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Practice songs for beginner electric bass players

The bass is often described as the unsung hero, and it tends to be seen as a bit understated.

Some of you might have actually picked up an electric bass and gotten bored practicing root notes in an 8-beat pattern over and over.

In this article, we’ve researched songs that are relatively easy even for beginner bassists to play, while also letting you experience how fun and interesting the bass can be.

We’ve focused mainly on Japanese tracks across different eras, with a few classic Western songs included as well.

If you play bass while feeling the groove within a band ensemble, you’ll surely expand your toolkit as a player.

Give it a try!

Practice Pieces for Beginner Electric Bass (91–100)

SurvivalGLAY

Gray’s “Survival” has a lot of drive, but since it’s a medium-tempo 8-beat, it isn’t that difficult.

However, because it uses many notes and frequent syncopation, it’s perfect for practicing your sense of syncopation.

Try playing it while staying mindful not to fall out of sync with the other parts.

What You WantJUJU

JUJU 『What You Want』Music Video
What You WantJUJU

With so many parts, recreating it as a band is tough, but as for the bass, it might end up being simple and feel a bit unsatisfying.

The points to watch are the rests and where you cut off sustained notes.

The simpler the bass line, the more important it is to keep solid time and nail the nuances of each note.

Because it’s simple, listen closely to the original and play with those aspects in mind.

Practice Songs for Beginner Electric Bassists (101–110)

coloring; color scheme; hues; decoration; embellishment; added flair (figurative)Mr.Children

Mr.Children is a four-piece rock band that exploded in popularity in the 1990s and has continued to lead the J-POP scene to this day.

Their song “Irodori,” included on their 13th album HOME, was used as the commercial theme for the Olympus Digital SLR Camera E-410.

Although the tempo is relaxed and the bass doesn’t play many notes, the phrases themselves move around, so make sure to learn them thoroughly before you play.

Also, if you don’t lock in tightly with the drums and other parts, the ensemble will fall apart, so beginner bassists should take special care when giving it a try.

Marigoldaimyon

Aimyon – Marigold [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]
Marigoldaimyon

Here’s a popular song by Aimyon released in 2018.

It’s a love song that overlays summer scenery with a romance between a man and a woman, and you hear it often—it’s been performed on the Kouhaku Uta Gassen and used in commercials.

The bass line is mostly an 8-beat built on repeating the same fundamental note, making it perfect for beginners.

That said, as the song builds in the latter half, the bass line starts moving more intensely.

If that feels challenging, you might tackle it step by step and, at first, keep playing it like the simpler first half.

Robinsonsupittsu

Here’s one of Spitz’s signature hits, released in 1995.

It’s also popular at karaoke and gets sung a lot.

The guitar arpeggio phrase used in the intro is striking, but the bass line—though not flashy—isn’t a standard straight 8-beat; it has a slightly bouncy, stylish feel.

If you can nail that part, you’ll be able to play it really coolly, so try practicing by repeating the same pattern at a slow tempo to get it down.

Fluffy TimeSakurakou Keionbu

I think it’s a fun punk-leaning pop tune to play, with a nicely dialed-in distortion.

The song structure doesn’t have any particularly difficult parts, but groove and momentum are crucial, so be careful not to drag—focus on performance and play it through with energy.

Thick As A BrickJethro Tull

Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick full
Thick As A BrickJethro Tull

A lyrical band active since the ’60s.

This track is gentle as well, but the bass comes in abruptly at times, and the chorus features phrases that use a lot of tricky fingerings.

It has a unique atmosphere unlike anything else, yet it’s full of phrases that can be applied across various genres.