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DrGonzo5150
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spencer
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My amp and cab sounded great so did the sterling, too bad it's on eBay right now. I'm replacing it with a stingray, but the mids were just there and they cut through great! It was probably the perfect tone, no boom just a driven tone. Only thing I had problems with is learning the songs I haven't heard, the first three I already learned from their myspace it was just, when they would tell me to the chorus is F G Bb and the into is G Bb A F and the prechorus is Bb C Bb F and after 4 songs it just kinda gets jumbled up. I usually need to hear the songs on record to get them as I don't think notes when I play the song, I think the about the sound and kinda just know how the song goes.. After a while of memerizing 3-4 sets of let's letters for 4 songs you start to get lost.
Is this normal? I haven't played much with a band so I didn't experience much of this. Learnig a new song while in practice is difficult
Is this normal? I haven't played much with a band so I didn't experience much of this. Learnig a new song while in practice is difficult
oli@bass
Well-known member
Congratulations!!!
@Sterling: Maybe it's time to cancel that auction?
@Songs: Well, I have the same "problem". It's just how I work. I never think in notes but in lines and patterns. And I sort of have to have the song memorized from hearing it, then again, I mostly play my own lines (you can tell from that I'd make a really bad studio musician
). Sometimes it helps me to make lead sheets for new songs, just to get a structure overview. IMO, play how you feel... because if you play with your heart, you're actually playing music, otherwise you're just playing notes.
@Sterling: Maybe it's time to cancel that auction?
@Songs: Well, I have the same "problem". It's just how I work. I never think in notes but in lines and patterns. And I sort of have to have the song memorized from hearing it, then again, I mostly play my own lines (you can tell from that I'd make a really bad studio musician
). Sometimes it helps me to make lead sheets for new songs, just to get a structure overview. IMO, play how you feel... because if you play with your heart, you're actually playing music, otherwise you're just playing notes.
adouglas
Well-known member
One of the cool things about not hearing the song in advance is that you get to put your own stamp on it. Don't expect to nail it the very first time you play it. Take it as it comes, and don't be afraid to screw up.
It's kind of like learning to read (not music, language). Before you can read you learn things from rote memorization. But you can only memorize so much. Once you learn how language works, you can read anything and make sense of it, and you don't need to memorize everything.
Learning chord progressions is just part of the game. Ultimately it's simpler than memorizing specific lines and it gives you more freedom to express yourself. Think of the chord changes as the bases on a baseball diamond. You have to hit each one, but how you get there can vary.
You might try writing up a simple cheat sheet for yourself. I do this all the time. Every gig, I mark up the set list with notes to myself regarding spots where I always screw up the changes, and the notes typically are nothing but the chord names.
As time goes on I have to make fewer and fewer notes. With our current song list, there are only one or two where I have to write down reminders. That means I know everything cold and it's time to learn new stuff!
Don't sweat it and have fun!
while your getting to grips with the chord changes just play the root until you start to feel more confident with the changes you can then work on the journey to the changes and the groove will come from their.
good luck, its always hard with a new band as always feel the pressure to perform particularly at an audition. I know i have lost a couple of gig from playing to much. I now work by "less is more" now. Think about some great bass lines, stranglers peaches not overly complicated and a simple groove but very effective. The bass player with the meters what a groove but he isn't all over the neck like a rash.
Play the roots until confident
good luck, its always hard with a new band as always feel the pressure to perform particularly at an audition. I know i have lost a couple of gig from playing to much. I now work by "less is more" now. Think about some great bass lines, stranglers peaches not overly complicated and a simple groove but very effective. The bass player with the meters what a groove but he isn't all over the neck like a rash.
Play the roots until confident
Well
Our music can get kinda crazy. So for me, I write my own parts and memorize them. I have to write to the guitar and make sure things gel first and sounds right together. Then, once I write it, its done and memorized. Everybody is different so this may help.
