How close to the original bass line would you play in a covers band?

[dougal]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1329651264' post='1545270']
The keyboard player always trotted that out as an excuse for not learning the part properly or not being able to do it properly.
[/quote]

I agree completely. We always try & get a cover very close to the original before deviating.

Specifically w.r.t. bass parts, it depends on how integral the bass part is: I wouldn't mess around with "Too much too young" for instance, but if we're covering a song where the bass line isn't so noticeable - like 'Forget you' - I'm less inclined and will muck around as I see fit.

Incidentally, we run FU into SCoM and back out again with some success. And no, I haven't learned the twiddles towards the end.

[sixdegrees]

There's not right or wrong answer here. I try to be as faithful to the original as possible. If a bass player is plodding away on 8th root notes, when the original has a walking line, then they deserve a slap. They're robbing the song of its groove.

But there are occasions where I'll double a guitar riff to thicken the sound, or the guitarist will decide to extend the solo so I'll throw in some fills/change octaves to keep it interesting.

This thread will run and run...

[ahpook]

i'm faily new to the covers band lark, but i learn the basslines note for note.

firstly because we're a covers band, and secondly if i don't learn the bassline as it is on the record and put my own bits in, then i'm playing like me, which doesn't teach me anything. if i try to copy the existing bassline i may end up learning new skills and get ideas.

[Jayben]

One of my bands does quite a few covers, one of which is My Generation.. I usually do the bass solo note for note, purely because it's fun and people recognise it. Reckon I'd alienate anyone by playing anything OTHER than Entwhistle's lines?

[discreet]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1329749612' post='1546685']
...if i try to copy the existing bassline i may end up learning new skills and get ideas...
[/quote]

It's true, good point! I learnt that Paul Turner's bass lines are unnecessarily complicated.

[discreet]

[quote name='Jayben' timestamp='1329749864' post='1546690']
Reckon I'd alienate anyone by playing anything OTHER than Entwhistle's lines?
[/quote]

You could also alienate them by spelling his name wrong.

[Jayben]

Hahahah, I don't think people are THAT anal... Are they? o.o

[b]If you or a member of your family has been offended or disturbed by my misspelling of the surname of John Alec 'The Ox' Entwistle, I sincerely apologise and hereby promise to never deviate from the original recorded versions of any of his bass lines.[/b]

[chris_b]

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1329615936' post='1544980']
....if you're covering a classic you should aim to be faithful to the original as possible....
[/quote]
My cover band usually sticks pretty closely to the original parts, but my view is that I'll play what the song needs.

Tears Of A Clown and Roxanne get the original notes and Watching The Detectives and Let's Stay Together have enough room to get my "treatment”. Also it can depend on the night, but serving the song is always the first objective.

[discreet]

[quote name='Jayben' timestamp='1329750711' post='1546714']
...I don't think people are THAT anal... Are they?...
[/quote]


















Thanks for the public apology, by the way!

[Jayben]

Hahahah, no worries! I figured I owed it to the community.

[Dave Vader]

Interestingly, sticking faithfully to the original has had me accused of not coming back in in the right place by one punter. 2nd verse message in a bottle, Sting does not play on the first line, OK? (and so neither do I, and some people assume I missed a cue... )

I have stopped playing lines exactly as they are on the record, but will learn them properly first, and then deviate as the band requires it. (i.e. when they cock it up and I have to rush in and rescue the whole thing from certain disaster with some chord flurries or excessive rhythm)

[KevB]

I think if the original bassline was, for example, a sideboard then I'd probably be nonchalantly leaning against it rather than sat on top of it swinging my legs against the drinks cabinet. Does this help?

[Marvin]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1329754592' post='1546798']
Interestingly, sticking faithfully to the original has had me accused of not coming back in in the right place by one punter. 2nd verse message in a bottle, Sting does not play on the first line, OK? (and so neither do I, and some people assume I missed a cue... )
[/quote]

My former band mates (singer aside) always assumed I'd missed the cue on that one. The glares I used to get. All the more galling as the drummer was so completely crap at our last gig together he came in 3 bars late playing Layla

[bigjohn]

Covers? Nah. Couldn't really give a monkeys about playing anything note for note, unless it's an integral part of the melody or it's counter. Even then, I wouldn't really happy playing a cover unless I felt as a band we were bringing something to it that the original or other covers hadn't.

Tribute on the other hand... one has to get somewhere near though with Neil Young / Crazy Horse, we often have to pick versions, even then parts of other versions end up in there, parts (such as the reggae bit in some versions of Cortez the Killer ) are chopped out... then a lot of the songs are to some extent jammed out, which is how it should be played, no two the same, though most would struggle to pick out differences.

I'd feel different about being in a tribute to a band with a more regimented sound. Though it's rare to hear live versions of songs of any band which are completely faithful to studio versions isn't it? Even when performed by the same players.

[Johngh]

I play as close to the original line as fits the band. Were a four piece so if the guitarist is soloing I'll either play routes to keep it solid or routes with a few chords thrown in to fill it out. No hard and fast rules for me.

[chris_b]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1329653493' post='1545314']
....I also think that some people misunderstand the approach that ‘pro’ musicians will take – many pros will take the easiest way of covering a gig that they can get away with!....
[/quote]
+1

I know a very good pro drummer. He was given a CD so he could learn the songs. He asked how much they were getting for the gig and was told £50.

His reply was, “Ok, I'll give it a £50 listen!”
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[JTUK]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1329768224' post='1547088']
+1

I know a very good pro drummer. He was given a CD so he could learn the songs. He asked how much they were getting for the gig and was told £50.

His reply was, “Ok, I'll give it a £50 listen!”

[/quote]

ha ha ..for £50, I am surprised the CD ever got played.
I don't think anyone is going to break their back for that gig...altho I know a mate of mine who was expected to learn a 44 song set..of which the band would pick to play 2x45mins, put on stand-by as the bass player
MIGHT not make it back from holiday in time for the gig.., and still wasn't offered any money.
As it turned out the bass player did make the gig... but I told my mate to forget it, tell them to make up their mind about whether he had the gig ..AND the money or not..before he even looked at the set.

Some people... I think the band thought they were doing him a favour letting him have a sniff of their gig ha ha

[GRAHAM SG1]

I try to learn a song pretty close to the original if I can, the secret IMO is in choosing songs within your ability level, being the singer/bassist gives you a bit more control over music choice .
I also play about with some songs that are simple or just hang on the root notes throughout, a few runs in between always spice things up and stop things getting boring
At the moment my favourites are;

Stuck in the middle -stealers wheel
Up around the bend-credence
Should i stay or go-clash
I fought the law-clash
Mystery train-elvis
My generation-who
Substitute-who

We do play one song that deviates completely though, that is `baby please dont go` by `them`, we tend to jam it as we feel fit at the time, audiences do like a bit of improv at times !

We also make up a few medleys of songs with a similar beat or feel, take `the last time` by the stones and `whatcha gonna do about it` by the faces, they flow into each other nicely without stopping, we also 3 sex pistols songs without stopping and it always surprises me how popular the pistols songs still are