Tricky Bass Lines - what gives?

[Woody1957]

Have a listen to Jim Lea's bass solo in the middle of Dirty Joker off the Play it Loud album....

Apparently it a modified piece from Bach which makes complete sense as Jim was originally a classically trained violinist. 

I've been trying to learn it properly for the last 50 years but still not cracked it lol....

[asingardenof]

I just suggested Two Tribes to the band and everyone was on board. Then I looked into what was involved...

[merello]

On 14/12/2023 at 15:53, Jason Karloff said:

What i always find is when I'm trying to figure out a tricky section, is i play and fail 20/30 odd times. Put down the instrument and sleep/forget it. 

 

Over the course of the nights sleep or day of not playing, the pathways if that's the right word get rewired. 

I pick up the bass and i can do it. 

How all that happens i have no idea. 

Maybe i just need a good nights kip hahha

A lot of cognitive science now recognises a phenomenon related to the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve. You try something, nearly get it...but not quite. You try it another time....nearly get it.....rest. Then you try it....and it sits right there. Cog Scientists call it spaced practise - it is better to practise something ion separate chunks at different times rather than doing a 6 hour block.

 

https://www.mindtools.com/a9wjrjw/ebbinghauss-forgetting-curve

 

 

[tauzero]

23 hours ago, asingardenof said:

I just suggested Two Tribes to the band and everyone was on board. Then I looked into what was involved...

 

Try Relax instead. If you have a wireless, it's perfect for going to the bar and getting a drink as long as you keep your money in the pocket on your fretting hand side.

[DocTrucker]

Well I'm very much a rookie and not seen any of the ones I have struggled with here and so will stay quiet about most of them!

 

That said a largely simple song - all right now - has an instrumental section that has a bar of standard fingering in the money zone followed by a jump to right up near the bridge with the open A played with the thumb, repeated over and over. Getting the notes in the right order and close to on time, just needs tidying up now!

Edited December 29, 2023 by DocTrucker

[BreadBin]

On 27/12/2023 at 19:21, asingardenof said:

I just suggested Two Tribes to the band and everyone was on board. Then I looked into what was involved...

 

This is a cool version 

 

 

I'm pretty sure the original (live band, not studio) was played on a 4-string tuned to drop-D which is a bit easier. 

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by BreadBin

[markbunney]

1 hour ago, DocTrucker said:

Well I'm very much a rookie and not seen any of the ones I have struggled with here and so will stay quiet about most of them!

 

That said a largely simple song - all right now - has an instrumental section that has a bar of standard fingering in the money zone followed by a jump to right up near the bridge with the open A played with the thumb, repeated over and over. Getting the notes in the right order and close to on time, just needs tidying up now!

I played this song at least once a month for 20 years and never realised those open A’s were there 👀

 

 

[DocTrucker]

@markbunney can't claim credit for finding them, or be 100% sure they are actually there! 😄

 

That said, it's been a good lesson for me on bringing in the thumb and controlling my fingering volume as on my bass/with my ears those highs ring much louder than the open A.

[asingardenof]

1 hour ago, BreadBin said:

 

This is a cool version 

 

 

I'm pretty sure the original (live band, not studio) was played on a 4-string tuned to drop-D which is a bit easier. 

 

Drop D is how I'm playing it. I believe the original wasn't played on a bass at all but was a programmed synth line.

[BreadBin]

2 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

Drop D is how I'm playing it. I believe the original wasn't played on a bass at all but was a programmed synth line.

It was a live band song long before Trevor Horn got involved.

[asingardenof]

1 minute ago, BreadBin said:

It was a live band song long before Trevor Horn got involved.

Then I stand corrected!

[tauzero]

51 minutes ago, markbunney said:

I played this song at least once a month for 20 years and never realised those open A’s were there 👀

 

I learnt it almost 50 years ago without the open As. Only found out about them a year or so ago and CBA to spend the time to relearn it when I try and avoid having the song in the set.

[markbunney]

I am noticing more and more that when I listen back now to songs I learnt a long time ago and have been playing ever since, that what I thought was the bass line was nothing like what was actually recorded!

 

I think this is a mix between me now having better audio equipment and headphones, and general improvement as a player.

[Marvin]

Bob Seger's Hollywood Nights.

It sounded so simple, but the speed/pace of it is finger tangling.

