80s Bass Lines: Big Hair Bass Bops for Your Playing
Cool bass parts with TABs!
5,0 / 5,0 | 
80s bass lines are fast, exciting and fun to play! With these 5 examples, there’s something for beginners, pro players, and anyone in between.
80s Bass Lines:
Bass lines from the 80s: What’s not to love?
As a species, we love nostalgia. And as musicians, we seem to love 80s nostalgia. Big hair, big amps, and groovy bass lines.
In a period where technology started to intervene, there are still a bunch of 80s bass lines that feature good old-fashioned finger-picking action. The best part about this selection is that the bass lines are their own part. They provide the rhythm, and have their own identity in the song.
Helping beginners and experts, this rundown of 80s bass lines will help you on your bass-playing journey. Looking at core techniques, and delving into new ones that will put you in a good position for future jams.
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Our first 80s bass line comes from Louis Johnson, Michael Jackson’s bass player. This is a great beginner riff as it’s so repetitive and linear. Furthermore, it’s arguably one of the most distinctive bass lines you can hope to play.
Working around just two frets and using your ring and index fingers, this tune can also be used as a warm-up exercise. Rhythmically, we’re working with quavers. When playing, we’d want to count 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+. This is the pulse of the riff.
When it comes to right-hand techniques, you’re probably best picking with your first and second fingers in your plucking hand. This allows for an equal pluck of each note. This riff chugs along for the best part of the verse, so you can get plenty of practice with it.
Hysteria – Def Leppard
From the album of the same name, Hysteria comes from the summer of 1987. Every rock band needs their slow song, and this is the Sheffield rocker’s version.
Again, we’re working with 1/2 notes in the verse. No fancy slaps and pops, just a pure and simple driving groove. As a bass player, this is my favourite type of song to play. Being able to accompany the rest of the band, sit back and relax.
We follow the chord progression of D, G, E and D. Similarly, I’d advise playing this with two fingers, or even with a pick. Plectrums are somewhat controversial amongst bass players, but they can sometimes improve accuracy.
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Covered by many, this 1981 version is a disco classic. I said the Billie Jean was distinctive, but this Number 1 hit is equally as recognisable.
Slow and steady wins the race. The tempo is upbeat, but the rhythmic combination of notes and rests gives this a steady flow throughout the track.
We can play this 80s bass line across the intro, verses and choruses. The only change is when we get to the pre-chorus, ‘Once I ran to you…’. What I like most about this one is that we can move up the fretboard from the 3rd to the 6th fret, working across the E and A strings. Making it an ideal track for getting more familiar with your instrument.
Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
The title track from the hit film, The Breakfast Club, did you know that this song was originally offered to Billy Idol? Personally, I’m glad that Simple Minds put their own spin on this timeless song.
Regarding the bass line, the intro is very sparse and open. It’ll help you with your timing and counting. We work from a D to an E first, and then the same rhythm but from D to Em. Therefore, I’ve put the 10th fret on the TAB.
The 10th fret on the A string is a G note, which is the minor 3rd of Em. We want to play this as we cannot play an Em chord on the bass. Without playing this, it sounds as though we’re playing the same part twice and our ears can tell that we’re not fully playing the correct part.
From here, we’ve got another strong pulse in the verse. It’s pretty quick, adding in some semi-quavers which are otherwise known as 16th notes. Regardless, it’s a great track to jam along to.
Simple Minds bass man, Derek Forbes plays a Fender Precision Bass. He was also voted as Scotland’s best bassist in 2009, which is a nice accolade to have!
Rio – Duran Duran
Wrapping up our look at 80s bass lines, we have the most advanced entry in our compilation. John Taylor is one of the most underrated bass players out there. His talent is hidden by the general pop image of Duran Duran. Don’t be fooled. He means business.
With a fairly brisk speed of 140bpm, the combination of 16th note rests and dead notes makes this particularly difficult. The result of the dead notes and rests gives this a very choppy feel which helps to drive the rhythm of the song.
Again, this follows the chord progression of the song. However, in a very creative and original way.
You can grab some John Taylor signature modes from *Thomann. Plus, a funky little model of the man himself.
80s Bass Lines – New Tracks to Try
So, the 1980s may not be your thing. But you can’t deny, there are some pretty cool tracks out there! And, there are only 5 here, with plenty more to choose from. What’s your favourite bass line from this decade?
Videos:
Further Information:
*This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
This might also interest you
