Riverboat song - fingering help

[Steve_nottm]

Hi all.  I know this isn't really a tricky song to get, and I've worked out the bass line ok, it's just that I'm struggling to get the fingering right.  I think it's the dropping a string on the same fret in the riff, but I'm sounding like a ham fisted toddler.

anyone play this and mind letting me know how they finger the riff?

cheers

[fleabag]

This was one of our staple tracks

i'll simply tell you how i attack it. I may even be doing it wrong, but it worked for us

Kicking off on the  B note on the E  string is one pluck, forefinger...two plucks on D note A string ,  forefinger,   one pluck on B note E string , forefinger ,

one pluck D note A string , forefinger , one pluck on E note A string ,  middle finger.  Repeat for the moves,  even on the octave which doubles over the guitar octave

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by fleabag

[phil.c60]

Hmm. I thought the riff was B,D,E, B,D,E with a difference in the timing between the first and second time then similar in the other positions rather than B,D,D, B,D,E. But I may be wrong.....

Like this: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/ocean_colour_scene/the_riverboat_song_bass_1176579

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by phil.c60

[Steve_nottm]

Cheers guys but I meant the fretting hand.  That's the one I seem to be in a muddle with.  

[Norris]

I use 3rd finger on the B, 1st on the D and 4th on the E

[fleabag]

Ah, fretting hand .. 4th finger on B and E, 1st finger on D

[phil.c60]

On 14/11/2017 at 10:26, Norris said:

I use 3rd finger on the B, 1st on the D and 4th on the E

This for me. So, 3 - 1 - 4 for the riff, then as you move to the A string either leave the 4th finger there, ie 4 - 1 - 4 the first time then 3 -1 -4 or tuck the 3rd finger in and play it the same all the way through.  It's a comfortable reach then back to the E string with the third finger to start again. Hope this helps! ( Thanks for reminding me about this , Steve: I hadn't playedi t for ages but have had an enjoyable time picking it up again).

Edited November 17, 2017 by phil.c60

[Burns-bass]

The second time you play the B, the note is slid into and slightly bent too. This is why when you hear pub bands that play it it can feel a bit too 'straight'. Never liked the band when I was a skinny indie boy wearing size 28 inch jeans. Now I'm fuller of waist I can reflect on it being  a banging tune and an awful lot of fun to play.

Fingering wise, I always used 4 - 1 - 4. 

 

[Steve_nottm]

Cheers guys, knew some on here would play it and help.  I think I have it, now need to practice...

[tauzero]

I don't play it now, but when I did I used, er, <picks up bass> 4-1-4, same as Burns-bass.

[fleabag]

25 minutes ago, tauzero said:

I don't play it now, but when I did I used, er,  bass> 4-1-4, same as Burns-bass.

..and fleabag

[phil.c60]

But the riff's not right....

Edited November 17, 2017 by phil.c60

[tauzero]

It is if you play 4(B)--1(D)-4(E)-4(B)-1(D)-4(E). All the right notes and in the right order.

[linear]

This was one of the first songs I learned on bass, and the main riff used to knacker my fretting hand.  At practice/rehearsal I'd start out with 3-1-3;  have switched to 4-1-4 by the fourth time we'd run through it; there'd usually be an abortive attempt at 3-1-4 during the fifth; and by the sixth or seventh I'd be investigating the possibilities of 1-1-1

[ivansc]

Just listened to this for thge first time. Do you lot have tiny hands or something? Without actually dragging my bass out, even my asrthritic old pasws could do this dead easy BD& E up round the 7th fret should be a piecve of cake, surely?

 

if I am  missing something I would really like to know, btw.

Edited November 17, 2017 by ivansc
HIUT CAPSLOCK KEY - SORRY

[chris_b]

Yep, a piece of cake.

If I was playing this I'd do the 4(B)-1(D)-4(E) fingering people are suggesting, but the second 4(E) would be made by flattening the pinky, ie the pinky remains on the B but the finger is flattened to hit the E. No hand movement required at all and the only finger movement would be the rocking pinky back and forth.

[linear]

I don't think you're missing anything - nobody is claiming the song is a big technical challenge.  I found it hard work as a beginner because it's a repetitive riff and I was a beginner lacking in technique and endurance.  I think the OP was just curious whether people used the same finger to play the B and E, or if they did something else.

[phil.c60]

On 13/11/2017 at 02:33, fleabag said:

This was one of our staple tracks

i'll simply tell you how i attack it. I may even be doing it wrong, but it worked for us

Kicking off on the  B note on the E  string is one pluck, forefinger...two plucks on D note A string ,  forefinger,   one pluck on B note E string , forefinger ,

one pluck D note A string , forefinger , one pluck on E note A string ,  middle finger.  Repeat for the moves,  even on the octave which doubles over the guitar octave

 

 

4 hours ago, tauzero said:

It is if you play 4(B)--1(D)-4(E)-4(B)-1(D)-4(E). All the right notes and in the right order.

Yep, it certainly is,  tauzero, but that's not what Fleabag is suggesting and it's his post I was replying to as above.How you play it is down to personal choice, and the OP was trying to get some opinions and then make his choice but you have to at least start off with the right notes if you're going to offer fingering advice, surely! 

Edited November 17, 2017 by phil.c60

[interpol52]

2 hours ago, ivansc said:

Just listened to this for thge first time. Do you lot have tiny hands or something? Without actually dragging my bass out, even my asrthritic old pasws could do this dead easy BD& E up round the 7th fret should be a piecve of cake, surely?

 

if I am  missing something I would really like to know, btw.

 

2 hours ago, chris_b said:

Yep, a piece of cake.

Come on, aren't we meant to encourage people? 

[chris_b]

4 minutes ago, interpol52 said:

 

Come on, aren't we meant to encourage people? 

Yes. That's what the rest of the post was about.

[interpol52]

2 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Yes. That's what the rest of the post was about.

OK, I must have misinterpreted your post. Telling someone that a song they are struggling with is actually a piece of cake, seemed an odd form of encouragement. But, I'll take your word for it 

[acidbass]

I would definitely slide up to the B as it sounds like that on the record.

[fleabag]

2 hours ago, phil.c60 said:

 

Yep, it certainly is,  tauzero, but that's not what Fleabag is suggesting and it's his post I was replying to as above.How you play it is down to personal choice, and the OP was trying to get some opinions and then make his choice but you have to at least start off with the right notes if you're going to offer fingering advice, surely! 

 

 

Its close enough.  He's not in a tribute band AFAIK

 

[phil.c60]

Close enough for Jazz, maybe.

[louisthebass]

I'm playing this in a band -  and playing the riff using a fingering of 3 (B) 1 (D) 4 (E).

Edited November 17, 2017 by louisthebass
Info correction