california dreaming bassline...a little confused

[chief ten beers]

So I have a tabbed out version of California dreaming and i'm a little puzzled by a note choice.the beginning verse has the chords am g f g esus4.the first bassnote played over amin is c#and it seems to work which is more confusing.why isn't the flat third played over the amin(c)?also an f# is played over the esus4 and it also works...why?does anyone know this bassline and can someone explain that to me,i would appreciate it.

[chief ten beers]

anyone care to chime in on this?

[Slax]

Just took a quick look at the tab and it looks like he's playing the major 3rd of each chord for a decent part of it. Found this in the tab that explains it:

Originally Posted by http://www.bassmasta.net/m/mamas_and_the_papas,_the/108565.html

Actual key C#m, capo 4 playing Am

If C# is capo'd for the Am... It would have the C# in it. Interesting...

Hopefully someone can throw further insight into this.

[fretlessman71]

Assuming you're also capoed at the same fret the guitarist is, then your pattern should mostly work, if you "think" in open keys.

This bassline follows the chords almost religiously: A - G - F - G - E - E - E - F ; C - E - A - F - E - E - E - E, and around and around and around she goes. There are only a few bass fills, such as the ones over the E chord using the E Pentatonic Minor scale (that Esus4 changes to an Emaj before it moves away from the E).

If you think of it in C#min, as the previous poster mentioned, then you have to shift everything up 2 whole steps.

I don't hear a C# anywhere over an Amin chord in that song. Methinks it's a typo - all too common on tab, and worse yet it's bestowed upon unsuspecting young bassists who don't know any better for the most part. The renewed popularity of tablature has done more damage to the art of guitar and bass playing than anything else has in the last 30 years IMHO. You ought to spend more time learning and hearing scales - you'll be able to LISTEN to the song and figure it out.

[chief ten beers]

Originally Posted by fretlessman71

Assuming you're also capoed at the same fret the guitarist is, then your pattern should mostly work, if you "think" in open keys.

This bassline follows the chords almost religiously: A - G - F - G - E - E - E - F ; C - E - A - F - E - E - E - E, and around and around and around she goes. There are only a few bass fills, such as the ones over the E chord using the E Pentatonic Minor scale (that Esus4 changes to an Emaj before it moves away from the E).

If you think of it in C#min, as the previous poster mentioned, then you have to shift everything up 2 whole steps.

I don't hear a C# anywhere over an Amin chord in that song. Methinks it's a typo - all too common on tab, and worse yet it's bestowed upon unsuspecting young bassists who don't know any better for the most part. The renewed popularity of tablature has done more damage to the art of guitar and bass playing than anything else has in the last 30 years IMHO. You ought to spend more time learning and hearing scales - you'll be able to LISTEN to the song and figure it out.

this was a power tab.i've seen some of the other junk tab versions floating around and it isn't the same version...this one is pretty good.I know i should spend more time on proper reading but when you get a certain age it's hard to get back to rudimentary studies.if i had only done it right when i was young.anyways it was the capo that through me,that explains it.thanks guys

[daffy]

The song is actually in C#m, not Am.

The chords you have found are for guitar with a capo at the 4th fret. Looking at old clips, it looks like this was the way they originally played it - with capos on the guitars. This means that an Am chord played with the capo at 4th fret is actually C#m, and Esus4 with a capo at 4th fret is actually G#sus4.

The bass part you have got is written at correct pitch - this is also the way they typically did it, cos bass players can transpose better than guitards

So the first chord is a C#m and the first bass note is C# (the root), the other chord you mention is the G#sus4 and you said you are playing an F#, which is a little surprising as I would have expected the root as well, but it's the dominant 7th - making the whole chord and inversion of G#7sus4, the way its written.

You sure that last note isn't G#?

[chief ten beers]

Originally Posted by daffy

The song is actually in C#m, not Am.

The chords you have found are for guitar with a capo at the 4th fret. Looking at old clips, it looks like this was the way they originally played it - with capos on the guitars. This means that an Am chord played with the capo at 4th fret is actually C#m, and Esus4 with a capo at 4th fret is actually G#sus4.

The bass part you have got is written at correct pitch - this is also the way they typically did it, cos bass players can transpose better than guitards

So the first chord is a C#m and the first bass note is C# (the root), the other chord you mention is the G#sus4 and you said you are playing an F#, which is a little surprising as I would have expected the root as well, but it's the dominant 7th - making the whole chord and inversion of G#7sus4, the way its written.

You sure that last note isn't G#?

oops yep it was a g#.i feel better now,those notes being so wrong on paper and sounding right was messing with my whole view of reality as i thought i knew itdamn capo messing with me like that