Is it just me or is "With or Without You" a really hard bassline?

[ccyork]

U2's "With or Without You." 4 notes, but man, getting it to sound good ain't easy!

[Jazz Ad]

It's the first line I learnt. Not THAT difficult.
Just make sure you play it all on the E string with proper slides.

[MinorPentatonic]

It is generally quoted in many beginners bass books as one of the easier ones for new players to learn, but yes getting the slide right is the key.

[ccyork]

Actually what I was referring to was getting the right "feel" and consistency with the eighth-note pulse. I've been playing bass for about five years, and I still don't think it's easy. But maybe I'm just a perfectionist...

[threshar]

sometimes the hardest things to play are really easy. just sitting on say a G hitting eigth notes. No fills, nothing. just eigths... it can be tricky to keep it going perfectly pulsed. They have some drum competition where they play a standard beat for as long as they can - no fills, no nothing. just the same dead simple beat. A lot of people can't do it

One of my fave songs to work on the simple, but get it locked in tight songs is Safety Dance . It is nearly the same pattern throughout the song, but it requires good timing. I played along and recorded myself on my looper and then played back and said "GAH!".

[JimmyM]

I have heard bassists that will amaze you with their speed and dexterity, and you hand them a line like "With Or Without You" and they're all over the place. I resent that this whole bass player magazine culture seems to have placed a greater importance on slapping like a drummer with 4 arms and lightning fast riffs than on playing eight to the bar.

I'll tell you, in my career (and I suspect in the vast majority of bassists' careers), I've been called on to play eight to the bar a lot more than I have been called on to slap or wail lightning fast. And bass magazines and bassists who worship at the altar of Jaco and Stanley just don't get it. Oh sure, they'll have a few rudimentary bassists in their magazine, but who do they make into heroes and invite to perform at their functions? The guys who slap and play lightning riffs. As John Wayne once said, "It's getting to be ri-goddamn-diculous."

[Christopher]

The key to getting a lot of U2 basslines to sound right has to do with playing behind the beat - sometimes waaay behind the beat. If you're used to playing along with metronomes, it's pretty tough to do!

[cowsgomoo]

the fact is that simple, supportive bass playing usually isn't especially exciting... it's functional, and very important but not always exciting...

it's especially not exciting to beginners who might still see bass playing as primarily an athletic activity (because their brains haven't learned to deal with music yet)

I understand what JimmyM is saying and agree with it, but no-one creams their pants over a well-executed series of eighth note roots... maybe they should because simple and excellent timing & phrasing is inspiring and what we should all aspire to be able to do, but... it's never exactly thrilling is it?

I can't stand all that Wooten typewriter bass playing but I'm not awestruck by Billy Gibbons, Adam Clayton or Cliff Williams either... outstanding though their eight note roots might be...

[BillMason]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I have heard bassists that will amaze you with their speed and dexterity, and you hand them a line like "With Or Without You" and they're all over the place. I resent that this whole bass player magazine culture seems to have placed a greater importance on slapping like a drummer with 4 arms and lightning fast riffs than on playing eight to the bar.

I'll tell you, in my career (and I suspect in the vast majority of bassists' careers), I've been called on to play eight to the bar a lot more than I have been called on to slap or wail lightning fast. And bass magazines and bassists who worship at the altar of Jaco and Stanley just don't get it. Oh sure, they'll have a few rudimentary bassists in their magazine, but who do they make into heroes and invite to perform at their functions? The guys who slap and play lightning riffs. As John Wayne once said, "It's getting to be ri-goddamn-diculous."

Amen brother!

Although, Jaco's sense of timing is pretty freakey too, I actually find this aspect of his playing much more impressive than his higher register freak-out stuff. Mercy Mercy Mercy starts with a pretty simple bass line that he embellishes, but he consistently hits the beat in the right spot.

[JimmyM]

That's because Jaco understood the idea that it was equally important to be able to play eight to the bar or footballs on the one and worked on it every bit as hard as he worked on "Donna Lee." It's called "learning to crawl before you walk."

Ya, Adam Clayton doesn't amaze me either, but he doesn't make me laugh at his timing. He's definitely got playing slow and in time down. But in all honesty, only bass players cream their pants over other bass players who can fly. Everybody else just wants to have fun.

[Deacon_Blues]

I would say it's one of the simplest ones, but I personally prefer to play it with only the index finger on my right hand. Playing with only one finger makes all notes sound similar and more even and it's thus easier to make is sound as smooth and calm as it is supposed to.

If I play this song just by myself I sometimes make this a bit more demanding, but still - if it is played smoothely enough - sounds quite nice IMO (and is a good string skipping and stretching exercise as well):


------7---6^7---7------7---6^7----7---
----------------------------------------
--5-5---5-----5-------------------------
--------------------5-5---5------5----5-


------7---6^7---7------7---6^7----7----
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
--7-7---7-----7----3-3---3------3----3--

The last bar is the hardest. There's a real stretching exercise! All high D's should ring until the next one to make it sound smooth. This bassline don't require any guitar or keyboard, and makes it possible to perform the song with only bass and vocals.

[fryBASS]

that last bar would definatley be easier with a 5 string!

[ARCtrooper225]

Simpler is sometimes better. I mean, this may not make sense but put wooten next to cliff williams. Wooten can do the double thumb, and I'm sure he can easily do those simple AC/DC lines, but I know I always enjoyed listening to Cliff's lines more than Wooten's. Sometimes, playing those straight 8th notes is what's best for the song, and I have alot of respect for people who can swallow their pride and play simple for the sake of music. Think about it, in a sense, the main role of bass is to drive the song and get people to DANCE (except death metal? mosh pit anyone?). Which do you think is more dancable, Classical thumb, or Money talks? I think I've made my point.
As for the actual song itself...I've never listened to it so I can't help you out there, bro

[Powdered Toast]

Originally Posted by ccyork

U2's "With or Without You." 4 notes, but man, getting it to sound good ain't easy!

It's just you. Sorry!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Powdered Toast

It's just you. Sorry!

I think we just found the king of Talkbass!

[ibnzneksrul]

Originally Posted by ARCtrooper225

Sometimes, playing those straight 8th notes is what's best for the song, and I have alot of respect for people who can swallow their pride and play simple for the sake of music. Think about it, in a sense, the main role of bass is to drive the song

+1000

Part of being a mature player is putting the needs of the song first.

[bassicinstinct]

Originally Posted by Powdered Toast

It's just you. Sorry!

+1000.

If you're struggling with this, you should consider drums - or maybe even g****r

[Jazz Ad]

I lost many of my students with Papa was a rolling stone.
Come on, you can slap for days and you can't play 3 damn notes right ?

[SteveC]

The "simple" stuff is almost always the hardest. I have a hard time getting my students to grasp this concept.

[ccyork]

There's much more to making music than just hitting the right notes.

Another "easy" bassline I find quite challenging is "Just My Imagination" by The Temptations. Sure, hitting the right notes is easy, but getting just the right feel so it really flows is not.

However I must admit that this one is still much easier than "With or Without You."