missis sumner Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Ok, since I failed to give an introduction when I first joined - just a short one... I've been playing bass just over 4 years, mostly (ok, all) on Rocksmith, but joined a band about six weeks ago. And I'm still in a band... and they want me to learn Ace of Spades. Whilst the learning is hard for me (too used to being spoon fed), it's not the learning that's the problem with this one - I just can't play it. I can't get the strumming rhythm right. I appreciate Lemmy played it with a pick, and whilst I can use a pick, and do alternate picking quite well, and quickly, I'm struggling with the "down, down, up, whatever" strumming pattern. What's the best way to improve this? I'm currently playing it with a dodgy 3 finger style on single notes that changes to a "pretend I'm holding a pick" strum when I have to play power chords. Strangely enough, I can kind of strum "down, down, up, whatever" when I'm not holding a pick... Can anyone give me some pointers? TIA Confused, Wigan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Don't think you'll manage that one without using a pick tbh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 The only way to play Ace of Spades convincingly is to play it like Lemmy did. Watch some YouTube videos - he wasn't shy about demonstrating the differences between him and pretty much every other bass player! In a nutshell - loosen your right wrist, hit it hard and use your left hand to mute unwanted strings, including the thumb over the top technique for muting the E-string which tutors will all tell you not to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missis sumner Posted June 9, 2018 Author Share Posted June 9, 2018 Having played through it a couple more times, with a pick, yes - I can see I'm just going to have to practise. I've actually gone back to the Rocksmith version to slow it all down, just to try to get a better feeling for the rhythm and technique. This won't help me memorise the song, but I can do that once I can play it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 If you can get it spot on slow then you can increase the speed later. It’s always the best way. If you try to fix it at the full speed when your technique isn’t quite there you will just learn it with errors that are harder to get rid of later. When I was a relative beginner (not that long ago) we were asked to do livin on a prayer for a Christmas doo. At first I could do the main riff at full speed a few times but then it broke down, I just kept playing it for five minutes a day for about a fortnight at 2/3rds speed and then when I tried full speed again the muscle memory was there and it all worked (never played in since and don’t miss it though!). It will come, some songs just take that bit longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missis sumner Posted June 9, 2018 Author Share Posted June 9, 2018 Thanks, guys. I'll keep at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmedunc Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 12 hours ago, missis sumner said: Thanks, guys. I'll keep at it. I'd get the sound as near as I could firstly. More than likely the playing can then be a variant... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesPrestonUK Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Hello missis sumner - fancy seeing you here 😃 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I've seen finger players try it without distortion and it sounds awful, you need a lot of distortion and a pick, slow the intro right down with audacity or something like that to get the rhythm, once you've done that it's fairly straight forward apart from the guitar solo, never could figure that out so I just do what sounds right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 The trick is not to play with even rhythm all the way through, as it`s more like a (loosely) strummed guitar so sometimes it will be double-notes, sometimes singles. Given the sound that he made, I think many often over-looked Lemmys actual bass-playing, which really was like a rhythm guitar on bass. I have to admit his style has had a big influence on the way I play for my current band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missis sumner Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 It's definitely rhythm guitar, played on bass, isn't it? I've been slowing down this tutorial on YouTube... Now I don't speak Portuguese, but I can understand it at 50% speed. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missis sumner Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 12 hours ago, JamesPrestonUK said: Hello missis sumner - fancy seeing you here 😃 Hang on, do I know you? How's your band doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesPrestonUK Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 37 minutes ago, missis sumner said: Hang on, do I know you? How's your band doing? We've got another gig coming up at the end of July, with the possibility of a short set at a birthday party in early July. We're coming on in leaps and bounds 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 7 hours ago, missis sumner said: I've been slowing down thus tutorial on YouTube That's a good tutorial - it's actually a lot simpler than I thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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