Heavy metal is all about the power of the riff. Luckily, there are plenty of easy-to-play famous metal songs, which are excellent starting points for beginner bassists.
In today’s new video, we weigh in with 5 of our favorite contenders for the greatest metal riff for beginners - unranked, because there’s no wrong answer here. You’ll see bass players for metal legends like Metallica, Megadeth, and a couple of surprises - did your favourites make it?
Watch today’s new video to see what are in fact the most epic, awesome heavy metal riffs for beginner bassists.
🔥 Download your FREE workbook including tab and notation, to get you started on you heavy metal journey 🤘🏻→ sbl.link/40tBZDG
===
Video Breakdown:
00:00 - Introduction
00:16 - #1 - Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction
01:56 - Metal on a Budget!
02:34 - #2 - Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls
05:10 - #3 - Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
07:08 - #4 - Metallica - Enter Sandman
08:38 - #5 - Tool - Forty Six & 2
12:44 - Did You Know...?
===
GET MORE BASS TIPS 👇
_________________________________________________________________
🙌 Be the first to know - SUBSCRIBE now → bit.ly/sub-to-sbl-yt
🔓 Unlock your FREE trial to transform your bass playing → bit.ly/3fXt4cI
ABOUT SCOTT’S BASS LESSONS (SBL)
_________________________________________________________________
As the largest online bass education platform in the world, with an ever-expanding course library and 40,000+ active members, Scott’s Bass Lessons (SBL) has everything you need to master the bass, all in one place.
Featuring beginner level bass lessons, engaging courses from expert instructors, step-by-step development curricula, direct feedback on your playing, real-time mentorship from A-list bassists and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, SBL is the perfect platform to uplevel your bass playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level bassist.
Try SBL Membership today! → bit.ly/3fXt4cI
RECOMMENDED BASS PLAYLIST
_________________________________________________________________
Catch up with SBL Content you’ve missed:
➡️ • SBL Full Video Playlist
#bassguitar #heavymetal #easybasslines
LINKS & OTHER RESOURCES
_________________________________________________________________
Tune in to our Weekly Podcast:
🎧 sblpodcast.buzzsprout.com/share
Explore our free courses:
🎸 freebasscourses.com
Try our FREE GrooveTrainer App:
📱 scottsbasslessons.com/groove-...
Ron McGovney was Metallica's first bassist and toured with them for a year before leaving the band in '82
Yes, and then cliff came up to them after a show and ended up in the band
I half believe that they said that as bait
He didn't record shit with them😂
And that's the right answer. No Cliff wasn't the first one but He was the best one - none gave that band that lyrical and musical background found in Orion and To live is to Die- even that James'es solo is the one that Cliff have writen for the bass. Whole truth about Metallica - It was Cliff's gig :)
You can thank Dave for that one 😁😁😁😁😁
It's nuts that one of the greatest metal songs of all time -- Crazy Train -- features a rhythm section essentially playing disco.
"Crazy Train' is one of the only metal songs in a major key
@@Gabe-1997 Honestly there's a ton of 80's stuff in major keys. I guess it depends on your definition of metal, but I definitely think hair metal counts as metal and there were a ton of hair metal with riffs in major keys. Poison comes to mind off the top of my head.
@@Gabe-1997 Ironically Slayer also plays a lot of songs in Major, so there's that
Also listen to Mercyful Fate's song "Devil Eyes", proto black metal with a disco beat
@@jakobgustafsson7898 Good call on Devil Eyes. And man, I don't know if I've ever heard someone jump two octaves as seamlessly as KD. 🙂
If I remember correctly, Justin Chancellor actually recorded 46 & 2 on a Stingray. The previous bassist that played on Undertow used a Stingray and a Rickenbacker to record with and Justin was trying to match that sound. He was never really happy with it though, which is when he switched to a Wal full-time. Aenima has a mix of the Wal and Stingray on it.
Correct
Justin used a stingray before he joined Tool
@@MrDSAPPY yes but he also used one on Forty Six & 2 as well as H. and MAYBE Pushit. He also used one when recording Descending and he breaks it out when they do the song live
@@logananderson4440 cool bro
Yes, and it's a flanger
Ron Mcgovney was the first bass player.
