17 Classic Bass Lines

An small collection of classic Blues Bass Lines, from piano boogie to electric rhumba-blues, from Lightnin' Hopkins to Ray Charles and more. On the transcriptions I used just one key (E) on paper, but of course would be a more than good exercice to play most or all examples on the particular different recordings' keys to begin with. Very recomended!

1. Jimmy Reed/Eddie Taylor "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (E)

2. J.B. Lenoir "Mojo Boogie" (E)

3. Bill Doggett "Honky Tonk" (F)

4. Lightnin' Hopkins "Long Gone" (F)

6. Willie Mabon "Shakin' The Boogie" (C)

7. Little Walter/Willie Dixon "My Babe" (F)

8. Professor Longhair "Go to the Mardi Grass" (Bb)

10. Albert King "Crosscut Saw" (Ab)

11. Freddy King "Hideaway" (E)

  

13. Albert King "Overall Junction" (E)

14. Magic Sam "Just A Little Bit" (Bb)

15. Walter Horton "It's No Easy" (E)

16. Johnny Winter "Sound The Bell" (G)

17. Ray Charles "What I'd Say'" (E)

Lightnin' Hopkins in the 'E position'

Two way different Lightnin' Hopkins' (1912-1982) tunes, both recorded in 1959 for Tradition Records (Youtube links below): "Long Gone", with his familiar walking basses' line in E, and his cover of the famous "See See Rider", where the Texan master replicates the vocal line with the melody on the two first strings. Actual key on the recordings is F, standard tuning with capo in I, on the 1st, "E" position.

Transcription by Jay Bee Rodríguez, first published on SOLO BLUES magazine (1986).

"Long Gone" and "See See Rider" (excerpt)

Youtube "Long Gone" by Lightnin' Hopkins (1959)

Youtube "See See Rider" by Lightnin' Hopkins (1959)