Paradise City - Bass Cover

Hello :) This is the transcription I did of the Guns N' Roses song "Paradise City". Duff McKagan played bass on this track.
Things to watch out for is the main riff - it's a bit of a "finger fumbler' and of course the double-time section.
This transcription can be found at www.muzento.com under Intermediate - Learning Songs subject.
Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy :)
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Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.

[@pclutch]

Most people don't understand the awesomeness of this bass line. Good work.

[@BassCovers]

thanks very much :)

[@bowentommy2587]

Instablaster.

[@coxnballs]

Love your profile pic. Too many idiots today get offended by patriotism.

[@devilsoffspring5519]

That's because the fucker is too damn low in the mix for most people to pay attention. This song has a GREAT bass line! It's just barely there in the mix--but, this version is just about right!

[@pclutch]

@sk8n854 Jeremy by pearl jam is another bassline that is totally underrated.

[@dukepeterson]

By far the best video on KZbin for how to correctly play this song!!! Thank you!

[@BassCovers]

hey Duke...appreciate that...thank you :)

[@kristc99]

Dang, that’s some awesome bass playing! Thanks so much for this, a huge help as I learn to play this song.

[@BassCovers]

hi Kris...so glad to hear its helping you to learn the tune! Thanks for leaving a comment :)

[@mattyp8895]

Still watching this 2 years after coming across it 👌

[@BassCovers]

cool...thanks!

[@rosiespole]

Awesome! Was just about following it until the last 2 minutes, omg! Brilliant cover

[@BassCovers]

thank you Rosie :)

[@veesvoyages]

This is incredible! Thank you :)

[@BassCovers]

Hi 228! You're very welcome...cheers :)

[@stevepuma5732]

Sir. Hats off to you. That was awesome. I’m a amateur drummer and love adlers style of playing. Your talent is well noted in my book. Looking forward to more videos!!

[@BassCovers]

hi Steve, thank you very much...cheers! :)

[@Cortfan52]

Excellent! Thank you so much. I'm just getting back into playing after a 12 year hiatus, and you are saving me hours of learning songs. I hope to be back in a band as soon as I can retire, in about a year.

[@BassCovers]

Hi Cortfan! :) Really glad you like it. Hope it helps...cheers!

[@birtheb2358]

just some timestamps for learning :) 0:37 1:16 1:59 2:56 3:16 4:20 4:34 5:07

[@fjsolossa29]

Dang, playing this song for almost 7 minute straight is such an extreme workout!

[@BassCovers]

haha...yes it is! :)

[@adityatyagi4009]

Wow, that was amazing! You did a fantastic job. The bass part on this song is underappreciated!

[@BassCovers]

Thanks very much. It is a pretty involved bass part...thanks!

[@SeanVplayer]

Some fine playing Greg. Good job!

[@BassCovers]

thanks! :)

[@johnpaulclarkson4671]

Awesome. The reason I started playing bass. This very song

[@Chrisorocks]

Just brilliant, thanks for sharing

[@BassCovers]

Thank you...cheers!

[@loskop100]

Just awesome, thank you.

[@BassCovers]

thanks a lot!

[@BassistofNReeky]

Thank you very much to play Paradise City, it is one of my favourite guns n Roses Songs

[@BassCovers]

I'm glad you liked it...thanks!

[@tun-tunninc.6492]

Whoa!!!! That's a mighty bass sound

[@BassCovers]

Thanks. It's a Sterling 5 by MusicMan turned up to full volume :)

[@alessandroseghezzi740]

I love that sound....very nice performance ! you rock !

[@BassCovers]

hey Alessandro! Thanks man...cheers!

[@markmatavideos]

Man this is AWESOME! My favorite GnR !

[@BassCovers]

Glad you like it! Thanks :)

[@kolakbanana]

Great man.. I like this very much!

[@BassCovers]

hi kolakbanana! Thanks :)

[@tose917]

Are you freakin’ kidding me?!?!? Dude, you’re awesome!!!

[@BassCovers]

haha...thanks man :) I think I might have to do another version as I've found out there's a version in a lower key? I have no idea what the original key is or was so...should probably do another one ;) Thanks...cheers!

[@fortnite.diegoCL]

@@BassCovers please do it👌👌

[@jonathangutierrez4907]

Amazing! thanks a lot!!!

[@BassCovers]

Hi Jonathan! My pleasure :) Really glad you like it...cheers!

[@annamariameier2849]

You can laugh well ... and I laugh about the huge amount of work that I have in front of me. Thanks for the transcription with a sweaty greeting from Switzerland

[@BassCovers]

Hi Female Jelly...thanks :) It's good you're laughing. Enjoy what you do it's not work ;) My pleasure and greetings from Norway!

