Playing covers - how accurate do you need to be?

[Nicko]

I've just been brushing up on Dani California which is a great song to play, but Flea seems to play a different variation on a theme almost every bar.  None of these are too difficult in themselves, but to get every single one correct and in the right place seems to be a huge amount of work, when in reality very few of the punters will notice if I just play a variations selected at random from the huge number that Flea provides.  I've had a look at the band playing this song live and Flea seems to improvise anyway.

Thoughts?

[Nicko]

Oops just realised this shoudl be in the general board.

[Rich]

One of my bands had Dani C on the set list. To be honest, I pretty much made it up as I went along and put my own fills in. It was in the set for about 5 years and not once did anyone ever accuse me of doing it wrong.  

[Happy Jack]

Just play the bassline from Sweet Home Alabama ... nobody will notice.

[Nicko]

4 minutes ago, Rich said:

One of my bands had Dani C on the set list. To be honest, I pretty much made it up as I went along and put my own fills in. It was in the set for about 5 years and not once did anyone ever accuse me of doing it wrong.  

Erm  " All the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order"😊

[Rich]

1 minute ago, Nicko said:

Erm  " All the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order"😊

That's the badger!  

[Stylon Pilson]

You can get away with a lot of simplification when playing live. Obviously there are occasionally iconic bass riffs that people would recognise if you played differently (like Another One Bites The Dust or The Chain) but generally if you simplify a bass line, the only people who will notice will be other bass players, and most of them will appreciate that you did it for a reason. On the off chance that someone comes up to you afterwards and says "I noticed that you played the bass line wrong..." then just smile and say "yeah, I know. Crowd still seemed to enjoy themselves though, didn't they."

S.P.

[Newfoundfreedom]

I totally agree with Stylon Pilson above. 

If it's an iconic, stand out riff, then you need to be as close as possible. 

Otherwise for me, learning a song note for note just sucks all the fun out of playing. I get the basics down then just wing it. 

Edited April 10, 2019 by Newfoundfreedom

[Steve Browning]

Exactly that. If you want Flea's bass line then go and hire him.

When playing covers I will include any important elements (if there are any, of course) but, otherwise, you get what I reckon works best.

Personally, I can think of nothing worse than painstakingly reproducing any 'official' version of a song.

[Stub Mandrel]

I've been learning Stay With me. I've seen at least six different bass tab and a video, all different. The Faces played it live differently from the record and there seem to be two different studio versions with long and short endings. These all have inconsistent bass lines, especially at the end. Aside from getting the introdsuction spot on, I think hat for most of teh song its the distinctive rhythm that matters.

There' also Feel Like Making Love, where there a very distinctive riff with a pronounced slur, this is followed by a little pentatonic run. The first bit needs to be spot on to get the feel of the song, the second bit it seems to be largely improvised and is much quieter anyway.

So my thought is to decide which bits define the feel of the song or set up changes, and get those right.

[ordep]

We use to play Aeroplane and I just learned the memorable parts; intro, a few important minor fills and most of the solo part. Flea never played it the same way live anyway. 

[chris_b]

It's you playing a cover. So you don't have to copy every note. How would you remember every note anyway! You only have to get the feel and essence of the song but, unless it's a riff, you don't have to play every note in the exact place.

In this song the verse has an octave feel. Get that right and do what Flea does. . . put your own fills in between.

[EliasMooseblaster]

1 hour ago, Happy Jack said:

Just play the bassline from Sweet Home Alabama ... nobody will notice.

Dani Alabama? It's got a ring to it...

[nightsun]

Been playing this for years. listened to it got the feel and now have fun with it.  I'm sure if Mr Flea turned up at a gig he would have something to say, but I look at it as a fill workout.  One of my favourites at the moment, but it would kill it if I thought I had to play note for note.

[Hobbayne]

We Play Come Together and I sing it. But I have to play the riff on the 10th fret while I,m singing to simplify it.

It really needs that slide from the D up to the G to make that bassline accurate, but no one cares. 😋

[Cat Burrito]

I think it depends on the band. I play in a tribute band as well as a few original bands. Normally these things tend to get learnt as they should put the band put subtle little nuances into them... fast forward 12 months down the line and they can sound surprisingly departed from the recording. Normally picked up when somebody leaves and you hold an audition!

[itu]

If your band has different setup than the original - or doesn't - you have to arrange the song anyway. I think it is very important to understand that the original version may work well in the original context. How about with your group? Just arrange any song to a bossa nova (Anarchy in the UK, anyone?) and you just have to adapt and arrange.

I have been a few times in a place where I have no idea of the original song. I have opened my ears and tried to find the suitable notes and feel to support others. Sometimes it is just root-and-five.

Latest song I have been learning is the Bohemian Rhapsody. Yes, because of the movie. Luckily, I have the score. First thing (for me, that is) is to copy it note-by-note and then try to find possibility to change it, if the band's arrangement is going away from the original.

[foxyFuze]

As above, the feeling and groove is more important than the finer detail I think, unless it's a tribute band where authenticity is key. 

Significant fills recognisable by Joe public should be prominent, but not slavishly so. 

I've seen many function bands trying to sound exactly like the original, changing their sounds entirely between songs, and it tends to be rather chintzy.

Ty Segall knows how to do a good cover: rocky, fuzzy, keeping a distinctive riff but making the song his own:

 

[fleabag]

The answer has been pretty much nailed by everyone, so i can only confirm.  You're not a tribute band where accuracy is paramount.  Our band is a plain old covers band, but in the funk-ish genre, and i dont get anywhere near playing every note as it was recorded. Funk bass has hundreds of the bustards, and i'd be here growing older by the bass clef trying to figure them out. As has been said, landmark bass lines are needed..... think " MONEY " by Pink Floyd. Can t really put your own take on that, but other than landmark bass lines in a song, just get the feel and  flick a few of your own notes and personality into it.

Job done.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, foxyFuze said:

I've seen many function bands trying to sound exactly like the original, changing their sounds entirely between songs, and it tends to be rather chintzy.

My brother's band makes a point of playing everything in their own  style and audiences seem to love it.

[DJpullchord]

Don’t think I play anything the same twice.

Just let the fingers move around and hope for the best.

[b7l4s]

2 hours ago, Cat Burrito said:

fast forward 12 months down the line and they can sound surprisingly departed from the recording. Normally picked up when somebody leaves and you hold an audition!

So true - I 'learned' a bunch of songs for a cover band audition and exactly one of them worked straight out of the box. They had been slowly drifting towards their own way of playing some of their set for years. Got the gig though :-)

[Krysbass]

It's maybe worth adding that there are plenty of original bands who don't always play their own songs live exactly the same as their studio recording.

So other than the more iconic bass lines already mentioned,  there's an excuse for not getting too hung up on the details. 😊

 

[uk_lefty]

5 hours ago, b7l4s said:

So true - I 'learned' a bunch of songs for a cover band audition and exactly one of them worked straight out of the box. They had been slowly drifting towards their own way of playing some of their set for years. Got the gig though 🙂

I get so sick of some songs I don't listen to them, don't rehearse them and then you hear it on the radio and realise that you've gone so far from the original it's time to rehearse it again!!

[steantval]

13 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

I get so sick of some songs I don't listen to them, don't rehearse them and then you hear it on the radio and realise that you've gone so far from the original it's time to rehearse it again!!

My band would let me know that well before hearing it on the radio 😀