[Woody1957]

43 minutes ago, markbunney said:

I am noticing more and more that when I listen back now to songs I learnt a long time ago and have been playing ever since, that what I thought was the bass line was nothing like what was actually recorded!

 

I think this is a mix between me now having better audio equipment and headphones, and general improvement as a player.

And also having YouTube too.

When l set out learning bass, l had lessons for two years reading music but after joining a vocal harmony club band it fell by the wayside. Looking back l regret that decision. 

However back in the day l had an old BSR turntable which had speed settings of 16, 33, 45 and 78rpm....very useful because when learning the bass parts on vinyl all the deep, thudding notes were played at 78rpm and then transposed down to the correct key and all the high notes and fast bass lines were played at 16rpm and transposed up to the correct key. 

In the end l got quite good at just doing it all by ear and imagining the notes in my head. 

Everyone these days have so much technical stuff at their disposal it must be far faster to work stuff out that took me weeks back in the day, not to mention ruining most of my vinyl collection in the process lol.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Woody1957

[markbunney]

The YouTube bass videos are great, and I always appreciate the people who take time to post them with the tabs.

 

I wish that was available when I started learning 30 odd years ago.

 

me and the guitarist were talking the other day about what it was like buying a tab book and trying to follow along 

[ratman]

2 hours ago, BreadBin said:

It was a live band song long before Trevor Horn got involved.

Here's most of the original line up doing Pleasuredome, Two Tribes (starts around 10.25) & Relax at a Trevor Horn's 25th anniversary concert in 2004. Mark O'Toole totally nailing the bass on all three songs, with a pick.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbCEF4sYSiY

 

[Johncee]

5 hours ago, DocTrucker said:

Well I'm very much a rookie and not seen any of the ones I have struggled with here and so will stay quiet about most of them!

 

That said a largely simple song - all right now - has an instrumental section that has a bar of standard fingering in the money zone followed by a jump to right up near the bridge with the open A played with the thumb, repeated over and over. Getting the notes in the right order and close to on time, just needs tidying up now!

I play it slightly differently, with my index finger (not thumb) playing the open A (raking down from the D string on the G and F#) and an extra 1/16th note open A between each 1/8 note group. Would be a lot easier to demonstrate than describe...😀

The extra open A really helps to drive the rhythm along, and feels really natural once you get the hang of it.

[Geek99]

8 minutes ago, Johncee said:

I play it slightly differently, with my index finger (not thumb) playing the open A (raking down from the D string on the G and F#) and an extra 1/16th note open A between each 1/8 note group. Would be a lot easier to demonstrate than describe...😀

The extra open A really helps to drive the rhythm along, and feels really natural once you get the hang of it.

Video clip perhaps ? 

[Johncee]

47 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Video clip perhaps ? 

Unplugged quickie...(my previous description might not have been entirely accurate, but this is what I meant...😊)

Edited December 29, 2023 by Johncee

[Johncee]

5 hours ago, markbunney said:

I played this song at least once a month for 20 years and never realised those open A’s were there 👀

 

 

The depressing thing is that when you do go to the trouble of putting them in, no-one else notices. But you do feel better about yourself...😂

[Jason Karloff]

13 hours ago, DocTrucker said:

Well I'm very much a rookie and not seen any of the ones I have struggled with here and so will stay quiet about most of them!

 

That said a largely simple song - all right now - has an instrumental section that has a bar of standard fingering in the money zone followed by a jump to right up near the bridge with the open A played with the thumb, repeated over and over. Getting the notes in the right order and close to on time, just needs tidying up now!

That's worrying. I just instantly looked at the tab you posted and thought that's Alright Now. 

I think i may of wasted my life. 

[Mickyk]

My Nemesis is Sir Duke by Stevie Blunder a I like to call him simply because when I try to play it I always make a Blunder.

 

My other Nemesis is PEG by Steely D,I will never get that Slap Piece  off if i live to be 90.

[merello]

On 30/12/2023 at 14:45, Mickyk said:

My Nemesis is Sir Duke by Stevie Blunder a I like to call him simply because when I try to play it I always make a Blunder.

 

My other Nemesis is PEG by Steely D,I will never get that Slap Piece  off if i live to be 90.

Someone on here once described it as a simple pentatonic.

[chris_b]

Tricky bass lines are great.

 

They challenge us and force us to extend and expand our thinking, techniques and comfort zones.

 

Master one thing you find uncomfortable or difficult to play every week.