Can you really play Geddy Lee?

[martyman5000]

Instead of being so insecure & confrontational, go get yourself some lessons, and get some directions to your attempts to play, because quite frankly, if you've been playing for 20 years and can't play Rush tunes, you're doing something wrong.

Actually I've done other thing as well like College/marriage/starting and running my own business I didn't have the luxury of looking for tabs on the internet like the younger members can back in the day. I still have an original Rush guitar notation book from the 80's hoping I could figure out the basslines from that

[Mongo Slade]

I am a new poster here and just wanted to weigh in on this-
It's music, not weightlifting.
The expression of your soul's own innate ability to create something where there was nothing, be it fast or slow, one note or many.
And remember that this process is incomplete without an ear to hear, a foot to tap, a heart to move, or some other means to return the gift.
Make music; and never forget the gift that it is and share it.
Peace

[millahh]

[quote=martyman5000]Actually I've done other thing as well like College/marriage/starting and running my own business I didn't have the luxury of looking for tabs on the internet like the younger members can back in the day. I still have an original Rush guitar notation book from the 80's hoping I could figure out the basslines from that [quote]

I didn't learn much from tabs either...a little time spent working on one's ears can make life alot easier, and I think that what I personally transcribe can be alot more accurate than what's in books/magazines alot of the time.

I've done HS/college/grad school/job & marriage, yet still can play reasonably well (even if not as frequently as i'd like).

Seriously, a few lessons seem like they could do you wonders. I'm not talking about anything long term...maybe just a handful, to get you pointed in the right direction, and maybe figure out why it is that your progress isn't where you'd like it to be. You don't have to devote your life to the instrument just to be able to play this stuff...you just need to have what practice you can manage be reasonably well-directed.

In a different direction, i'll agree with the poster above me...music isn't a competitio; it's self-expression. And the only metric in self-expression is how well you get your point across.

[martyman5000]

I've tried two teachers that both played guitar...never found one that played bass...Maybe I will try this winter when I have time.

[lawrens]

yes i agree...
no matter what artist you want to emulate, the goal is to become a better bassist, able to develop his musical soul

i like to practice playing some of Geddy lines, knowing by experience that the amount of knowledge grows up each time

each one have to determine one self : who plays covers should assume it, and when you write something that comes from deep inside, you recognize it

interresting thread, but some wasted time reading some heavy lines

cheers

[Cristo]

Geddy has come up with with many many great lines. Some are fairly easy to play, others can be very challenging.

Actually, unlike with most other bass lines, there is some pretty accurate tablature music out there for Geddy's lines, I guess because there are so many bass playing Rush fanatics who've worked on it. But even then different people will hear different little subtleties in the line such as grace notes here and there. You're always going to be doing your own version, as it should be. Even Geddy himself has changed the way he plays things over the years.

I always viewed playing his stuff as a form of practice, not so much to be like him or sound like him, but just to learn and play a cool sounding bass line that could be challenging, fun , and aggressive. If you make it the whole way through some of his songs without botching it, you've accomplished something.

[martyman5000]

I'm going to try and learn Tom Sawyer...I'm also trying to learn Wilco - Hand shake drugs and I'm struggling with that...wish I had one of those cool devices to slow down the song.

If anyone can play these and show us would be nice...

[Commreman]

These sites are terriffic, note for note transcriptions of Geddy's lines.

For great transcriptions using standard notation, look here:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gibau/download%20score/Rush.htm

If you must insist on (uggggh) tab, look here:

http://www.cygnusproductions.com/rtp/links/links.asp

Martyman, I too am doing the marriage thing, fatherhood, running my own business, soccer coach, cubmaster, etc. (and playing in a couple of bands, too) and I still find the time to practice and expand, even if it's only for an hour at 11:00 at night. Just realize that it all takes time, and that small improvements are better than none. They all add up!

[Pacman]

Come on guys, this crap doesn't belong here. Somebody report this stuff to me! I'm begging you!