Am I missing out, by not knowing cover songs?

[Neil Folkard]

After being a hobby guitarist for decades, I became an avid bassist about 6 years ago, and am loving it. Now, because it's a hobby for me (albeit one I take quite seriously), I am having an absolute blast playing in three different original bands. And yet...

...I don't know a single cover tune. Many on here seem to advocate how much your playing can improve and inspiration can rise, if you study and play other bassists parts. However, being in three original acts, and being a composer as well, I just can't find the time.

Am I missing out, or worse, hurting my development, as a bass player??

 

[Nashrakh]

I'm a bit torn about this. My gut would say no, but my experience has taught me otherwise. Learning other people's lines is akin to learning vocabulary - of one or many styles. Composers through the ages have studied the works before them to learn the clichees (both good and bad), see what is worthy of being conserved, improved upon or subversed. It all takes a knowledge of what others have done.

In that sense, you can only benefit from learning covers and your original lines will improve as well (or ny the very least you will come up with something serviceable even if your inspiration fails you).

I can relate to your time problem though.

 

[Scottgun]

"in three original acts, and being a composer as well, I just can't find the time."

A wonderful problem to have. Most us only learn cover tunes because we are scrounging for gigs and want to be able to slide into one at a moment's notice and a big repetoire of the sacred cows helps with that.

In your case I wouldn't worry about it unless all your gigs fell through. Frankly, I'd rather do original work or very obscure but musically rewarding covers than the standard classic cover band where the question "Why don't we just hire a dj to play the original records?" is ever-present with the promise of a paycheck the only thing changing my mind.

 

[Gorn]

Try it and see.

 

[Goatrope]

I think you’re missing out AND hurting your development, if your goal is to be well rounded as a musician.

Playing covers, especially a variety of styles you wouldn’t ordinarily play, push your brain and fingers into unexplored territory.

If you do this with an analytical eye, dissecting parts, understanding their function, you’ll grow faster than by staying in your own lane.

But this is, like, just my opinion, man.

 

[el murdoque]

Well, it depends.
Covering songs is, in a way, taking a lesson from the big ones.
So when you carefully select cover songs, you can get a lot out of the time you spend.
You should omit everything that takes you five minutes to learn and concentrate on those songs that feel unnatural to play. Your inner metronome does what feels best and when your inner metronome and that of the bassist on the record do not align at all, It feels weird and alien to try and play like that. You'll have to overcome that and practice until that rhythm feels natural and you can play it without much concentration.
By doing this, you do much more than learn how to play a single song.
You learned how to play 'a song like that' your skillset just grew.

The downside is: When you focus too much on what the other composers and players of the last 50 years have done, you might diminish your spark of originality. Maybe being in that kind of isolation makes you tackle something in an unusual way which might become a trademark thing - but that is rare.
99.9% of the original bands that think they are the next big thing fade into obscurity.
The rest .01% go out and shake the foundations.

 

[jmarcus2]

I agree with Nashrakh . It will expand your musical vocabulary and strengthen your ability to jump in and play with anyone. However, many of us don't develop writing skills. If you've become a good composer, and if you toss in singing, you have a big advantage.

 

[G On Bass]

If we define a 'cover' as a song originally written and/or recorded by someone else, there are literally millions out there from which to choose. Though I also tend to play in 90% original Rock/Singer-Songwriter projects, my biggest cover-tune inspirations are from different genres, especially Bossa Nova, Gypsy Jazz, Jam bands and more recently, New Orleans bands. There is an enormous amount to be learned from those genres, like an emphasis on note choice over note quantity, when to be simple, when to add, when to just hold it steady and let the rest of the band go. It has definitely seeped into my bass-lines in original projects and keeps things interesting. So yes, you might consider learning some cover tunes.

 

[Mushroo]

You're missing out. It's like training to be a chef without studying famous recipes like chicken cordon bleu.

 

[Scottgun]

It might help if we heard some of your originals. They might be good enough that I'd say just keep plugging along doing you own thang.

 

[socialleper]

After being a hobby guitarist for decades, I became an avid bassist about 6 years ago, and am loving it. Now, because it's a hobby for me (albeit one I take quite seriously), I am having an absolute blast playing in three different original bands. And yet...

