rodneymullen Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 (edited) Yeah, basically just wondering what the most challenging (for any reason) bassline/riff/thing you guys have conquered before? If it was me, I'd say that the bassline to Dream Theater's 'The Dance of Eternity' was a bit of a slag to play because of general all-over-the-place-ness. How about you guys? X Edited April 30, 2008 by rodneymullen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinman Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Can't think of a specific one but I have a rule of thumb that it's one I think sounds easy. I think they only sound easy because someone really good was playing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 In my covers band, anything by Steve Harris, never been able to nail them. Pound for A Brown: Frank Zappa, not nailed but a decent version. Loads more I'd take all night to list 'em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneymullen Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Dya reckon that Stevie is the greatest metal bassist ever? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I'm with thinman. Sometimes, the one's that should be really straightforward are sometimes the hardest. Especially ones where there's not a great deal to them, so any tiny deviation from timing is hugely noticeable......"Sex Machine" being a prime example. If that's not tight as a gnat's chuff, then you're in serious trouble. Oh, and Steve Harris is one damned fine bassist (and that's coming from someone who's not a huge metal fan)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneymullen Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 thinman is certainly right there, cos 'another one bites the dust' just doesn't sound right if it's not being played by the right person Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassworm Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Well, Rhythm Stick is one that's been regularly confounding me for years. Although there are bits of Le Freak that still elude me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbev Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Any Motown featuring Mr Jamerson, may sound like a 'nice' part to start, but delve deeper and play it as the record and.....ulp. Oh yeh 'only so much oil in the ground', Tower of Power (10 minute version), solo from start to end. Gary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 [quote name='rodneymullen' post='189238' date='Apr 30 2008, 09:06 PM']Dya reckon that Stevie is the greatest metal bassist ever? [/quote] Ha, there's many a great metal Player but Mr Harris has to be one of those guys at the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 rhythm stick broke my arm for years and I wasn't even playing it right. Most gigs we do it in the 2nd half and when I actually got to grips with how it should be played we had to learn the whole thing again because I could not fit the original line into the monster we had created. I am 99.9% happy to busk most of the time but once I had nailed this there was no way I would play it wrongly again. Apart from that some punk stuff breaks my arms because I can't do plectrums ... I l;ove playing along to Rush stuff. Digital Man being my soundcheck of choice at the moment. Apart from that I bang my fingers into the strings and some nights are better than others ... I never beat my self up about any of it though because it is always a pleasure .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 [quote name='garbev' post='189307' date='Apr 30 2008, 10:21 PM']Any Motown featuring Mr Jamerson, may sound like a 'nice' part to start, but delve deeper and play it as the record and.....ulp. Oh yeh 'only so much oil in the ground', Tower of Power (10 minute version), solo from start to end. Gary.[/quote] Or..What is Hip and Squib Cakes...super stamina! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blamelouis Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Mine would be Sir duke ! Ballbuster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 [quote name='rodneymullen' post='189229' date='Apr 30 2008, 08:55 PM']If it was me, I'd say that the bassline to Dream Theater's 'The Dance of Eternity' was a bit of a slag to play because of general all-over-the-place-ness.[/quote] Yeah a lot of DT stuff is very challenging, it's good to give it a go and see if you can keep up though. My favourite for that is probably Instrumedley.. lots to do there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Sex Machine was difficult to master for me. Standing in The Shadows of Love takes some doing at the right speed (how Jamerson played that with one finger is beyond my understanding). Shake a Tailfeather wasn't easy to master either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Hysteria was one I had wanted to get for a few years but just couldn't so I left it, I tried again recently and found some useful youtube stuff and some tab (though not quite right) and gave it a go, but I just couldn't do it the same way that some of these vids and tab were saying it should be done, I transposed it to an easier format (still the same notes) and it made sense but the constant note flow and speed took a while to get and killed my arm but its done now yay! Just need the effects to get it to sound spot on Steve harris is awesome, number of the beast is a favourite of mine if a little tricky. My generation solo still causes me headaches even though i know how to play it sometimes my fingers simply refuse Weirdly enough even though we play sweet home chicago i still cant get the exact line that duck plays, mainly due again to the all over the neckness of it towards the end. Guess i should learn me scales a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Don't confuse complicated with hard to play. A one note bass line is just as difficult because all the playing is in your head. You have to make one note swing/groove and a lot of people can't do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galilee Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 [quote name='rodneymullen' post='189238' date='Apr 30 2008, 09:06 PM']Dya reckon that Stevie is the greatest metal bassist ever? [/quote] I think there are loads better than him these days, but he certainly broke some ground. Apropos of that, the most difficult bassline I learned was Severed by Mudvayne. I'm sure there are much more difficult basslines out there, but I know my limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 well on that note (no pun intended) we/I had a few problems with ZZ top Gimme all your lovin, the break bit at about 2:30 - 2:45 where it becomes very open then goes off time, made harder cos the drummer cant get it so i'm playing it but he's not. the rest of the song is mainly eigth notes but has to flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Rhythm Stick, it really is a git at first. The one tune that's given me most difficulty above all others though, is an original ditty by a band I was in back in '87... it was a nice bouncy thing in 12/8, and while my slappity bassline itself wasn't impossible -- challenging, but not impossible -- the problem was that I had to sing a counter-melody backing vocal line over the top of it... it took me [i]weeks[/i] to get it right, my folks must have been sick to death of hearing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 we did try black betty a few times but gave up as we just didnt have the time to give it to get it right. that was a tricky sucker, never did revisit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 (edited) [quote name='rodneymullen' post='189263' date='Apr 30 2008, 09:33 PM']thinman is certainly right there, cos 'another one bites the dust' just doesn't sound right if it's not being played by the right person [/quote] another one bites the dust sounds like that bas(s)tard john deacon stole it from the legendary bernard edwards... [b]"good times"[/b] Edited May 1, 2008 by uptonmark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneymullen Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Yesssssss good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exile252 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Pow! by Larry Graham, insane song to play, I know how to play it, but I can't get half the speed needed for the how its played. Check it out ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1IuD6F3R5I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneymullen Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Magic stuff although, i do suspect a little miming may be on the cards there? (the country section gave it away Larry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exile252 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Thats just a music vid hehe, other wise, he did record that haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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