Deceptively simple

[Skinnyman]

One of the last things we tried before the band folded (and maybe part of the reason,) was "Turn It On Again" by Genesis. Seems very simple till you try to play it and then realise that it isn't just a straight 4/4 pop song.

All went well for the first verse and then it fell apart. The drummer (I don't count, I just feel it) didn't feel it the same way as the singer (who couldn't count and breathe at the same time) and neither of them were in time with the guitarists (who could both count but not necessarily in the right order).

Anyway, it got me thinking about songs that sound really simple but turn out to be much more complex when you start to take them apart. Anyone think of any others?

(There's scope for a variant of this which is songs that sound more complicated than they actually are. Which is most of U2's output I guess)

[gary mac]

We recently added Heart of Glass by Blondie and had to run it a few times to get the timing right on the middle section. Infact at one gig it all went a bit pear shaped (I wasn't the guilty party on that occasion).

Also the final section of Bubbles by Biffy Clyro caused some puzzlement.

[FuNkShUi]

Billy Jean.
Very easy to play the main riff.
But it's so repetitive that it fatigues your fretting hand quickly.
Its ok now as ive got used to it, but i remember i found it hard to finish the song when i first started playing it.
I also think that playing it accurately, and stopping the notes rather than letting them ring through can be quite tricky at the start.

[ubit]

Not hard to play, but I sing too and believe it or not I'm struggling like hell to sing and play over jailbreak. That simple bassline is really hard to mumble over!

[BigRedX]

Heart of Glass is easy. The main hook drops the last note of the melody in a couple of places which results in a bar of 3/4 each time. Since everything follows the melody it's simply a question of learning which times the beat is dropped.

I'll put forward "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" by Sparks. What sounds like a simple repeating riff is nothing of the sort. Once you start breaking it down you realise that there's different bar lengths all the way through the verse the cater for the timing of the vocal line. Plus no matter how much I counted I could never get the bass notes in the right place i the break down before the last verse!

[gary mac]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1422522277' post='2673579']
Heart of Glass is easy. The main hook drops the last note of the melody in a couple of places which results in a bar of 3/4 each time. Since everything follows the melody it's simply a question of learning which times the beat is dropped.


[/quote]

Big Red I wasn't saying it wasn't easy, just responding to the OP about deceptively simple.

[Truckstop]

Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Everybody I've ever played with has a different way of playing it and it never sounds good! The song relies on lots of instruments and vocals with simple parts but different rhythms that all build on top of each other to make it as groovy as it is. If you're missing the keyboard elements or the background vocal parts; all the other instruments in the world can't carry the groove properly.

Truckstop

[Count Bassy]

Deleted

Edited January 29, 2015 by Count Bassy

[toneknob]

[quote name='Skinnyman' timestamp='1422513001' post='2673507']
One of the last things we tried before the band folded (and maybe part of the reason,) was "Turn It On Again" by Genesis. Seems very simple till you try to play it and then realise that it isn't just a straight 4/4 pop song.

All went well for the first verse and then it fell apart. The drummer (I don't count, I just feel it) didn't feel it the same way as the singer (who couldn't count and breathe at the same time) and neither of them were in time with the guitarists (who could both count but not necessarily in the right order).
[/quote]

Well it is 13/4 in the verses, so good on you for having a go (or, repeating 4/4 2/4 4/4 3/4)

Edited January 29, 2015 by toneknob

[gelfin]

My Sharona. Just can't get the timing right on it.

[Chrismanbass]

had to learn turn it on by Genesis for my uni course a couple of years ago if i recall correctly its mostly B for us and its just where to put accents i think i ended up scribbling a quick chart for it before the lesson

keep going at it though don't be afraid to use cheat sheets until you get it (especially the drummer) it's a great song

on that topic i once had to play Rosanna by Toto with a drummer who couldn't play the shuffle properly that was frickin hard!!!

Edited January 29, 2015 by Chrismanbass

[zero9]

Anything by Sting. He's a master at playing deceptively simple lines.

[toneknob]

...although there's no bass guitar on the live versions of Turn It On Again, its 2x guitars with Daryl on bass pedals, playing every other 8th note(and some delay or something is filling in the next note). See about 1m45s into this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiZpRLZBuUQ

[jonnythenotes]

Have a bash at Riders on the storm by The Doors if you really want to give your fingers a work out.....Same tempo and feel as Billy Jean, but much more tricky...and when you get really clever, alternate between the two.....sounds so cool...

[Roger2611]

The start of Sex on Fire.....we have been playing it for six years now and the drummer and guitarist still cannot agree with the timings....that leaves muggins here stuck in the middle....I tend to go with the drummer....as the lessor of two evils!

[spectoremg]

As a massive Genesis fan I love this song and would love to play it live one day (the Minitaur is gonna get an outing)! And I reckon it's easy to play and should be a test to sort the musicians from the 4/4 morons.

[blue]

Easy is relative to the band collectively. Some bands have the talent to understand a song and cover it accurately in no time. Other bands struggle to learn new material.

At a high level, I always say, " no song is easy "

Blue

[spectoremg]

ps. Well done for the earlier mention for Sting. Watch the Police reunion dvd and try and work out how he sings in a completely different rhythm to the bass line he's playing. As hard as eating doughnuts without licking your lips!

[Twincam]

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1422521649' post='2673568']
Billy Jean.
Very easy to play the main riff.
But it's so repetitive that it fatigues your fretting hand quickly.
Its ok now as ive got used to it, but i remember i found it hard to finish the song when i first started playing it.
I also think that playing it accurately, and stopping the notes rather than letting them ring through can be quite tricky at the start.
[/quote]

I actually use that main riff as a hand exercise because of those very reasons, it also makes a good speed building exercise too.

[SICbass]

"Ring of Fire" is a bugger if you're not familar with it A doddle to play but scattered with 2/4 bars and the second verse is different to the first. A classic trap.

[xilddx]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1422558439' post='2674145']
ps. Well done for the earlier mention for Sting. Watch the Police reunion dvd and try and work out how he sings in a completely different rhythm to the bass line he's playing. As hard as eating doughnuts without licking your lips!
[/quote]
He has complete independence doesn't he. Beautiful sounding voice too. One of the best reunions ever too, they sounded wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWh5ilLBs-k

[xilddx]

Turn it on Again is a great song from a great album.

I would not call it deceptively simple though. It's deceptively difficult.

[Hobbayne]

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1422531770' post='2673711']
My Sharona. Just can't get the timing right on it.
[/quote]

Yes, another vote for that one. It definitely sounds easier than it is. Also, The Boys Are Back in Town was dropped by our lot too.

[DaveFry]

Forty-Four Blues can be tricky to get the changes at the right time and to get the right groove when it all seems so simple .

[James Nada]

Loads of mid to late period Beatles songs are deceptively quirky with their timing.