originalfunkbrother Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I once had to learn 12 songs in 2 days it was quite an exercise but the writing down and constant repeating of the tunes does help.... All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 [quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1324461754' post='1474366'] Doesn't a Yes song last 2 days? Dan [/quote] Only the intro. Long term view is a couple of weeks once all parts are completely nailed to the floor. PS I am a huge fan of Prog Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I've done this a few times for dep gigs. 1. Tie down the setlist and any altered keys asap. 2. Get some cheat sheets together, or tab or score or whatever works for you! 3. Get some copies of any songs that you can't hum and listen to them every waking second that you can. 4. Take a small music stand to the gig - set at waist height they're barely visible to the audience. 5. Stand proud and play it like you mean it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 [quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1324468944' post='1474509'] Only the intro. Long term view is a couple of weeks once all parts are completely nailed to the floor. PS I am a huge fan of Prog Dave [/quote] Haha! I could never get into prog stuff. My dad loved Yes, said they were the best band in the world! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L_Bass_Dog85 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I have had a similar experience. 1. I agree to cheatsheets as a last minute dep like others have said. 2. Create a youtube playlist of the songs you need to learn and scribe away in no particular order, as most bands never stick to setlist order (just my experience) 3. Simplify hard songs (I once just chunked out the root notes for a couple of tunes for a very last minute gig, 1 day before too! No one noticed, not even the guitarist who dragged me in!) 4. Do not sleep and drink plenty of coffee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 [quote name='L_Bass_Dog85' timestamp='1324490632' post='1474932'] 4. Do not sleep and drink plenty of coffee! [/quote] Haha! Brilliant. I have a friend who is a professional session drummer, he got the a phone call to play for Van Morrison. Morrison doesn't have sets apparently and expects his band to know which song and what version he wants as he calls them. This meant iPod, a lot of floor space, a lot of manuscript paper and learning 40 years of Van Morrison back catalogue live and recorded! By comparison we have it easy! He didn't get the job and Morrison sacked his entire team soon after 'cos he wanted a 'new one'. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 In case it hasn't been said already - stand beside or in view of the guitarist/keyboard/whoever knows the songs best and keep your eyes glued to them for changes/stops/mouthing the chords, etc. And DON'T PANIC!!!! I had to do this in one afternoon - about 20 songs of all original music (bass player's father took ill) for Duke Special. Just keep your eyes and ears open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham56 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 You've got years of experience so you know this anyway. But for completeness... If you do get lost, don't stop. Play percussive, staccato notes, staying with the rythym, until you work out where the hell you are. If you make the notes short enough most people won't be able to tell what you are playing. But they will notice if you stop or lose the beat. Cheers Graham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Busk it. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1324557552' post='1475529'] Busk it. Have fun! [/quote] This............................. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Oooh just seen this. Do you know the bass player, or can you contact him? He might have charts, or at least give you heads up on important things to be aware of? He of course might be a knob and feel threatened by you depping for him, in which case, forgot this route as you may end up with the wrong keys, tempos and being told that the band love it if you "slap" all the way through every song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 In addition to all the good advice so far ... In this situation I often create a very condensed version of each song which is each progression/riff played just once and might end up being only 20-30 seconds long which means it can take only 10 mins or so to practice playing through the entire set. Of course on the night youd have to rely on some combination of cheat sheets/instinct/cues from other band members for the actual full arrangements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1324424390' post='1474221'] I'd probably find that easier and more palatable than 25 blues numbers;) [/quote] +1 i can happily play both but i find chris squire's lines very easy to remember - blues stuff i find harder to learn and rememebr because the variations are more subtle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 Hey guys you've cheered me no end. Just 4 hours to go ... Davo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmettC Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 [quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1324555123' post='1475483'] He didn't get the job and Morrison sacked his entire team soon after 'cos he wanted a 'new one'. [/quote] I was working as a sound engineer in a venue he played years ago, and although he had his own engineers with him I was on site all day, and the man is the ultimate @r$ehole, the gig was awesome though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 [quote name='Davo-London' timestamp='1324571529' post='1475780'] Hey guys you've cheered me no end. Just 4 hours to go ... Davo [/quote] Good luck..but why worry? The band isn't concerned so much as they casually asked you if you played bass...you know the set and they aren't having kittens at the prospect of a new untried bass player. If they aren''t concerned why should you be...?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Yeah this drummer (phil crab) said the same thing. It's amazing how money makes you behave! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 Hurray, I'm at the climb down stage of the evening. Only one song went south, other than that we were quite tight. Highlights were [i]Good Times[/i] by Chic and E[i]ver Fallen In Love[/i] by the Buzzcocks. There were several cock-ups on my part but I bluffed my way through and everyone was dancing. So thanks to all the comments and being part of the journey. Peace Davo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Good to hear it all went well. The odd slip here and there are bound to happen when thrown in the deep end. I take it there was no rehearsal? Id love to do good times. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 Good Times is a bass players dream. It was so dark at one point that I couldn't see the dot inlays on my neck! Anyway the 700RB 2x10 KG combo had oodles of punch and that was fun to use. Peace Davo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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