Just realised I'm crap

[EssentialTension]

By the way, I believe the Macca line is nicked from Chuck Berry's I'm Talking About You - Reggie Boyd on bass:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2i8Z-c35y4[/media]

Edited July 20, 2014 by EssentialTension

[EssentialTension]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTpL-lVhXkM

[Evil Undead]

I'm crap too, but have learned to live with it


(Edited for shocking grammar)

Edited July 20, 2014 by Evil Undead

[paulbass]

As long as you make this bassline bounce you wont go far wrong. Dont pressure yourself and play with the drummer. Paul McCartney is an fantastic bassist and vocalist and he makes it look easy...not many bassists could pull off this bassline and vocal at the same time.

[dincz]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1405885922' post='2506180']The only way I can do it is to play twice on the fifth instead of fifth-root[/quote]

Played this at a gig a couple of months back exactly as you described - twice on the fifth. Now I know I'm crap.

But funnily enough it's one of the VERY few songs I can sing and play together. So not completely crap?

[Marc S]

I'm sure there are lots of basslines you play really well on anyway
As others have said, Macca was pretty damn good
I'm always trying to improve, by playing different stuff, and working out new songs

but these days, I don't beat myself up for not getting a bassline absolutely note-for-note
As long as it's a reasonable representation, and is in time & in tune with the song
I like it when I work something out perfectly, but it isn't the end of the world if it isn't "perfect"
Again, no-one in the audience notices lol

PS. I'm crap too - but I think only other bass players have realised this

[Hobbayne]

How is the drummer doing it? I struggled to nail a fast 8th note line for a simlar song for an audition once, and eventually nailed it. Only to find the drummer played it differently and my original part wouldnt fit. I played a much easier 4 to the bar line and no one noticed!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1405885922' post='2506180']
... The only way I can do it is to play twice on the fifth instead of fifth-root...
[/quote]
You can make it easier some of the time by playing the root note as an open string.

[chris_b]

McCartney and the rest of the band were match fit. They'd just put in hundreds of hours playing all night Rock and Roll gigs in Hambourg.

PM's bass on I Saw Her Standing There is just a RnR piano left hand riff. Listen to Jerry Lee Lewis for a dozen of them.

They're easy once you get the pattern in your head and build up your stamina and speed.

Spread your fingers, open your hand, relax, start slowly, get faster and focus on a nice and easy flow/groove.


IMO contains the best line in a song, ever: She was just 17, You know what I mean. Consigned the "Moon in June" stuff to the history books in just 2 lines.

Sheer poetry.


Edit: To the OP, you're not crap. You've just been asked to play something outside your comfort zone. We all get asked to do that. Playing music is about challenges. They are there to beat and they make you stronger.

Edited July 21, 2014 by chris_b

[Paultrader]

I joined a band in January playing 50s/early 60s stuff and I had to learn this song and sing unison vocals with the singer. I had to work and work at it but getting it sorted is one of the most satisfying things I've ever achieved on the bass, I play it simple with a pick, two beats on the fifth and it's fine. Now I've found that I can sing and play bass with confidence - we're learning Please Please Me and I'm singing the one-note harmonies. The buzz I get from singing and playing at the same time compensates for some of the relatively simple basslines you have to play in this type of music (not counting Macca's basslines of course). It's fantastic when we get rocking and seeing a crowd singing along and dancing to 'La Bamba' or 'Oh Boy'?

Macca is amazing; singing lead and playing good solid, interesting bass. Other bassists may be technically brilliant, but in my view no-one has his all round talent as musician, writer and performer. 'I Saw Her Standing There' - what a way to announce your arrival with the first track on your first album, 'One, two, three, FOUR...'!

[Highfox]

Thanks for this thread
we were working on a new song today and walla walla I managed to nick Macca's E and A riff to go over the Guitar sol lol
I'm sure it's all been done before.

[KevB]

The one from the early stuff that always impresses me in terms of bass/vox together is All My Loving.

[dand666]

Know what you mean KevB.

Try Lovely Rita or his later stuff, it's awesome. His best stuff (imo) was when he wasn't singing lead. Dear Prudence, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

Too melodic, the guy is a god.

[Guest]

I've got it close enough for jazz playing it fingerstyle, now I've got to learn it in C for an upcoming dep gig.
Should be interesting.................

[KevB]

kenny, if you mean Saw Her Standing... in C then it's not so bad, used to do it in C all the time for a guy who used to come to a jam session played at. Dropping down to the F chord halfway through the verse seemed well weird at first but it all fits, might have used some open strings. Been playing it back in E for over a year now with current band.

[PaulWarning]

Macca's only playing a short scale bass, let him try it on a big fat P neck with the bass below his waist line, I can't play it properly either and that's how I console myself

[SpaceChick]

[quote name='dand666' timestamp='1406033823' post='2507672']
Know what you mean KevB.

Try Lovely Rita or his later stuff, it's awesome. His best stuff (imo) was when he wasn't singing lead. Dear Prudence, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

Too melodic, the guy is a god.
[/quote]

Dear Prudence has a stunning bassline! Used to do it in a covers band, loved it!

Get the urge to learn "I saw her standing there" now!!!

(However, I'll probably only get frustrated as I also sit firmly in the crap, but gets away with it, camp!)