Riffs You Hate To Hear Other Bassists Sound Check With

JimKata · #1 05-25-2010, 02:34 AM

Stole this idea from the "things you hate to hear other bass players say" thread.

Anything in particular really peev you when the another band sound-check and the bass player plays something that really gets under your skin?

Eg - Portrait of Tracy, All around the world

maybe it's just me but it just gives me a bad first impression from the get go

dooft11 · #2 05-25-2010, 03:53 AM

Aeroplane - by Flea RHCP

dooft11 · #3 05-25-2010, 03:53 AM

and the endless looping EADG-slap slap - EADG

DrSmaggs · #4 05-25-2010, 03:55 AM

I usually just open up my E string and drop a little B string, but don't really play anything in particular.

If the low end is clear, then the rest is going to be fine for sure.

I'd have to say I've never heard a bass soundcheck that drove me nuts.

JimKata · #5 05-25-2010, 04:15 AM

Obviously, nothing like this has actually made me legitimately upset but I've definitely gotten the "wow what a cliche riff to check with" or "everybody in this place knows you're trying to show off yet you obviously are embarrassing yourself" vibe. It's like, "hey mom, I know how to play the beginning riff to Hey Joe ... On the bass!!!"

I mean, unless you can really pull off Portrait of Tracy - and I mean REALLY pull it off, I would never play it outside of the privacy of my own home.

drunkenrobot · #6 05-25-2010, 04:24 AM

I usually play some simple 12 bar blues on G and C. Every string gets played and it's a nice change from people trying to show off.

When the singer is late up on stage for whatever reason when we're trying to start the set, me and the drummer play an almost punk-like 12 bar blues interlude. Suprisingly the crowd seems to love it.

Eminentbass · #7 05-25-2010, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dooft11

Aeroplane - by Flea RHCP

Guilty

although the band I was in used to actually do the song. It's hilarious when a bass player will agonize over getting the perfect slap sound and then doesn't slap a note at the gig. These days I just play various licks from songs from the gig to make sure my tone and eq are even all over the bass.

MadsDK · #8 05-25-2010, 07:02 AM

There's always time for the Super Mario Theme!

JMac4strngr · #9 05-25-2010, 07:07 AM

Any Sabbath tune with the bassline being played incorrectly........ That applies to folks covering the tunes as well...... They obviously don't listen very well to hear the songs aren't all root notes, or they don't care....

ausf · #10 05-25-2010, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimKata

All around the world

Really? The RHCP song?

I've never heard that played by anyone (doesn't mean it isn't or frequently), even in a store. Never thought of that as a show off tune either.

Actually, I would think that would give you a good sense of the sound, between the distortion, the tight staccato all over the neck, then the bounce in chorus.

Maybe I'll start using that, you mind?

g&lplayer · #11 05-25-2010, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadsDK

There's always time for the Super Mario Theme!

I usually sound check with the Legend of Zelda Theme Personally

Although I have been known to break out the super mario underground theme on occasion :-)

Steve · #12 05-25-2010, 07:44 AM

The purpose of a sound check, if you're luck enough to get more than a perfunctory line check it to (duh!) check the sound of the instrument.

You play some long notes so they can check tone and room ring, you play some short staccato notes so they can hear clarity and definition of the room and if you're gonna slap, do a little of that so they can compare and contrast. You do that in the low mid and upper registers of the instrument.

If the sound guy isn't directing you to do that, that should be your first clue that your sound guy isn't the guy you want.

Anybody that would use that time to play a song isn't really doing themselves, the sound guy or the band any real favors. That 60 seconds is a time for technical evaluation not entertainment.

IMHO

MatticusMania · #13 05-25-2010, 09:49 AM

Im never bothered by people checking their instruments. I often use the opening riff from Jane's Addiction's 'Three Days' as my tune up song, as it hits all the strings and sounds purty.

GregDunn · #14 05-25-2010, 10:39 AM

Once while we were waiting to go on, a young band (playing their first gig) got up to do their sound check. The sound guy decided to start with the drums, so the first thing we hear through the talkback monitor is "OK, give me the kick". The band launched into a very energetic number, played for about a minute, then stopped. There was this long long silence, then out of the talkback came "OK, great. Now could you just give. me. the. kick. drum."

Tim C. · #15 05-25-2010, 10:45 AM

Any Zeppelin bassline playing incorrectly.

RobEmpire · #16 05-25-2010, 10:56 AM

anything song played on a sound check kills me....you dont have to pla a song just hit you strings so the sound guy can get a general sound for your bass..hit a note on one string a couple times then change strings and repeat....always a peeve of mine

electracoyote · #17 05-25-2010, 11:06 AM

I am pretty sick of hearing "Higher Ground" at soundchecks. I really need to knock it off.

jnuts1 · #18 05-25-2010, 11:07 AM

"anything song played on a sound check kills me....you dont have to pla a song just hit you strings so the sound guy can get a general sound for your bass..hit a note on one string a couple times then change strings and repeat....always a peeve of mine"

this is weird, i full song soundcheck is not very strange. it is very helpfull. the sound check is not just can the soundguy get a signal. don't you want to hear the rest of the band?

& i have definilty checked with slapping only not to use it that night. we do a LOT of u call it's & you need a good tone just in case you might use it. but my soundcheck usually consists of droning some low notes & then run a scale or something to make sure i have an even sound. but that is it.

JTE · #19 05-25-2010, 12:00 PM

I don't care what someone else plays during sound-check unless I'm the one doing sound. Then I want them to play something that's like what they REALLY play during the gig. If someone jumps into "Portrait of Tracy" or "Flow My Tears", then I'd assume that's the kind of stuff they're playing all night, and the board will be set accordingly. In my last band I knew that fast stuff got lost in the mush of big rooms, too many 18" subs, and the glorified drum sound. So my sound check would be something like "Get Ready", "Knock On Wood", "Soul Man", and "Badge" because they cover the area of the neck most of what I played was going to be in and the speed of a lot of the lines.

What others play is only annoying if I have to hear it over and over again at the same time... like at guitar stores. Then it's anything that's repetitive, or the worst thing of all, fast slap of anykind. It only takes about 45 seconds to determine if the amp and/or bass is going to give you the sound you want for that. After that, it's wanking...

John

TheEnthBass · #20 05-25-2010, 12:20 PM

I would say in terms of intruments sound checking nothing ever pops out at me.

However nearly every vocal check I've heard makes me want to throw dung at the stage like a chimp in a panic. Although I did run into a guy who used to say check, check, moisssst ***sy, check check. Kind of funny the first time anyway.

I use fingers, slap, harmonics, or a pick depending on the song. I've found that picking dead notes, tells me enough about how the last three are going to sound and takes about 2seconds. Then i play a quick walk somewhere end on an open E and im out. Works for me. 30secs max.