the bass is playing a syncopated 8th-note (or depending on how you interpret the song, 16th-note) pattern. the player is putting accents on weak parts of the bar something that's extremely common in hip-hop, as well as in jazz improvisation
there is one major difference between the rhythms on page and the bassline: usually, when this rhythm comes up in music, it looks like the second line of music notation on that page; with notes only being played on the indicated beats.
in the song, the bassline is playing all the 8th notes and merely accenting the ones that fall on the written rhythms
Do you have any suggestions for books or YouTube channels that teach/talk this kind of stuff? I know the very basics of theory but that's it
I wanna learn more about jazz and 60s style club music I guess, like the relaxed, light rock before heavier stuff in the 70s took over
Is syncopated kind of like what the Smiths do with their guitars where it's really exact and attacky sounding?
Syncopation means your are stressing an off beat
Al de meola is a great exemplar of someone who uses a lot of it in his music. If you like guitar check him out