All Along the Watchtower - Hendrix

[TimR]

Just trying to learn this. It's tricky! Hendrix played on the original. I'm not sure what I'm going to end up playing.

Here's some gen on the original recording process:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov05/articles/classictracks.htm

[MB1]

MB1.
Check out XTCs version of this on the album White Music.
No Disrespect to Mr H but this is my fave take on this track!

[chris_b]

Start with the 3 root notes. There’s not really much more to it.

If you want to elaborate just play around those notes.

[dand666]

No doubt he played it on a bass VI as well.

I've learnt this but it took me a while. Like Chris said it just revolves around the 3 root notes.

I've got the transcription at home, dont mind uploading some pics if i get time?

[Geek99]

Three notes is good enough - U2 did a good-enough version on rattle and hum using just D, C & Bb

[TimR]

Cheers guys. I'll stop slaving over trying to cop JImmi's licks then. Just listened to live at Isle of Wight. I'm not that impressed will Billy Cox' line there but it's given me a few ideas.

[apa]

[quote name='MB1' timestamp='1354871270' post='1891350']
MB1.
Check out XTCs version of this on the album White Music.
No Disrespect to Mr H but this is my fave take on this track!
[/quote]

+1 to that. Its better than the original. This song has one of those timings that totally foxes me. Doesnt matter how many times I hear it I still cant get it beating in my head.

A

[NickH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMNDq7Bz8ug&list=FLVr43AsQ2svuZ6fNuN05g1Q&index=2

Check this bad boy out - choral arrangement of the Battlestar Galactica vesion.

No use at all for getting the bass part down, of course!

[WalMan]

D'you know this is another song I should probably have listened to when we were doing it, but just did my own thing

[KevB]

[quote name='NickH' timestamp='1354885313' post='1891595']


Check this bad boy out - choral arrangement of the Battlestar Galactica vesion.

No use at all for getting the bass part down, of course!
[/quote]

They could have made it more Hendrixesque by one of them laying down onstage and the end and the rest setting fire to them. Another opportunity lost...

[bobbass4k]

[quote name='NickH' timestamp='1354885313' post='1891595']
Check this bad boy out - choral arrangement of the Battlestar Galactica vesion.

[/quote]

Speaking of the BSG version...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUchAD44xA8[/media]

I think I prefer it to the Hendrix version to be honest, the eastern twist and the power chord chug are great.

[pietruszka]

We used to do this in our function band as a kind of encore as it's always a crowd pleaser. As the others have said, stick with the root notes and embellish as you see fit. Me and the drummer would do triplet stabs going back up to the start of the sequence to add a bit of interest without detracting from anything else. There's quite a lot that can be done with that track, breakdowns, solo battles etc, like I said before, me and the drummer would syncopate little phrases every now and then.




Dan

[Seb_C]

Hendrix playing bass is always interesting because you can sort of tell it's a guitarist playing bass. Quite busy, not as tight as you would expect from a top class bassist (i.e. someone who was as good at bass as Jimi was at guitar). Spanish Castle Magic is another example of this.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1354874954' post='1891412']
Start with the 3 root notes. There’s not really much more to it.

If you want to elaborate just play around those notes.

That's what I did , when I used to do it. Let Mr. Guitar have the spotlight ,)
[/quote]

[gjones]

The trick is to stop the drummer trying to play like Mitch Mitchell (i.e. a drum kit falling down stairs). I've played this song with many drummers and the best are the young guys who've never heard of Mitch Mitchell. They just get into a good groove and stick with it.

[KevB]

[quote name='Seb_C' timestamp='1354887564' post='1891639']
Hendrix playing bass is always interesting because you can sort of tell it's a guitarist playing bass. Quite busy, not as tight as you would expect from a top class bassist (i.e. someone who was as good at bass as Jimi was at guitar). Spanish Castle Magic is another example of this.
[/quote]

I think this is a good point. IIRC it's Hendrix playing bass on Red House and it doesn't always go quite in the direction you'd expect a typical bass player to do it considering it's a standard blues progression. I've heard no end of bass players do it in jam sessions and none of them do it like the original.

[TimR]

[quote name='Seb_C' timestamp='1354887564' post='1891639']
Hendrix playing bass is always interesting because you can sort of tell it's a guitarist playing bass. Quite busy, not as tight as you would expect from a top class bassist (i.e. someone who was as good at bass as Jimi was at guitar). Spanish Castle Magic is another example of this.
[/quote]

Yes, that's what was confusing. According to the SOS link above he wasn't happy with the either piano fill or a traditional bass line. The Live Isle of Wight track is just not happening for me.

[ianhowardbass]

I've got this transcribed if you want it. It's in standard notation though, not TAB. We had to do it in a live performance class on the higher diploma at college last year.

[Jacqueslemac]

[quote name='Seb_C' timestamp='1354887564' post='1891639']
Hendrix playing bass is always interesting because you can sort of tell it's a guitarist playing bass. Quite busy, not as tight as you would expect from a top class bassist (i.e. someone who was as good at bass as Jimi was at guitar). Spanish Castle Magic is another example of this.
[/quote]


Apologies if this is a bit off-topic, but Noel Redding wasn't a bass player any more than Jimi Hendrix was, so do his basslines end up like they would have done even if Jimi had played on all of them, I wonder?

(Noel was a guitarist who claimed he'd never even tried to play bass before he was handed one and offered the gig with Jimi Hendrix.)

Edited December 10, 2012 by Jacqueslemac

[Lenny B]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1354889732' post='1891674']
I think this is a good point. IIRC it's Hendrix playing bass on Red House and it doesn't always go quite in the direction you'd expect a typical bass player to do it considering it's a standard blues progression. I've heard no end of bass players do it in jam sessions and none of them do it like the original.
[/quote]

I always understood that there is no 'bass' on Red House - it's a guitar with the bass turned up, the lowest note played is 'E' on the guitar and that it's Noel Redding. Will give it another listen to see if my memory's playing tricks

[dand666]

[quote name='Lenny B' timestamp='1355162777' post='1894876']
I always understood that there is no 'bass' on Red House - it's a guitar with the bass turned up, the lowest note played is 'E' on the guitar and that it's Noel Redding. Will give it another listen to see if my memory's playing tricks
[/quote]

Maybe played on a Fender bass VI?

[Seb_C]

[quote name='Jacqueslemac' timestamp='1355160486' post='1894830']
Apologies if this is a bit off-topic, but Noel Redding wasn't a bass player any more than Jimi Hendrix was, so do his basslines end up like they would have done even if Jimi had played on all of them, I wonder?

(Noel was a guitarist who claimed he'd never even tried to play bass before he was handed one and offered the gig with Jimi Hendrix.)
[/quote]

Well it has often been said that Hendrix could've done with a better drummer and bassist. But the non-Hendrix bass parts always sound to me a bit more like you'd expect a bass part to, albeit nothing like, say, Duck Dunn - whose lines always sound so right.

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1354884974' post='1891587']
+1 to that. Its better than the original.

A
[/quote]

I actually quite like Dylan's original, but I also like Hendrix's version despite it being a cover (thus making Hendrix a worthless second rate musician ).

[Looper]

I found it helped to play along to Dylan's version first get the basic vibe and then move on to Hendrix. Came up with my own line for it in the end. Simple song, should be fun to mess around with.