Here are 5 great bass riffs from the disco era. There are some obvious notable exceptions (like Blame It On The Boogie) but I’ve tried to use riffs that aren’t doubled with another instrument. These riffs are just pure bass!!
Good Times – Chic
This classic Bernard Edwards riff is probably the most well-known on this list – you may recognise it from the cover ‘Rapper’s Delight‘ by the Sugarhill Gang.
Song tips:
- The riff is in E minor but is based on an E Dorian scale
- Pay attention to note length – the staccato notes give the song its funky feel
- The first beat of bar 4 is pushed, so it comes a semiquaver (16th note) before beat 1.
- The second beat of bar 4 is a semiquaver after beat 1. To get these syncopated notes in time, try tapping your foot to the pulse – it should land directly between the two notes.
And The Beat Goes On – The Whispers
This bassline from The Whispers is a good place to start when learning to improvise around a groove. The basic backbone of the riff is shown below, but this can be altered to include different fills and extras.
Song tips:
- Based on the B minor scale
- The syncopation in the semiquavers can be a bit tricky to work out at first, but breaking it down into subdivisions can help you see where the beats land.
Here is the riff broken down into subdivions (the pulse is shown in red and the bass notes are bracketed):
(1) e + a 2 (e) (+) (a) (3) (e) (+) a 4 e (+) (a)
(1) e + (a) 2 e (+) a 3 e (+) (a) 4 (e) (+) a
Stomp! – The Brothers Johnson
Song tips:
- G minor
- The riff contains an open E that is used in replacement of a ghost note. This works because it is more accessible than a ghost note and playing it quickly means you don’t have time to hear that it is out of key.
- A good starting tempo is 90 bpm.
- Start slow and gradually work your way up to 120 bpm.
I Need Your Loving – Teena Marie
Song tips:
- B minor
- Listening to this song over and over can help you get the groove in your head before you even pick up the bass.
- Again, the rhythm can be a little tricky so try writing down the subdivisions first.
(1) e (+) a (2) e (+) a (3) e (+) (a) 4 (e) + (a)
1 (e) (+) a (2) e + (a) (3) e + a 4 e + (a)
Boogie Oogie Oogie – A Taste Of Honey
Song tips:
- D minor
- There are loads of octaves in this riff – a really common technique often used in disco and funk bass.
- Chromatic notes are used to add interest when moving between chord tones.
- Make sure you keep your thumb firmly in the centre of the neck so your hand has access to the full movement needed to make the stretches.
As always mark you put it across so even ican understand so thankyou. If it wasn’t for finding you my bass would still be collecting dust in the spare room like it has for last 10 years as I thought I would never be able to do it soon thanks again
Love your lessons Mark, thank you.
Mark the song Good Times Chic I’m having a hard time keeping the A string quiet while playing the F sharp and G on the D string , kinda tricky.
We need pictures of you with long blonde hair , I’d get a kick out of that.
I too had long hair at age 25 driving my Good Times party vehicle van playing Pink Floyd on my stereo.
I had a blast with that vehicle and my long brown hair.
Don’t know if I am ever going to get this but, man Mark I like the way you teach and the great riffs. Done “Talking Bass Beginner’s course. I hope to move on to the next Basic Fundamentals Course when I feel I’m getting any better. Hope I learn this wonderful instrument. Just to show an old dog like me can learn new tricks and the Bass guitar. Thanks for all you resources and teaching
Hi Mark
Your lessons are as always informative and structured perfectly for beginners to advanced bass players. I have not found any other instructors out there with the fluent style and aprroach that you have. Your technique and playing angiliity is amazingly flawless.
As always I look forward to the next lesson you produce. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to teaching.
The best bass instructor out there – the BEST!
for sure
Hi Mark! I find all your lessons very useful and your teaching technique adaptable for players of all levels. I particularly love the lessons that focus on a particular genre (Disco Riffs) or a specific technique (the cross hammer in the 5 advanced slap riffs). They are not only fun to play but very useful for groove/time practice (and we all do this with a metronome or the Practice Room drums tracks, right?), sound checks, testing out gear, etc. I make one Talking Bass lesson part of my daily practice routine.
Keep up the great work, Mark, and Happy Holidays from the Colonies (Toronto, Canada).
great lesson, great teaching (and playing technique) even for me, i finally understood the riff of good times
Hi Mark. I’m a beginner on bass (ex drums/[piano) and can copy Good Times to the end bit, but fall apart on the fingering on the E G E G F# E at the end. Is the fingering 121212 (or 212121), because “walking” like that doesn’t fit in my brain with the 1st and 2nd fretting fingers of the left hand. If it’s not a pure walk, then when do you double up a finger? And if it is, is there an exercise to help me get it into my brain. The drummer in me keeps trying to play different RH fingers, and messing it all up!