Ok so I got this Metallica Tab book....

StarscreamG1 · #1 06-11-2008, 05:02 PM

The guitarist I have hooked up with loves Metallica (so do I). He knows several Metallica songs, I do not. So.... I grab a tab book off the bay to learn a few which is cool as I had been wanting to learn some Metallica anyway and I can't read music and Im not that good by ear (well Ic an pick up by ear but it takes a while), so tabbing it was...

Anyway..hes coming over in a couple of hours to practice and of course I just now site down with the tab book to get Enter Sandman and Fade to Black...

OMG...its...boooorrriiinnnggg....holy crap. Enter Sandman is one of my fav songs but the bass part almost put me in a coma man its that boring..... Im playing it with the song on CD and blah blah and I can NOT keep my mind on this riff man..its just....plain....(no offense Jason, I think you are a great player but dayumn....this is boring)....

Now, I do not know a lot of the big names in the pro bass playing field but jeeze, who is out there with busy stuff that is a challenge that someone could recommend to me? i play busy note heavy finger twisting crap...its what keeps me into it...oh Im not looking forward to practice tonight.....

Sorry had to vent on this, Im just sad about how boring the bass riff for Enter Sandman really is.... any recommendation on someone I could get a tab book for that would be interesting?

Thanks

Smallmouth_Bass · #2 06-11-2008, 05:05 PM

Think less about the bassline and more about the song. Does it support the song and does it make the song sound better? It does not have to be complicated to be a good part.

StarscreamG1 · #3 06-11-2008, 05:09 PM

You bring up a VERY good point!! Yes it does support the song very well. Time for a mental adjustment on my part. And I love being the support for a song. We will come up with something, hit the canned drummer and he goes off on his guitar stuff and I just kick back with the bass line and the canned drums (we dont have a drummer right now) and I really enjoy being that support for him to do his thing. I just wasn't expecting something quiet so simple here on the bass part for Sandman.... I know good doesnt have to be complicated but this will be a challenge to keep my mind on this in a little while I think hehe

Dogbertday · #4 06-11-2008, 05:13 PM

what stuff did you suggest that the two of you play?

StarscreamG1 · #5 06-11-2008, 05:24 PM

Oh it was a mutual thing to start practicing some Metallica. We both love the band a lot and hes had a guitar tab book for them for awhile now and knows several of their songs. He also likes RUSH as do I and actually that is the group I have mentioned wanting to practice songs from more then not, now that I think about it.

As for /what/ Metallica songs... he wants to do Enter Sandman and Fade to Black. I would prefer we work on For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fuel, and/or King Nothing. We both get along pretty good and I think before its over tonight we will be one from each of our personal preferences for Metallica songs to practice...

Dogbertday · #6 06-11-2008, 05:27 PM

ok cool.. al ot of basslines are simple but they can be just as fun as the crazy ones... especially live because you can enjoy putting on a show instead of worrying about playing something right all the time.. As long as I get a few in there that are more fun for the fingers I'm good. Just starting out you can't expect much though considering you can't startwith a 30 song setlist

tomas_almeida · #7 06-11-2008, 05:29 PM

Play Creeping Death, For WHom the Bell Tolls, Master of Puppets and Battery. Metallica classics, and are a little more interesting than the stuff from the Black Album.

StarscreamG1 · #8 06-11-2008, 05:31 PM

Agreed ^_^

StarscreamG1 · #9 06-11-2008, 05:34 PM

Agreed to on the other post as well. Neither of our tab books have all of Metallicas stuff but I know mine has Battery and For Whom the Bell Tolls as well as Sanitarium, Master of Puppets and Seek and Destroy (few others as well)...mmm haven't listened to S&D in a while. We will put the books together and negotiate on this I think LOL But I know Enter Sandman will be one of the tunes (zzzzz) LOL

Thats ok. I think once I play it with him playing his part it will get me into it.

chutsk10 · #10 06-11-2008, 05:52 PM

We played Master of Puppets and Fuel in my old band, both were fun to play.

