Bassist on Black Velvet..cool fretless stuff - Page 3

alotabass · #41 06-22-2009, 10:11 AM

With a 5 string this is not an issue at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

I should have said, I don't mind playing in Eb per se -- if everyone has a second guitar, tuned down 1/2 step. OTOH if we're all supposed to stop the whole show and tune all our guitars down half a step to play one song, that's what blows.

And twanging along on the Eb in the high octave for the bass isn't really an option, at least for this particular song.

bstringrandy · #42 06-22-2009, 10:13 AM

As another data point, check out the Black Velvet cover done by Melissa Etheridge.

It's in Eb as well and very cool!

jaywa · #43 06-22-2009, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alotabass

With a 5 string this is not an issue at all.

That's great, but I play a 4.

It's never been an issue with this song though cause I've never been in a band with a female singer, so it's never been part of our show.

alotabass · #44 06-22-2009, 10:15 AM

Do you know which one of her CDs this is on. I would love to hear it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bstringrandy

As another data point, check out the Black Velvet cover done by Melissa Etheridge.

It's in Eb as well and very cool!

jgroh · #45 06-22-2009, 10:20 AM

Oh Im not going to be replaced thats for sure. And since we have TONS of other songs that require different tunings (according to the singers range), a half step up should be no problem. Moot anyway because my singer already said she can do it in E, and since we are playing another song right after this one that will require the fretless and normal tuning, I wanted to spend the least amount of time tuning on stage as possible. It has nothing to do if I can play it in Eb or not...just practicality.

bstringrandy · #46 06-22-2009, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alotabass

Do you know which one of her CDs this is on. I would love to hear it.

Not sure which album it was on. I pulled it off of iTunes or Limewire awhile back.

JTE · #47 06-22-2009, 10:34 AM

I think the title was just her name. I bought the cassette when it came out so we could learn the song. The rest of the album was putrid, just awful. Reminede me immediately of Keith Richards' description of a lot of albums in the '60s. He said they (including eary Stone's albums) were "... the hit single and ten tracks of $#!&"

jte

62Jazzbass · #48 06-22-2009, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

I should have said, I don't mind playing in Eb per se -- if everyone has a second guitar, tuned down 1/2 step. OTOH if we're all supposed to stop the whole show and tune all our guitars down half a step to play one song, that's what blows.

I hope nobody in the band suggested everyone tune down for one song. Talk about a momentum killer. If that is what it comes down to, then you'd be better off playing it in E (or even the D option someone mentioned, the only tuning change is the bass E string - that's fast), or just shelving the song.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

And twanging along on the Eb in the high octave for the bass isn't really an option, at least for this particular song.

Well, it is an option.....just a bad one.

jgroh · #49 06-22-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62Jazzbass

I hope nobody in the band suggested everyone tune down for one song. Talk about a momentum killer. If that is what it comes down to, then you'd be better off playing it in E (or even the D option someone mentioned, the only tuning change is the bass E string - that's fast), or just shelving the song.

That was my initial thought too, and really only because its a half step up and we have a very good singer. If it was in D or something like that I would just detune no problem. But to make four other people switch guitars or retune in the middle of a set for a half step? Momentum killer for sure.

Anyway, enough of this sidetrack and back to the topic.

ZonGuy · #50 06-22-2009, 11:01 AM

I had to pick this song up for a XMAS gig and I started out thinking it was a detuned fretless 4, but I wound up learning it with a Warwick Thumb 5 fretted in Eb. I remember the choice of left hand fingering was important to nail the slurs. I also remember the tuning was a little off Eb on the opening, which made me even more convinced at the time that it was a detuned fretless. Suprised to see it was a synth.

BTW..when I got to the gig (no rehearsal) we did it in E per the guitarist's request.

countwebula · #51 11-04-2009, 10:56 PM

Hello fellow bassists, apologies for the late posting but I just stumbled across this thread.

I can confirm 100% that the bass on Black Velvet is a sample of a fretless bass. It was played by the producer Dave Tyson. I believe it was an Akai S900 Sampler

How can I be sure? I played the bass guitar on the record, appeared in several videos and toured with Alannah in the late 80's.

BTW the bass referred to in the Black Velvet video is a foam green Warwick -- that bass was not used in the recording.

On stage I used a hip shot on the E string to deal with Eb issue.

Cheers

jerry · #52 11-04-2009, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by countwebula

Hello fellow bassists, apologies for the late posting but I just stumbled across this thread.

I can confirm 100% that the bass on Black Velvet is a sample of a fretless bass. It was played by the producer Dave Tyson. I believe it was an Akai S900 Sampler

How can I be sure? I played the bass guitar on the record, appeared in several videos and toured with Alannah in the late 80's.

BTW the bass referred to in the Black Velvet video is a foam green Warwick -- that bass was not used in the recording.

On stage I used a hip shot on the E string to deal with Eb issue.

Cheers

Thanks for that, and welcome.

Jerry J · #53 11-04-2009, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by countwebula

Hello fellow bassists, apologies for the late posting but I just stumbled across this thread.

I can confirm 100% that the bass on Black Velvet is a sample of a fretless bass. It was played by the producer Dave Tyson. I believe it was an Akai S900 Sampler

How can I be sure? I played the bass guitar on the record, appeared in several videos and toured with Alannah in the late 80's.

BTW the bass referred to in the Black Velvet video is a foam green Warwick -- that bass was not used in the recording.

On stage I used a hip shot on the E string to deal with Eb issue.

Cheers

Very cool info, indeed! Welcome to TB countwebula.

Alan Vorse · #54 11-06-2009, 12:12 PM

Cool of that guy to drop in and comment.

I played in a band where there was a high turnover of players (bandleader was very difficult to work with). He took all songs that were in flat keys and moved them up or down a half step, just in case a new player couldn't hack playing in Eb or Bb, it would be easier for them to play in E or A.

So we did this song in E. When that line came up, I went to the bridge PU on my Fender Marcus and hit a chorus pedal with a pretty thick setting to imitate the synth/"fretless."