Was just about to point that out. Can't remember if he actually recorded anything with them or not though - maybe an early demo/tape? Can't be arsed to Google it. 🤣
@@Rustinho I believe he might have been on the No Life Til Leather EP
@@instalation9 you're correct from what I've read. Cliff is credited, but McGovney played on it.
@@instalation9 I think he played in the Power Metal demo
NEEEEEEEEERD!
Bob played crazy train with a pick. He had said in an interview that for fretless and ballads he'd use fingers, but for rock he would use a pick.
Same thing he did with Gary Moore: always pick, except for ballads (usually with fretless). What an underrated bass player by the way. I love the guy.
It’s funny I play 99% of the time with a pick only time I do not is for Iron Maiden and Crazy Train. I can do the Maiden with a pick but it is pure blasphemy, but Crazy Train I cannot play the verse tight enough with a pick
Love it. We need a part 2....... Peace Sells - Megadeth Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden Aerials - SYOD Orion - Metallica Die Laughing - Therapy? (Obscure shout there I know) Honourable mentions..... Damage Case - Motorhead N.I.B. - Black Sabbath (just for the filthy bass intro)
Therapy? - great shout, but surely the Trooper is the choice here if we are adding Iron Maiden
@@KrakkersBB Trooper is a great shout. It's like "which amazing Iron Maiden bassline do you love the most" ??? Could have been any. My fav is Flight of Icarus but it's just cos I love the song 😎
Some killer bass lines right there dude! 🤘🏻
This!
Dont forget Hammer Smashed Face - by Cannibal Corpse
Scott and Ian are quickly becoming my favorite internet power couple
LOL
I spent decades in metal bands. From my perspective you more than covered the most frequently used metal bass techniques. And you did it succinctly and in a way that's very approachable and attainable. That's why SBL is the best! Maybe an "advanced metal bass lines" video in the future?
Yeah I really love the "beginner friendly" thing they've been doing lately. I've been playing for 20 years but these types of videos really inspire me to go back to basics and really dig into my fundamentals like I haven't since I was a kid.
To the list of underrated Metal bass players, I always add the now sadly gone Jimmy Bain: his furious bass tone on "Holy Diver" by Dio was simply amazing!
His whole work with Rainbow and then Dio was fantastic, probably one of the bass players that made me want to try playing it
Stand Up And Shout the bass is crazy rockin
I saw the Ride the lightening tour . We were in a small venue and they were opening for WASP . They blew WASP off the stage . I was right up at the stage and Burton blew my mind . He was doing stuff not done before .
Awesome man! Sounds like a hell of a gig!
Fun video. Props to Ian for the edited in recommendations for cost friendly gear for beginners.
Bass is a big masterpiece
love it! Always keep me watching till the end to see what skit you guys will do next. And thanks for the rundown guys!
Enter Sandman and For Whom the Bell Tolls were the alchemy that FINALLY hooked me into my bass last night. I've been trying to connect with this instrument since 2008, and it just seemed to waver and I didn't progress regardless of what I did. Last night I was inspired, made a decision. Found this video and ended up playing/"messing around" for 2.5 hours. Time flew by! :) I also realized that a lot of these basslines in songs are shapes! Enter Sandman, Bellz, Anesthesia... etc. Thanks Scott :)
I am surprised that Steve Harris is missing here! Any of his bass lines really. I think the Wicker Man or Flight of Icarus would have been perfect fits!
No disrespect to Harris but for today's standards, Maiden are more like hard rock than metal. Again, fantastic player but not really what I'd call metal. Then again it's all subjective.
The video says beginner bass lines . Steve Harris plays like a madman! No beginner is going to be able to play his parts lol. He's my favorite bassist from one of the greatest bands in my opinion.
Wicker man is criminally under-rated, Imean these are both b-siders essentially. Which is crazy no disrespect to FOI that tune kicks major bottom
@@vladv5126 kinda true but i wouldnt call Tool also a metal band
@@kylechavez7961 Steves riffs much easier then Justins ones… seems to me. Both actually total animals on their own league.
Would love to see a video on some of the modern tech death bassists. Forest Lapointe (First Fragment, ex- Beyond Creation) Jared Smith (Archspire), Erlend Casperson (Spawn of Possession), etc.
THIS!!!
Best video yet guys! Adore all of these songs 🤘🏼
Really cool video, guys! This selection is awesome!
Came up playing metal in the 90s and I was surprised to discover I played 4/5 of these tunes (just not the Tool song). Thanks for keeping the metal alive Scott & Ian.