[@annamariameier2849]

Yes, it is not work because I enjoy it a lot, but it is a lot of work to reach the goal. I'm already at the first refrain :-) and do an interlude with Long Tall Sally to spare my wrist. Wow Norway!

[@BassCovers]

@@annamariameier2849 hey Jelly, I hear what you're saying. If it's any consolation, it took me almost 17 hours over 7 days! :)

[@annamariameier2849]

More to laugh - In the last part of the song my plectrum is splintered. I think it's going in the right direction. And thank you for allowing me to stare at your fingers as often as I want to understand what's going on.

[@BassCovers]

@@annamariameier2849 haha...splintered your pick...never heard of that before..well done! :) I'm really glad you're finding it helpful...cool :)

[@markmatavideos]

Wooohoooo! Yeah! This is wild! ❤❤❤

[@BassCovers]

haha...thanks!

[@AKSebi2]

Great cover my man!!

[@BassCovers]

thanks dude!

[@tomhumes2457]

Dang!!!’ That one might take a little practice. Awesome job! Wow!

[@BassCovers]

Thank you Tom. Take your time and have fun :)

[@basskidjoshua9241]

Nice job man 👍👍👍🎸🎸

[@BassCovers]

thanks dude!

[@Coyote031979]

This was useful because in my class we are doing air bands and I am the bass guitar and my group has this song

[@BassCovers]

haha...glad it helped :)

[@Sh-hg8kf]

What's air bands?

[@markmullins5822]

DUFF APPROVES

[@BassCovers]

haha...that would be cool ;)

[@PrawdziwyPolakBosak]

That was great 👍

[@BassCovers]

Thanks :)

[@malifeisht4964]

Helps me a a lot thanks!!

[@BassCovers]

cool...glad to hear it :)

[@knightalumni]

Excellent!

[@BassCovers]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@rodolfohernandez772]

This is so bad ass, thanks!!

[@BassCovers]

haha...thank you Rodolfo :)

[@Chief_Brody]

AWESOME

[@BassCovers]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@evertongracindo]

Uma verdadeira obra prima do contrabaixo

[@BassCovers]

contrabaxio? :)

[@andresll9105]

amazing beautiful

[@maximilianoespinozaapolaya6406]

Its very great man!!!

[@BassCovers]

thank you!

[@miaudogatoful]

meus parabéns professor a importância que é tocar com a partitura .

[@BassCovers]

Thank you Alfredo. Yes, reading sheeting music can be important...thanks ;)

[@martinlisa533]

hard rock 🖤 🤘

[@BassCovers]

Yaaa!

[@eltonrocha2954]

Q Som de baixo , essa Paradise city tem, legal, parabens , joinha.

[@BassCovers]

thank you

[@peterhart5882]

great job i am tackling this song tomorrow pete

[@BassCovers]

hey Pete...good luck and have fun! :)

[@RexfromIslaNublar]

This song is so much fun to play on bass

[@BassCovers]

Yes it is...I'm glad you're enjoying it. Thanks!

[@kanalintu9246]

Damn your good. Thanks for the tabs.

[@BassCovers]

hi kana...really glad you like it...thanks! :)

[@ska2dt]

This song is so much fun to play.

[@BassCovers]

Yes it is :)

[@timmcmaster6435]

thx man and thx too for standard tuning version

[@BassCovers]

My pleasure. To be honest, I didn't know there was another version when I did this one :) Thanks!

[@JasonVoorhees1946_]

Perfect 😊

[@BassCovers]

Thanks 😄

[@ti_samu4650]

There are some parts of bass that Duff do that isn t in the video like some notes to the start of the video

[@openheimer968]

Badass playing bro.👍 🔫🌹

[@BassCovers]

Thanks man :)

[@jasonbryant.bassguitarplay3641]

super nice BASS GUITAR!!... awesome vid too, but i aint gotta say that on every piece of your work.

[@BassCovers]

hey Jason...thanks man. I really appreciate the positive feedback. Cheers! :)

[@mattyp8895]

Superb

[@BassCovers]

Thanks 🤗

[@santiagomartiinezdevotto7226]

THANKS!!

[@BassCovers]

You're welcome! :)

[@hudsoncopenhaver]

My dude just be vibin over here

[@BassCovers]

cool...thanks :)

[@williamrobinson1973]

Great Job!!! Bravo👏 Duff is one of my favorite bass players. He was a great player in the sense that he could write songs, he could sing, had great stage presence, he was an entertainer. He understood his role as a bass player but wasn't gonna be buried in the mix neither. He understood how to drive a song and really marry the guitar to the drums, he knows how to give space, play with dynamics, and when to pull back. Lots of players can play a million notes but do not know how to do these things in a band format or in a creative circle. Really sad. Anyway Great job my dude as always. 👍

[@BassCovers]

Thank you very much William...nice description...thanks!

