Chic - 'Good Times' Full Song Tutorial for Bass
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Click Here to download my free 61-page PDF guide to getting started with the bass:
offers.bassline...
This guide also contains a full transcription of this song, as well as several other great basslines that are perfect for beginner/intermediate players.
Don't forget to like the video and subscribe so that you see more great bass content from me in the future!
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In this lesson I'll be teaching you how to play Bernard Edwards' bassline on the classic Chic song 'Good Times'. This is one of the most recognisable bass parts of all time and it's great fun to play.
The backing track from this tutorial can be purchased from Karaoke Version: www.karaoke-ve...
If you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out my full video course series over at Bassline Publishing. Accessible via subscription, there are hundreds of courses available on the site covering a HUGE Beginner Bass series, and Scales, Arpeggios and Modes courses. We also have an acclaimed range of technique courses, covering slap bass (beginner to advanced), tapping and plectrum techniques. PDF worksheets and backing tracks are available for each course.
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Just taken up the bass, aged 62. I You are a wonderful teacher, and the nicest guy online. 👌
Hey Alan, welcome aboard! Thanks for the kind words, hope you continue to enjoy my lessons.
I'm a bass player, I usually play a variety of rock genre songs, from classic to alternative... But my mother's birthday is comming along and she LOVES disco and funk from the 70s, so I'm learning this song, (my little sister on the keys) and we are going to play for her and make her sing with us. Thank you for your lessong, you made it easy for me! Now, to prepare for her surprise little concert :D
So how did the Disco Funk ended up!? Good vib by the way you two doing rhis for your folk
Top lad ! I hope she had a lovely birthday 🎂
"...one of the most famous bass riffs of all times..." 'nuff said 🙂
''THANK YOU, STUART CLAYTON!'' - I knew there was more to the beginning note sequence than just an Ordinary ''Low E'' played on the down beat. - YOU ROCK!
Great lesson. The syncopation makes this riff. You explain, and demonstrate very clearly.
Thanks Jimmy!
by far the best tutorial I've watched, simple, clear, effective. Thank you
All lessons should be like this. 🤙
After all these years I've finally got it right Tk u . one other Bass line that always hunted me is "heart beat" by Gloria gardener, love to see you work it out 🤔
Thank you brother, you are a excellent instructor. Charlotte North Carolina.
Looking forward to engaging and learning how to play the bass guitar. Just started learning the notes on the fretboard.
Thank you for this great classic song
Thank you for breaking this down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beginner bass player here... It took me forever to get the right-hand fingering correct, or at least to come up with a pattern that was consistent and seemed maximally efficient for the second part of the main riff. It would have been great to see more instruction and analysis on the right hand. That said, once I worked out a pattern that seemed good, and played it over and over every day for a few weeks, it became pretty intuitive, though god knows how long it will take me (if ever) to play it smoothly at speed :) Oddly enough, I found the verse licks a bit more challenging to really "get" since they were less distinctive, despite being, in theory, simpler to play. Thanks for including a breakdown on those, but a few more play throughs would have been nice. All that being said, thanks for the accurate tabs and great instructional video. It's resources like this that make learning bass so much fun! Cheers!
How's it going now, after a year?
Excellent lesson and beautifully played
so far the best lesson on this frame. Great job and thanks!!!
Excellent tutorial...I picked up my bass again after 20 yrs..and found it fun again..wonder if you could break down the track " Saturday night " by T Connection ..would love to master that one too .
Stunning lesson! Thanks, mate!!!
Thank you I' m older guy just for fun thank for your work. Can do Ain't gonna hurt nobody by Brick
Hello Stuart!
I have your Chic Book ("Nile Rodger & Bernard Edwards Funk & Disco Grooves for Bass & Guitar").
I love it. It is such a treasure!
Thanks Anders!
I got the first 3 notes down pat! Now for the rest of it lol.
I remember learning this a while ago but o forgot it, thanks£
Great lesson. . Subscribed! Thanks
I don't have a bass but I love your lessons!
Stuart Ive been trying to learn this for a while ,
you make it look easy , much thanks.
Thanks Mark, hope it helps you learn it!
I have all the notes down I just need to speed it up
@@markbass354 Hopefully you got it at the end :)
@@AlexandarShmex HI YES I GOT TI DOWN THANKS
Hi Stuart,
I’ve tried to learn this with other vids, by far yours is the best. Thank you very much, I’ve now mastering one of my all time favs. 👊🏽
Very kind of you, thanks! Glad you're having success with it, it's a great line!
Thanks for taking the time to do this...your an excellent teacher!
Thank you for the nice tutorial! I am a beginner and this is very helpful!
