Mustang Sally - Why every bassist plays it WRONG!! (tabs and tutorial)

Lesson material here: www.talkingbass.net/mustang-s...
Today we’re going to look at that old chestnut Mustang Sally. Yup, pretty much every bass player gets to play this one at some point. If you play bars or any kind of function or wedding gig, this one is going to come up and with good reason.
But did you know that most people learn this riff wrong? With good reason, it's tough to hear all the notes in there on the original Wilson Pickett recording. So today we're going to extract the bass line using lalal.ai and learn what Tommy Cogbill REALLY played!
Check out the instrument extraction of LALAL.ai here: www.lalal.ai/
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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:31 The wrong way
2:07 Why we get it wrong
2:21 Isolating the bass line
3:24 The actual bass line
4:27 Full performance
5:32 Bass Line Breakdown
10:40 Tone Tips
11:18 Theory Tips
#mustangsally #wilsonpickett #bassline
=====================================================
Bass Gear:
► Fender Precision
► DR bass strings
► Levy Leathers Bass Strap
► GRBass Bass Amps

[@talkingbasslessons]

Lesson material here: www.talkingbass.net/mustang-sally-why-every-bassist-plays-it-wrong-tabs-and-tutorial/

[@michaelokane6065]

Really hope you've planned a whole series of these "pub standards"! Great stuff as always Mark, cheers

[@alfsmith4936]

When I wake up..

[@mrnelsonius5631]

This is such a funky bassline for a simple blues progression. The rhythmic placement of everything is *chefs kiss* 👌

[@frankortega4280]

Nicely done Mark. A must know for bassists everywhere. Thank you for sharing your work.

[@georgecovetskie6717]

Thank you for posting that. Wow, Mustang Sally. Yea, I been playing bass since 1974 and I remember that song being brought up so, so many times. I did it, well we did it and no matter how off to the left or the right we did the tune, it mostly went over due to the condition of the listeners at that point. Well, one day when I was home practicing new tunes that our band was doing, I remember we discussed that It would be a good idea to actually get the dam song Mustang Sally down right, as best we can. Let me tell ya, Im talking the year 2001 when technology was just not what it was today. So, I had to do this the hard way. I sat back and just listened to the dam song over and over until I had to pick up the bass and try. I am a very good " pick up by ear " bassist but Dam, I could not get the lick perfect. I had to try different headphones, studio monitors and equalize until I thought I had it right. When I finally got it ( that same thing you just showed us on your video ) I sat there trying to sink in the riff and I thought to myself, No No, this aint the dam lick! So I started playing along with the record like I did at the start. Holy Crap! It took me 4 hours to get the Mustang Sally lick! I felt stupid and satisfied at the same time. Thank you for sharing that. Helps me even more to believe I got that dam song down right. Now, it's actually more fun to play!

[@keithclark486]

Dam more fun to play.

[@1965JB]

I probably never got the notes right, but nearly every time I’ve played that song it was the Buddy Guy version, which just murders the beautiful syncopation of the WP version. Drove me to the brink of despair some nights!

[@RFB1098]

loved this. really informative and brilliantly presented. Thank you!

[@lilmelvin11]

A great breakdown! Nice that people study and appreciate the skills these "old-school" musicians had. They didn't "overthink" things, had some knowledge of theory but mostly used instinct from tradition. Music is Rhythm and Pulse in the foundation, with the vocals providing Melody while telling a Story. Learning how to interact and mind-meld within the Pulse is the key to being a good player, and not just an ego-tripper Thank you!

[@talkingbasslessons]

Partly true but most of the 60s session players had a jazz background. Learning to play walking lines and solo had a huge influence on the lines they played.

[@AtomizedSound]

This song has the Muscle Shoals legendary rhythm section “The Swampers” on its track. These guys just knew how to groove. They don’t have much background in jazz either to my knowledge but they were amazing players

[@Altair4314]

@@talkingbasslessons Cogbill played jazz guitar before becoming a studio player. The jazz background seems a parallel with Jamerson and how they both use a lot of chromatics. Really sounds like any 'out' choices he made were entirely deliberate (such as the major/dominant against minor in Chain of Fools).

