The Killers – Somebody Told Me Bass Transcription

The Killers – Somebody Told Me Bass Transcription…

Somebody Told Me was the second single released from The Killers’ debut album Hot Fuss (2004) and features Mark Stoermer in great form. His bass playing is as inventive as ever and the introduction’s bass solo is a great example of this. Using the B minor scale, he outlines the Bm to Em movement, starting each phrase with the root note. Mark’s tone here is great, keeping the bass up front whilst also complimenting the synths and guitars. The verse and pre-chorus utilise a more straight forward approach with an eighth-note groove interspersed with short melodic phrases and octaves to keep it interesting. Down picks should be used here to keep the groove driving forward.

This song’s chorus is a particular highlight. The higher notes on the G string produce a counter melody that works perfectly with the main tune, again making sure the bass is noticeable throughout. I highly recommend memorising this section so you don’t have to keep referring to the part, those position shifts are fast! The interlude uses a similar amount of fretboard navigation in the bars 81-83 with a repeated pattern on the 11th & 12th fret. Keep those slides smooth and make sure the fretting is accurate, I recommend using your 1st finger on the 11th fret and 2nd finger on the 12th fret to keep it fluent. The song then ends with an extended chorus, the last 8 bars of which use a steady groove on the root note. This is the climax of the song so keeping the notes on the E string makes the tone as fat and even as possible, filling out the low end.

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Other bass lines by The Killers to check out:

• Jenny Was a Friend of Mine (Hot Fuss)
• Bones (Sam’s Town)
• All The Pretty Faces (Sawdust)

Have fun!

The transcription does not intend to violate any laws or copyrights, it is to be used for educational purposes (fair use).