where do you start on new covers?

[lojo]

Ok, based on the recent threads around reading or not, I assume their are a fair few on here who don't yet read

So what is your approach to learning a bunch new covers


Do you listen carefully first, before playing along?

Do you just start playing along without a clean listen first?

Do you go for the basics or work out all the fills and variations the bassist plays each time round?

Do you use Tab/googled chords straight away always, or just when your time tight, or never?

Do you just turn up and say to the keyboard player, what are the chords?

Do you do a more through job than your band?

Perhaps if your a reader you don't bother getting the sheets mostly and you just do covers by ear the same us the rest of us?


Thought it would be a interesting discussion, but then again i am a boring git

Edited November 8, 2010 by lojo

[Pete Academy]

I listen to the song a fair few times first, to let the melody, changes, format etc sink in. Then I learn the basic chord changes and put in the twiddly bits afterwards. Works for me.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

It varies. I often prefer to get a chord chart if its more fiddly than a typical three-chord track & play along on acoustic guitar first. Then map it out with root notes and fill in. I never try to stick to the original bassline unless it absolutely defines the song (eg the verse on the animals - "we've got to get out of this place" or Pink Floyd - "money"). Sometimes I listen to multiple versions and pick out little bits I like from each to make a bit of a frankenstein bassline, or treat it as a song that doesn't have a bassline yet and come up with something new.

[lojo]

Yeah, I like to you tube live versions, as they often have more ideas to choose from

But true some lines just have to be what they are

[gary mac]

I like to listen to the song two or three times without my bass to hand. That way I can actually listen without just following the chord changes.

[BigRedX]

If I don't already own it I'll start by going out a buying the CD that the definitive version of the song is on. I believe that if you're going to (try and) make money playing other people's songs the least you can do is own (and have paid for) a copy of the songs in question.

Next if it's not a song I already know reasonably well I'll listen through a couple of times to get a rough feel and see if there's anything that stands out bass wise as being important or potentially tricky. Then I'll start playing along to get a rough bassline that fits and get familiar with the structure as I'm playing. Then if there's any obviously important bass parts that I need to know note-for-note as they are on the recording I'll work those out.

I probably won't do anymore work on the song until we play it as a band, because unless the song is just guitars/bass/drums/vocals we'll need to tweak the arrangement to cover for any missing instruments. Songs from the 60s and 70s with prominent piano or organ parts often need quite a bit of modification on the bass to cover the missing keyboard left hand and preserve the overall feel of the song.

After that I work on any necessary fills and runs that will be a mix of the obvious ones from the recordings and maybe a few of my own that I think should have been there! If there's something that I can work out from just listening to the recording, then I'll figure out something of my own that fits and retains the right feel. I work on the principle that if I can't hear exactly what's going on then no one else can and getting it exactly as played on the record won't be noticeable.

[Bassassin]

If it's a song I'm not familiar with as a listener I prefer to just hear it through a good few times until I "know" it, which will allow me to approach it more naturally (for want of a better word) with a view to playing it. Which version (if there's a choice) will be based on band consensus and then it's a matter of working parts out by ear - if something's not clear I'll consult other versions or even Youtube interpretations. Don't use tab much because it's a bit too much like reading (token topical reference! ) and if I can't hear it clearly, then the 13-year-old American kid that tabbed it isn't likely to have either.

I'm not good at being a slavish imitator so unless the original bass part is a definitive component, or has parts I really like, then my line will tend to be an interpretation that works in context and that I enjoy playing.

Jon.

[paul h]

I just dive in and jam along until I get something I am happy with.

[thunderbird13]

I hate learning songs by listening to them on CD as I really struggle to hear the bass in a lot of songs. The result of this is that by the time I've worked it out I'm so sick of the song I dont want to play it.

The solution for me is to get the guitar pro version, if its available, play along with this a couple of times and then if I feel it helps change the bassline around to suit my playing.

[Johngh]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1016085' date='Nov 8 2010, 10:08 AM']I listen to the song a fair few times first, to let the melody, changes, format etc sink in. Then I learn the basic chord changes and put in the twiddly bits afterwards. Works for me.[/quote]


What Pete said.

If the tune is away from concert pitch I use best practice to tweek it and then learn the tune. I also use best practice's repeat function to repeat fiddly bits until I get them.

I don't read music or tab, Never had need to.

[Lozz196]

If the bass insn`t easy to pick out, as can be the case in some punk songs due to the guitars being the prevalent instrument, I`ll search online for tab, then play along with it to the song. In many cases the tab is wrong, but it usually gives a good starting point, from which the correct bassline can be established.