Hehe. I first read your comment as Thanks for keeping the metal alive Scott Ian.
I play with fingers whenever possible, but when I use a pick, I usually opt for either a 2mm or 3mm "Big Stubby." These are contoured for your thumb and also rounded on the edges. This makes them much less scratchy than traditional picks, but they have superior attack and speed. I have a pretty large variety of picks, though, because sometimes a soft pick played lightly is exactly what you need. I also found that the Carbon Fiber Jazz III are awesome. They have a great sound and awesome grip.
Uh okay I'm sold on this video from just the badass intro alone!!! ❤😂
Guys I’m sure you been informed Ron McGoveney was the bassist before Cliff in Metallica. But Cliff was recruited to get to the next album and was there by the first album.
GREAT GUYS! 🤩🤩🤩 one of the best videos you've ever made
I just commented on another video how much I appreciate you two and the content you’re creating for us mere mortal practitioners of bass guitar. Also special shout out for the real-person budget gear recommendations. Your gut was right; not everyone only has a $20k budget for a non-income producing hobby.
Black Sabbath's paranoid, iron man, war pigs, symptoms of the universe, iron maiden the trooper, wrath child and killers, White Zombie thunder kiss 65 , Black sunshine ,Pantera walk, cowboys from hell , I'm broken , 5 minutes alone, mouth of War, and Megadeth peace sells but who's buying., Metallica seek and destroy, motor breath but the 5 you guys picked were cool by the way 5 is not enough lol 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Might be showing my age here but the ultimate beginner metal bass line is Priest's Breaking the Law.
Love you guys! (New(ish) SBL member here). I have yet to watch content here or at SBL that I haven't walked away with great knowledge. Thanks!
I love this thank you!!!!!🤘🤘
This is why we guitarists (who also play bass) LOVE Chancellor. He comes up with the most wicked droney chord lines that are kind of haunting, melodic and pack so much punch
Cliff Burton wasn't a founding member of Metallica. The very first bass player in Metallica was Ron McGovney (1982 - 1982)
Thanks again guys. l LOVE that Wal bass ! Especially as one can get that funky Flea tone from it aswell. Definitely my desert island bass !
I love that SBL is adding more rock and metal! Jacob Umansky's seminars on the site have been amazing.
I love the mention of the Squier Contemporary HH Jazz Bass V. My wife bought me one for my birthday last year and I would never have even looked at the bass. However, I played it and it's super impressive with great tone and punch.
Thanks for another Amazing video. Cliff em All!
OMG how cool is your sound on "46 & 2"??? Love it!!
All so good. I'll never get tired of the Did You Know outros!!
I loved hearing Dream Theater's Panic Attack in the intro. Having listened to the isolated bass track for Symphony of Destruction, I'm also pretty sure Ellefson alternates between open plucking while the guitar is in and then palm mutes in the absence of guitar, rather than palm muting even while guitar is palm muted which kills the vibe. There's a reason that bass is usually open plucking while guitar is palm muted and that's to retain the heaviness because palm muted bass in a metal application tends to kill the vibe unless you do it tastefully like David Ellefson who would do it in the absence of guitar rather than the presence of it. That's something he did a fair bit with early Megadeth material.
Nativity In Black (NIB) as an honorable mention 🤩
Brilliant lesson,lads.Gimme more of this.Give us more metal.
I love this thank you🤘🤘🤘🤘
Fantastic, cheers guys!
Great video guys!!!
The zoom pedal and ernie ball is what I've been playing for awhile now. The first zoom pedal I had was a zoom 506 loved that pedal.
If i learned anything in my days playing or trying to play, its play an open D and a melody on the G string. Its always gorgeous.
Freakin’ love tool. Great choice of songs
Dang, that wal does sound amazing!
I got that squire contemporary 5 string 3 months ago. Love it.
Symphony of destruction is a hard banger. Great selection
Great as always!
🧡🧡🧡
Finally, you guys give Justin Chancellor some love! You guys should cover more TOOL stuff and you'll see your channel grow ;)
Even better would be to have Justin on as a guest! 🤪🤯🫠🫨
So happy tool was mentioned on this video 🙏🏻
🧡🧡🧡
For Whom the Bell Tolls was the first song I learned to play the whole way through, in the early 90s. But even with decades of that, when I got a six-string I realized that I really liked being able to play that intro on the C, G, and D rather than G, D, and A. Same exact finger motions, just with a little more space for my fingers, in the 14-11 fret region rather than 19-16.
