Rare Photo - McCartney Plays 4001S

[SamBailler]

And, I have always thought(at least since 1974 or so) that the low BWONNNG was played on guitar, as the first note in an arrpegiated chord.

To my ears, the BWANNNGG is a very heavily plucked 'open' bass string. Try it for yourself on the E string with a capo on fret 3 when playing in G. I do it that way and it sounds very close to what I hear on the record (flats of course).

[leftybass]

Well, to clarify my thoughts, I have always played it without a capo as well, in 'G'

It works that way, all except the hard-plucked low 'G' at the end with the backward lead Lennon vocal. Plucking that note in a capo'd open 'A' (as it's recorded, then sped down) would work I would think. To do it any other way would require an alternate tuning on the bass (or guitar).

I'll experiment when I can and get back to the thread....my curiosity is peaked.

[iamthebassman]

the bass part(to Rain) is played high up the neck between the 10th and 12th frets. But perhaps I've been playing it wrong the last 15 years!!

That's OK for playing in (almost) G along with the released recording, but Macca would have played it frets 12-14 in A, before it was slowed down in post-production.

I was referring to people's thought that it was played low on the neck, but thanks for your completely un-necessary clarification.

[iamthebassman]

And, I have always thought(at least since 1974 or so) that the low BWONNNG was played on guitar, as the first note in an arrpegiated chord.

To my ears, the BWANNNGG is a very heavily plucked 'open' bass string. Try it for yourself on the E string with a capo on fret 3 when playing in G. I do it that way and it sounds very close to what I hear on the record (flats of course).

I'll forever disagree. Watch these cats, I'm out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwSUlgJ0css

[rickinroma]

For what I can understand about playing bass guitar, Paul (whether they played in G or in A) never goes to a low G or low A during the song

[tennis_nick]

And, I have always thought(at least since 1974 or so) that the low BWONNNG was played on guitar, as the first note in an arrpegiated chord.

To my ears, the BWANNNGG is a very heavily plucked 'open' bass string. Try it for yourself on the E string with a capo on fret 3 when playing in G. I do it that way and it sounds very close to what I hear on the record (flats of course).

I'll forever disagree. Watch these cats, I'm out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwSUlgJ0css

I agree with this, though the above is just a sync'd vide, that low Branng sounds like A Guitar playing in the A position, but slowed down (thus dropping the pitch)

[wolfgang]

hi everybody,
to me it's a guitar playing the BWONNNG. Just speed up the pitch to A (approx +12% faster) on your pc and listen to the song. To me , the bass is recorded at normal speed (in G), like the vocals.
Listen to the "mystery vocal tracks" being in the web not long ago (from 5.1 Dolby Soundtracks).
There we had a version of "Rain", just bass and vocals. No BWONNNG.

Wolfgang

[SamBailler]

the bass part(to Rain) is played high up the neck between the 10th and 12th frets. But perhaps I've been playing it wrong the last 15 years!!

That's OK for playing in (almost) G along with the released recording, but Macca would have played it frets 12-14 in A, before it was slowed down in post-production.

I was referring to people's thought that it was played low on the neck, but thanks for your completely un-necessary clarification.

My apologies, the absence of a 'smilie' leads me to believe this is not written in jest. Ouch. I'm new here, and will obey the rules about respecting fellow posters (at least until I have been here long enough to not bother ).

Regarding the misunderstanding, I'm not sure where anyone said that Rain was played low on the fretboard.

[tennis_nick]

Regarding the misunderstanding, I'm not sure where anyone said that Rain was played low on the fretboard.

Someone commented above about the bass string being played "open" meaning, low on the fretboard.

[rick36]

After many hundreds of listenings to all versions, I have to agree with Kenny and Wolfgang that the "BWANNNGED" G is played by one of the detuned guitars - maybe this one!

[SamBailler]

Regarding the misunderstanding, I'm not sure where anyone said that Rain was played low on the fretboard.

Someone commented above about the bass string being played "open" meaning, low on the fretboard.

'Open' for the BWANNNGG, not the riff. Anyway, before this discussion ends up disappearing up its own rear-end, here's a rare McCartney/4001 pic which will probably become more common as September approaches:

[tennis_nick]

Open' for the BWANNNGG, not the riff

I realize that, but the tone is all wrong.

[SamBailler]

Open' for the BWANNNGG, not the riff

I realize that, but the tone is all wrong.

We will just have to agree to disagree on this one. To my ears the tone is wrong for a guitar and sounds to me like an open bass string really flapping around. Listening to it again, I am sure that the 'proper' first note of the bass riff (10th or 12th fret depending on key) is not being played when the BWANNNNGG sounds. This leads me to believe that the capo'd 'open' E string is being played instead of the 10th/12th note, with the rest of the riff following as before. In fact Macca appears to lose the plot slightly after his first BWANNNGGG and the rest of the riff is a bit of a struggle until he regains the plot second time round.
The first BWANNNNGG is actually behind the beat and it is pretty clear that no 10th/12th fret note was played on the beat as Ringo's naked bass thump is very obvious in isolation.

I'm really trying to hear a guitar in there, but just can't hear past a really wildly struck bass string. I have always played it like this and love the way the sound really mimics the record. If it's not the bass string, then I'm happy to keep playing it wrong as it sounds spot on in performance.

[wolfgang]

hello again,
in the meantime I am sure not to know what you are talking about.

The only open bass string (probably, it could be E-string 10th fret, too)) I can hear is a short filler note exactly after John sings his last ..hear ME. Just a short fill in: open D string to end up (starting on 10th fret) on 12th fret G-string , "fiddeling" the break and staying there (10th or 12th fret G-string and D-string or 10th fret A-string etc.) until fade out.

Wolfgang

[rickinroma]

assuming that we are talking about the same thing , the BWWWANG is the 1st picking note of the guitar arpeggio played when the music starts again after the stop followed by the drum fill doubled by the bass
nothing else