Covers and attention to detail

[paulconnolly]

In this position at the moment learning a shed load of covers for a burgeoning classic rock band. Generally I try to get it as the original but some stuff is just not possible but I know someone will come up to me after a gig and say "you didn't quite get that bassline right"

[witterth]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1351529692' post='1852234']
There's a non-sequitur here.

There are bands that play the original lines and arrangements but are still crap, and there are brilliant bands that 'do their own thing'.

The two classifactions, i.e. Crap/Good and Original/Non-original, are not intrinsically linked.
[/quote]
no there isnt, and no there are not.
there are however just good bands out there

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='paulconnolly' timestamp='1351534934' post='1852324']
In this position at the moment learning a shed load of covers for a burgeoning classic rock band. Generally I try to get it as the original but some stuff is just not possible but I know someone will come up to me after a gig and say "you didn't quite get that bassline right"
[/quote]

Don't ever make the mistake of listening too much to punter's opinions on music. Over 34 years I've found them woefully lacking in knowledge. 90% at least wouldn't know a wrong note from a kick in the nads. The truth is - they want to be you , and you can't go back to being them.You know yourself when you're happy with your performance and playing - learn to trust that.

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited February 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[paulconnolly]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1351536991' post='1852357']
Don't ever make the mistake of listening too much to punter's opinions on music. Over 34 years I've found them woefully lacking in knowledge. 90% at least wouldn't know a wrong note from a kick in the nads. The truth is - they want to be you , and you can't go back to being them.You know yourself when you're happy with your performance and playing - learn to trust that.
[/quote]

Wise words indeed Doc. Cheers

[Guest bassman7755]

OK heres a challenge for the "I'll just noodle along because I'm good enough to make up a bassline as good as, if not better than the original" brigade ...

From the list below pick one of these songs and come up with a bass line that is significantly different to the original without murdering it.

Tears of a clown.
Run to you.
All right now.
Save a prayer (for me now).
2 tribes.
Once in a lifetime.
Another brick in the wall.
Under pressure.
[s]Black night.[/s]
love cats.
[s]Dazed and confused.[/s]
Ramble on
Roxanne
Riders on the storm
The passenger

In hind sight I removed black night as Ive decided to disqualify unison bass-guitar riff based songs as being constrained to an unfair degree (jury is still out on dazed and confused ...)

Edited October 29, 2012 by bassman7755

[Count Bassy]

[color=#A4A4A4][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]
Posted Today, 06:37 PM[/size][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=4]
[size=3][b]
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&section=findpost&pid=1852234"][/url]Count Bassy, on 29 October 2012 - 04:54 PM, said:[/b][/size][size=3]

There's a non-sequitur here.

There are bands that play the original lines and arrangements but are still crap, and there are brilliant bands that 'do their own thing'.

The two classifactions, i.e. Crap/Good and Original/Non-original, are not intrinsically linked.[/size][/size][/font][/color]

[quote name='witterth' timestamp='1351535854' post='1852341']
no there isnt, and no there are not.
there are however just good bands out there
[/quote]

Well you obviously disagree with me. That's OK - you're perfectly entitled to be wrong.

That's a joke by the way !

Perhaps we've just seen different bands.

[witterth]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1351547501' post='1852565']

[color=#a4a4a4][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Posted Today, 06:37 PM[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=4][size=3][b][url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&section=findpost&pid=1852234"][/url]Count Bassy, on 29 October 2012 - 04:54 PM, said:[/b][/size]

[size=3]There's a non-sequitur here.

There are bands that play the original lines and arrangements but are still crap, and there are brilliant bands that 'do their own thing'.

The two classifactions, i.e. Crap/Good and Original/Non-original, are not intrinsically linked.[/size][/size][/font][/color]



Well you obviously disagree with me. That's OK - you're perfectly entitled to be wrong.

That's a joke by the way !

Perhaps we've just seen different bands.
[/quote]
Toche Mr Bassy, or should I call you by your proper title, Count? ( J for joke here too!)

[lojo]

At my next gig I will be playing walk on by , stranglers style, among other covers of covers

I'm going to love playing it, but they'll be some who won't know it and think we are murdering the original and some who know it who think we are murdering the stranglers version if I don't get all the runs exactly as the record, which I won't dispite devoting hours to it

Hopefully most will enjoy the band if we are tight, which is all you can really ask, as they'll always be a split view on how covers should be approached

[TimR]

A few points.

1. You can only copyright lyrics and a melody for a song.
2. Women generally listen to the lyrics.
3. Men generally listen to the music.
4. Musicians generally listen to the instrument they play. Try listening to a recording without concentrating on the bass line. If you're not concentrating on the bass line, or other instrument you can play, it's likely that you'll gravitate to listening to the drums or melody. If you can listen to the whole band without separating the individual instruments you'll be in the minority. Bass players are good at listening to the band as a whole and this is why we make good producers.


In short: Non musicians listen to the band as a whole, so long as the band is tight, the lyrics and melody are right, people will like it.

Frustrating but that's the way it is.