Big props for the Zoom B1 shoutout: an amazing tool for under $100.
Thanks, guys, as much as I like your funk stuff, this was really nice for me.
Awesome top 5.
All Classic lines, I came up on most of this stuff, cut my teeth on alot of it. Great stuff.
Appreciate the pick-love. Sometimes, that's just what sounds better!
🧡🧡🧡
Love these video’s with there Wayne and Garth vibe😂
Bob Daisley, one of the all time greats, rocked that ish with a "plectrum". His bass line on "Bark At The Moon" is nuts as well.
I wish I had enough time to focus seriously on this course but my free time from work and paycheck aren't enough to focus correctly on it, but I love your free videos anyway, you're great ❤
Hopefully you get some time free soon to dedicate to your bass journey Simone! Thanks for tuning in! 🧡
Hi chaps. I was lucky enough to be front row for Cannibal Corpse last night at Nottingham Rock City directly in front of Alex Webster and man that guy can play! He was using his own signature Spector Euro 5 LX in the blood red drip colour. Bit different to your usual content but a segment on him would definitely be very interesting. Keep up the great work 😊
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Fuck yeah! Do it! 🤘🏻
I love how you turn down the volume on the bass at 12:58 XD its a great routine, even when not plugged in.
You have to make a video of "Top 10 (not 5) INTERMEDIATE Metal Bass lines" next!! Keep up the good work!
wrong there folks, there was other bass player before Cliff Burton, this was Ron McGovney he was part of the first line up in the band (Hetfield, Urlich, Mustaine and McGovney) but he left he band shortly after having problems with Dave Mustaine, he performed with the band in some of the concerts in 2011 celebrating the band 30 years anniversary
I absolutely love how much Scott let Ian use the Wal!! Ian needs a Wal now! Ima say crazy train is with fingers
Fun video. I would have included something by Maiden. Numerous options but my first choice would be "The Trooper". Have to admit, i would have picked something different from Megadeth, but SoD is probably a better fit for a "beginner" vid. On FWtBT, if using a manual wah instead of an auto (he famously used a Morley, but I can get something comparable with a Cry Baby), you can get closer to what Cliff Burton did, by "sitting back" on the pedal most of the time, then using a forward sweep to emphasise particular notes. For something fairly simple but "different", have a look at some Gojira bass lines. "Oroborus" leaps to mind. For the bass part, one of my favourite metal songs is "Now I lay thee down" by Machine Head. Original is played with a pick, but it works pretty well with fingers.
Great content. I'm subbing so I don't miss part 2 with Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Motörhead.
Souls Of Black! 🔥
🔥🔥🔥
great video
Gotta mention the part in 46&2 where Justin changes the pedal to the F instead of the D. So cool
I’ve heard that when they started recording Ænima, 46 & 2 was tracked with Justin’s stingray and he either acquired his Wal or used one from the studio for a “heavier” sound for the rest of the session. There maybe some studio trickery by blending a flanger signal and clean and dirty cab.
I was hyped up for a "panic attack" how-to because of the intro ):): im sad now
Loved hearing Panic Attack in the intro.
For the 46 and two sound me sure he uses a flanger pedal. The boss BF2 (if you have the BF3 use the guitar & not the bass input) you can see his pedal settings in the Dunlop TV video. He has a very complicated clean/dirty 2/3 way amp set up but a SansAmp GT2 gets me reasonably close and would be better with a clean blend. That Wal sounds sick more please! I don't think there's a single song that a Wal could not improve
Just watched this via e-mail. I really liked the list. There are other great bass lines, of course, but the list was limited to 5. For metal heads like me, there are some bass lines from players in bands that are, shall we say, less mainstream. I like Overkill's D.D. Verni. "Gasoline Dream", for example, has a very eerie bass line. My personal favorite is "Skullcrusher", where thrask meets doom. I won't go on, but metal bassists get a bad rap for being too simplistic. There is a lot of truth to that, but when they let the bassist go off, they create some killer and very memorable riffs.
