A Question for Bassists in a Cover Band

[wintremute]

For those of you who play in cover bands, I was wondering how close you (and your band mates) try to stick to the original.

Do you try to get it note for note, close enough, or come up with your own bass line/style? What about the other people in your band?

 

[devinp17]

I'm not in a cover band, but when my band does cover a few songs, we like to make it our own. We like to make it something that's interesting and cool to listen to, rather than the exact same as the original (which everybody knows already). Which means: more improvisation, and harder rocking than the original (harder-hitting drums and bass, more distortion on the guitar, more powerful vocals, etc... just heavier). We try to make it sound better than the original... but if we think it sounds worse, we'll do something else.

Hope I helped!

 

[Not yet]

Depends on song... Some w key lines I match it (Into the Mystic and Disraeli Gears Crossroads etc) others stay in similar Zone unless we totally change it up

 

[ArtechnikA]

Probably be at least one answer for every band that does covers.
I can tell you that the band I just joined does a lot of songs where the originals feature horn-heavy Motown-esque big production arrangements.
We have no horn section. Sticking to the original is right out.
Where the song has a signature bass line, I try to at least create the feeling of the signature bass line if I can't nail it exactly.
If we're 're-interpreting' the song, then even that gets re-evaluated and relaxed a little.

I've said this before:
"Cover Bands" have license (perhaps obligation...) to interpret the song and make it their own.
"Tribute Band" better be able to sound note-for-note.

 

[Laklandfan]

Probably be at least one answer for every band that does covers.
I can tell you that the band I just joined does a lot of songs where the originals feature horn-heavy Motown-esque big production arrangements.
We have no horn section. Sticking to the original is right out.
Where the song has a signature bass line, I try to at least create the feeling of the signature bass line if I can't nail it exactly.
If we're 're-interpreting' the song, then even that gets re-evaluated and relaxed a little.

I've said this before:
"Cover Bands" have license (perhaps obligation...) to interpret the song and make it their own.
"Tribute Band" better be able to sound note-for-note.

I wouldn't say obligation, but it's definitely about feeling out the situation. What can the band do vs what's on the record is the question. If your band can do it like the record then fine, go for it. If you can't, just adapt. Every situation will be different, the main idea is to sound as good as possible either way.

 

[sears]

First learning a song, I just know the chords and feel. As I practice it I strive to learn the part that's on the record

 

[CoR Bass]

For those of you who play in cover bands, I was wondering how close you (and your band mates) try to stick to the original.

Do you try to get it note for note, close enough, or come up with your own bass line/style? What about the other people in your band?

I think most people in the audience want to hear the song the way it is on the album. That's what they know. I may not do the song note for note, but I don't make up my own line. In my cover band, I may do fills a bit different or add some stuff here and there, but nothing that will change up the song. For my tribute, I try my best to be dead on. The other guys in the band pretty much do it like the recordings as well.

 

[tgriley62]

90% of your audience will not know if you deviate from the original, unless it has a distinctive bass line, like "Money" by Pink Floyd. But, almost 99% will be able to tell if you are out of tune or are hitting the wrong notes

 

[wintremute]

I've said this before:
"Cover Bands" have license (perhaps obligation...) to interpret the song and make it their own.
"Tribute Band" better be able to sound note-for-note.

I like that.

 

[MD]

It's been a while, but as close as possible when doing a "Top 40" gig back in the 80's.

 

[Dave W]

We usually stick with close enough but we do a few that are our own way.

 

[Flashback Bass]

I strive for "note for note". Although, I have been known to add some extra fills to give the song a "live" feel. To me, the bass and drums have to be as close as possible if you're attempting to be a live jukebox.

 

[FretNoMore]

We don't copy songs note by note, we play them our way. We do try to keep the overall feel and signature elements of songs, the audience should recognize the song after all, but ultimately we are not the artists that played the song originally. Not in terms of skills, not in terms of how we sing and play our instruments, and we may not have the same band composition as the original band, we're not a tribute band. So, of course we have to adapt songs to suit our band. I tend to stay reasonably close to the original bass line, but if it doesn't work with what the rest of the band does or if I can't pull it off technically then I change it to something that works.

 

[bass'n it]

For those of you who play in cover bands, I was wondering how close you (and your band mates) try to stick to the original.

Do you try to get it note for note, close enough, or come up with your own bass line/style? What about the other people in your band?

 

[Mike N]

Any Bass part that was the signature in the song I tried to nail note for note.

 

[aus_bass]

90% of your audience will not know if you deviate from the original, unless it has a distinctive bass line, like "Money" by Pink Floyd. But, almost 99% will be able to tell if you are out of tune or are hitting the wrong notes

^ This.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

In a cover band, do it like the record as much as possible. It tends to go over better and lead to better paying gigs in my experience, particularly with solos. You can usually get away with just being "close enough" on the bass, just don't Jaco an Eagles track.

In an original band, make it your own.

 

[Pilgrim]

We stick pretty close, but change whatever works for us. As far as bass lines, I often deviate from the original when it suits me or I have trouble with the original.

The exception is an iconic bass line hook like "Gimme Some Loving", "Pretty Woman," "The Peter Gunn Theme", "Sunshine of Your Love" or the Animals "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" or "House of the Rising Sun." When you're playing those numbers, if NOTHING else, you gotta get the bass hook right or the number falls on its face.

 

[chubfarm2001]

I'm in 3 different cover bands. If the song has a well known bass hook, I'll make sure to nail that part. But mostly I just make sure it grooves and you can shake a butt to it. Concentrate on putting on a good show, be entertaining. People are there to have a good time, not to analyze the band. If they are analyzing the bass parts, they are probably a rival bassist, and screw them anyway.

 

[gln1955]

If most folks can ID the song by just the bass line, then I better be playing that line. Otherwise, I get it reasonably close with the same feel as the original. I have no desire to be a human jukebox on every song.