[@kdrexler]

After playing this any old way, a new challenge! Great job. I might actually learn to unhate this for awhile.

[@TM-jo4wz]

Every time I play it I have to follow the guitar player as usual! Guitar players love to play their version of the bass parts.

[@michaelmattson3515]

Excellent. Just listened to the original recording. Wow that’s really cool.

[@TheMusicianTom]

Legend doesn’t even begin to describe session players like Tommy Cogbill.

[@fbass8657]

Tommy Cogbill is unarguably the most underrated bassist of all time. Period.

[@HangsLopsided]

Very cool subject and lesson, thanks.

[@ricardmoran]

Amazing lesson!! Easyly explained and easy to understand. Thanks a lot.

[@paulandcorinnekozak1138]

A terrific lesson Mark. Thanks.

[@Soul74]

I just used your video while teaching a bass lesson. Thank you very much for this.

[@johnexton4581]

Excellent lesson!

[@humanidrome]

Wow, what an eye-opener!! Thanks a lot.

[@monmixer]

Cool, I love how he laid that in there. sounds a bit not right at first but makes perfect sense and sounds great.

[@db91977]

This is not only instructional but very funny, Mark. I tend to do the Commitments version, but this is very interesting too!

[@tombeyerlein3813]

Commitments version here, too.

[@grahamburton1649]

Thanks for this Mark. After playing this for 30 years in The Solicitors (incorrectly, I might add), we finished last December, so I’m glad I don’t have to adapt this now lol. Keep giving fella…

[@davesrvchannel4717]

At 53 years old I’ve never heard this song one time on the radio. I had a music store for 4 years and never sold a copy. I’m intrigued by the fascination with bands playing this song in clubs. I honestly don’t get it. Played in bands in my youth, and this song was never requested. Yet every time I go see a live band, the song is always played. Glad there’s a tutorial to get it right.

[@jwsaxe]

This is why: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHungJlroqqKqZI

[@GMan269]

Dave: You're not quite old enough. At the age of 70.5, I can tell you it burned up the AM airwaves during my early teens. I'd say this and Midnight Hour were the two most played songs by Wicked Pickett that I can recall. How it got to be a club favorite I'm not quite sure, but if I had a dollar for every time I've played it beginning at age 14...Certainly it was due in large part to the renaissance the song enjoyed in the early 90's with the movie, and soundtrack to "The Commitments." It's an infectious, greasy groove when it's not over-executed by a drunken bar band. And nobody on this planet sings it like Wilson did!

[@carlmontney7916]

Greg I'm 70 and agree 100 % with your post. In the mid to late 60's I lived in Michigan 60 miles from Detroit and Mustang Sally and Midnight Hour got CONSTANT airplay on every station. I've played many times.

[@geraldfriend256]

It was a meme before memes. The Stairway to Heaven for bar bands. Lord spare me

[@GMan269]

@@geraldfriend256 you are spared my son, go in peace and serve the groove.

[@petersanderson3696]

I always played BC F# G.. Never heard the A or Bb ever. Learn something new everyday.

[@jonmccravy]

The real reason bassists get this wrong is because we can't be bothered to actually learn it. You know you get the song list and this one always gets pushed to the "it's just a 1-4-5 with a groove" pile. Well now I know it, so thanks! I might still play it wrong on purpose though. I like to do like a funky shout chorus under it.

[@douglasdingwall4915]

There is no right or wrong way....it's a jam, interpet it anyway you'd like.....is there only one way to play "Feelin' Alright"?

[@ramonmoreno8014]

Doug is all up and down this page trumpeting his hackdom

[@TorqueTheRich]

Great video sir!!! I began 45 years ago finger plucking because, frankly, almost none of my bass heroes used a pick. I began experimenting after 3 years or so and really fell hard for the plectrum. I use the big Fender triangle heavy gauge. I found that by varying my hold location, I can get more or less flexibility and there's plenty of surface area to work with. Plus, when sweat becomes a factor, you can spin the pick to catch the closest point if it slips. Just my take on the subject. I realize it isn't for everyone.

