Learning bass lines in cover songs

[hgrind]

I play a lot of cover songs. How do you approach it if you want to learn the bass lines in cover songs, note for note, exactly how they play it in the original. Many times I have problems hearing exactly what they play.

[tZer]

Obligatory "use the search" comment here...

It's a good idea to try to be as true to the cover as you can - meaning, try to get the parts as note-for-note as possible - Then decide if you can safely deviate and personalize it as your band needs.

Personally, I focus heavily on the groove and the key licks and riffs that stick out the most. I try very hard to make sure no signature moments are left out and that they are as accurate as I can get them. Even though many in the audience will not notice if you alter the line a little, leave out the key moments and you'll have people wondering why the song did quite sound right.

Otherwise, try very hard to be true to the nature of the part. Try to figure out where the original player was on the neck and where his "head was" with regard to stylistic approach. Was the original player being very "locked in with the kick - sticking to strong and predictable roots/fifths"? Was the original player "using the spaces between to make statements"?

If you can put yourself in the original player's shoes and understand the part from that perspective, even if you don't learn it note-for-note, your part will probably sound just fine.

As for being able to hear the bass line - sometimes if you put the song on and leave the room - listen from a different room - the bass line can be heard. With some mixes, the guitars may have so much bottom end in them that they blur the difference between fat sounding guitar and bass parts.

Listen to what the drummer is doing and listen for the complimentary bass notes. In typical rock/pop covers, the bass will be very closely related to the kick drum and serves to connect the rhythm part of the drums with the melodic parts of the other instruments. This means you'll be playing rhythmically very similarly to the drummer and melodically and harmonically very similar to the guitars/keys/singer.


Hope that helps!

[rzpooch]

I use a program called the "amazing slow downer". You can slow down the song and change the pitch. Sometime it's still hard to hear the bass line, especially in older recordings. You can get a free trial version to check out. It may be the best $50 bucks I've spent!

[nsmar4211]

I run my sound through my bass amp when learning new stuff, it brings out the bass for me. I also hunt on YouTube to see if there's by chance a live video that *actually* shows enough of the bass player for me to see where they are playing. I run it through Adobe Audition if I need to slow it down.......I play it over and over and over and over until my dog begs me to stop.....and if I have to I go on a chord/tab chart hunt on the net. I also have taken songs to my teacher......only prob with that is a lot of times he just plays what works which may not be the "original" line and I end up figurin in out myself .
BTW, if you ever do Nirvana, I swear every recording they've done that I can find is out of tune (like a 1/8 tone off)...will drive you insane......
And sometimes.......I hate to admit this......the guitar player helps me figure it out. I also have the Bass White Pages book, although I've only ever used it for a song or two (and ended up doin my own thing anyhow!).
Something I have realized from learning cover tunes is a lot of times, the bass player has played this line a billion times. To keep themselves occupied, they throw octaves and stuff in that may not be in the original. I don't worry about every one of those notes, just in the important spots. And now I find myself throwing those little chromatic walks and dead notes in when I get bored LOL........

[Just J]

Originally Posted by rzpooch

I use a program called the "amazing slow downer". You can slow down the song and change the pitch. Sometime it's still hard to hear the bass line, especially in older recordings. You can get a free trial version to check out. It may be the best $50 bucks I've spent!

Check out www.seventhstring.com and Transcribe! It's a pretty kick ass transcription tool.

I'm in a similar boat as there are some songs that can be difficult for me to play. I usually cop the basic feel of the song, learn any signature fills, slides, licks etc, and go from there. I always tend to put my own mark on the line while trying to be true to the original.

[Time Consumer]

Meh, I think you should just listen to the part and get it as close to the original as you want it to be, it is music after all. Music is about expression, not copying, my band had a couple covers and I just played the part the way I felt it should be played for our sound. You shouldn't be afraid to "mess up" the part cuz in the end you just made it your own and who really cares anyway, if someone told me i played it wrong, i would just say "whateva man", and wlk away.

[5andFretless]

This is going to be a different slant on the subject, but ...

If you are in a TRIBUTE band then I agree that it needs to be note for note, and with everyone that has post before me.

If you are in a COVER band and you are going to be playing 30+ songs in a night out of a list of 50+, and you have to be able to play what is on the radio this week, then note for note is impractical and unnecessary. There are exception, like Black Velvet, where the bass line is integral to the song, but for the most part close is more than good enough.