Learn bass guitar one groove at a time
The bass joins the drums to the harmony. Pick a style, play its bass lines on the four strings below, watch every note light up and read its tab, then loop it until it grooves.
Every bass line, every style
Filter by style, pick a riff and it plays on the neck. Loop it and slow it down while you learn.
Pick a style
Each lesson has the bass lines of the style on a playable bass guitar.
funk bass lines
Funk bass
Sixteenth-note grooves, octaves and ghost notes.
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walking bass lines
Walking bass
Quarter notes through the changes: chord tones and approach notes.
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reggae bass lines
Reggae bass
The one drop, melodic lines and space on beat one.
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rock bass lines
Rock bass
Root and fifth in eighths, the boogie walk-up and the gallop.
Open the lesson →How these lessons work
Every lesson puts the riffs of a style on a bass guitar in the page: pick one, it plays on the neck with each note lit, its frets stay marked and its tablature appears below. Loop it, slow it to 50 or 75%, then play it back yourself with the mouse, a finger or the computer keyboard.
Where to start
New to the bass? Start with rock bass, root and fifth in steady eighth notes, then funk for the sixteenths, reggae for space and melody, and walking bass for jazz. Every line plays on the online bass guitar too.
Everything runs in your browser, free and without an account. When you want to record, add drums or loop a part, GOONS Studio opens with a free trial.
Frequently asked
Are these lessons free?
Yes. Every style lesson and its playable bass guitar are free, with no account and nothing to install.
Which style should I learn first?
Rock bass: root and fifth in eighth notes is the foundation every other style builds on.
Are the riffs and pieces copyright-free?
They are either in the public domain (classical pieces, traditional tunes and patterns) or original GOONS material written for these lessons, free to play and record.
Turn a style into a track
The bass guitar is free. GOONS Studio adds drum machines, synths and a sequencer that play together, with a free trial and no card required.
Already subscribed? Launch the studio →