Fame musical

[DynamiteShovel]

So I agreed to play bass in the university production of the musical Fame. The sheet music they gave me is all wrong, no idea what is going on there, so i'm figuring it all out by ear with the help on the piano song book.

I've got most of it but i'm struggling with the intro to this song There She Goes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIxFdAm82zc

I know the root note is D and have got an idea of what it might be, but despite it's simplicity nothing is sounding completely right.

Can anyone better at learning things by ear give any help? thanks

[PlayTheBass]

At first listen, sounds like D C A C A C D C to me. A little muted, punch the notes on 1 and 3 a bit, what do you think?

[DynamiteShovel]

Yeah think you're right there, I'd been playing it with B so that's what made it sound wrong. thanks for the help, was having a complete mental block on this one. i'm now playing first bit:
|-------------------
|-------------------
|-------------------
|-------------------
|--5-0-3-5-0-3-5-0-5
|-------------------

second bit

|-----------------
|-----------------
|-----------------
|-----------------
|--3-----3-----3--
|----3-6---3-6---3

|-----------------
|-----------------
|-----------------
|-----------------
|--1-----1-----1--
|----1-4---1-4---1

[Febs]

Be careful about learning show music from a cast recording. Those recordings usually omit large sections of the music, including much of the dance music and all of the incidental music (scene changes, underscores, etc.). Plus, when it comes time to rehearsal, your music director will undoubtedly be referencing the score. For example, if he needs to correct something with the cast, he will tell the orchestra, "let's start at measure 64." If you are not following the written score, you will be completely lost.

[DynamiteShovel]

Thanks for the advice! The problem is that although I have very ability to read sheet music, the score they gave me isn't right at all for the songs and with no way of hearing the incidental music I can't check whether those parts are right either. I tried to ask the musical director whether they were singing from cast recordings or someone playing the different key sheet music I have but she didn't understand. Guess i'll find out at first rehearsal but in the mean time there's nothing else I can do than learn the songs from recording. Uh oh!