Thanks @John_E… I’m sure @PamPurrs - Pam and I sort of use the same technique when writing our own bass lines……
I always find the guitar chords in a song and start from there…. The root notes of the chords are the foundation, and as long as you know the chord progressions, you can use fills to make the bass line your own…. Make it simple, make it more melodic, or make it as difficult as you wish…. This is where knowing scales comes in really handy - especially for the transitions and hooks…. However, when I’ve got a bunch of songs to learn and play in the band, I tend to keep things more on the “simple” side - otherwise I’d get “nasty eyes” from the lead guitarist….. Also, it’s a whole lot easier remembering bass line riffs to a bunch (50+) in a 4 hour gig as long as all I keep notes on are the guitar chords in each song in the set…. Kinda the same thing I use to do when I played rhythm and acoustic guitar with the other groups I’ve played with.
Another uninformed Noob opinion. When I am doing covers for the 50 Song challenge here on the forum, I try and replicate as close as possible, as I think there is something to be said about learning how a certain tone is reproduced. (e.g. rolling off the tone, playing near the neck, etc.) That said, I am not recording professionally, and my only ambition is to play in a cover band some day. So I do not get real hung up on “which fretting is he (or she) playing this on.” I am striving for a passable rendition. I know some folks in cover bands who obsess with doing everything exactly like the original artist, down to using the same pickups, strings, etc. and I find that to be insane. Just my 2 cents.
I concur @Old_WannaBe … however, I still maintain there are certain songs that feature memorable basslines that deserve to be covered intact. I’m adding this 2 cents to your 2 cents, so we now have 4 cents.
Yes,… Yes,… and YES @Old_WannaBe…. That is all part of the learning process - and a very important one for reasons you mentioned…. Doing covers as they were recorded in a studio is a disciplined approach to learning the mechanics of both the instrument and how it is used to build the foundation of songs structure.
Or that 176 key midi controller I have on my wish list. Or that 6 foot harmonica. Or that magic flute my mother told me about. Or… The list goes on and on.
Anyone want to to add another 2 cents to the fund?
Yeah I thought about adding a banjo to my blues repertoire, but I’m having a hard time finding any banjo blues scores. I guess the banjo is just too happy of an instrument for blues (shrug).
Got some here @PamPurrs - Pam…. I played banjo a few years - still have my custom built banjo that I haven’t played in a long time….
A really cool instrument to play…. All finger picking with finger picks on your plucking hand…. Thing is, you REALLY have to be focused when playing it…. But, a really FUN instrument to learn to play….
There most definitely were recording/playback devices 100 years ago. The first recordings were made in the late 1850s though the sound was very crude. The first electrical recording was released to the public in 1920 and record labels started recording studio sessions shortly after.
Yeah, I’m with you here. I’m interested in knowing exactly what the original bassist did so I can learn from them. Once I understand what they are doing (and can hopefully do it myself to some degree), I then often ad lib a little bit and see how it sounds - it’s a great learning tool for me.
I think the reason you see so much of this here is that BassBuzz is, primarily, a beginner forum and like others have said it’s mostly about the learning experience. My 2 cents. I think we’re up to $0.06 now.
There are several things I consider when learning a song. I am in a cover band that is acoustic guitar, bass, and a percussionist. Because of our simple setup, I can simplify some of our songs and not play note for note. We tend to make things our own by the nature of our arrangements and instruments. If there is a part critical to the original, I play it. If I look up a tab, different tabs may change from one to the next. I try to stay as true as I can. I often have liberty with the rhythm depending on how we play it. I don’t think the average listener knows what the original sounds like or care as long as it’s all in the same key. When I learn a new song, I may focus on the easy parts then add a fill where a fill is played, or it fits within the context of our arrangement. It likely won’t be note for note, but close. Sometimes our songs are so simple as far as original arrangement I don’t even go to the original. This is true with some of the acoustic country songs we play. Most are roots and fifths. Sometimes I do go to the original and hear a fill or part and add it in if I can.