i love bass 46 &2
i love to play the guitar riff as the bass line for enter sandman
I'm left handed, and I play a right handed instrument. This makes difficult to reach the higher frets. I used to play For whom the bell tolls moving my hand to the top side of the fretboard. My band laughed a lot the first time I did it, but people loved seeing me doing that live
Thx for the bass effect pedal recommendation! I am searching for years now and still searching because most of the pedals are lacking the probably most fundamental feature for (metal) bass: being able to configure parallel paths, so I can distort the highs and keep the lows clear. Can you do this with the Zoom B1? I rly need that clank! :D
When I started trying metal out on my bass i picked Zwitter from rammstein easy bass riff to remember and the second for a lil change mayhem freezing moon but both seem simple when you get it down
Awesome dude! 🤘🏻
Hey Scott and co.! Hoping to catch your attention - sorry that the request is totally off topic. Could you perhaps do a video on bassist Lincoln Goines? I feel like Mr. Goines is an awesome bass player that fits the style of play that you advocate here on this channel perfectly. Especially his work with Mike Stern (Chromazone, Big Neighborhood (2009) or Jones' Street) would be interesting to hear you guys break down - maybe even get him in for an interview! Regards from Greenland
Yes. Please cover or better yet, interview Mr. Goines!
If you turn the pick so that you actually use the dimpled grip to pluck the string you get a raspy sound. Use a medium to soft nylon pick.
Cliff was Metallica's second bassist, Ron McGovney was their first. Ron didn't want to leave LA and move to San Francisco so they auditioned bassists already in San Fran, Cliff was chosen because he not only was a great bassist he could set them up in a sweet house they could split rent on. That's the house in the pic on the back of Master of Puppets in Battery, the neighbourhood where all the 80s thrash bands lived, they had just signed with Elektra and were celebrating in that pic.
As I recall it was James who saw Cliff play Anesthesia with his former band and asked if he wanted to try out. Anesthesia was Cliff's warm up routine that he would play onstage before the rest of the band joined in. It wasn't called Anesthesia back then, just Cliff jamming all alone for a couple minutes. The name of his band is on the tip of my tongue, hate when I can't recall something and Googling it is cheating. It'll come to me eventually.
TRAUMA! That was his first band. I knew it would pop into my head at some random point, 3:22 am is pretty random.
46&2 Justin used a flanger BF-2 to be exact
When I saw Jason Newsted on the thumbnail, I thought you guys would take My Friend of Misery, because the bass intro is just incredible, and relatively easy to play. Maybe you guys can include it on the part 2? Haha
These guys are the coolest when they headbang...
Yes Bob Daisley played with a pick... ya know I don't recall you guys talking much about Daisley. His playing on Ozzy's I Don't Know is GOD TIER rock-with-a-pick bass playing. He made that EB-3 go DRNT DRNT DRNT, and played super fronty, driving the song forward
you can post the preset of for whom the bell tolls of the hx stomp the sound is amazing 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Great video guys! I'm a little better than a beginner but still can't do, "Donna Lee". I think it's great that you make videos for beginners. I think "Crazy train" was played with a pick.
One of the most influential was Overkill’s drunken wisdom bass tone. There was no bass sound that massive and heavy before that was released.
And then DD dropped Elimination and Skullcrusher on us on the next album. Massive sound.
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I'd love to see you guys tackle something like Atlus Novus by Scale The Summit with it's gorgeous flowing basslines.
Awesome dude! We'll check it out!
Awesome stuff. Ian, could you do a video on the Zoom and how to get the best out of it?
That Wal man is just beautiful 🤩
🧡🧡🧡
Great! Now I need a Wal😂
Metal bass LETS GO!
Kinda off topic, but the cut to bass items on a budget, where did you get that hoodie? It's frigging awesome! Also, great video.
Ron McGovney preceded Cliff Burton in Metallica. Justin Chancellor also recorded 46 & 2 with a Stingray through a Boss Flanger into a Mesa Boogie Bass 400+, both available in the HX Stomp. The Ampeg tone doesn't sound right.
Check out the lines and tones on Grand Magus’s Hammer Of The North.
For sure the first bass player for Metallica was some dude Ron that played on that cassette tape “No Life ‘til something” way way back in the day.
I would love to see Lethe by Dark Tranquility if there will be a part 2
Second this. Dark Tranquillity seems to get left out of a lot of conversations, unless Gothenburg is specifically mentioned.
Thanks dude! We'll take that on board! 🙌🏻🧡🔥