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Abba bass lines


LITTLEWING

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Don't laugh, but sitting chillin today, the missus got Alexa to play some Abba stuff. My ears (as per usual) automatically hooked onto the bass and I was amazed how inventive and just dead right it is to every song. Some of the little riffs and fills are exactly what any aspiring player should give an ear hole to.

Instead of young'uns slapping the shite out of their basses, it would give them invaluable tips on chord structures and the 'right' notes to compliment a song by listening to other genres and give people like Carol Kaye, Mo Foster and James Jameson half hour an evening before bed.

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I'm not much into Abba, but have recently been learning 'Dancing Queen' for a band I may be depping with.  I managed to get the 'dots' on line - I don't sight read but can pick it out slowly and it did really help. It's a very interesting bass line and would have taken me ages to learn by ear.. and I'd probably have got it wrong anyway.  I'm quite enjoying playing it now 🙂

 

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1 hour ago, gary mac said:

We've just added it to our Glam Rock section, goes down very well indeed. Plus, it's a fun bass line. :friends:

I've still got to work the detail on it but the basics are relatively easy and just nice to play. Played alng with it a couple of times so far but that's it at the moment. Maybe this week i'll sort out the wee runs during the chorus.

Dave

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1 hour ago, cetera said:

Fantastic songs, basslines and production  - what's not to like?

Rutger & Mike played some lovely, melodic lines - almost songs in themselves and should be standards in any bassist's arsenal!

Couldn't agree more.

Makes me smile - every now and again a thread starts about Abba as if people are amazed that great pop songs can have great basslines! I suppose on a site where a large number of contributors appear to favour metal / prog / heavy rock etc it is maybe inevitable that people view Abba as a guilty pleasure rather than just the great band they were.

As you were.....😄

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If you go back through the annals of "disposable pop" songs you'll mostly find strong performances from all the instruments and high production values.

Those guys weren't fooling around. They were at the top of their game and proving it every day of their working lives

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2 hours ago, casapete said:

Couldn't agree more.

Makes me smile - every now and again a thread starts about Abba as if people are amazed that great pop songs can have great basslines! I suppose on a site where a large number of contributors appear to favour metal / prog / heavy rock etc it is maybe inevitable that people view Abba as a guilty pleasure rather than just the great band they were.

As you were.....😄

I love Prog, rock and metal and yet ABBA are one of my favourite bands. I've never understood why some people underestimate them so much or find them a guilty pleasure. In fact I tend to view them as kind of Prog Pop; there's a lot of classical stuff in there. Listen to SOS, for instance.

Anyone seen the Ritchie Blackmore documentary on Sky, where he's talking about how a particular incarnation of Rainbow - himself included - all admitted they loved ABBA?

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The Day Before You Came is their masterpiece. Sadly,  not much bass guitar action in it.

Grew up in my teens with them on the periphery; ended up thinking they were pop pap. Then, one night in the early '90s I was out on the road and spotted one of the truck drivers and a lampie dancing around their cans of Red Stripe to ABBA, as the pretty girls around them danced around their handbags. I had an epiphany and hit the floor like a rocket!!

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