The main thing is, yes, a lot of them are difficult to play or just downright subtle but they connect with the earoles of other bass players. No-one remembers EEEEE-DDDD-AAAA (unless you're a Green Day fan) so root notes are a good starting point, but hopefully you move on. What bass playing stands out for you? It doesn't have to be all that technically difficult; just a riff that catches your ear. Aiming to do the same thing moves the bass player out of the shadows and into the central part of the band. I've never been in a successful band (like a lot of people, unfortunately), but I've always been a successful part of the bands that I've been in because I cared about doing what I did; better. From the sounds of your post, you think the same way - which makes you a more promising player than most others out there.
Hi Latkingz, and welcome :)
There is a thread here - http://www.guitarsite.com/hotlicks/viewtopic.php?t=3102&sid=b9065d21c4a845fdc14660af9a604561 - of favourite bass riffs posted up by contributors to this category linked to YouTube vids. About 25% of the links have been removed for breaking copyright (mostly my links, for some reason) but they give a good idea.
The main thing is, yes, a lot of them are difficult to play or just downright subtle but they connect with the earoles of other bass players. No-one remembers EEEEE-DDDD-AAAA (unless you're a Green Day fan) so root notes are a good starting point, but hopefully you move on. What bass playing stands out for you? It doesn't have to be all that technically difficult; just a riff that catches your ear. Aiming to do the same thing moves the bass player out of the shadows and into the central part of the band. I've never been in a successful band (like a lot of people, unfortunately), but I've always been a successful part of the bands that I've been in because I cared about doing what I did; better. From the sounds of your post, you think the same way - which makes you a more promising player than most others out there.