All Right Now

[LITTLEWING]

This will probably start a fight in the playground, but I’ve fallen into a fourth band where the elderly bass guy had to give up for health reasons and one of the tracks is Free’s ARN. I went on YouTube just to remind myself of the structure on the single and album versions and out of curiosity looked at a few ‘covers’. Now, I know Mr Fraser played the riff down the bottom end but a lot of guys on these so called covers are playing it on the D string on the 7th fret. The original recordings are clearly lower and even on a couple of live versions he is absolutely seen playing down the bottom end. 
 

Over to you.

[Skybone]

Play it how you think it should be played.

[dclaassen]

Had to get the bass out for this….my take

 

open a twice, open e to 2nd fret f# up to open a and back down then aaf#e

 

then drone open while playing the chord up on 19/17 then 19/16 keeping rhythm with the open a 

 

played it incorrectly for years…

Edited May 8, 2023 by dclaassen

[Gasman]

Are we discussing the bass part behind the guitar solo or something else? My guitarist insists that the verses must be drums and guitar only so no work for me there...

[dclaassen]

Bass part behind the solo…technically that’s all there is

[neilp]

The verses are drums and guitar only, bass comes in in the chorus. Andy Fraser was know to play the chorus in either octave, sometimes changing mid chorus. Can't blame him for trying to make it interesting, it's a deeply dull song

[warwickhunt]

Nobody gives a sh*t... most people use the opportunity to go to the toilet during this song!    

[gjones]

Whatever's easiest. Frankly nobody in the audience will care. 

 

Now if you were asking me about Sweet Home Alabama, that's a whole different question entirely..... 😄

[dclaassen]

5 minutes ago, gjones said:

Whatever's easiest. Frankly nobody in the audience will care. 

 

Now if you were asking me about Sweet Home Alabama, that's a whole different question entirely..... 😄

Opening up a whole new can of worms….what key is SHA in?

 

btw, I think the op was actually after our help….sorry you all hate that song. I feel the same way about “Autumn Leaves”…:)

[Waddo Soqable]

I always thought it a bit odd that the bass was silent till the chorus, he looks a bit of a plum standing there doing nothing as well.. 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

There are several versions of the song - on some Andy Fraser plays the higher A as you described. Both work.

[chris_b]

Play it where you can easily reach the notes.

 

I can't be bothered with the stretch up to the 19th fret so I play it an octave lower. No one has ever commented.

[neepheid]

2 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said:

I always thought it a bit odd that the bass was silent till the chorus, he looks a bit of a plum standing there doing nothing as well.. 

 

In a song like that (I'm looking at you, Highway to Hell), I don't do nothing while I wait for the chorus. I ham up pretending to sleep. I get a chair and take a seat. I go sit with some punters at a nearby table. I annoy people into getting off their butts and onto the dance floor. I clap above my head.

 

[Gasman]

It’s strange how misguided the punters are, liking songs that many musicians seem to find so terribly boring...

[Waddo Soqable]

7 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

In a song like that (I'm looking at you, Highway to Hell), I don't do nothing while I wait for the chorus. I ham up pretending to sleep. I get a chair and take a seat. I go sit with some punters at a nearby table. I annoy people into getting off their butts and onto the dance floor. I clap above my head.

 

I sometimes did a little schtick with reading a DC comic or similar if I had nothing to do for a bit... 

[dclaassen]

Maybe I am in the extreme minority, but learning a lick that is iconic to a song ("I Wish" comes to mind) and then working it out so it is accurate and so I can play it correctly every time is part of the fun. Yes, granted "All Right Now" is not high art, but lots of folks come down to the venue, dance, have fun, buy drinks, and generally make the landlord happy which is, for most of us, the ultimate point of the exercise. Is it fun to play "La Grange" for 20 minutes...not especially, but in some venues, it fills the dance floor. Happy people enjoying music is a good think, and I personally would rather play "Mustang Sally" to a full floor of happy people than something way more challenging to an empty room. 

[Rich]

10 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said:

I always thought it a bit odd that the bass was silent till the chorus, he looks a bit of a plum standing there doing nothing as well.. 

Used to do ARN in a blues-rock trio I was in many years ago, I sang lead though so I at least had something to do in the verses!

I loved the solo bit once I'd cracked it. Definitely up the dusty end for the higher notes with an open string drone.

Edited May 9, 2023 by Rich

[BigRedX]

And it's a lot easier on a short-scale bass as the original was played. Don't try and do it on a 36"scale Overwater like I did!

[Franticsmurf]

When we played it in A I'd head straight for the dusty end and use the 12th fret harmonic. Now the band I'm in do it in G so I'm on the 'D' string, fifth fret. And I tend to play single notes with the bass drum during the verses, because it's our version and that's what we like.  😃

[neepheid]

53 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

I sometimes did a little schtick with reading a DC comic or similar if I had nothing to do for a bit... 

 

Ooh, props!  Haven't tried that yet.

[TimR]

All on the E string 5the fret and below.

 

Nothing in the Verse. 

 

Then above 12th fret for the Guitar solo. Never worked out whether it's supposed to be harmonics or what. Sounds OK and never had anyone tell me "It doesn't go like that."

[Trueno]

Every band I’ve been in has played this song. In a new band I always ask… “do you actually want me to play bass in the verse?” They always say yes (dunno why). I’m an analytical pedant, but I play it anyway.

[Dan Dare]

4 hours ago, Gasman said:

It’s strange how misguided the punters are, liking songs that many musicians seem to find so terribly boring...

 

Absolutely. Even more strange that they give those musicians money to be bored for a few minutes.

[dclaassen]

37 minutes ago, Trueno said:

Every band I’ve been in has played this song. In a new band I always ask… “do you actually want me to play bass in the verse?” They always say yes (dunno why). I’m an analytical pedant, but I play it anyway.

My last band that played this got grumpy when I played in the verse.....

[snorkie635]

10 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

In a song like that (I'm looking at you, Highway to Hell), I don't do nothing while I wait for the chorus. I ham up pretending to sleep. I get a chair and take a seat. I go sit with some punters at a nearby table. I annoy people into getting off their butts and onto the dance floor. I clap above my head.

 

And that's just in your living room. 😁