Our music can get kinda crazy. So for me, I write my own parts and memorize them. I have to write to the guitar and make sure things gel first and sounds right together. Then, once I write it, its done and memorized. Everybody is different so this may help.
Powman
Well-known member
Interesting posts! I am a fairly new bass player myself so I am still in the process of leaning songs. Before, I thought that I MUST play every bass note just like the song. But now I realize that for most songs, I dont' need to play THE bass line but A bass line that works with the song.
So far, here is the process I use to learn a new song:
1. Look for Guitar Pro tabs first. These will also show the musical notation and tabs. While I suck at reading music, I can count out the timing using musical notation. I gives additional info missing from just tabs.
2. I also download the lyrics/chords for the song. That gives me the "big picture" of the musical piece.
3. I sometimes download a piano score. Usually have to purchase this from a site like Music Notes. Then I will use Guitar Pro again to work out a bass line. I wouldn't have to do this last step if I could read music better...some day...
4. Pay attention to the roots. Its ok to simplify the bass line at first. I like to think of the roots as important waypoints along the road. The other notes along the way make the journey interesting, but the roots are critical. They are like start and finish points.
5. Only some songs require you to play the bass line exactly as written. These songs has bass lines so distinctive that it would sound weird to deviate too much. Eg 'Money" by Pink Floyd. But those are the exceptions...most songs have plenty of room for you to be creative.
So far, here is the process I use to learn a new song:
1. Look for Guitar Pro tabs first. These will also show the musical notation and tabs. While I suck at reading music, I can count out the timing using musical notation. I gives additional info missing from just tabs.
2. I also download the lyrics/chords for the song. That gives me the "big picture" of the musical piece.
3. I sometimes download a piano score. Usually have to purchase this from a site like Music Notes. Then I will use Guitar Pro again to work out a bass line. I wouldn't have to do this last step if I could read music better...some day...
4. Pay attention to the roots. Its ok to simplify the bass line at first. I like to think of the roots as important waypoints along the road. The other notes along the way make the journey interesting, but the roots are critical. They are like start and finish points.
5. Only some songs require you to play the bass line exactly as written. These songs has bass lines so distinctive that it would sound weird to deviate too much. Eg 'Money" by Pink Floyd. But those are the exceptions...most songs have plenty of room for you to be creative.
Very cool Spencer.
Now what i would do is get with the guitarist, get a list of the songs and the chord progressions.Start basic, and then add your flavor within those root notes and changes.If you play melodies or harmony lines or just roots depends
on the song structure and where the guitarist is at on the song.
Keep it simple, but drive it from within. Don't be afraid to make mistakes it's
just part of the learning process.
At some gigs i will play the same (orginial) songs different, when i feel the groove from another direction.
Some of my best lines just come from within.
Just have fun and experiment and it will come to you.
Now what i would do is get with the guitarist, get a list of the songs and the chord progressions.Start basic, and then add your flavor within those root notes and changes.If you play melodies or harmony lines or just roots depends
on the song structure and where the guitarist is at on the song.
Keep it simple, but drive it from within. Don't be afraid to make mistakes it's
just part of the learning process.
At some gigs i will play the same (orginial) songs different, when i feel the groove from another direction.
Some of my best lines just come from within.
Just have fun and experiment and it will come to you.
zuma
Well-known member
Congratulations man!
Just to echo some of the advice, I think a cheat sheet with at least the roots of the chords is invaluable when you don't know the song and haven't been given the material beforehand. Just make sure you also do the old fashioned "play it over and over" when you get home so you can wean yourself off of them.
And don't sell your basses or you will end up like me...looking for the one that got away.
Just to echo some of the advice, I think a cheat sheet with at least the roots of the chords is invaluable when you don't know the song and haven't been given the material beforehand. Just make sure you also do the old fashioned "play it over and over" when you get home so you can wean yourself off of them.
And don't sell your basses or you will end up like me...looking for the one that got away.
Frantic Slayer
Well-known member
thank you for posting this
