Note for Note or Improvisation?

[Epidrake]

One thing I love about the bass is the freedom I have for improvisation.

When you guys play cover songs do you feel compelled to do note for note copies of the original songs or do you feel you can improvise and interpret as you play?

Some classic songs require note for note because everyone knows how they sound, at least some parts, but do you sometimes stretch the music and get creative?

[MalcolmAmos]

The type of music you play will dictate how much freedom you should take.

I'm basic ole time Country. That is root five and chromatic runs to the next chord. Dirt simple rules. A pentatonic fill will get me some fish eyes from the other guys. The lead breaks are handled by the lead electric or the pedal steel.

Normally less is more in my music. But, that's ole time Country.

Playing covers, I've always felt the audience knows this is me playing not the original artist. I get as close as I can, however, close is close enough. No I do not play from standard notation bass clef or tabs. I rely upon fake chord or lead sheets and make my own bass lines.

[lowfreq33]

I pretty much always improv to some degree. Of course you have to stick to the record if it's an iconic part, but I like to add my own personality to songs. I play mainly rock pop and country.

[jmattbassplaya]

My band is constantly becoming more and more of an improvisational group. We stick out like a sore thumb on the bar scene, but we like it that way because people seem to think we're better than more seasoned groups because of our ability to jam and move in and out of covers and originals like it's no thing. We prefer to get creative because everyone seems to benefit in the end. Personally, I think this is going to make me a better player in the long run. I suggest you learn how to improv and jam, too.

[AMp'D.2play]

When 1st learning a tune, I try to stick with a meticulous note-for-note version of the original studio recording. Once I know the song & understand what's going on, I'll throw some variations in it when playing in a band setting.

Most of the songs the bands I'm in play are vintage R&R that everyone is familiar with (iow, overplayed). I'd sometimes think my lesson time doing chord tone, arpeggio, building walking bass line, etc., drills was wasted since the songs didn't lend much opportunity for improv. The fun challenge for me is to try and apply what I'm learning & mix it up a bit w/out altering the general vibe of the song.

[jgroh]

If its a signature line, I play it verbatim or the song wont sound right. Most songs we play are not that way so it gives me freedom to move around. I generally will make simple lines more "melodic". In my last band, we pretty much played songs note for note, but in my new band, we are putting our stamp on songs.

[Epidrake]

Very interesting answers. I guess it does depend on what we're playing but it seems the majority of us want to step out and make the music our own. Cool.

[tjh]

yup .. all the above pretty much covered what happens here too ... although, often times, the 'recorded' part isnt enough, since the recording often has several instruments and extra tracks to fill the sound out, so a bit of 'embellishment' is needed on the bass part to make it sound fuller ...

[winstonthecat]

I'm pretty much in the same vein as the rest of the responses. I learn the signature licks note-for-note, but I usually vary the overall bass line a bit. Kind of a 80%-20% thing...80% note for note, 20% personal touch.

[oldcatfish]

Quote: "I'm pretty much in the same vein as the rest of the responses. I learn the signature licks note-for-note, but I usually vary the overall bass line a bit. Kind of a 80%-20% thing...80% note for note, 20% personal touch."

--That's how I approach it too.

[skwee]

I rarely play note for note, but I always approximate the feel or gesture that happened on the record. Sometimes it's because the original riff is tough or I was unable to transcribe it correctly, so I approximate it, but mostly it's because a song is a living thing, and whatever our version is has its own life with us.

If it's some kind of solo, I think quoting the original is important, but doing something verbatim, you run the risk of sterility and staleness.

[Epidrake]

Since so few people really know bass lines note for note, I agree with you guys that it's important to put your personal touch on the music.

[dave64o]

Like others have said, a signature bassline really needs to be note for note. But other than that, feel free to put your own spin on it.

Having said that, there's value in learning entire lines note for note. Do that with basslines from "the masters" (however you define that), take the time to analyze and understand what they're doing, and you can learn a lot. Then you can use the knowledge you build up over time to have fun and get creative with the less critical basslines - as long as what you're doing still serves the song.

[Epidrake]

Good advice!

[Winterpegbass]

I like to play note for note for covers or 95% like the recording and 5% my own riffs. Sometimes I check youtube for live versions to see if there are any interesting live variations.

I like to save my creativity/improv skills for original material.

Changing covers can be a slippery slope. I don't care for it as it can lower the quality of the song. Extreme cases that I have been a part of include changing the intro, changing the key, changing the arrangement, playing without the right instrumentation/background vocals, changing the ending etc. This type of frankenstein song approach can lead to "butchering" a song.

[SteveC]

I don't always play note for note, but I do stick pretty close. There are some signature lines that need to be played note for note.

[Gaius46]

Truth of the matter is what's on the record captures a one time performance that the guy who did it probably can't or doesn't recreate note for note live.

As with others if it's a signature riff I play it note for note but otherwise I stick to the basic groove and don't sweat it if the record is "Root fifth octave fifth" and I play "root
fifth octave root"

[dave64o]

Originally Posted by Winterpegbass

...
I like to save my creativity/improv skills for original material.
...

Actually, I'd say the opposite is true. By studying the ideas behind the original lines and experimenting here and there, especially if that experimentation is live improv (and especially if that experimentation still serves the song!), you'd be exercising your creative and technical muscles and therefore develop your creativity over time. That kind of practice would actually HELP to develop lines for your own original material.

I'd also bet that Gaius46's assertion, that most recorded performances are only what a particular player did at a particular moment in time, is true far more often than not. If I think about all the live shows I've seen over the years, even when I've seen "the greats" playing live, they simply never play every song with note for note rigidity to the recorded version every time (actually, more like never). They're always playing different fills, changing things around, adding or subtracting parts of a song, simplifying parts to make it easier to do vocals, changing key to help with the vocals, running songs together into medleys, etc.

Situations where a group of players must play in unison, such as in an orchestra, a horn section in a jazz band or big band, etc. are an obvious exception. When you have multiple players playing the same part, they DO have to stick to what's written to avoid having a sonic mess. Signature bass lines are another type of exception. For example, you can't totally change the chorus of Good Times and expect people to recognize it or even like it - that bass line pretty much defines the song. But that's the nature of those situations. In other forms of music, such as in rock, blues, other types of jazz, variation is accepted - and sometimes even expected.

[repoman]

I play in a "garage" band. If the song has a definitive line, like the intro to "White Wedding" I'll do my best to play it note for note, but if the songs just calls for a run of B's , repetitively, which White Wedding does at the bridge,I'm gonna find a more interesting line to fill in the repetitiveness....but then again the only ones hearing us are my cats and the next door neighbors ....

[theretheyare]

It depends on the situation. I played in a Doors fake/tribute band for a while. The fans were really hardcore and demanded tot-the-letter 'reliability', so the guitarist had to reproduce those 15-min improvised solo's from the Doors live Bootlegs note-for-note. I did note-for- note versions of the studio bass guitar parts or the live keyboard bass parts on bass guitar; there was this whole show with wigs and all, but since there never was an iconic bass player with the Doors, I was the one who did not wear a wig. Since the Doors is very much an improvising band, all this felt rather bizarre, but the shows were great and well paid.

But as a bass player playing covers I'd say in general there's a lot more leeway than the rest of the band, to change parts around in more or less subtle ways.