Why don't you play something?

[6810]

Ok, so you're a bassplayer. Someone (a relative, friend, acquaintance) finds out.

"Ok, so play something." They say. You try a bit of Jaco, through some Primus in there and slap up a storm... and they're like...

"OK, so play something I know"...

SO what do you do? What do you play?

My own idea is to start arranging vocal melodies from popular songs for bass, just so I can have something to "play" for them.

Plus I think doing it might also be an interesting music theory practice exercise, analysing melody and such.

Any ideas? WHat do you think?

[GassieBall]

I have that problem, too. I figured out that if the person you're playing to is not a musician, they have no clue as to how something could be amazingly technical or difficult to play. They just don't care. So...

Play Another One Bites the Dust and they'll go crazy. You can leave Jaco riffs for people who are in the know and for self-gratification Others that pop into my head are:

Money - Pink Floyd
Good Times- Chic
Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
Under Pressure - Queen
Come as You Are - Nirvana
Ramble On/The Ocean- Led Zeppelin

I always remind my bandmembers that most buzzed people at a party would rather hear a familiar sing along song than the most complicated Dream Theater or Weather Report.

[cb56]

I usually just play the theme from the Munsters tv show. Gets a good laugh then I move on.

[whoneedstherapy]

Originally Posted by cb56

I usually just play the theme from the Munsters tv show. Gets a good laugh then I move on.

In in a similar kinda vein i break out seasame street or inspector gadget

[John Wentzien]

That's a good one!

I play "God Save the Queen"

[E2daGGurl]

House of the Rising Sun
Inna-gadda-da-vida (or however it's spelled)
Down on the Corner
Bad Moon Rising


I've often wished I could play the theme from Seinfeld, just to irritate and/or impress some of my friends. I can make sounds that get people to say, "Is that the theme from Seinfeld?" (but it's not).

[Darkstrike]

Thin Lizzy, Dancing In The Moonlight, Lenny Kravitz, Fly Away.
As said already, Another One Bites The Dust, Money.

[Porksicle]

I use these for soundcheck - not necessarily just root notes or anything too simple, and folks recognize them:

Come Togther - The Beatles
Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
Rapper's Delight - Sugerhill Gang
So Fresh, So Clean - Outkast
Higher Ground - RHCP (Stevie Wonder)
NIB Intro - Black Sabbath
Kiss - God of Thunder

[GassieBall]

Oh, I forgot, the bass "solo" to Sweet Child 'o Mine gets some cool responses. Brown Eye'd Girl, too.

[The_Juke]

Originally Posted by GassieBall

Oh, I forgot, the bass "solo" to Sweet Child 'o Mine gets some cool responses.

I do that too, but I work up to it by playing the keyboard (flute sounding) part from Can't You See.

But usualy I just don't care, if someone ask me to play somthing I play a Rush song like Anthem, Role the Bones, Fly By Night, Making Memories or Cygnus X-1. If they don't get it (and they usualy don't) they move on and leave me alone.

[HaVIC5]

Seinfeld Theme

Gets em every time.

[*smb]

Usually I play something like Enter Sandman.

[neurotictim]

Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith works pretty well...

...Of course, the Heffalumps and Woozles thing is pretty nifty...

[fullrangebass]

Dancing in the Moonlight, Another one bites the Dust, a bass chordal arrangement of "I surrender" and "Why I had to fall in love with you" normally make people start singing along

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by 6810

Ok, so you're a bassplayer. Someone (a relative, friend, acquaintance) finds out.

"Ok, so play something." They say. You try a bit of Jaco, through some Primus in there and slap up a storm... and they're like...

"OK, so play something I know"...

SO what do you do? What do you play?

My own idea is to start arranging vocal melodies from popular songs for bass, just so I can have something to "play" for them.

Plus I think doing it might also be an interesting music theory practice exercise, analysing melody and such.

Any ideas? WHat do you think?

okay now am kinda fed up of these relatives/friends whatever coming up to me and saying the same thing. so for this i have learnt to play some REALLY HEAVY METAL SONGS and some thrash songs which i just play along to and growl
so they never come back to me
\m/
awesome!

heck am just waiting for my overdrive/distortion to turn up, i will friggin blow some minds out!!

[BullHorn]

Something Monkey Army something something. That line is catchy and everyone know it.

[CDuff]

Not to sound too much like Nancy Reagan but I just say no.
I know when people ask, they just see a guitar and that's the sound they're expecting.
..I'm a walking disappointment..

[Honk'n_down-low]

Originally Posted by 6810

Ok, so you're a bassplayer. Someone (a relative, friend, acquaintance) finds out.

"Ok, so play something." They say. You try a bit of Jaco, through some Primus in there and slap up a storm... and they're like...

"OK, so play something I know"...

SO what do you do? What do you play?

My own idea is to start arranging vocal melodies from popular songs for bass, just so I can have something to "play" for them.

Plus I think doing it might also be an interesting music theory practice exercise, analysing melody and such.

Any ideas? WHat do you think?

Playing either recognizable melodies with chords or the bass lines that are unmistakable - the problem is some Bass lines do not give the person a good sense of the song - so throw a tune on you know and jam out to it for them.

The other thought is the standard set of Jam Tracks you can just jam some blues over the changes - everyone loves that.

[DaneB]

Originally Posted by BullHorn

Something Monkey Army something something. That line is catchy and everyone know it.

Seven Nation Army?

[theory028]

Originally Posted by HaVIC5

Seinfeld Theme

Gets em every time.

+1

Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away is pretty recognizable. Being able to play with an envelope filter helps.