[@williamrobinson1973]

@@BassCovers fo sho! You rock man!

[@miaudogatoful]

Professor tem uma música do Bee Gees Giving Up The Ghost ,gostaria de ver a partitura.

[@BarryWorst]

You rock guy

[@BassCovers]

haha...thanks man :) It's hard not too on this one ;)

[@marcelobelizario4700]

Meu filho toca um pouco, tenho muito orgulho desse murrinha

[@paulocesar7532]

Perfeito irmão 👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@BassCovers]

thanks man :)

[@juanmora5341]

SUPERB

[@BassCovers]

hi Juan...thank you :)

[@juanmora5341]

Greg Fairweather being the first band that I was a fan and trying to play bass, that’s exactly what I wanted to see and learn. Thank you or as we say in Tijuana México, Muchas Gracias 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@chuckcassidymusic]

I have to audition with this song tomorrow (among 15 others), so thanks for doing this in standard tuning! The way Duff simplifies the bass line notes during the fast part at the end actually makes it harder for me to get my head around. Is that weird?

[@BassCovers]

hey Chuck, thanks for the message and good luck with your audition. I don't think that's weird. A lot of times things we think are difficult end up being being much easier than we thought...let it be :)

[@fidiasperez]

¿Afinación estándar? Sea como fuere, ¡maravillosa versión! ¡Muchas gracias!

[@BassCovers]

Yes, standard tuning. Thank you :)

[@Kostillain_asspero]

thx dude

[@BassCovers]

cheers

[@musicman3351]

CoverSolutions had a really good cover with tabs on this but it’s gone now and we have this

[@BassCovers]

Well, maybe you should go and support them so you can watch their video?

[@1983electric]

So many other published tablatures have this bass track written incorrectly. Well done.

[@BassCovers]

Thanks! :) Your message reminds me that I should do another version. I grabbed the first one I found without realizing there were two different keys...

[@1983electric]

@@BassCovers I think this one actually was in E :)

[@BassCovers]

@@1983electric ya...would probably making it easier to play ;) I'm not sure where I got this version or why the key was changed? They didn't record two versions did they?

[@shinjiji98]

Thank you bro!! Amazing!!!! Is your hand okay?

[@BassCovers]

haha...yes, thank you :)

[@Gazonkie]

Cool

[@BassCovers]

hey Gazonkie...thanks! ;)

[@ZPX945]

WOW! This is a fun one! I am wondering if you could do "Fire" by Arthur Brown . It seems to be an unusual song but I love it! :-)

[@BassCovers]

I'm not familiar with that song or artist, but I'll check it out. Thanks!

[@ZPX945]

@@BassCoversThank you!

[@evanstepanian7362]

The bass is the best part of all songs

[@BassCovers]

haha, I tend to think so too ;)

[@changhoonoh4256]

good job!!!

[@BassCovers]

thanks chang ;)

[@residuorock5090]

¿De qué sirve tener 5 cuerdas si no la va a usar?

[@BassCovers]

Because I liked the sound of that bass for this song...is that a good enough reason for you??

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Wow! Another awesome song! *"Paradise City"* is one of my favourites from Guns n Roses. Do you have *"Sweet Child o' Mine",* another awesome GnR song? :)

[@TylerCrossWrestling]

Nobody better ever tell me a Duff don’t know his stuff

[@BassCovers]

haha...he played the heck out this tune!

[@christee5772]

Very nice work. I play a slightly simpler version with a few less notes. Been listening to the song closely recently and think the first and last bars of the 'pre-verse' starting about 1:40 are played differently to the main riff but can't quite figure it out, any help would be appreciated......

[@BassCovers]

hey Chris, I'm sorry man, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking for?

[@christee5772]

@@BassCovers Sorry, ignore me, I was reading your tab wrong,

[@markmatavideos]

Could you do "So Cold" by The Rolling Stones? You're the best!

[@BassCovers]

Great tune...I'll see what I can do...thanks!

[@timmcmaster6435]

hmm help me figure this out greg.. Guns tunes down a 1/2.. so learning to theirs i gotta tune down.. so i mean yours is in standard correct?

[@BassCovers]

I didn't adjust my tuning, so yes, it's in standard tuning.

[@another_21centuryman]

In what tone is your bass tuned? Cheers

[@BassCovers]

A440

[@another_21centuryman]

thank you very much

[@bapt_andthebasses]

@@BassCovers Which is wrong. This song is EADG with A=436 Hz...

[@lunavenj5189]

wow i’ve never heard paradise city played in standard tuning until now

[@BassCovers]

I didn't realize there were different versions of different tunings out there. I just grabbed the first one I found and transcribed it :)

[@lunavenj5189]

@@BassCovers i’ve only ever heard anyone play it tuned half a step down but it sounds amazing in standard too

[@mateusmatos7295]

​@@BassCovers the original recording is a half step down

[@Vikalp_bass]

did u changed anything i mean tuning? its half step Down right?

