When you suddenly realise you’ve been playing it wrong all those years.

[Geek99]

36 minutes ago, Cliff Edge said:

I was jokingly referring to Gloria, written by Van Morrison and recorded by him when in the band Them. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_(Them_song)

Pretty certain it’s not the same song.

Not being a U2 fan I have no idea if they covered any Van Morrison songs. 

I know nothing of VM, sorry. I therefore missed the reference:)

[mikel]

20 hours ago, MartinB said:

Let's not get hung up on the word "wrong", eh? @Cliff Edge's goal was to play it like the original recording, but they accidentally played something  else. That doesn't imply any judgement of folks who set out to play something different.

Anyway. Can anyone think of any songs where the original bassline is so fundamental, simple, well-known etc. that you really couldn't stray from it without getting funny looks? Another One Bites The Dust maybe? Feels like it's so minimal that a drastic re-interpretation of the song would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

All Right Now is probably in that category, but for all the instruments. Fairly easy to play but very difficult to get the feel just right. I think a lot of us are frightened by space in music and Free just loved space and minimalism.

[nilebodgers]

14 hours ago, musicbassman said:

Here's well talented Gail Ann Dorsey holding down a repeating bass figure in a fantastic arrangement of The Man Who Sold The World, when Bowie appeared live on a Jools Holland show. Not sure of date.

Guitarist Reeves Gabrels plays a very short but jaw dropping solo also.

Enjoy. 🙂

 

Wow, that is a terrific version. (1995 on the Later show according to a search on youtube).

That bassline is great, hypnotic and precise with some nice low notes.

[bearhart74]

20 hours ago, fretmeister said:

Covers band isn't the same a a tribute band.

and U2 is always improved with slap.

Always.

Only if you slap Bono

[chris_b]

22 hours ago, Cliff Edge said:

So it’s true. No one pays any attention to the bass player.

No one listens to me in our house and haven't since the 1980's!

[bassace]

Isn’t that the good bit about being a bass player? You don’t have to be precise and repeatable each time.  ‘Specially if you’re playing jazz ha ha.

[beans-on-toast]

Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water is often played wrong. Here’s the isolated bass.

 

 

 

[EMG456]

On 09/04/2021 at 12:21, nilebodgers said:

Wow, that is a terrific version. (1995 on the Later show according to a search on youtube).

That bassline is great, hypnotic and precise with some nice low notes.

Brilliant. I'm going to use that clip on a singer I work with who claims to be unable to sing the same tune if the chords or bass notes are substituted for something else he is unused to!

[StickyDBRmf]

Tony Levin doesn't play the same lines in King Crimson and as much as I love TL I understand why. But I LOVE John Wettons note choices and tone even more than Tonys.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 08/04/2021 at 15:53, fretmeister said:

Covers band isn't the same a a tribute band.

and U2 is always improved with slap.

Always.

[deepbass5]

I like Rule 12

 

 

[chris_b]

On 08/04/2021 at 14:31, Cliff Edge said:

listening to the playback I realise I’ve been playing it wrong. 
In all those years no one has complained or mentioned it.

So maybe it's not wrong at all, just different.

[deepbass5]

Totally agree with Chris and those who offer similar reassurance

I Try and set out to get it as close as possible to the original, but band line up will determine if it will work and what changes each musician needs to make to adapt the piece so the overall delivery works. Our band went from a five piece with Keys doubling on rhythm guitar, to a four piece just Guitar bass and drums and vocal. We adapted, some numbers were dropped but we were tighter and lost the excess volume and feedback it was a joy. vocal harmonies can cover for a lot if you have them. Because a keyboard covers Piano, synth, brass and strings, and you don't have that, when the guitarist stops playing the guitar part to play the sax solo the bass player needs to come up with an amalgam of parts that fills that gap for the listener.

  It's just an example so nobody is going to really notice if you set out with a slightly different line. coming into a new band the others may miss things the last guy was doing, but as Chris said its just different, not wrong.

Rule 6 above may also apply

[chris_b]

Re Rule 6. I had just joined a band and the singer called a song I didn't know. I whispered I didn't know it, and he whispered back, yes you do!!! It was unbuskable and i spent the whole song in search of a root note, harmony or any note that wasn't discordant. Things got so bad that I actually stopped playing in the middle 8. After I mentioned it to the guitarist, who'd been in the band for 18 years. He said he didn't know it either and was following me!!!

[Cliff Edge]

I started this thread as a result of an involvement in recording a version of Brown Eyed Girl. A song I’ve been playing live for many years and as a result of the recording, realised I had been playing it wrong. 
Obviously not so wrong as to be noticeable enough to get complaints. 
A request to record Stuck in The Middle With You, another very recognisable bass riff on the original record.  Again I have not been playing the correct original riff for many years. 
In my defence I have been playing the Jeff Healey version, which in my opinion is much the better version anyway. And it will do for this recording. 

[deepbass5]

Well here is something to cross reference, sorry middle one should be at the end of course, got stuck in the middle

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by deepbass5