Superstition (Stevie Wonder, 1972) is the funk masterclass. The bass is played by Stevie himself on a Moog synthesizer, but the line has been transcribed to bass guitar countless times. Once you can play it, you understand funk.
The key signature: Eb minor
The song is in Eb minor. The riff is a one-bar pattern that loops, with subtle variations.
The main riff (simplified)
beat: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
note: Eb X X Eb X X Bb X Eb X X Eb Gb X X Bb
Lots of ghost notes. The pitched notes are Eb, Bb, Eb, Gb, Bb, sit on Eb (the root), pop up to Bb (the 5th), back to Eb, jump to Gb (the b3), Bb again.
In bass tab, on the E and A strings (Eb is fret 11 of the E string, fret 6 of the A string, or you can use a 5-string's low Eb):
A|--6-X-X-6--X-X-6-X--6-X-X-6--9-X-X-6--
E|---------------------------------------
(Where 6 = Bb on A string, 9 = Gb on A string, but Eb is fret 6 of the A string... let's clarify: Eb on the A string is fret 6, Bb on the A string is fret 13 or D string fret 8.)
The exact tab varies by transcription. Start with the feel and add notes:
Step 1: just the root
100 BPM. Just play Eb on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4). Lock to the click.
Step 2: add ghost notes
Same beat structure, but add ghost notes on the e, &, and a of each beat. Now you have 16 hits per measure, but only the on-beats are pitched.
Step 3: add the syncopated pops
The Bb pops on the and of beat 2 and the a of beat 4. The Gb pops on beat 3 (or 4, depending on the transcription).
Step 4: full speed
Once the pattern is clean at 100 BPM, bump to 110. The original is around 102 BPM. Don't try to outrun the recording; lock to the click first, then sync with the record.
Why this song
Every funk bassist studies Superstition. The interplay between ghost notes, pitched accents, and the clave-like syncopation is the template. Master this and the next 50 funk songs feel familiar.
Next: bass and the band, advanced topics.