[JTUK]

I'll listen to it and expect to get most of it..if a pretty easy song.. after a few listens.

I'll go mostly for feel and anything that is bass distinctive although I am not interested in ripping off parts for covers.
If the song is tricky, I'll jot down what I need to know...I might take chart along to rehearsal just to give the song some shape and get it from A to B as quick as poss...but then downside to this is that you then gig it and don't have the song get a life within the contect of your band sound..it becomes playing by numbers.

So.. I only want to learn it enough to be able to get it going..the rest needs work and ideas to spice it up a bit.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1016085' date='Nov 8 2010, 10:08 AM']I listen to the song a fair few times first, to let the melody, changes, format etc sink in. Then I learn the basic chord changes and put in the twiddly bits afterwards. Works for me.[/quote]

Same here. Once i get the song in my head its pretty easy to work out the basics. If its a song with a lot of chord changes ill try and get hold of a tab or midi file if i can find one thats close enough to help. None of them are 100% but i find a lot do help save a bit of time.

The one thing i dont do is use notes at a gig. I find if i write the part out it helps get it in to my head but i learn the songs well enough to not take sheets of paper on stage. I find i can get lost easier if im trying to follow the song from something that written down. And i feel if its not in my head i havent put enough effort in to learning it.
I don't go for note perfect, just enough to get from the beginning to the end with the right feel, and a few bits of my own if there is room.

Edited November 8, 2010 by dave_bass5

[icastle]

I generally have a quick listen to it on YouTube and then use an acoustic bass to work out what goes where/when - thats just a convenience thing.
Unless the song has a really distinctive bassline I just use my interpretation of it.
I have never got to grips with tabs - they look too much like demented sudoku (sp?) to me so I use my ears and just feel for the rhythm.
I've never actually asked what other members of the bands I play in use - we generally come up with a list of tunes and come back ready to rehearse them.

[mrtcat]

For me it depends whether I'm learning purely for my own entertainment or to play with the band. If its for my own benefit I just play along as it's usually something I've heard a few times and thought "that sounds like fun to play". If it's a bit tricky I may dig out a tab from t'internet to help but 9 times in 10 the tricky bits are wrong on tabs anyhow.

With the band we tend to add tunes in batches so usually I will have 10 - 15 to learn in a few weeks. If that's the case I'll print off a pile of tabs at work on my lunch break and take them home (I only go for ones with 5* ratings as the rest are usually poor). Then I'll start with the songs I'm most familiar with and start playing along. I'll keep the tabs handy for chord progressions etc but never stick to them completely. I don't stick on one song too long as I find it sticks better if i put it down and pick it up a few times.

Making the bass part my own is very important to me tho so I'll often ditch the original bass line in favour of my own. When doing this tho it's important to listen a few times and be prepared to admit when the original is better.

[Cat Burrito]

It's different if I know the tune well anyway but with new to me material I usually listen to it on 2 or 3 different stereos to pick out the bass & only then to I pick up a bass

[Delberthot]

I've learned from the very beginning by jamming along.

9 times out of ten that will be the song learned and its just a matter of repeating it until I don't make any mistakes

Edited November 11, 2010 by Delberthot

[risingson]

If I don't know the song I'll just listen to it a few times and play along. It never takes me too long to get to grips with the progression or the bass line providing it's not too instensive. However, I've been getting to grips with some Anthony Jackson bass lines on some old Chaka Khan tunes lately and that just takes a bit more patience learning.

I never usually go note for note unless it's required (like Billie Jean for example).

[Doddy]

With most songs I can normally have an idea of it after the first listen. If it's a simple song,I can probably be playing along with
it pretty much straight away. If it's more difficult,I may listen to it a couple of times first,but even then,I can usually play it in about
20 mins. I'll play through them a couple of times after I've learned them,just to solidify them but the majority can come from the first
one or two listens.

[Jamesemt]

Coming from a guitar background, I believe I developed my ear by never ever ever using tab.
I stick the mp3 into my bass trainer straight away and just go for it.
Whilst it isn't strictly necessary to copy the complete bass line, to start with I will try and play all the fills and stuff to the record. Once playing in a band context, the lines begin to evolve into other things anyway.

[xgsjx]

In most instances I learn someone else's songs either by ear, by watching what chords one of the other band member's are playing (that's if they know the song) or have a quick google if I struggle with any of it & find either the tab or score (preferably score as it's often more accurate than tab).

The majority of (cover) songs I know have been learned as a kid from music books (whatever happened to them ), but I hardly find the need to read music all that often in my current bands (but can come in handy) as we put our own take on anything we cover.