Скачать или смотреть Learn to play the "My Sharona" bass riff

Written in 1979, this song has been the source material for many parodies including one recently composed by the Knack original band members Berton Averre and Prescott Niles (penned "Bye Corona").

Despite the song's colorful history "My Sharona" continues to be etched our collective memories as a classic rock staple - Or at least mine.

I am going out on a limb here. But it's my opinion that Niles' signature bass line is the primary ingredient that set this song apart from the heap of similar pop songs written at that time that have escaped our memory.

Prescott Niles' bass riff primarily consists of a G Octave that nicely pairs with the Tom and Kick-drum pattern. I tend to use my index and pinky in my left hand to play this figure. It is a bit challenging to get used to fingering this octave shape in the right-hand. I approach this by using my alternating index and middle fingers.

I would recommend focusing your attention first to being able to slowly play the notes in the left-hand while not focusing on the right hand. Practice this so slow that you would be embarrassed if someone walked in on your practice session. That way your brain can memorize the movements that more quickly and effectively.

Once you are comfortable with the left-hand notes I would shift my attention to the right-hand. You can practice the right-hand independently of the left-hand fingering at first Or, simply practice the riff really slow and focus on your right hand exclusively.

Once this riff becomes more familiar to you I would then take some time to begin practicing it in the context of time. You can do this with a metronome that is set at a very slow tempo which you can then gradually increase.

Please visit friendly-frets.com/resources to download the tab and the backing track to this song. Then you can begin to practice along with the jam track and join the ranks of bassists who have similarly paid homage to the genius of Prescott Niles.