[@andyc5392]

Pretty darn cool discovery, mister…hats off to you

[@tomv4408]

Good stuff!

[@PopejBass]

A great tutorial Mark👍👍👍

[@stevehazlewood2960]

Damn I have been playing this song wrong all these years. I even played with Eamonn Flynn, the road keyboard player for the Commitments for a few years. When I see him next and show him this riff, I am curious to his reaction.

[@user-oi5fu9vi3m]

Great analysis - your playing makes Mustang Sally almost palatable. I possibly have to play this at a jam night tomorrow and a private party on Sunday. Your insight has been invaluable. Let's hope I can keep with the proper bass line... lol

[@edtaylor7816]

You rock Mark! Thanks again!

[@lnxguit]

What a treat - thank you!!!

[@0711RC]

GREAT, THANKS for showing the notation. I like how you teach.

[@josecastellanos5187]

DUDE!! Thanks! I never quite felt completely comfortable playing this song. I incorporated pretty much every version you played at the beginning. But now I can at least fake it better!! LOL!!

[@neasom]

Very cool. Once you hear it it's quite obvious but very useful breakdown

[@mmartak]

Thanks for breaking this down!

[@robertellison4691]

Excellent video. Thanks.

[@elflakeador09]

The commitments is one of the greatest films ever!! 🇮🇪

[@peterzabriskie]

Mark ! ! ! Thank you so very much for this break down of Mustang Sally.... Like you have said trying to pick it out of an old 45 rpm record is tough. I have had countless arguments and a few "your fired" over this tune in the 50+ years I have been playing it. I discovered some cities different are adamant about how they perform certain oldies among the local musical populations. Your presentation style is terrific. I have been a long time lurker on Talking Bass. Thanks again. Maybe a Word on "Peter Gun" next time. :) 🤣

[@hamer12string]

Very informative - thank you! Also - you literally worked up a sweat with that groove! :-)

[@talkingbasslessons]

It’s nearly 50 degrees at the moment in my unit because of the stainless steel (industrial unit with no air con). Hence the sweat. It’s literally killing me.

[@mightyV444]

That's how I'd actually heard it in the recording when learning the song for a covers band three years ago, but it sounded 'wrong' to my ears so I omitted the A and moved the B in its place, followed by two C 8th notes on the '1' beat 😁

[@timesroman]

This was a great vid &, like almost everyone, I've not played it correctly most of the time. For the record, though, the original was the songwriter, R&B/soul artist Sir Mack Rice's, version released in 1965. Wilson covered it a year later & had the big hit.

[@richshields6692]

As a bassist I have found that even if you play the part right, it wont sound "right" if everyone else doesn't play their part correctly. Lol

[@shaunjohnson9210]

Amen!!!! And “Thank you!”

[@sandergordon6289]

Very true that's why no matter if you play it right or wrong as long as Everybody Plays the same thing it sounds good to those listening out in the audience.

[@Brad5161]

Exactly.

[@vaudronphilippe5415]

Comment on appelle un mec qui accompagne des musiciens ? Un bassiste 😅 ou on l’appelle pas humour

[@partabilitychoirrehearsalt2452]

Sorry to disagree with most of the folk on here! But I think "Wrong" in the title is putting it strong, unless you're determined to play it exactly as Pickett's original - but frankly, most people - bassists, other players and most importantly the audience - will be far more familiar with the Commitments version. IMHO it's one of those rare cases where the cover surpassed the original - cleaner, somehow funkier. So, sorry, I'll be sticking to C-F#-G-Bb-C the way I've always played it Thanks for the tips re. isolation software, will no doubt come in handy in the future. Cheers John

[@traceyzebra3528]

I imagine a lot of people, like me, learned this a lot of years ago off a 4th or 5th hand cassette copy where any hope of hearing all the original bassline was long gone so we either played 1)what fit the bog standard major or minor chords the guitarist played (see the theory bit) 2) what our mate, mentor or bassist you admired in the local pub played 3) used the version "The Commitments" played or 4) played something different every night just to keep it interesting. I never dreamt back then we'd have access to the sort of technology that allows us to isolate these barely audible parts. Now all you (still) gigging bassists have to do is make the rest of your bands play the correct parts too 😂😂😂 thank you for a really interesting post. Now subscribed.

