Bass transcription: Kings of Leon – “Sex on Fire”

“Sex on Fire” is the song that propelled Kings of Leon into the limelight, taking them from domestic success to international acclaim. The lead single from the Tennessee band’s fourth album, Only by the Night (2008), “Sex on Fire” gave the band their first taste of international success, topping the charts in the Canada, the UK, Australia, and Finland, and earning the band multiple Grammy award nominations. It’s also one of the main indie anthems – along with “Mr. Brightside” – that has stubbornly refused to leave wedding band set lists since its release.

Kings of Leon – “Sex on Fire” bass transcription PDF

“Sex on Fire” bass performance notes

This should be a straightforward bass part, but there are some corners that are worth paying attention to:

• The introduction is frequently a train wreck. The guitar part begins on the ‘and’ of beat 4, meaning that it’s easy to miss where the downbeat falls. If you’re playing this live, then please get the drummer to count it in so there’s no doubt as to how everyone is feeling those bars before you come in.
• This song really benefits from being played with a pick, particularly when it comes to the muted eighth notes in the first half of the verses. Aim for consistent alternate (down, up) picking throughout to keep the attack on the notes even and to prevent your picking arm from dropping off after two minutes.
• The structure of “Sex on Fire” has some quirks; the first chorus doesn’t repeat, the second does, and the third has a breakdown on the repeat.
• Speaking of the chorus, it’s a great example of a simple yet melodic bass part that really helps to tie everything together without getting in the way of the vocal. Notice how the part uses small variations to break up what would otherwise be four bars of E major.