Shockwave Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 (edited) Why did Bernard Edwards have such a difficult sense of timing? It sounds so nice on the recordings, But trying to emulate it is near impossible! All i can do is just bum note my way through it. I spend alot of time on trying to get the timing right and then i end up missing particular variations in the riffs. For example the quick octave jump at the beginning of the main line. Anyway! Enough Ranting. [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2mhoV4oZg"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2mhoV4oZg[/url] Heres my attempt at Le Freak by Chic. I used my new to me yamaha BB5000 through my Marshall bi-amp and peavey bi-amp cab. The yamaha has active 18volt fender electronics, and a set of old heavy roundwounds (Note i only play with very very very light and bright roundwounds so this was very new to me!) Anyway, If anyone can give me some advice on emulating his technique and some opinion on the sound of the bass that will be lovely can i assume that Bernard used a set of old Flats on his MM ? - Rob. Edited December 12, 2008 by Shockwave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I tend to incorporate my thumb into my picking technique,bernard edwards was a machine though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 [quote name='Shockwave' post='352777' date='Dec 12 2008, 03:08 PM'] Why did Bernard Edwards have such a difficult sense of timing? It sounds so nice on the recordings, But trying to emulate it is near impossible! All i can do is just bum note my way through it. I spend alot of time on trying to get the timing right and then i end up missing particular variations in the riffs. For example the quick octave jump at the beginning of the main line. Anyway! Enough Ranting. [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2mhoV4oZg"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2mhoV4oZg[/url] Heres my attempt at Le Freak by Chic. I used my new to me yamaha BB5000 through my Marshall bi-amp and peavey bi-amp cab. The yamaha has active 18volt fender electronics, and a set of old heavy roundwounds (Note i only play with very very very light and bright roundwounds so this was very new to me!) Anyway, If anyone can give me some advice on emulating his technique and some opinion on the sound of the bass that will be lovely can i assume that Bernard used a set of old Flats on his MM ? - Rob.[/quote] He was asked once what strings he uses....... " whatever comes fitted on a Musicman" he replied!!!! It's all in the hands! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 what happened to the slide up to the octave © in 2nd and last verse? that adds some funk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 [quote name='uptonmark' post='352910' date='Dec 12 2008, 05:08 PM']what happened to the slide up to the octave © in 2nd and last verse? that adds some funk![/quote] Concentrating on the timing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Good attempt.... stick with it... the Edwards timing becomes more apparent the more you play the tunes..... I've just been going over Everybody Dance for a recording I'm about to play on.... I remember now why I love his style soo much!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 its a good attempt, nice sound maybe make the notes shorter, nard seems to kill the note as soon as he plucks it (duff strings ) that way there is more of a gap, a more staccato(?) feel a good example is his playing on WHY by carly simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 [quote name='uptonmark' post='352991' date='Dec 12 2008, 06:55 PM']its a good attempt, nice sound maybe make the notes shorter, nard seems to kill the note as soon as he plucks it (duff strings ) that way there is more of a gap, a more staccato(?) feel a good example is his playing on WHY by carly simon [/quote] This is why i am thinking he plays on really old flats. However i do love the slightly extended notes on the "freak out" bits. The yamaha's E string really sings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Bernard Edwards used a Fender Jazz on such early Chic hits as “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)” but for much of his career he used a ’77 Music Man StingRay, which Duran Duran’s John Taylor now owns. His clean recorded sound in part comes from recording mostly direct. “Bernard never changed strings,” says Nile Rodgers. “In one of my favorite interview quotes of all time, Bernard was asked, [b]‘So, what kind of strings do you use?’ He looked at his bass and went, ‘I don’t know; what kind of strings come on a Music Man bass[/b]?’” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFW Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Nice playing! Nard is one of my heroes. You are sliding down from the A twice (during the aaah Freak Out, Le Freak, C'est Chic phrase) when Nard only slides down the first time. Sorry for being picky but I very rarely see people playing this bit correctly. Maybe I need to get out more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 [quote name='rayfw' post='353038' date='Dec 12 2008, 07:37 PM']Sorry for being picky but I very rarely see people playing this bit correctly. Maybe I need to get out more! [/quote] Or even hear them playing it correctly... Just ask Stevie wonder... Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I reckon the key to Edwards playing is to loosen up and play like you're stoned. He does play some fairly stacatto notes on Le Freak but his timing is so laid back that its almost like he leaves it until the last possible millisecond to play each note before it loses the pocket. I noticed your feel, Rob was pushing the beat a fair bit and driving the song along which is really what the guitar does on that track. From experience its utterly impossible to play in such a laid back way unless you have a drummer whose timing is very predictable. It takes a lot of practice and while I can do it during practice, I've more or less given up trying to do it live because the drummer can't play with the same laid back feel (in fact originally when we played this, he slowed down so he can play on top of the beat and then I played slower yet to stay behind him). Instead of emulating Bernards playing, I tend to leave the note until the last millisecond of our drummers pocket. Its not the same feel, but it has to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFW Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 [quote name='lowdown' post='353046' date='Dec 12 2008, 07:43 PM']Or even hear them playing it correctly... Just ask Stevie wonder... Garry[/quote] Good point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Nice cover, Shockwave. Remember that a cover doesn't have to be exact. It's your interpretation of the music That Yamaha BB5000 sounds great, btw! And I love your left hand technique. Looks just like mine... Neat and tidy with none of that thumb over the top nonsense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 (edited) [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='353129' date='Dec 12 2008, 09:04 PM']Nice cover, Shockwave. Remember that a cover doesn't have to be exact. It's your interpretation of the music That Yamaha BB5000 sounds great, btw! And I love your left hand technique. Looks just like mine... Neat and tidy with none of that thumb over the top nonsense [/quote] Thanks mate. Though i wish i could believe its a nice cover! The thumb creeps up but not over when i play higher up or when i just hold onto the neck without playing. I blame this on my knuckle scraping long arms and goalkeepers hands. I have never had a compliment on my playing technique before! Edited December 12, 2008 by Shockwave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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