Do you learn songs EXACTLY as they were recorded, or just the general vibe of it?

[BadHands]

1 hour ago, Phil Starr said:

It was an interesting question and an interesting read. Reassuring that most bassists playing covers adopt the same strategies that I have. You have to be on top of the feel and structure of the original but adapt your line to the band you are working with and your own skill set. I've only ever played in covers bands and at the peak probably had 150 songs with three bands that I might have to play at a moments notice. Between them we'd be learning maybe 3 or 4 new songs at any one time so you have in any case to have strategies just for coping. Don't let people see your feet furiously paddling under the water

'Beginners thing' is too pejorative. It's a learning thing I tried to learn the note for note bassline to 'Son Of A Preacher Man' recently, I didn't succeed because in the end the band just needed to get on with it but it taught me a lot about how a fairly simple pattern can add to a bass line and forcing myself out of the same old same old has freed up the way I play other songs too. There's loads to learn from other people's bass lines. we are all beginners

That’s exactly my attitude, and why I've been so surprised by responses. I liken it to transcribing a jazz solo to understand what's happening harmonically, and get a feel for the shapes and style of players at different points in their careers. 

[dmccombe7]

I knew the song Son of a Preacher Man but never really listened to that bassline.

That's a nice feel to it and maybe one worth learning just for the sheer heck of it.

Maybe one for our @Bilbo to transcribe for us all. Nice wee challenge

Dave

[Phil_T]

51 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

I knew the song Son of a Preacher Man but never really listened to that bassline.

That's a nice feel to it and maybe one worth learning just for the sheer heck of it.

Maybe one for our @Bilbo to transcribe for us all. Nice wee challenge

Dave

there's a good transcription here:

 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

My thoughts on this continue to evolve.

Learning other people's basslines is a good way to stretch my skills and  develop my playing and understanding of music.

Trying to come up with my own variations/ideas also helps me improve.

In a band situation what matters is that solid foundation for what everyone else is doing, plus yes it does matter to get any signature bits right.

[toneknob]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

I knew the song Son of a Preacher Man but never really listened to that bassline.

That's a nice feel to it and maybe one worth learning just for the sheer heck of it.

Maybe one for our @Bilbo to transcribe for us all. Nice wee challenge

Dave

In the good old days Bass Player magazine did a full transcription, they're usually pretty accurate. I can dig it out if you're interested.

Also, curious nuggets of info like it was played around the 7th/9th position (rather than open E and A strings) as in those days, the mid-range was more likely to be heard on AM radios with their tiny lo-fi speakers.

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by toneknob

[TimR]

1 hour ago, Phil_T said:

there's a good transcription here:

 

 

So basically it’s root, 5th, octave, played with feel. 😂

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, toneknob said:

In the good old days Bass Player magazine did a full transcription, they're usually pretty accurate. I can dig it out if you're interested.

Also, curious nuggets of info like it was played around the 7th/9th position (rather than open E and A strings) as in those days, the mid-range was more likely to be heard on AM radios with their tiny lo-fi speakers.

 

If you can find it that would be great. I prefer a written transcription or bass tabs. That way i can learn at my own pace.

Dave

[dmccombe7]

Got it from Ultimate guitar

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/print?simplified=0&transpose=0&flats=0&font_size=0&id=1726779

[Phil Starr]

I love it, a thread derailed by a nice bassline. A bit like my life   I said it was a basically simple pattern (root/fifth/octave, as pointed out) but such lovely touch and timing. For me the key was the shift to starting the runs at the end with my index finger and playing the third up the neck as he does in the ending. Still haven't used the extra octave in my version, I need to work on that.

Quiz question which is the Tommy Cogbill bass line we all know?

Funnily enough the other example I nearly used was  this one, I hadn't seen Preacher Man on Muzento that would have saved some time as this did. 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Phil Starr

[Doddy]

56 minutes ago, Phil Starr said:

Quiz question which is the Tommy Cogbill bass line we all know?

 

Take your pick- Respect, Natural Woman, Memphis Soul Stew, Land of 1000 Dances.... but I guess that you're referring to Mustang Sally.

[Marvin]

Setting yourself the challenge of learning a bass line note for note at home, yes, fine. Live however, not really, not note for note, I can't remember all that stuff. A lot of the bass lines we're all trying to learn were improvised there and then and even the person who played it in the studio probably doesn't play it note for note from the recording.

The problem I have a lot of the time trying to learn note for note, is I just can't remember all the different slight variations from bar to bar, chorus to chorus etc. How do you remember all that? 

 

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Setting yourself the challenge of learning a bass line note for note at home, yes, fine. Live however, not really, not note for note, I can't remember all that stuff. A lot of the bass lines we're all trying to learn were improvised there and then and even the person who played it in the studio probably doesn't play it note for note from the recording.

The problem I have a lot of the time trying to learn note for note, is I just can't remember all the different slight variations from bar to bar, chorus to chorus etc. How do you remember all that? 

 

For me personally i learn the song by playing along with it a few times to get the feel of it then i learn each part bit by bit and finally i write it all out note for note.

That way i remember the song by ear and i have the written structure and notes as a back up in my head.

I then play alng with it at home until i know every bit of the song.

From there its band rehearsal time and probably make a few changes to accommodate how the band would prefer to play it.

So altho i know it note for note i use it as a guideline for the band to work off. I am usually the first one in the band to learn their part from the off at rehearsals. 

I know fine well i don't really need to know the song note for note but its just how i like to work and remember the song.

Each to their own tho and as long as it works for you there's no right or wrong way.

Dave 

[Stub Mandrel]

22 hours ago, Marvin said:

Setting yourself the challenge of learning a bass line note for note at home, yes, fine. Live however, not really, not note for note, I can't remember all that stuff. A lot of the bass lines we're all trying to learn were improvised there and then and even the person who played it in the studio probably doesn't play it note for note from the recording.

The problem I have a lot of the time trying to learn note for note, is I just can't remember all the different slight variations from bar to bar, chorus to chorus etc. How do you remember all that? 

 

One of my personal favourite basslines is High Rise by Hawkwind. Each verse is something like AC, AD, BC or BD, but then there are some additional variations... I'm getting to the point of just randomising it which is what I suspect Adrian Shaw did...

[Marvin]

I just watched this clip by Guy Pratt. Quite interesting how he's approached playing early Pink Floyd, especially as he playing with Nick Mason. Thought it might be of some interest

 

 

Just to add, it might not play. Apparently YouTube's copyright monitoring doesn't like this video sometimes 🤔

Edited November 12, 2020 by Marvin

[TimR]

Ah. I’ve been following him for weeks now. It popped up earlier but when I went to the video it’s been blocked. 
 

Edit: it’s working now. 

Edited November 12, 2020 by TimR

[dmccombe7]

I watched that few hrs ago. The Bas that cant be mentioned sounded really nice doing those older Floyd songs.

It led me onto watching Roger Waters join them on stage in NYC for Set the Controls.

Dave

[TimR]

I’m really enjoying the pace of Guy’s videos. He seems like a nice guy, he got a lot of stick here a while back I think, but don’t know what for. 

[Stub Mandrel]

I read a quote from Darryl Jones this morning. He said something along the lines of "I play what I think fits because I hope they want me for being me, but for some songs you have to play the original".