I Am The Walrus

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed May 31, 2006 6:36 am

The biggest mistake I've heard (repeatedly) in bands attempting to cover JJF is the tendency for the bass player to play the guitar hook 'unison' style, when they should obviously be landing right with the bass drum, which produces the 'chugging' feel that's required in the rhythm section, and sets up a nice complex counterpoint with the guitar line.

Of course, this phenomenon might be due to the fact that a lot of the 'bass players' out there are, in fact, failed guitar players...

winston · Post by **winston** » Wed May 31, 2006 7:50 am

"Of course, this phenomenon might be due to the fact that a lot of the 'bass players' out there are, in fact, failed guitar players..."

Dane, Dane... Oh man, where do I start and end with this one?

Failed guitar players? There's no such thing. If you have the inclination to play guitar at any level...IMO you have not failed. You are just on the path of learning.

Perhaps you really meant ex-guitar players who have moved on to playing bass, but have not totally understood the subtleties of bass phrasing, timing and playing in the groove so to speak. Or perhaps as in my case, guitar players who play bass part time... I suppose that would make me guilty of a particularly heinous sin!

Guitar players often do approach timing and phrasing very differently to bass players. It would contribute to a boring musical experience if we did not.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed May 31, 2006 8:34 am

One can certainly be a guitar player and a bass player, and we have many members of this forum who qualify, I'm sure...but they are very different roles, with very different requirements.

I think we all know of players who tried guitar, found it too difficult, and then started eyeing the bass..."That looks easy!"

Well, it's not...not if you're doing it right, anyway...

winston · Post by **winston** » Wed May 31, 2006 9:36 am

It aint easy to play like Entwhistle or Bruce. I can attest to that fact. In fact playing bass and singing at the same time is tough too.

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:12 am

I think it's more of a problem of bass players not being able to hear to cop licks correctly from a recording. JJF is one example, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard the bass part to "Smoke on the Water" played incorrectly by a lazy bass player who just follows the guitar lick. If you can't hear that it's wrong, there's not much chance of your being able to correct it.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:22 am

Bingo, Dave! And your example is the other classic illustration of the phenomenon of which I speak...

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:56 am

Well, I must admit I have no idea if I'm playing it right, I doubt it, I never really learned JJF as the only Stones CD I own is "Her Satanic Majesty's ...something". Not a Stones fan. This is the bass I play when we do Stones tunes.

winston · Post by **winston** » Wed May 31, 2006 11:19 am

As long as it sounds good Ronn, who cares if it is not note for note or the precise phrasing of the original. The Stones never seem play anything of theirs the same way twice.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Wed May 31, 2006 11:51 am

Brian, I agree. We try to get The Beatles tunes right on, but for the 3rd set, Stones,Who,Monkees,Byrds,Animals,etc, we aren't quite as nit-picky. Almost, but not quite.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed May 31, 2006 1:31 pm

I think later in it's lifetime, rock and roll became everybody riffing the same riff for heaviness, as opposed to something like JJF or SOTW where the bass held the groove while the guitar played the melody/riff. A lot of whippersnappers can't understand the concept. Golldangit.