Whats the hardest bassline you've ever played?

[paulbass]

Cult of Personality by Living Colour is a bit of a beast to get right. I do agree with a comment on here about making a bassline swing/groove is the hard part even on the simplest of songs.

[spectoremg]

Heh heh

[RhysP]

The verse sections of "All Right Now".....

[tauzero]

"Hotel California". Not because it's a terribly complex bassline, but as it's just me who's backing the guitar, when he goes into the solo at the end, I'm arpeggioing R-5-8 constantly (using my right hand in a classical guitar stylee) so I'm keeping them pressed down (unlike the vocal parts where I left-hand damp so I'm relaxing my left hand quite a bit) and that gets absolutely knackering. Fortunately we only go through three iterations of the chords, not four.

[Funky Dunky]

Reassuring to see I'm not the only one who struggled with Rhythm Stick! Proves I'm not awful, I'm just human.

I am a novice, so I have to say either Rhythm Stick or 'What's It Gonna Be' by Mr Big. Both very challenging for me, but got there with hard work.

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1423164334' post='2681702']
Colorado Bulldog.

Took me frakking ages to get that right.
[/quote]

I'm on that just now. The intro is a bit of a git, and there is a big bend before the solo which he holds and shakes for aaaages, and I can NOT do it.




Yet. ;-)

[stingrayPete1977]

"My name is Pete, I've never properly tried to learn rhythm stick" there I've said it, I shall give it a go soon I promise.

Master Blaster note for note can only be done by Nate Watts, I've cobbled a version together and I've seen hundreds of versions and none compare to the big man imo.

[Hobbayne]

[quote name='tom5string' timestamp='1423156261' post='2681573']
"Face the face" from Townshends White City album. Dont know who's the original bass player - I doubt that it's Pino.
Anyway - I just managed twice to get through the whole song. These shuffled 16th are right away too fast for me :-)
[/quote]

Steve Barnacle is the bassist.

[RhysP]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1423169459' post='2681813']
"My name is Pete, I've never properly tried to learn rhythm stick" there I've said it, I shall give it a go soon I promise.
[/quote]

I never have either, nor will I ever.

I hate that f***ing song so much, I don't care how good the bass line is.

[RhysP]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1423169669' post='2681817']
Steve Barnacle is the bassist.
[/quote]

I saw him donkeys years ago in Rick Wakeman's band, first person I ever saw using a Jaydee.
Bloody good player.

[Hobbayne]

I could never get the bassline right that plays under the guitar solo on Are you gonna go my way by Lenny Kravitz. Not a difficult line but it appeared to be a random collection of chromatic runs with no pattern to them.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1423169776' post='2681820']


I never have either, nor will I ever.

I hate that f***ing song so much, I don't care how good the bass line is.
[/quote]

Go and sit on the basschat naughty step for 5 minutes!

[xilddx]

All bass lines are hard until you've played them a hundred times

Or is this another one of them basschat wanger-waving contests

[RhysP]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1423170283' post='2681836']
Or is this another one of them basschat wanger-waving contests
[/quote]

Perish the thought....

[xilddx]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1423170416' post='2681839']
Perish the thought....
[/quote]



I've seen the evidence of people on youtube playing whatever bass line, and I listen and it sounds unlike like the original, with the tricky bits missing, or played like each note has been dead for a very long time. So I suppose it depends on whether you can play a bass line and make it sound GOOD (subjectivity disclaimer) that really counts. Some of the simplest bass lines are the hardest because they depend on feel rather than athletics. So far, this thread seems to have been mostly about the athletics

[SpaceChick]

You do raise a good point Nige!

I play a few fretless songs which aren't that challenging at all technically, but the intonation is crucial in whether it sounds awesome or awful.

However, to not play them on a fretless would be a crime against music and would sound quite hideous, so my ears and subtle movements if my fingers become my best friends!

[Coilte]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1423171329' post='2681866']
You do raise a good point Nige![/quote]

He does indeed !! IMO a slow blues [u]played with feel[/u] and good timing is one of the hardest things to play on bass.

Here is John McVie showing how it should be done.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2FR1HYod44

[tom5string]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1423170900' post='2681855']
..., or played like each note has been dead for a very long time. ...
[/quote]



You nailed it !!!!

[Kevin Dean]

Genetix (The Stranglers ) , Model Man (King Crimson) took a while to get the feel right .

[leschirons]

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1423168850' post='2681801']
Reassuring to see I'm not the only one who struggled with Rhythm Stick! Proves I'm not awful, I'm just human.

I am a novice, so I have to say either Rhythm Stick or 'What's It Gonna Be' by Mr Big. Both very challenging for me, but got there with hard work.
[/quote]

I gave up on Rhythm stick as I sounded like a four year old falling down the stairs with a bass

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Bassworm' timestamp='1209587999' post='189271']
Well, Rhythm Stick is one that's been regularly confounding me for years.
[/quote]

This is one I am learning at the moment, and it is getting there slowly, hopefully have it nailed soon. Just getting it to sound smooth and effortless is pretty hard. Started it again after seeing it on here.

Hysteria took me ages to get right, and at the same time I was doing hysteria, I was doing 'The trooper', found that doing them back to back knackered both hands!

YYZ was always the song that I never quite got right all the time and keep coming back to. Also the start part of spirit of radio. The song itself is easy but just the timing on the first bit always messes me up.

Getting the timing right at the end of Schism, also the same.

And for reasons I don't quite understand - Jam songs that should be pretty easy, for some reason I keep losing strength on the end and missing strings. which is a shame as we do those as opposed to the others I mentioned!

[Woodinblack]

Oh - and the group wanted to do all along the watchtower. What the hell is happening in that? Luckily I think they sort of forgot as I didn't enjoy that at all.

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1423174366' post='2681943']


I gave up on Rhythm stick as I sounded like a four year old falling down the stairs with a bass
[/quote]

Ask me how long it took me to nail it!! Ask me!!

[joeystrange]

I never got to grips with Maxwell Murder by Rancid. Fine up until the solo part then I get lost. As does my patience.

[ubit]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1423170900' post='2681855']




I've seen the evidence of people on youtube playing whatever bass line, and I listen and it sounds unlike like the original, with the tricky bits missing, or played like each note has been dead for a very long time. So I suppose it depends on whether you can play a bass line and make it sound GOOD (subjectivity disclaimer) that really counts. Some of the simplest bass lines are the hardest because they depend on feel rather than athletics. So far, this thread seems to have been mostly about the athletics
[/quote]

That is indeed, a very good point because sometimes simple bass lines can sound "off" because of a lack of the simple nuances like feel . Your sound can make such a difference too. A simple bass line played with a sh*t sound, and poor timing, can sound wrong.
I don't think its that important to be able to dazzle on the neck a la so many of the yoo choob brigade who think hundred mile an hour slapping is what we all want to hear, as much as lay down a solid base for the song to be built round.
I , personally take on the role of lead singer, so maybe I steer away from really complicated bass lines, but some of the best , most catchy songs ever written , have simple bass parts.