I am in a Classic Rock band now and often find it is boring to play most songs when I am practicing alone and/or to a CD. But once I play the songs with the band they become more fun and there is also a little more room to throw my own spin on things.

Also if you are both RUSH fans that is a good answer to your quest for busy bass lines. Although Geddy has created plenty straight forward bass lines in their 30+ year career the majorty of their work is really fun to play for everyone in the band.

StarscreamG1 · #11 06-11-2008, 06:01 PM

Ohyea, Geddy is a busy boy on the fretboard, just how I like it ^_^

StarscreamG1 · #12 06-11-2008, 10:43 PM

Practice went pretty cool tonight. The Metallica song we ended up with was For Whom the Bell Tolls. We practiced that for a while and it wasn't bad at all. Needs work but hey what doesnt when you first take a crack at it you know. Our timing with each other is actually pretty good naturally so theres a plus there. Actually over all we didn't sound that bad first try at it to be honest. I need to work a bit on my inflection,'feel', but thats easily taken care of. I haven't listened to the song in months so its time to break the CD out...

And then... this is funny, he was like 'give me a riff...' he found some drum pattern and I started playing around and came up with the simplest 3 note riff. It was very simple in pattern and beat. I was just horsing around when I came across it and when I did he started jamming to it. What I had come up with was the perfect backdrop for what he was doing so, ok... lesson learned regarding the bass riff for Enter Sandman.....

Qvist · #13 06-12-2008, 03:54 AM

I agree on the enter sandman thing, I was all geared up when I was about to learn it and then I look at the tab sheet and it says " 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0..." etc. etc., and I felt as you did, BUT when you play it with a band, and a REAL drummer, it's a really ****in nice feeling to just support that low rumble from the drums and really MAKE the song heavy.

You guys should play orion!

StarscreamG1 · #14 06-12-2008, 01:32 PM

YES!! LOL I was so geared up too and I was like ...HUH....0-0-0-0-0-0-0- etc. Im sitting here thinking that I have to finish doing the laundry while Im practicing that part LOL! But it is true, that does really work with the song and yes we need a real drummer!!

So far its just he and I. We of course have talked about getting an entire group together but he and I can sit there and just jam with some pretty cool stuff between the two of us. I am beginning to think just add a drummer and we are set. Without another guitarist our parts would be harder which is quite fine with me. I have always had problems fitting in with a group because my bass playing is 'busy' and can be upfront. He loves my stuff though and a lot of times we end up in some funky rock/jazz type riffs that can go on for ever. ^_^

Oh and the other Metallica song we ended up doing was not on either of our lists. It came out of the blue (I forgot to mention it in my last post last night)..its One...go figure but thats a great song too.

ysand · #15 06-12-2008, 01:35 PM

You can always add stuff of your own to the song

StarscreamG1 · #16 06-12-2008, 03:09 PM

Oh yea thats on the agenda LOL But first learn it the way they did it and then go from there.

Solarmist · #17 06-12-2008, 07:47 PM

Do you like David Ellefson/Megadeth? They have some nice bass lines. They were the same band at one time.

StarscreamG1 · #18 06-12-2008, 08:46 PM

My BF is into Megadeath, I'm into Metallica..go figure. I have heard some of Megadeaths stuff but its been a while and I don't recall much to be honest. I can always rummage though the BFs CD collection....mmmm Ive already 'acquired' his RUSH 2112, Pink Floyd's DSOTM...why not end up with any of his Megadeath CDs? LOL

Was working on FWTBTs earlier...very cool, getting the 'feel' of it and a fun riff to play for sure. ^_^

mothmonsterman · #19 06-13-2008, 08:19 AM

ever thought about writing your own bass line for it?
when it's a boring cover song, other than live, i usually screw around and add stuff to it.
good improv practice.

Risen Ashes · #20 06-13-2008, 08:24 AM

Enter Sandman becomes a fun song to play to when you have a full band...drums and guitar really help out-hang in there. If you want more intricate thrash playing look at Megadeth's stuff and Testament. On the other songs (that are not played on the radio as often) on the Black album by Metallica there are some really good songs where the bass gets really intersting...that's actually my fav album of Jason Newstead basslines!