Come Together is the title track from legendary album, Abbey Road. Here are some clear bass playing tips that will help you master this piece of rock and roll history.
Come Together Bass Guitar Tutorial
Another week, another guitar lesson. This week, we’re delving into Come Together by The Beatles. Taken from one of the most memorable album titles and artworks ever.
This series usually looks at electric guitar riffs, such as Sweet Child O’ Mine. However, this week we’re giving the bass players some time in the spotlight.
The track features John Lennon’s razor sharp vocals, accompanied by backing harmonies. Moreover, the instrumentation is pretty basic, considering the amount of overdubbing that they were experimenting with at the time.
Paul McCartney, naturally, plays bass guitar, whilst George Harrison and John accompany with varying electric guitar parts , and Ringo Starr provides the percussion.
Intro
Initially, the track starts with Lennon’s rather peculiar ‘shoot me’ vocal, followed by our first bass guitar riff. The main riff from Come Together repeats throughout the song, so you get a lot of value from learning it.
We want to start by playing two quavers, one of which is dotted, on the 5th fret of the A string. This is the root note of the track, D. From here, we slide up to the 12th fret, before grabbing the 10th fret on the G string. Concluding the riff, we want to slide downwards on the 12th fret of the D string.
The intro plays across four bars, before we get to the verse. Coincidently, the first part of the verse is exactly the same as the intro, before modulating to A.
Verse
Working our way into the depths of the song, things change up a little. As we’ve seen already, our verse consists of four bars on that first riff. However, we now need another riff for the next two bars.
Our second riff in Come Together starts on an open A string, before working our way to the 15th fret of the same string. Here, we play one note, followed by a 1/4 step bend, and then sliding outwards on the 12th fret of the A string back to repeat once more.
Thus far across the chord progression, we have picked out way through D and A. The verse concludes on a G note, and this is exactly what we play. Ideally on the 3rd fret of the E string, we play it once and let it ring out for two bars, which is the same as eight beats.
Chorus
Before we get to the first chorus, there’s another verse, which is exactly the same as the first.
Luckily, our chorus is realistically just a two bar phrase. Although, we resolve back to our intro ahead of the third verse.
Here though, we’re just picking on the 7th fret of the E string, which is B, and working our way down to A and G before finishing on A. I like to count a series of quavers, otherwise known as eighth notes, one and two and three and four and.
Instrumental / Guitar Solo
After what feels like a maze of random verses and lyrics, we land on the first instrumental section.
Unlike our main riff, the instrumental section of Come Together is bland by comparison. Again, we’re sitting on entire bars of quavers. Despite the complicity, or lack of, it provides a driving force for the track, and is equally as rhythmic as Ring’s drumming.
For the majority of the instrumental, we’re sitting on a D note on the 5th fret of the A string. We’re here for 8 bars, before working back to our original riff ahead of a final verse. After another assortment of verses and chorus, we have another instrumental to close the song. Just repeat to fade!
Relevant Gear
Although he is most associated with a Höfner 500/1 *violin bass, Paul McCartney played another trusty axe of his during the Abbey Road sessions. The *Rickenbacker 4001 was, and still is, a powerhouse of a bass guitar.
Moreover, it aesthetically fitted in with the whole psychedelic vibe of the late 1960s. Aside from killer looks, the sound was perfect for any drug fuelled song.
Come Together: Little sections add up!
Compared to our other how to guides, this one has been pretty straight forward. Structurally, this one is reasonably straight forward. Therefore, making it a stable for beginner bands to have a go at.
Are there any other bass guitar riffs and songs that you’re craving? Then why not give us some suggestions?
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