...I don't know a single cover tune. Many on here seem to advocate how much your playing can improve and inspiration can rise, if you study and play other bassists parts. However, being in three original acts, and being a composer as well, I just can't find the time.

Am I missing out, or worse, hurting my development, as a bass player??

Not really. One of the reasons people learn covers early in their development is to practice, and to pick up tricks from other players. You are already performing, and have years of experience. The mechanics and role of the bass is slightly different from guitar, but a lot of of basic techniques and music theory are the same. I only learn covers when I'm not in a band. Then I promptly forget them since I'm not playing them repeatedly.
Don't worry about it.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It can never hurt to learn different music. Unless you are taking lessons, not studying other styles of music and musicians, and you are limiting what you can play. Two reasons the Beatles' music was so diverse was that:

- the musicians (especially Paul) were influenced by many different genres.
- George Martin, who was familiar with many different genres.

I play rock (from all eras), blues, and jazz regularly. I am always learning new things that go into my bag of tricks. Plus (and just as importantly), it's fun to play music you like.

My suggestion. Spend a little time every day. Start picking songs/bassists you like, and learn parts to play along with the recordings.

 

[two fingers]

"I learn a lot more from things I don't like, rather than staying in my comfort zone all the time." ~ Victor Wooten

He comes from soul and funk. But every now and then he learns a death metal song, or a country song, or a folk song, to give himself a different perspective.

That being said, that's the only "benefit" I can see from learning cover songs if your success is there thus far without them.

If you are happy, your band mates are happy, and all of you are proud of the music you're making, there's no need to fix what ain't broke.

 

[SteveCS]

...

Am I missing out, or worse, hurting my development, as a bass player??

IMHO, yes you are, on both counts. Almost all music instruction/education programmes are based around a 'standard' repertoire. The repertoire is graded to ensure progressive and parallel development of broad and solid practical technique (playing the instrument), musical knowledge (theory) and musicianship (interpretation, expression and presentation).
IMHO, you are doing yourself a disservice by not examining the back-catalogue.

 

[mrjim123]

I think you are majorly limiting yourself by not absorbing a lot of influences. There is SO MUCH to learn by emulating styles outside of your own. IMO, you should be able to play a lot of covers that have simple bass lines the first time through, just by having heard the song. If you can't then your musical vocabulary is very limited. Jam along with YouTube, CD's, etc. It will help greatly.

 

[brianrost]

Did you play covers during your guitar years? Most people learn covers when they start out because they are trying to learn how to play music, period, and usually want to play songs they've been listening to.

After that, learning covers (if not needed for gigs) is more to educate yourself in how other bassists approach songs. In jazz, many bassists learn by doing transcriptions. Right now I'm in the middle of transcribing a 15 minute long blues played by Ron Carter simply to get more ideas on how to walk over the blues.

Coming from another instrument you already have some basic knowledge about music, so learning bass for you might be nothing more than getting the technical aspects of fingering down and then using your ears.

 

[hrodbert696]

I guess the question would be, "Missing out..." on what, exactly?

You're missing out on playing the kinds of gigs cover bands get. Whether you would want to play those gigs, or care, is entirely up to you.

As others have said, there can be an instructional quality to learning a song. I assume you listen to music. Do you ever hear a bass line and wish you knew how to play like that? Well, then I'd say sit down and learn the song.

Otherwise, you said you're a hobbyist. People usually take up a hobby for the fun of it. If you think it would be fun to cover a song, then go ahead and do it. If you don't want to, nobody's going to jail or anything.

 

[lermgalieu]

I always eschewed covers for the most part (I was in punk and post-punk original bands for a long time, and the emphasis was ALWAYS on originals, with maybe a random and very rare cover) until I was in my 40's. Now I wish I spent more time learning other peoples' songs when I had more time to do both that and write original stuff. Now it's often a challenge to play ANYthing on a given day. I can't say what's best for you, but my advice would be to learn some of the songs you love.

 

[aprod]

How deep is your theoretical knowledge? When you say you are composing, what does that actually mean? Are you writing out parts for orchestration or creating chord charts? If you are a schooled musician it would have been part of your studies to transpose. So, yes it is beneficial to learn covers.

 

[stigbeve]

I don't think you are missing out if you are having fun with your original bands.