YouMa Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 Most of the music i listen to bass playing wise is funk,disco,soul,jazz. like the pinnacle of tightness between bass and drums. Most of the Chic Bernard Edwards stuff including the stuff they produced is very difficult and i am beginning to think that it is slightly sped up on the recorded versions. Is there any older guys on here who actually saw Chic or any disco bands live? I would love to hear from them and the what they thought. I can remember a post few years back and he saw Chic live and said it sounded very muddy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 I’ve played a lot of Chic’s stuff at one time or another. It’s just practice. Listen to some of Jaco’s or Stanley Clarke’s stuff; it’s a lot faster. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 I would love to hear it mate. I have still never mastered the bass on I want your love and have been playing 24 years. I admit the later stuff is normal speed and he was a phenomenon on bass but I have never seen anyone truly nail I want your love on bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 I think Jaco and Stanley are brilliant but it's totally different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 Its not really about the speed. More the clipping and staccato on an open E string that gets me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 It really is just practice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 It’s worth remembering that Bernard often employed his ‘chucking’ technique, where he played with his thumb and index finger held together, as if he were holding a pick. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Just practice. When I can play a song without needing any notation I like to play it at a faster speed for practice. When I've nailed it 10% faster or so then it becomes easy at normal speed. But to get there I'll often play it way under tempo and only increase speed when it's perfect, and increase speed in small amounts. Youtube can now change playback speed so it's a really good song learning resource. Practice DOES NOT make perfect. It makes permanent! Only Perfect Practice makes Perfect. So slow it down until it's easier and get it right. Don't practice until you get it right - practice until you can't get it wrong. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 And once you can play it at the right speed try playing it slower (about 75-80% of the correct speed) and see if you can still keep the timing as tight. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 20 minutes ago, BigRedX said: And once you can play it at the right speed try playing it slower (about 75-80% of the correct speed) and see if you can still keep the timing as tight. Or just play it 3 times in a row with an average pub band drummer. That will be 3 different tempos! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 25 minutes ago, fretmeister said: Or just play it 3 times in a row with an average pub band drummer. That will be 3 different tempos! Reminds me of a keyboard player I know who used to play for strict tempo dance classes. Tired of being admonished by the participants, he introduced a waltz and asked - ''How do want this one then, too fast or too slow?'' 😅 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 You have to remember there’s a difference between the average person's practice levels and someone like Bernard Edwards - I could have inserted a myriad of names here - they’re not constrained by having to go to work or other domestic issues. They’re either gigging, rehearsing or recording; either way, they’ll have a bass in their hands. There's also this mysterious innate talent that some people have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 1 hour ago, ambient said: There's also this mysterious innate talent that some people have. This for sure. Some folk do things better/faster/whatever. We can't all be Bernard Edwards, Usain Bolt, Andres Segovia, Stephen Hawking, whoever, despite whatever nonsense is talked about 10,000 hours. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 3 minutes ago, ezbass said: ...We can't all be Bernard Edwards, Usain Bolt, Andres Segovia, Stephen Hawking, whoever ... Now you tell me..! 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 (edited) Accidental double post - ignore this. Edited December 21, 2022 by 3below Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, fretmeister said: Youtube can now change playback speed so it's a really good song learning resource. Practice DOES NOT make perfect. It makes permanent! Only Perfect Practice makes Perfect. So slow it down until it's easier and get it right. Don't practice until you get it right - practice until you can't get it wrong. .....Apologies to those who already know, Audacity (open source, free,and all platforms) has tempo change with the same pitch feature. This combined with looping has really helped with the prog jazz rock originals I am working on in my current band. https://www.mazmazika.com/chordanalyzer workds well, it has pretty good accuracy even with the interesting chords my compatriots choose to use. Edited December 21, 2022 by 3below Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 15 minutes ago, ezbass said: This for sure. Some folk do things better/faster/whatever. We can't all be Bernard Edwards, Usain Bolt, Andres Segovia, Stephen Hawking, whoever, despite whatever nonsense is talked about 10,000 hours. Yep. When I was at uni I was practicing for 14 hours a day most days. There was a guy there in my particular bass class who simply didn’t need to, he was the most gifted musician I’ve ever encountered. There’s a student at the music college I’m teaching at that is a phenomenally talented keyboard player. He’s only young, just late teens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 One thing is to practise, the other is to practise right things with an accessible target in mind. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. And I mean both playing and the right things. When was the last time you set a target and scheduled it? What was the reasonable amount of daily practise you thought would be enough within that set timeline? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay2U Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 I don't think songs are sped up. I'm mostly playing punk rock songs, finger style as well as picking. This requires very fast playing. During live shows songs are often played even faster than on the CD. It's just a matter of getting used to it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted December 22, 2022 Author Share Posted December 22, 2022 I still think there's some studio trickery. Disco was a machine a mass industry and was very polished. Bernard Edwards was incredibly precise though. I know he used bc rich,Fender and Musicman would be interested to know if he used mutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 17 hours ago, Jay2U said: I don't think songs are sped up. I'm mostly playing punk rock songs, finger style as well as picking. This requires very fast playing. During live shows songs are often played even faster than on the CD. It's just a matter of getting used to it. I was reading about the Beatles "She's Leaving Home", yesterday. Apparently it was sped up slightly for the stereo version to make Paul sound younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay2U Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Just now, Crusoe said: I was reading about the Beatles "She's Leaving Home", yesterday. Apparently it was sped up slightly for the stereo version to make Paul sound younger. Sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineweasel Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 (edited) Conversely "Rain", often cited as an example of McCartney's most nimble playing, was slowed down dramatically for release Edited December 22, 2022 by pineweasel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 On 21/12/2022 at 18:22, Jay2U said: I don't think songs are sped up. I'm mostly playing punk rock songs, finger style as well as picking. This requires very fast playing. During live shows songs are often played even faster than on the CD. It's just a matter of getting used to it. How do you get on with "Babylon's burning" by The Ruts? Wicked bassline but a killer at speed. After all these years and I still haven't got it - maybe I should try it with a pick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay2U Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 1 hour ago, TheGreek said: How do you get on with "Babylon's burning" by The Ruts? Wicked bassline but a killer at speed. After all these years and I still haven't got it - maybe I should try it with a pick. I'm faster when playing finger style. Is this fast enough for you? 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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