Any of you play the "Barney Miller" intro?

Pablo Fanque · #1 04-09-2009, 08:15 AM

I always loved that funky, fat bass line!

Some of you might not know what the hell I'm talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox-DmJ9H3ng

MonetBass · #2 04-09-2009, 08:16 AM

I'm sure a lot of us older dudes have played it at one time or another.

Pablo Fanque · #3 04-09-2009, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonetBass

I'm sure a lot of us older dudes have played it at one time or another.

Pretty sweet line, isn't it? I used to watch that show with my uncle, back during its original run on TV, and I always loved the theme song. Never cared for the show too much.

The tabs for the bass line are out there on the 'net. I think I'm gonna tackle it.

Largedon · #4 04-09-2009, 09:33 AM

Its a great bass line. I think I figured it out doodling around once. That one and the Night Court theme always get people (at least people over 35 to 40 years old).

As far as the lick itself, its pretty easy. Essentially just walks up an E mixolydian (with the flat 3 and 5 in there) and then comes back down. 10 mins doodling around on that scale and you'll figure it out.

Dave Hill · #5 04-09-2009, 09:52 AM

I get a lot of smiles at soundchecks with that one!

Pablo Fanque · #6 04-09-2009, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Hill

I get a lot of smiles at soundchecks with that one!

I say you should work the whole theme song into your set list.

kcolyar · #7 04-09-2009, 11:22 AM

What a great bass song that was, is or what ever. Definetly a subconscious reason I play bass.

VroomVroom · #8 04-09-2009, 12:00 PM

It's a must. Just last week on a trio gig we got a request for it, and received a $10 tip.

Here's a little challenge for your open-stringers...play it in Eb. The last time I played the tune "for real," it had been arranged for the benefit of the horn players, not the cat on bass.

amimbari · #9 04-09-2009, 02:39 PM

GREAT THREAD!!!

I would rather play speedball metal songs and have plenty of them on my channel, BUT no barney miller theme for me, but on my youtube channel I have done:

patty duke show/oscarmeyer/3 stooges/ironman cartoon/looneytunes/supermario/southpark/bob newhart/casper/bewitched/flinstones/TEAM America/greatestAmericanHero/laverne+shirley/happyDays/loveAmericanStyle/greenAcres/Munsters/spiderman/jetsons/speedRacer/wonderWoman/TheElectricCompany....

I guess I need to just do BarneyMiller, and add it to the list of TV+cartoon themes..

look thru the first 3 pages to find the ones I listed above if your curious to see my interpretations of all those themes....

jaybass58 · #10 04-09-2009, 02:56 PM

every one (my age )gets a kick out of it when I do it...the keyboard themes to seinfeld also get a laugh...

Andrew Jones · #11 04-09-2009, 03:09 PM

That's the first bass line I ever learned! I love it.

Aj

Dr. Cheese · #12 04-09-2009, 03:09 PM

I do it alot. I don't know why the Seinfeld line is so popular. It's not even a bass guitar.

VroomVroom · #13 04-09-2009, 03:19 PM

I can't stand the Seinfeld thing. I won't do it.

Barney Miller? Youbetcha! Night Court? Oh yeah. Even Axel F...another keyboard line. But no Seinfeld.

Rich L · #14 04-09-2009, 05:53 PM

I remember learning that bass line in my early teens when I first started playing...I ran out into the living room w/ my bass and my little practice amp to show my parents and they both immediately recognized it. About a week later, my dad came home w/ a Fender Bassman 70 and a 2x15 for me!

That was a pretty cool way for him to show his support

mrjim123 · #15 04-09-2009, 05:59 PM

Real 70's. Nice tone - gotta be a P, with flats of course.

A band I was in a long time ago used the Green Acres theme song as our go-on-break song. Crazy good times.

**embellisher** · #16 04-09-2009, 08:51 PM

I always thought it was cool, but never attempted it on the bass.

A couple of months ago, I decided to try and play it from memory, not having seen the show or heard the song in years. After about 5 minutes or so, I thought I had it, so I googled it. And I was right, except for one or two parts after the guitar starts. Oh, and that is a killer guitar solo too.

Same thing happened about a year ago at a jam. One of my friends was trying to play the bass intro to Sweet child o' mine and doing pretty poorly.

Not having heard the song in years, other than his three or four attempts, and never having tried it myself, I nailed it.

Having a good ear, a good memory, and knowing your way around the neck makes a lot of things possible.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #17 04-09-2009, 09:15 PM

Here's my transcription of this version.

**embellisher** · #18 04-09-2009, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Here's my transcription of this version.

Yeah, that's the version I did, not the one posted above. The guitar solo is much better in this version too.

I think that there are at least 3 versions. They 'updated' the song every couple of seasons, IIRC. This version is my favorite, probably because I saw the episodes where it is featured most when I was growing up.