Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick bass lesson Part1

[All thumbs]

I've had a number of request for a lesson on how to play the Blockheads classic, "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". Well here it is :-)

Part 1 for now.....

http://youtu.be/-vc7HS2c1rE

Hope you like it!

Scott.

[Lozz196]

Nice one Scott, will sit down and try that as love the song but many of the on-line stuff hasn`t always looked quite right to me. Just looking at your clip seems to make a lot more sense, looking forward to a few hours (or is that days/weeks/years) practice on it.

[Hobbayne]

Pedant Alert! - 14.35 is E flat not B flat. OK, as you were.
Good lesson I was following it without a bass to hand and still understood what was going on.

[All thumbs]

Cheers hobbayne.

I'll stick a 'correction' annotation on the video at that point

[Annoying Twit]

Brilliant! I"ve been looking forward to learning this song, but found tabs of it a bit difficult to follow. I'll be studying your video with full attention once domestic duties are complete.

[All thumbs]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1400260981' post='2452457']
once domestic duties are complete.
[/quote]

I know that one! :-)

[All thumbs]

Part 2!!!

http://youtu.be/x_FctkjX5SQ

[6feet7]

That's just made me decide to pack it all in. There I was quite happy playing root, 5th, 7th and now I see this knowing I'll never have the time (or ability) to get anywhere near it

[All thumbs]

[quote name='6feet7' timestamp='1418308748' post='2629014']
That's just made me decide to pack it all in. There I was quite happy playing root, 5th, 7th and now I see this knowing I'll never have the time (or ability) to get anywhere near it
[/quote]

I hope you joking! :-)

Just in case you're not....

...I've felt like that a LOT when I watch some of the players there are out there on YouTube etc. BUT I've come to accept (and enjoy) that we all have different aptitudes (keeping it bass related) for different aspects of playing and that's what makes us all different. All the time I hear other bassists and think, "I couldn't do that - ever", but I'll have a go, even if I get nowhere near! My understanding of jazz harmony for example is no-where near where I'd like it to be, but on the on the other hand I've seen one of the most accomplished jazz bassists in the country struggle to play 'That's Alright Mama' where I know I'd have nailed it!

Honestly - keep doing and ENJOYING what you're doing! Try and stretch yourself by all means, but never give up - it's all about having fun. Some of the best bass playing, and music in general, is technically unbelievably simple - but it is steeped in emotion and conviction, that's where it's at!

Edited December 11, 2014 by All thumbs

[Osiris]

Fantastic lessons, Scott. Very clear and easy to understand.

And full marks for not going off on a needlessly flash 'look-what-I-can-do' moment or two like many of the on-line instructors tend to

[Coilte]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1400189765' post='2451760']
looking forward to a few hours (or is that days/weeks/years) practice on it.
[/quote]

[size=4] Could well be any of the above.[/size]

[size=4]​It's a great song and a very [/size]challenging bass line. With me, it's a kind of on going project where I come back to it frequently. I play it slowly and build up the tempo. I can get tantalizingly close to getting it clean and flowing smoothly, but find it hard to sustain this for the entire song.

Someday.....

Edited December 13, 2014 by Coilte

[YouMa]

I have to get my action so low it buzzes when i play it,could never do it live as i need to speed up warm up to the original tempo,watt roy was just a little bloke too he must have a grip like a bear.

[Coilte]

[quote name='All thumbs' timestamp='1418311485' post='2629055']
I hope you joking! :-)

Just in case you're not....

...I've felt like that a LOT when I watch some of the players there are out there on YouTube etc. BUT I've come to accept (and enjoy) that we all have different aptitudes (keeping it bass related) for different aspects of playing and that's what makes us all different. All the time I hear other bassists and think, "I couldn't do that - ever", but I'll have a go, even if I get nowhere near! My understanding of jazz harmony for example is no-where near where I'd like it to be, but on the on the other hand I've seen one of the most accomplished jazz bassists in the country struggle to play 'That's Alright Mama' where I know I'd have nailed it!

Honestly - keep doing and ENJOYING what you're doing! Try and stretch yourself by all means, but never give up - it's all about having fun. Some of the best bass playing, and music in general, is technically unbelievably simple - but it is steeped in emotion and conviction, that's where it's at!
[/quote]


Good post !!


@6feet7 : The only way you will get close to nailing it is by giving it your best shot.....regularly. [size=4] [/size][size=4]See my post above. I have being coming back to it on a regular basis for quite a while now. I'm not there yet by any means, but I'm enjoying the challenge. [/size]

[size=4]Try it with a metronome at a comfortable tempo. As you progress, up the tempo by about five or ten BPM's. This combined with a bit of time and patience thrown in, and you should see progress. [/size]

[All thumbs]

[quote name='Osiris' timestamp='1418475634' post='2630488']
Fantastic lessons, Scott. Very clear and easy to understand.

And full marks for not going off on a needlessly flash 'look-what-I-can-do' moment or two like many of the on-line instructors tend to
[/quote]
Cheer Osiris! :-)

[Bassjon]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1418478253' post='2630507']

​It's a great song and a very challenging bass line. With me, it's a kind of on going project where I come back to it frequently. I play it slowly and build up the tempo. I can get tantalizingly close to getting it clean and flowing smoothly, but find it hard to sustain this for the entire song.

Someday.....
[/quote]

Practice your 16th note grooves, that will build up your right hand dexterity

[Coilte]

[quote name='Bassjon' timestamp='1420104789' post='2645512']
Practice your 16th note grooves, that will build up your right hand dexterity
[/quote]

Thanks. I'll certainly do that ! [size=4] [/size]

[Bassjon]

This song is actually giving me some problems in that I have seen it transcribed a number of different ways so its hard to know which one is right. I think there are some wrong notes in this version

[tonybassplayer]

Just put this song on my 2015 "must do" list

Many thanks

Tony

[Woodinblack]

I often get that with youtube links and online tabs, but once you have learned it close enough and got the grouping right you can notice listening to the original if there are any changes you need to make, and then they are quite easy

[upside downer]

Great stuff, well explained and easy to follow. Getting into it despite using a pick

[Coilte]

This is my favourite demo of the song :

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

[Bassjon]

I love Marlowe DK. His accent cracks me up and he is a great bassist