Struggling with this one.
I even went through josh’s excellent lesson and tab.
Who has had a go?
Discuss…
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@BumbleJazz just posted a kick ass cover of this one last week. He might be able to help. That song looks like torture for the fretting hand.
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Missed that one- I’ll look tonight.
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Hello, I recently did a cover of it @faydout thanks for the compliment!
It’s pretty hard (ymmv) but I took it in steps. I treat learning songs and recording covers like video game boss battle no hit runs. And this song more than most I’ve learned is structured very much like one. The verses (basic attacks) the pre chorus and chorus (phase one strong attacks), the solo and post solo verse (desperation move and taking everything from the first phase and adding some variation and switch ups) the ending (1hp desperation move)
I learned the verse riff first and that took about a week to get up to speed, then another 2 weeks to not have my hand cramp up as much.
Within that second and third week I started learning the pre chorus. Took it slow and it took about a month and a half. Started at 60% speed then every few days I’d increase the speed and I was plateauing around 90-95% for a while. I actually had to change the fingering a few times because the way I was trying to do it really wasn’t working out. In isolation this is the hardest part but once I figured out a fingering that works to where I wasn’t losing speed on the transition from the pre chorus to the chorus it isn’t terrible but still hard. The way I was originally doing it was almost impossible to keep speed.
While the pre chorus is hard in isolation I think what is actually the hardest part is the rhythm variation of in the choruses as a whole. But it depends if you’re trying to play it as it sounds or if you want to add your spin to it. I’m still learning and don’t feel confident improvising too much so I try to match the recording for memory purposes and helps me understand the “why” the rhythm variation works even if I can’t totally get it on my own right now and improvise like that. I made a few adjustments and improv in my cover here and there though.
Regardless on whether you know the parts well in isolation it’s VERY hard to put it all together. You get like half a break but it’s nonstop for 5 minutes. Hence why I say it’s like a boss battle. Because you’re fighting fatigue, memory, hand cramps, good muting, note sustain etc.
The verse and pre chorus parts aren’t hard when you’re doing the whole thing so I made sure I got that down as good as I could for the first few weeks; then worked on what parts in the chorus were sloppy then kept improving on it while also doing the whole thing. The ending is a little bit tricky too and that took a few days and I just slowed it down until I got it.
In retrospect I should’ve learned progressively harder songs leading up to it first rather than just deciding to go for this. Regardless it taught me a lot. I need to work on triplets and sextuplets for sure though I am NOT ready for those. At least with my fingers.
TLDR: song is hard and it sounds cliche but really you just have to slow it down by parts and take it day by day. But you can do it! It just takes time.
Good luck!
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Hey man, your version was pretty good.
I agree with everything you say about it especially
I am doing this one as it appeared on our jam list, our guitar player, who is quite experiences said “it looks hard” but I don’t know if he started on it yet.
I have been bashing away for a couple of weeks now, in small chunks like you did, but I am still getting frustrated.
It has a fast precise rhythm and which is janky at the same time.
Anyway good job, you inspire me to keep at it and your advice above is solid.
Your Bass Fu is strong 
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Been persisting with this one, played it on different basses last night as they feel different (and to me that is important)
Finally settled on the Bass Vi with a pick, I will try to get it playable on this one then move it to the others fingerstyle.
I was debating strongly learning it on my fender jazz because the neck was slimmer and part of me kinda wish I did because it probably would’ve been more comfortable. I liked how it felt but I didn’t like how it sounded on it. I’ve come to learn I’m a big fan of active basses. I think you’re doing the right thing by trying it out on different ones to see what works for you.
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I tried on my Peavy which is a p bass with a thin neck, on my Viola bass which is a short scale with a 43mm nut, the Bass VI has a 43mm neck but guitar closer string spacing and short scale, it also lets me play all in the first position, which is a big plus for me with this song.