[@thelonious-dx9vi]

Man, he just did not care whether those are dominant chords or what. You gotta love that.

[@michaelgalietta5623]

I've been playing totally different and it sounded good...but liked this version better..thank you

[@SLO4SpeedBump]

This is the sound that made Tommy Gogbill Great. He created a great bass line without stepping on else's original music.

[@jomamma1750]

That's Cogbill

[@MrGavinspoppop]

Starting to play bass in the band ... giving the guitar a rest .... great info thanks

[@kayo-music]

OK what a shock, I played it always wrong the last 40 years....thanks! and all the bass-t from kayo

[@fivekings2767]

Ah yes, lalal.ai. I've been using that a lot to create rhythm tracks to work on vocals against. A completely Brilliant and powerful tool. Hadn't applied it to this song though. I've been playing this completely wrong forever as well, so thank you for providing me with the means to correct that.

[@Romans12-1]

good stuff

[@broadpath7184]

Amazing how hard easy things can be!

[@dlawlis]

If you're gonna do Mustang Sally you're gonna have to do Brown Eyed Girl 😁

[@frostriver4547]

Just no Wagon Wheel or Turn the Page without a $100 donation to the band

[@emmanuelacharithayamim3627]

....and “Hi ho, silver lining”

[@talkingbasslessons]

@@emmanuelacharithayamim3627 well…that’s another one people play wrong. The first chord!

[@dlawlis]

@@talkingbasslessons For me personally there really is no "wrong" way to play anything; just good and bad 😉

[@talkingbasslessons]

@@dlawlisBig tip: Do NOT take a gig with an orchestra.

[@lisamann]

Thank you for showing this bass line, and the song, some proper respect, it's been trashed for far too long!

[@kenbash2951]

I play the same part that is on the record by Wilson Pickett. Fairly straightforward.

[@kenbash2951]

@Wayne Green My point is- it's easy. Nothing fancy about it.

[@2007christian]

GREAT THANKS

[@charlieburns1385]

Awesome thanks

[@rob145]

Good one Mark..

[@heftyjo2893]

I've been using the program called RipX to extract, isolate, and analyze songs. It runs about $100 so it isn't necessarily cheap.

[@longsnapper5381]

Thank you , Mark.

[@j.p.fitting9226]

Thnx for this ! What a motherCogbill was !! Could swear when you first play the extracted sample it starts ON A ! oh well TY

[@fernandogarajalde4066]

You play it your way and I’ll play it MY way. 😎

[@davidpanzer1166]

Never ceases to amaze me how great those Alabama white boys were. The guitar parts on MS are absolutely brilliant. Nobody plays then right either! Usually just some random idea of “funky “ with a bunch of 7th and 9th chords. There are only major chords being used. One is doing a v Cool riff using octaves (like Wes Montgomery). The other guitar is playing a Chuck Berry type of double stop parts. Anyway, great video! You got a new subscriber!

[@sorensand4484]

Thanks ❤

[@patboudotlamot]

EXCELLENT

[@taurus3973]

Kudos to you for isolating the authentic bass line. The only question I would have is, is that the best bass line for the song? The slide up from B to C on the first beat suits me fine, as does the slide from F# to G on the way back up. However the choice of the 6th (A) note instead of going to Bb, irks my ear a bit. I tend to think that the song works in spite of that choice, and because under all the instruments, the bass riff is murky anyway. In a perfect world I would lose that 6th and use the 7th.

[@warrenbass7350]

Ha brilliant,... I am guilty as charged. Nice one Mark.

[@michaelmattson3515]

Super Freak has a alternating riff that no bar band uses. I’m a guitarist in a funk groove band and nobody plays like the record of the songs we play just the hooks. Which is actually nice because I can kind of jam on the tunes.

[@Defmusicman1]

Can you do it in a full tab layout from start to finish?

[@balbo1981]

Well done! 💪 Just a question... Sorry if it was already asked... What kind of dr strings do you use? I have a squier p bass cv 70 with lindy fralyn pickup and i'm actually using thomastik.

