Let’s go with another bass tab we’ve prepared, Stand by Me Bass Tab !
Who hasn’t heard that characteristic bass line, it’s easy to master and also gives us a lot in learning the electric bass.
Check our section How to read Bass tabs if you don’t know yet !
It is a chord progression that repeats, or rather, a simple harmonic progression with 4 chords.
It should be noted, that the recording of this song was with double bass, you can see it in this music video of Stand by Me:
The sound of the double bass has less sustain than the electric bass, so if you want to emulate it, you have to try to play the shorter notes.
You can also use the palm mute technique with the bass, this will give it the characteristic touch of the double bass.
How to play Stand by Me on the bass
As you may have heard in the original recording of Stand by Me, the bass, or rather double bass, is the one that starts the chord progression.
With that peculiar line so characteristic and that every bass player should master in any Key.
There are also rhythmic elements that are present all the time, a güiro, and what seems to be a triangle.
Because the recording has no drums, the bass has a key importance in this song, the whole rhythmic section is supported by the bass solo. How great!
But let’s go with the mythical Stand by Me bass line:
As you can see, we’ve indicated everything, in this Stand by Me bass tab, the chords with symbols and also the notes with rhythm.
It is also valid as a score for the piano, since you only have to follow the chords and play the characteristic bass line with your left hand.
You have to pay special attention to the rhythmic element that repeats continuously, and carries the air of the song, quarter note with dot-quaver.
If you master this rhythm, you master Stand by me!
Chords of Stand by Me
The Stand by Me chords are only four.
The key of the song is A major. The chords are as follows:
“Stand by Me” is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.