Super ! Thank you ! 😊
Really great lesson!
Rapper's delight sampled this bass line.
thank You sir
You are the Best! thank You!
Fantastic! I really like your video. I enjoyed watching it until the end. subscribe Thank you for sharing my friend😄👍💕
Great lesson!
Great explanation, simple and sounds exactly as it should!
Glad you liked it
Great job, thx !
Thank you.
At around 4:32, you pluck the D string then on that fingers way up, you also pluck the A string.
I think that's an important detail that's missed out for a beginner like me. I was trying to pluck the D and A strings with my index and middle fingers respectively which sounds wrong because muting is difficult/impossible. It also feels awkward to play like that.
Your technique makes it so much easier because I can pluck the D string and then mute the A string on my way up.
Picking hand fingers are alternating at this point. In terms of muting, bear in mind that you can mute a note simply by lifting the fretting finger slightly. For example, when playing the F# and G notes in this phrase, to keep them short you can lift the finger to stop it ringing. That's what I'm doing with those notes. It's quite an instinctive technique, one that is often developed without thinking about it! I hope that helps anyway.
Thank you
What strings are you using on your jazz? Without a Ray, I would be playing a jazz too, and your tone sounds great. Probably closer to the Stingray sound if you have a '70s model, which yours appears to be. Also it's surprisingly hard sometimes to tell the difference between rounds and flats. Great video!
I don't know what strings they are I'm afraid. Roundwounds, that's about all I can tell you. It's a 72 Jazz that I bought 10 years ago. It had old strings on it, and I haven't changed them as they sound great.
thanks!
nice
Might I suggest you add a "Thanks" button so I can pay you. I want to give you some $ but can't just do it.
I had no idea that was even a thing. I'll look into it. Thanks for the offer anyway, it's very kind of you
@@StuartClayton I'll circle back later & pay ya if I can. I noticed other guys had some videos with "Thanks" and some without so I don't know if you can retro uploaded stuff.
Fantastic lesson and superb playing. I've been trying to download the brilliant package but haven't received the email back. Can you help? I'm not sure if its a fault my end. Email goes to you ok but no reply. Also do you do a book with various songs transcribed. Thanks very much.
Thanks Andrew. This seems to happen to some people, although the mailer appears to be working correctly. Drop me an email at stuart@basslinepublishing.com and I'll get this out to you.
In answer to your other question, yes, I published the Chic Book, which contains bass and guitar transcriptions of lots of Chic/Sister Sledge songs. You can read about it on this page, which contains a link that will take you to the Amazon page for that book in whichever country is closest to you (cheaper shipping): www.basslinepublishing.com/product/the-chic-book/
Question: All the several Good Times bass tutorials have the instructor playing the ascending part using all four fingers, fretting all the notes.. BUT the part is easily played on open strings..! Right? You can stay in first position; After the 3 open E notes... Then the two short open E notes, then 2nd fret- E string, then 3rd fret- E string, then OPEN A string, then 2nd fret A string, then 4th fret A string, then OPEN D string, then 2nd fret D string, then open A string, etc. WHY move the hand up to play the part?
Its like seeing people play the 2nd part of Roundabout up at the 5th fret, when it is played easily in first position by playing open and hammering.
As I think I explain at some point in the video, the fretboard positions I teach here are the ones that Bernard used to play the line. You don't have to do it this way of course, the way you described works perfectly well. Up to you!
@@StuartClayton Thank you for your response. I love your teaching style by the way… you talk just enough to make it clear but you don’t babble on endlessly like so many online instructors do! :-))
@@luckydougfergus Thanks for the kind words. I'm actually a fully-qualified teacher with a lot of classroom experience... so I know when to shut up!
Is that a 75 jazz? Looks exactly like mine!
71 or 72, I can never remember!
@@StuartClayton they are sexy mothers but heavy!
Charlie Evans that depends on weather the body is made of Alder or Ash. My Alder bodied 74 jazz bass weighs in at 3.75kg ! Ash bodies from this era are generally heavy but if you find an Ash bodied jazz bass that weighs no more than 4.5kg your good to go!
How did he play bass without making funny faces. I thought that was impossible.
Where can I get the backing track ??
Check the description
maryboy;s child and feel so good,
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Stuart - interesting to see the fingering BE uses - ua-cam.com/video/RLTDpewIpfw/v-deo.html especially around 1:50 ish
Yes, it's the same fingering I use in the tutorial
I tried to understand it at 0.75 speed . Impossible !! Soo complicated
Queen stole their "Another One Bites The Dust' from this riff.
Steal? More like inspired by