[@BassCovers]

No, I don't think so? I just played along and it sounds pretty close to A440?

[@Vikalp_bass]

so when u recorded was it standard tuning?

[@BassCovers]

yes. I don't remember doing anything with the tuning? Does it sound off on your instrument?

[@Vikalp_bass]

yea a bit something is diff. but the notations are fine so i was confused whether its something else or the tuning

[@135roze]

Greg Fairweather Just to say, the song is actually half a step down from standard, and this backing track you used has been pitch shifted up to fit standard tuning

[@IThinkMottoMottolikesyou]

Take a bow

[@BassCovers]

thank you! :)

[@frott6485]

What’s the real turning notes?

[@BassCovers]

I'm sorry, I don't know what that means?

[@frott6485]

@@BassCovers never mind all good thanks!!

[@lavapirate]

i watched a lead guitar tutorial for this and thought, nope, definitely not a beginner song to tackle... So i figure, how about the bass line? nope - maybe marginally easier to learn than the lead, but still ambitious! I have a lot of practice to do

[@BassCovers]

Have fun and keep at it! :)

[@familyplayers5916]

Hpt y ese mj como aguanta los dedos alv y me la tengo q aprender 😢

[@marselluswallace6]

I find it so hard to play. After a few times over my hand stops working properly lol

[@BassCovers]

haha...that's a good time to take a rest :)

[@marselluswallace6]

@@BassCovers going between the first and 3rd fret rapidly like that is tough. It reminds me of cowboys from hell by pantera which i still havent been able to get down fully

[@lanceaustin7057]

Is that a stingray bass?

[@BassCovers]

It's a Sterling made by MusicMan

[@mrsoikawa]

I think Slash chimed in with something quite different...

[@MarcioBaron]

this song in 1/2 step up than the original!

[@135roze]

Marcio Baron That’s why he pitch shifted the song up to fit standard tuning, but it would’ve been easier just to tune down

[@Janszler]

Ahh... i was wondering what sounded 'off', but that's it indeed, it's been sped up.. wtf, why?

[@frostmusicofficial]

Yeah it took me a good minute why it sounded weird, then I realized its tuned down and he didn't want to I guess so just sped the song up.

[@bapt_andthebasses]

NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. It's normal EADG tuning with A=436 Hz instead of A=440...

[@marquezneson8849]

02:00

[@bobbydunn9652]

I'm selfish, I hope I'm the only one scrunched face 😖 jamming on stage living the dream we all dream about lol

[@dovleac]

You should put the tabs on top of the screen so the playback overlay doesn't cover it up.

[@DrBASSics10]

Is this tuned in standard?

[@BassCovers]

you know how to play...you tell me ;)

[@saulismaeldzibuh4594]

velocity 0.95 sunds like the original

[@BassCovers]

thank you Saul

[@saulismaeldzibuh4594]

@@BassCovers OMG YOU ANSWER ME!!!!

[@devilsoffspring5519]

MUCH better! This is how the original should have been mixed. Great sounding bass line! Too bad they put it so low in the mix, that was a lame move. This sounds perfect!

[@BassCovers]

Thanks very much :)

[@MacDeece]

Best part = 4:48

[@BassCovers]

hehe...a little boost in the energy ;)

[@drwhave]

ITV Greg thinks rock bass players can sight-read lol

[@BassCovers]

What does ITV mean? I play rock and can site read...why not? :)

[@drwhave]

@@BassCovers it's just short for "In This Video". Just a lame joke referring to the fact that people who need a cover video to learn paradise city usually can't sight-read anyway! (not looking down on anyone, I'm 40, playing for oh so many years and I still struggle reading)

[@BassCovers]

ahhh...hehe okay :) The only thing I could think of was Independent Television, and that didn't make any sense :) Yes, there is a pretty steep learning curve with Standard Notation, but hopefully some will find the TAB useful. Thanks :)

[@Superbabiez]

This is 440. IT should be played a half step down D# or E flat

[@135roze]

Superbabiez That’s why he pitch shifted the song up to fit standard tuning, but it would’ve been easier just to tune down

[@CocoWantsACracker]

@@135roze Still a bit disappointing though: he has a five-string, so why not use that B string to play it in the original tuning? It would also allow for a more consistent positioning on the neck throughout the song. It still is a good video, but it would have been nice to at least see it mentioned that this is not in the original key.

[@bapt_andthebasses]

Nope it's A=436Hz in the original song with EADG tuning... come on.

[@8o8inSquares]

You used pick! that's not epicc

[@BassCovers]

ok