Playing by ear...

thereverendstu · #1 12-10-2007, 09:21 PM

I was given four complete songs from a metal band and told to learn them by ear. I'm not that great at learning by ear in the first place but to make this even harder the bass is totally buried in the mix.

I hear no bass lines what so ever. Also the guitars are very overdriven making it more inaudible to me and they're tuned down to C. Anyone have any suggestions or tips to help me learn this material?

triggert · #2 12-10-2007, 09:55 PM

Sometimes if I'm having a hard time with a song I'll check out a few tabs. 99% are completely incorrect but at least it points me in the right direction so I can figure it out correctly myself.

I also use a program called Transcribe that can pull things outta the mix, change the pitch, and slow them down.

thereverendstu · #3 12-10-2007, 10:15 PM

TABS?! These guys just handed my a CD, said what they were tuned to and that was the end of it. Tabs would make me a happy man right now. That Transcribe! looks nice I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

triggert · #4 12-10-2007, 10:27 PM

Ahhhh, sorry. I misunderstood what you said, I didn't know it was the bands music. I thought they were just testing your ears or something.

Transcribe would probably work great for that then!

Manitou · #5 12-10-2007, 10:35 PM

One trick I've used is to put the CD on your stereo, turn up the volume a bit, boost the bass a bit, then leave the room and close the door and listen from an adjoining room. It's helped me lock in on bass lines that seemed pretty far back in the mix.

Valerus · #6 12-10-2007, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manitou

One trick I've used is to put the CD on your stereo, turn up the volume a bit, boost the bass a bit, then leave the room and close the door and listen from an adjoining room. It's helped me lock in on bass lines that seemed pretty far back in the mix.

Wow, never thought of that.

ShirazBop · #7 12-10-2007, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manitou

One trick I've used is to put the CD on your stereo, turn up the volume a bit, boost the bass a bit, then leave the room and close the door and listen from an adjoining room. It's helped me lock in on bass lines that seemed pretty far back in the mix.

ditto here, thats a great idea!

bassbully · #8 12-10-2007, 11:21 PM

I am sorry but any band or anyone who professes to be a musician or player at even a weekend band level should be able to give you a chord chart or sheet on the chords in the song.How did they write the piece and remember it if they dont know the chords?
Testing you by giving it to you (CD)is stupid...you dont know the music cant pick it out and it would prove what...you can pick out the chord progression thru the muddy mix?

I hate to say it but in my personal experience Metal players i have encountered do not know their fretboards or chord name's to save their butts. My last band the guitarist was good but would say "I play by ear and dont know theory or names of notes or chords etc

Made it fun for me...but he was a good player belive it or not. Ask them stright out."I need the chords to this so i can chart out a simple layout of the song...you know the roots. If they look at you funny you know what i said is true. If they know and wont tell you thats another problem...i'd bale IMO.

peaveyman09 · #9 12-11-2007, 08:13 AM

not all people know chords and note names. a lot of famous guitar players never learned how to read music or their fretboard. a lot of people just play by ear. i think thats the point of them giving him the cd. Good luck on that Btw man

IndyBass · #10 12-11-2007, 08:21 AM

+1 to triggert's idea about pitch shifting. If you have a program that can raise the pitch of the file an octave, it gets the guitars "out of the way" and puts the bass notes in a more listenable register. It's an excellent strategy for mushy, detuned stuff if you have the tools.

Sarah5string · #11 12-11-2007, 08:22 AM

if that were me I'd just fluke it. Put on the cd and play along.. it may not be 100% to the original but if it sounds good and goes with the song who cares?

Bruce Lindfield · #12 12-11-2007, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah5string

Put on the cd and play along.. it may not be 100% to the original but if it sounds good and goes with the song who cares?

I agree - they are obviously not after a perfect transcription of the bassline that was played on the recording- they just want you to come up with lines that fit and sound good!

Sarah5string · #13 12-11-2007, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I agree - they are obviously not after a perfect transcription of the bassline that was played on the recording- they just want you to come up with lines that fit and sound good!

Exactly.. and if anything it'll show your talents as a bass player rather than a tab reader

bassbully · #14 12-11-2007, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peaveyman09

not all people know chords and note names. a lot of famous guitar players never learned how to read music or their fretboard. a lot of people just play by ear. i think thats the point of them giving him the cd. Good luck on that Btw man

I understand that and it was what i said but whats the point. If you struggle to find the pattern to their music and they do know the chords what are they trying to prove here.

BTW the term playing by ear can be confusing in my book it is transcribing a note or chord by ear and knowing which it one it is and where it goes on the fretboard also which key its in (root) and what scale can be run off of it. Take blues or Country music like i'm in now. If the notes of the song are A-D-E a basic 1/4/5 type of thing its great to be able to play the roots as the guitarist will the chords. But a bassist will be walking between and up to the chord changes so you need to know the scales those chords are in. Ear can do it some but knowing the fretboard is a must here.
When i first started out i didnt know my fretboard to well and i had an old grumpy guitarist who would call out songs on the fly or the chords. You learned real quick where the notes were or he yelled at you.
I wont play with anyne who doesnt have a decent grasp on the fretboard. I dont have the time to ask ...hey what chord is that and a guy turn and hold out his guitar while gripping the neck

saying dont know look?
I get scowled at on here for not wanting to know theory...but not wanting to learn the fretboard ,notes or scales...thats lazy bass playing in my book. BTW alot of famous guitarists etc played by ear SRV, Hendrix etc but im sure they knew simple common chord names and structures and their fretbords ...Hendrix even wrote out chord charts for a few songs so he had a basic on them.Ask these dudes for the chords!!!!!

bassbully · #15 12-11-2007, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah5string

if that were me I'd just fluke it. Put on the cd and play along.. it may not be 100% to the original but if it sounds good and goes with the song who cares?

This is true but wouldnt it just be so much easyier if they told him the chord structure and the tuning...simple.

complexprocess · #16 12-11-2007, 08:44 AM

If you can't hear the bassline at all, my guess is that it's probably exactly the same as the root notes on the guitar. If you embellish it at all beyond that, they'll probably be impressed.

bassbully · #17 12-11-2007, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by complexprocess

If you can't hear the bassline at all, my guess is that it's probably exactly the same as the root notes on the guitar. If you embellish it at all beyond that, they'll probably be impressed.

True

Now wouldnt it be nice if they would just tell him the notes and let him write a line off of them insted of sending him fishin?

ashbory · #18 12-11-2007, 09:47 AM

This is easy.
They have given you a recording for the purpose of learning the bass parts, and the bass is inaudible.

So at the next rehearsal, to determine what they are looking for from their bass player, try this:

- First try playing a few songs with your amp turned off. This would be as close as you can get to a note for note match to the recording. This may be just what the guitarists envisioned.

- If this doesn't go over, just play your low C through the entire song. This will fill out the low end without being too busy, or taking the focus off the real instruments.

Seriously though, you are not going to master playing by ear overnight, especially to a crappy recording. Ask them if they can do a better recording, say with acoustic guitars only. Or like others have said, ask them to write out the chords.

Bruce Lindfield · #19 12-11-2007, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by complexprocess

If you can't hear the bassline at all, my guess is that it's probably exactly the same as the root notes on the guitar. If you embellish it at all beyond that, they'll probably be impressed.

Maybe they don't have a bass player and that's why they need one..?

dvh · #20 12-11-2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Maybe they don't have a bass player and that's why they need one..?

My thought also

Who played bass on the CD? If it's a departed player I guess you can't ask that person.

If they don't know the chords, unless they're looking for lines with a lot of note movement, just pound on the notes/roots that sound right to your ear.