Ever learn a cover, and it instantly made you a better bassist?

synterx · #1 03-25-2011, 11:08 PM

15+ years of playing covers. Mainly 70-80's rock covers. Just learned one tonight that was the hardest ever. I didnt' give up, determined to learn it note for friggin' note.

Done. I'm suddenly much quicker and smoother a player. Blew my mind. Also blows my mind how incredible the pro's from the era were and have little or no name recognition.

The song? Don't laugh....Footloose by Kenny Loggins.

Starts out easy as pie...then BAM. Absolute non-stop riffs. It sounded so out of my league until I really worked on it. Now it's more fun then I've had in a decade.

I know it's not a song everyone would admit to liking. But seriously, what a fantastic song to learn and play smoothly.

Just thought I'd drop that out there.

Jazzdogg · #2 03-25-2011, 11:19 PM

For me it was Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" back in the 70s.

Russell L · #3 03-25-2011, 11:21 PM

Hey, that sounds like a good thing happening to you, pal. It don't matter what the song is, you just did something, and feel good about it. That a nuthin but a good thang.

Personally, I haven't thought of just one song, but I guess all the covers I've learned not-for-note have made me a better player, and listener. Playing some of them has also taught me to be tough enough to bear through playing some stuff I don't necessarily want to play. But giging is like life, ya know, gotta do some things you don't want to sometimes. They've also made me aware of a lot of bass licks that I'd never have known existed. Some I like, some not.

It's a great way to learn stuff, and make yourself a better player, as you have found out. I'm glad for you, glad you can have that good feeling you have now. Keep it up, pal.

Cheers.

**colcifer** · #4 03-25-2011, 11:27 PM

It's one more thing you can play...

I like to put on Bob Dylan or Motown and play for an hour without learning any of the songs first. THAT makes you a better player. I don't mean to be boastful but I've got I/IV/V alterations under my fingers, in my head, and out the wazoo (I am nothing if not thorough).

JEDI BASS · #5 03-25-2011, 11:35 PM

Man... I suggested that song to my band and got shot down. I knew it would be a challenge and that I'd be better after learning it

maybe I'll learn it anyways

.

Congrats bro!

calebbarton · #6 03-25-2011, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colcifer

It's one more thing you can play...

I like to put on Bob Dylan or Motown and play for an hour without learning any of the songs first. THAT makes you a better player. I don't mean to be boastful but I've got I/IV/V alterations under my fingers, in my head, and out the wazoo (I am nothing if not thorough).

Yeah Definitely, I totally agree with that.

davegt666 · #7 03-26-2011, 12:15 AM

Learn any 5 Black Sabbath Songs and any 5 Rush songs and you'll instantly be a better bassist.

adunham1 · #8 03-26-2011, 12:27 AM

I'm currently learning "Who did you think I was?" from the John Mayer Trio and man, Pino is ripping the whole tune. I've only got about the first minute down so far (getting the feel and the groove down are the hardest parts.) The great thing about it is I'm recognizing all of the things he's doing and going "wow, I wish I would have thought of that!"

FretlessMainly · #9 03-26-2011, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adunham1

I'm currently learning "Who did you think I was?" from the John Mayer Trio and man, Pino is ripping the whole tune.

Lofty goal, my brother!

Pino doesn't just play well, he injects damn fine rhythm into every note he plays. And it comes across as a crazy fluid line that is very hard to duplicate. So good on yer, as it were. Don't settle with learning the notes he plays, try to get at that fluid swagger that just oozes from every pore of his body when that thang is just groovin'.

Edit: Yeah, I know, you basically said you were doing that - just had to praise Pino. A Mo@#$%-Fu$%^*, if there ever was one.

James Judson · #10 03-26-2011, 12:51 AM

Moondance! I thought I could "walk" until I studied that one. A study in walking bass. Not my favorite song though.

monkeyking · #11 03-26-2011, 06:18 AM

Way back when, I learned Ryme of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden. Really helped me be more precise, and opened me up to the world of chord-type playing when I was still pretty green.

Though I don't have as much time or patience now as I did when I was 16, I've always thought learning good covers was a great way to open up your playing both in terms of technical differences and different ideas.

faulknersj · #12 03-26-2011, 06:33 AM

I'm trying so hard to learn the James Jamerson line note for note from 'Darling Dear' by the Jackson 5. It is so difficult that I am actually learning how to read music in the process of this endeavor. I can't wait to check out footloose on my computer in the morning and hear it first hand! Cheers.

Skitch it! · #13 03-26-2011, 06:45 AM

Xanadu by Rush back in the day 1985ish, I hadn't been playing bass that long at the time, it was a bit of an education trying to learn it.

GreggBummer · #14 03-26-2011, 06:57 AM

"Green Onions" by Booker T. and The MG's.

Back in the 80's I was a big metalhead. I was playing Metallica, Dio, and Motorhead. My teacher gave me the assignment to learn "Green Onions". Changed the way I play. I learned how to groove from Stax Records and Booker T.

Duck Dunn is one my of heroes.

A close second... although more obscure... Queens "Dragon Attack". That song is FUNKY. Bass solo is hard to nail, but worth your time. John Deacon was the really the unsung hero in Queen.

treekiller · #15 03-26-2011, 07:04 AM

Don't laugh, but one of those moments was when I learned the correct way to play "Cocaine". It's so simple, yet it makes the whole song! It taught me to think as much about what I wasn't playing and learn to "groove".

I've been working on "By-Tor & the Snow Dog" by Rush and it's helped me to be more articulate.

treekiller · #16 03-26-2011, 07:10 AM

I just thought of another. One of the first things I learned was a blues progression that starts in G. It was the first thing I showed to the band when I was "auditioning" and probably got me the job. We ended up using it as our version of "Sweet Little Angel" by B.B. King!!!

pasta4lnch · #17 03-26-2011, 07:15 AM

"disco inferno" and "i want you back" did wonders for my playing . . .

superdick2112 · #18 03-26-2011, 07:25 AM

Almost 30 years ago, I learned Roundabout by Yes, and that was a tough one for sure. I'd only been playing bass a few years at the time, and it took some real work & effort to get it right, but everything I played after that seemed easier to grasp.

onosson · #19 03-26-2011, 07:29 AM

Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan.

21niko21 · #20 03-26-2011, 09:10 AM

I've been trying to play Rio by Duran Duran since the first day I started playing, which is really cool because I've been able to hear and feel my progress with just that song. The first day my teacher introduced ghost notes he said I was really good at them. I just said, yup, 'Rio'.

I'm going to try a couple of the songs above today...