This instrumental piece is from Level 42’s self-titled debut album, which was released back in August 1981. The highlight of this track is a melodic line that uses open string tenths and double stops to imply harmony. This makes it a great line to play solo, and indeed, Mark King has often used it in […]

This song was a big hit for soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Recorded for his sixth album, Menageriein 1977, it reached number 6 on the Billboard R&B chart in the U.S. and number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2021 it was listed at number 402 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of ‘Top […]

This song was a bit hit for Wilson Pickett when it was released back in 1965. Pickett is backed by the Stax band on the track, which of course features the legendary Duck Dunn on bass. This song has remained popular over the years and is a fantastic line to learn for newcomers to the […]

This song was a No. 1 hit for Wild Cherry when it was released back in April 1976. It continues to be popular to this day and is a regular fixture in the setlist of many function bands. The bassline on this song was performed by the group’s bassist, Allen Wentz. The line is simple […]

‘Forget Me Nots’ is a great song with a fantastic bassline. It was the first single to be released from Patrice Rushen’s seventh album, Straight from the Heart. As well as being a hit for Patrice Rushen back in 1982, it was sampled by Will Smith in 1997 for his hit song ‘Men in Black’. […]

This killer instrumental track is from Level 42’s self-titled debut album, which was released back in August 1981. Featuring one of Mark King’s most complex slap grooves – together with wicked fingerstyle lines, harmonics and chordal licks – this track was a regular part of the band’s live set in the early eighties. As with […]

This song is from Incognito’s 1993 album Positivity and is one of the band’s most popular tracks. It features a complex fingerstyle bass groove written by Richard Bull and performed by Randy Hope-Taylor. This line is one of the more challenging parts in the band’s catalogue. This bassline features many of the key ingredients in […]

This song was a huge hit for soul duo Sam & Dave back in 1967. Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, it topped several US charts on release and was successful all around the world. ‘Soul Man’ has since been covered by many artists, notably The Blues Brothers, who performed it on Saturday Night […]

This song is from Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the fifth album from Red Hot Chili Peppers. This song features some killer fingerstyle funk grooves from Flea, as well as some overdubbed lines. The bassline for this song was performed on a 4-string bass with each string detuned a whole step (D-G-C-F). Tuning in this way […]

This song was written by Otis Redding and STAX guitarist Steve Cropper. It was recorded in December 1967, shortly before Redding’s untimely death in a plane crash. It was released posthumously in 1968, topping the charts in the U.S. and reaching number 3 in the UK. This song was recorded with the STAX house band […]