How To Play Bass

Learn songs not scales

  • Home
  • Books & Courses
    • 80-20 Bass – What Is 80-20 Bass?
    • Cracking The Blues Rock Code 5 Day Challenge (***FREE***)
    • WB101 – Why I Had To Learn To “Walk” On The Bass….
    • Cracking The Detroit Code – The 30 Day Challenge
    • HTPB50 – The Only 6 Things A Bass Beginners Should Practice
    • The Duck Dunn Challenge
    • Cracking The Rock Bass Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Cracking The Blues Rock Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Funk Soul Disco 30 Day Challenge
    • Walking Basslines 101 30 Day Challenge
  • Blog
  • Members Tutorials
    • Index Of Member Only Content
    • Vanishing Tutorial
    • Pre Training Day 1
    • Pre Training Day 2
    • Pre Training Day 3
    • Pre Training Day 4
    • Pre Training Day 5
    • Day 1 – Getting Started With Root Notes
    • Day 2 – Adding The 5th
    • Day 3 – The Major Triad
    • Day 4 – The Minor Triad
    • Day 5 – Connecting Devices
    • Day 6 – Deliberate Composition
    • Day 7 – Deliberate Composition 2
    • Day 8 – Deliberate Composition 3
    • Day 9 – Deliberate Composition 4
    • Day 10 – Connecting Chords With Approach Notes
    • Day 11 – Quarter Note to 8th Note
    • Day 12 – New Device/Modifying Device
    • Day 13 – New Device/2nd Modifying Device
    • Day 14 – The R-3-5-6 Device (with variations)
  • Sight Reading Etudes
    • Index Of Sight Reading Etudes
  • About
  • Contact Paul
post

Beginners Bass Songs – Green Onions

May 4, 2019 by Paul Wolfe

Most people think that the late, great Duck Dunn played the bass line to Green Onions by Booker T And The MGs, but in fact it was Lewis Steinberg.

When I came to prepare the lesson I isolated the bass line in Anytune software and was surprised to find that it’s just a quarter note based line. As well as playing it this way in the first video below I’ll also play it how it’s commonly played by cover bands (and how I played it for years). Once you get beyond the intro (and be careful, on different versions of the song this intro can be 4 bars long!) the bass line is just a simple 12 bar line that’s repeated over and over without variation for the duration of the song.

I class this as a Level 3 bass line. (The scale I use is 1 to 10 – a Level 1 bass line might be a predominantly half note ballad kind of line like Imagine and a Level 10 line would be an uptempo 8th note based line like I Saw Her Standing There or Shake A Tailfeather).

Here’s how it was originally played – there’s notation and tab in the video:

To view the entire tutorial for Green Onions you need to be logged in to the Free Members area. If you’re not a member click the button below to join:

Get Free Access

Filed Under: Bass for Beginners, beginner, Beginner Tutorials, Popular Song Tutorials Tagged With: b, beginner, video lesson

Comments

  1. Bj says

    May 5, 2019 at 3:59 am

    Looks & sounds good. I saw a video of “Duck” playing it with Booker T and he didn’t take the ‘shortcut’ on the C runs, he played them the same as the F & A# runs. Nice to get a bit of a rest doing it the way you show [guess I have short fingers 🙂 ].

    Thanks for posting the video.

    • Paul Wolfe says

      May 5, 2019 at 10:45 am

      Hey Bj

      The last time I saw a clip of Duck playing this live my memory is that the band took it a madcap pace! I wasn’t watching for how he played it then, but interesting that he just moves the pattern upwards.

  2. Troy Stubblefield says

    May 5, 2019 at 10:32 am

    Hi. I think I’m a little bit above beginner, not being arrogant.. I love the sound of a electric bass. I have a Yamaha four string. I seen and listen to you on YouTube many times… Could you please do me a favorite? I’m trying to learn the bass notes to the song HEAVEN HOOKED US UP, by the isley brothers. I want to play this song for my girlfriend.. Please help me, thanks!!!!

    • Paul Wolfe says

      May 5, 2019 at 10:45 am

      hey troy

      my request list is not open at this point in time I’m afraid.

      paul

  3. Gloria M Skylstad says

    May 5, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    Thank you so much. I love the Tuesday lessons and this is a wonderful bonus.

    I took the beginner lesson course and learned so much.

    • Paul Wolfe says

      May 6, 2019 at 6:48 am

      thanks Gloria!

  4. Paulo Seabra says

    May 5, 2019 at 6:15 pm

    Thank you Paul.
    For a beginner it is wonderful.

    Paulo

    • Paul Wolfe says

      May 6, 2019 at 6:48 am

      Thanks Paulo. Keep a look out as there will be a slew more of these coming.

  5. William C Rost says

    May 8, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    I’ve been playing for man years, but watching very fine local players caused me to look back, review, and re-learn basics. Your emails and utube material are great for this. Thanks for the assist!

5 Day Blues Rock Challenge!

Free Members Area

If you’re not registered for the free members area featuring song tutorials, sight reading etudes and more…here’s where to do it: https://how-to-play-bass.com/register/free-bass-lessons1

The Only 6 Things Bass Beginners Should Practice…

If you’re a bass beginner….check out the only 6 things you should be practicing: https://how-to-play-bass.com/htpb50-6-things-practice

Why I Had To Learn To Walk On The Bass….

….in just 10 Days.

More here: https://how-to-play-bass.com/wb101-had-to-learn

Copyright © 2021 · Website by StressLessWeb · Log in

Login
  • Home
  • Books & Courses
    ╋
    • 80-20 Bass – What Is 80-20 Bass?
    • Cracking The Blues Rock Code 5 Day Challenge (***FREE***)
    • WB101 – Why I Had To Learn To “Walk” On The Bass….
    • Cracking The Detroit Code – The 30 Day Challenge
    • HTPB50 – The Only 6 Things A Bass Beginners Should Practice
    • The Duck Dunn Challenge
    • Cracking The Rock Bass Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Cracking The Blues Rock Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Funk Soul Disco 30 Day Challenge
    • Walking Basslines 101 30 Day Challenge
  • Blog
  • Members Tutorials
    ╋
    • Index Of Member Only Content
    • Vanishing Tutorial
    • Pre Training Day 1
    • Pre Training Day 2
    • Pre Training Day 3
    • Pre Training Day 4
    • Pre Training Day 5
    • Day 1 – Getting Started With Root Notes
    • Day 2 – Adding The 5th
    • Day 3 – The Major Triad
    • Day 4 – The Minor Triad
    • Day 5 – Connecting Devices
    • Day 6 – Deliberate Composition
    • Day 7 – Deliberate Composition 2
    • Day 8 – Deliberate Composition 3
    • Day 9 – Deliberate Composition 4
    • Day 10 – Connecting Chords With Approach Notes
    • Day 11 – Quarter Note to 8th Note
    • Day 12 – New Device/Modifying Device
    • Day 13 – New Device/2nd Modifying Device
    • Day 14 – The R-3-5-6 Device (with variations)
  • Sight Reading Etudes
    ╋
    • Index Of Sight Reading Etudes
  • About
  • Contact Paul