comfortable.
G|-----------------------| D|-----------------------| A|-5-5-5-5-5-------5-----| E|-------------5---------|
10. “Come Together” – The Beatles
Paul McCartney’s slide-heavy line is one of the coolest in rock. Learn the D-based verse riff slowly from the recording at about 82 BPM. It’s a great step up in feel.
11. “Stand By Me” – Ben E. King
The descending line on A–F#m–D–E is a must-know. It follows the roots with passing tones, and it teaches you to lead the ear from one chord to the next.
Easy Bass Songs for Beginners, Level 3: Next-Step Songs
- 12. “Money” – Pink Floyd (B minor riff in 7/4, a great time-signature lesson)
- 13. “Feel Good Inc.” – Gorillaz (syncopated melodic line)
- 14. “Longview” – Green Day (fast eighth notes and a melodic intro)
- 15. “Hysteria” – Muse (sixteenth-note endurance; save it for month three or later)
A Four-Week Plan for Easy Bass Songs for Beginners
If you’re not sure which easy bass songs for beginners to start with, follow this plan. It assumes 20 minutes a day, five days a week, and it builds one skill at a time so each song prepares you for the next.
| Week | Songs | Focus | Goal by the end of the week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seven Nation Army, Let It Be | Fretting cleanly, one finger per fret | Play both songs along with the recording |
| 2 | Another One Bites the Dust, With or Without You | Muting, steady eighth notes | Keep eighth notes even for a full verse |
| 3 | Smells Like Teen Spirit, Hey Joe | String crossing between E and A | Change roots without looking at the neck |
| 4 | Billie Jean, Sunshine of Your Love | Riffs across two or three strings, position shifts | Play each riff four times without a mistake |
Spend the first 5 minutes of each session warming up with an old song, 10 minutes on the new one, and the last 5 minutes playing along with the full recording. Playing along is where you learn to feel the groove, not just hit the right frets.
Common Mistakes With Easy Bass Songs for Beginners
- Rushing the tempo. Bassists who play slightly ahead of the drums make a band sound nervous. Practise sitting just on or slightly behind the beat.
- Letting open strings ring. In “Another One Bites the Dust”, the gaps between notes are part of the groove. Use your fretting hand or plucking fingers to stop each note.
- Looking at the neck the whole time. Learn the distances by feel. Glance at fret markers, but keep your ears on the music.
- Plucking with only one finger. Alternate index and middle fingers from day one. It doubles your speed and evens out your tone.
- Skipping the boring songs. Root-note songs like “With or Without You” build the stamina and timing that flashy riffs depend on.
- Playing too loud through small amps. Turn the amp down and play with a lighter touch. You’ll hear your mistakes more clearly.
As you work through these easy bass songs for beginners, keep a simple practice log with the song, the tempo you reached and what tripped you up. Seeing your tempo climb from 80 to 110 BPM over two weeks is one of the best motivators there is.
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