“A” Ain’t a Bad Place to Be

[Tokalo]

My rock covers band have decided we’re doing Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be.

 

Apart from two 8-bar choruses, the bass part throughout the whole song appears to be only quavers on A.

 

So. While playing one note for 4 minutes, do you:

a) play open A string, making it obvious this requires next-to-no skill (e.g. your left hand goes nowhere near the neck);

b) fret the E string, and at least try to look interested, even if there’s not much scope for adding expression to the bass part?

 

[Rib13Bass]

it depends:

 

do A if you move around a lot onstage adding to the stage energy, smile and make eye-contact with the audience, freeing up your arm to wave or point at folks

 

do B if you just stand near the drummer throughout the night

Edited May 20, 2023 by Rib13Bass

[PaulThePlug]

Alternate between, or a bar of each, fretted and open, same note but different tone and timbre...

Throw in the odd 5th and octave in the courus... just to keep the blood flowing and stopping ya fingers nodding off...

Edited May 20, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[Lfalex v1.1]

Both at once- who needs a chorus pedal?

[Waddo Soqable]

1 hour ago, Rib13Bass said:

it depends:

 

do A if you move around a lot onstage adding to the stage energy, smile and make eye-contact with the audience, freeing up your arm to wave or point at folks

 

do B if you just stand near the drummer throughout the night

Or snarl and look agressively like a moody psycho, my preferred option to the above😂

[steantval]

Fret it, I personally can’t stand playing open strings unless absolutely required.

[Waddo Soqable]

Or do a disco octave, dum te dum te dum te...  (only kidding..) 😁

[Doctor J]

It's always a little sad when a musician on stage feels the need to be seen as being above the song they're performing. If you're not into a song, don't play it.

[chris_b]

The number of notes is irrelevant. How you play the line is equally important and how you lock in with the drummer.

 

Play that one note right and you can make the band fly. Play it with no interest and they'll sound like they are limping through treacle.

[Lozz196]

I think fretted would enable a tighter rhythm and really help lock in with the drums, make a real groove happen.

[Bolo]

All that can be achieved on the open string while eating a banana with your free hand. Keep your energy up, you're in this for the long haul!

[Leonard Smalls]

8 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Or do a disco octave, dum te dum te dum te

This!

But to make it slightly more interesting, every 4th bar throw in more disco/high NRG octaves chromatically up from F# back to A. 

And wear sequinned trousers - that's what I'd do!

😁

[Waddo Soqable]

39 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

This!

 

And wear sequinned trousers - that's what I'd do!

😁

And big goofy glasses like the Buggles bloke.. 

[asingardenof]

10 hours ago, Tokalo said:

My rock covers band have decided we’re doing Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be.

 

Apart from two 8-bar choruses, the bass part throughout the whole song appears to be only quavers on A.

 

So. While playing one note for 4 minutes, do you:

a) play open A string, making it obvious this requires next-to-no skill (e.g. your left hand goes nowhere near the neck);

b) fret the E string, and at least try to look interested, even if there’s not much scope for adding expression to the bass part?

 

I'd be tempted to just play the open string while having a drink or scrolling on my phone, but would probably try and make it like I was interested.

[Leonard Smalls]

15 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

And big goofy glasses like the Buggles bloke.. 

 

It's a fine line... Buggles glasses, no. Bootsy star-shaped glasses, yes.

Either way, trousers like these are de rigeur. I've got some!!!

 

[naxos10]

Would the song allow playing the odd A an octave up?

Edited May 21, 2023 by naxos10

[Tokalo]

38 minutes ago, naxos10 said:

Would the song allow playing the odd A an octave up?

I think so - I’m going to try the octave suggestions at next rehearsal.
 

I play this song with pick, so I might try playing open A and A at 7th on D string palm-muted as a sort of power chord.

I remember seeing Ian Gillan singing New Orleans on TOTP in the early 80s. His bassist played all three notes the song required with his fingers pointing down. I still can’t decide if that was disrespectful or actually a way of making a simple part more challenging.

 

[Jonesy]

Whatever you end up doing, just don't follow it in the set with Magic Bus by The Who.......that's another 8 minutes of A. Entwistle hated playing it and it'd likely finish you off 😁

[gafbass02]

Loop pedal = wee break. 

[Franticsmurf]

43 minutes ago, gafbass02 said:

Loop pedal = wee break. 

One of the bands I'm in does 'Your Love' and the bassline is a repetitive one. I have just acquired an easy to use looper and with the full knowledge of the drummer, I will be trying it out at the next rehearsal. 😃

[Marky L]

3 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

 

It's a fine line... Buggles glasses, no. Bootsy star-shaped glasses, yes.

Either way, trousers like these are de rigeur. I've got some!!!

 

 

I think they've been over starched.

[jezzaboy]

Play the A on the E string and totally lock in with drummer boy. AC/DC bass playing is all about serving the song, no place for dooddlly wooddily bits! 

[chris_b]

Even if you are playing 1 note you are making music, grooving.

 

Loop pedals don't groove.

[nilorius]

Pentatonix !

[Waddo Soqable]

7 minutes ago, nilorius said:

Pentatonix !

Is that one o' them Japanese cameras?