This song is known for its bass line, and you are about to get closer to that feel with one shape. The chords are A, F#m, D, E.
Play along
stand by me
The shape
From a root on the E or A string, there are two notes that nearly always work:
- The fifth: one string thinner, two frets higher.
- The octave: two strings thinner, two frets higher.
Play root, fifth, octave, fifth, slowly. That shape moves anywhere on the neck and stays the same.
Practice metronome
60BPM
On the song
Use the same shape from each root, on the E and A strings:
- A: E string, 5th fret
- F#: E string, 2nd fret
- D: A string, 5th fret
- E: E string, open, or A string 7th fret
Start with roots only. Then add the fifth. Then try the whole shape on the chords that last longest.
You're done when: you can move the shape to any root without thinking about the note names.
This is a pattern to play with, not a transcription of the record's famous bass part. Listen to the record, and try to pick out what it does differently.