[@steve895]

That B natural works, as do most chromatic runs, because it's a tritone substitute. In this case it's a tritone substitute for the F which is the fourth in a C7.

[@talkingbasslessons]

It’s not a tritone sub. It’s just a basic chromatic approach into the C7. It’s the accented beat that makes it odd. Tritone substitutions are a very different thing.

[@markvilleneuve6655]

Thank you so much. I love blues, Rhythm and blues, Country and western, of course 50s 60s 70s rock and roll. I play Rhythm Guitar it is time to play bass. How about getting both on one body. 😁😁

[@ErnieLeblanc]

Been half-steppin' this tune for many, many Years.

[@ErnieLeblanc]

However, Mark: You are a Dangerous Genius Bassist at LARGE! - Thanks for Another Great Video.💯

[@Raffnix58]

❤Thank you

[@elhazelrah]

Whoa! Definitely guilty of playing this wrong many, many times lol. It's like this bassline is pulled from an alternate timeline. 🙃

[@nylesfrench3568]

Man the Wicked Wilson Pickett version is Thee Version 👌 🙌 🔥

[@firetopman]

You are a riot.

[@MoggioMTB]

Really interesting! Funny how dodgy one can play this song in a covers band and still get away with it. This is one of those be told the changes and be shown the rough feel of the riff and your ready to go type songs.

[@NelsonMontana1234]

Nice.

[@edoca1]

Hahahha Very same to Guajira start.....beauty thanks

[@PowersDave1966]

Ha!! Love it. The bassist in my band did it right! 😝

[@PowersDave1966]

Never mind I was wrong 😫

[@edoca1]

Going to tonic, Very ingenius

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

Well, it turns out that because I didn't know how to play it, I played it right! 😄 A muted open string before leading up to the root note from the flat is my main bass technique when I don't know what to play! 😁

[@samba1412]

The Bb is often B natural on a lot of charts too.

[@the116army2]

I really liked the Commitments sound, just because it’s not like the original doesn’t mean it’s bad

[@rontabuteau1721]

Nice work but I can't let you get away with saying the original version is by Wilson Pickett when in fact the tune's writer Sir Mack Rice recorded it a year earlier!

[@seanoxton5572]

We always did Buddy Guy's version of this in bands I was in.

[@TimoKotilainen62]

My motto will be from now on: "It wasn't wrong note, it was my chromatic approach!" 😂 Thank you for great info 😊! And stay cool - literally😥!

[@jonviall5566]

Bass Thanks

[@davidpanzer1166]

I played guitar with Wilson Pickett for five years. The bass player never played the original bass line 😳

[@davidpanzer1166]

Now I do a lot of bass gigs and I always do it right! But as you say nobody cares. Actually that isolated part is a little different than what I thought it was 😮

[@derekbrand9760]

I completely believe that. All of the older Blues artists I've played with have told me their bands never "Played it like the damn record !"

[@jchavins]

my band played the Young Rascals version of this song a year before Pickett's cover was released.....we did play it quite a bit faster than the Rascals as it was a better dance song at a faster speed....

[@crankjazz]

C# D? Notated as Db, D?

[@muratunel]

Thanks for sharing

[@jakeschneider7846]

Sometimes it's hard to pick out the fundamental notes from a recording, so we're stuck with using some music theory to fill in the gaps. Which is why I always played C (1) F# (b5) G (5) Bb (b7). I guess I was wrong.

[@winstonsmith8240]

So start on the major 7 on a dominant chord? Makes sense. Charlie Parker used to do that a lot. To mess with people's heads, I believe. 😉

[@AtticusFinch.]

Mustang Sally are written and was first recorded by Mack Rice.

[@dwocelot6913]

Wow, revelation. Sounds more like a Talking Heads bass part than Pickett lol

[@nicholas1460]

Ok, now that you've done this how about Paint it Black? I keep seeing two slightly different versions. Does it have the F?

[@aikensrus]

On the isolated track, it sounds to me like F natural, not F#. Maybe it's the motion that's more important than the actual chord tone, with the super muddy P-bass sound... Thanks for the breakdown!