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audition issue

thehangingmist

thehangingmist

Dec 14, 2007
6,367
302
New Delhi, India
#1
a little background: i have been playing bass for about 3years now and always was a part of (classic/blues rock) bands where i participated in the songwriting with songwriter hence ALWAYS i knew what the chords were before i had to form my bass lines. now recently i quit the ameture band scene and got an invitation for audition from a fairly popular band in my area.

i talked to the guitarist of the band on phone and he asked me to learn to play he song "all that jazz" and any other song of my choice from the ones uploaded on myspace; and told me that I have to figure out the key and the changes and everything myself

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now this music is not similar to what i was doing all the time earlier but i like their sound and songs. the issue is i cant really hear the bass very clearly at all occasions especially during the added backing vocals. i might be missing out on some slight chord changes too because there aint no guitar or keyboards holding down a riff or chord.
does anyone have tips to give? i am working on the song; and according to my ears the key is Amajor. am right, right?
it would be great if some one could help me with the chorus chords;) so i nail the damn audition and get the gig:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#3
I have a pedal that has a jam along setting. I use that to learn songs wearing a headphone set. I find that I can hear the bass much better and learn the songs faster. If you have a couple of hundred bucks lying around there are some really snazzy units called bass trainers. You can slow the music down rather than trying to learn it and play along at full speed from the start. I have not used one but what I have seen and read about them they look like they would be really great. You might also ask if they use any special tunings if you haven't. I also search the web for tabs. Often you can find them for bass if not the guitar chords will also let you know about the chord changes. I have even seen piano music for songs I have been working on. A little bit tougher to figure out the chord changes from that but if you know music really well you can get the information from that as well.

I have been auditioning like crazy and have not found a thing so good luck.
 
#4
Quite nice bass playing on those myspace clips, and the bassline on "All that jazz" was quite nice, very Jacoish, but I would consider that one pretty difficult no nail. At least for me; I know my chops (mainly my dexterity) are not good enough to play that. However the chords aren't that difficult to figure out, and it wouldn't be that hard to come up with something more simple that fits the music as well. It's pretty much a blues vamp between A and D in the verse that jumps to F - Bb - BØ something in the chorus.

Hope this is of any help. Good luck. :)
 
#5
most bands do not care about the bass lines , only the chord progression do the head note improvise a bit the line and you're set, I had auditions in the past for authoral bands that I did not know no band's music , and had to catch at the moment by ear and "guitar chord" sighting ;) lol,
learn the head notes the chords and don't worry about.
if you cannot do exactly the song do your best, that music seems to be a standard for what they are looking for a BP, not difficult and the bass miss the tempo a bit in some parts , do your workout and you can it do better ;)
 
#6
firstly, hey thanks for replying guys! yeah i wouldnt really be playing the same ditto bass lines but i would stay around the original ones especially in terms of the feel.

Deacon_Blues said:
. However the chords aren't that difficult to figure out, and it wouldn't be that hard to come up with something more simple that fits the music as well. It's pretty much a blues vamp between A and D in the verse that jumps to F - Bb - BØ something in the chorus.

Hope this is of any help. Good luck. :)
Click to expand...

hey does it really jump to F in the chorus?:confused: its way past midnight i would check in the morning. but the chorus chords are sounding simple yet tricky to me:atoz:
 
#10
varunkapahi said:
firstly, hey thanks for replying guys! yeah

hey does it really jump to F in the chorus?:confused: its way past midnight i would check in the morning. but the chorus chords are sounding simple yet tricky to me:atoz:
Click to expand...

yes, well not necessarily to F as I haven't got the time to listen to it for more than a second, but it deff modulates to the chorus.
 
#12
Yeah, I've had a couple of listens...

The verse starts on A (5th fret E string) with an octave jump to A and then G followed by a little chromatic run from B up to D. Then starting on the D up another octave drop back to C (5th fret G string) and another little chromatic run from F# back to A (this time in 16th's)

Chorus drops down to F up a fourth to Bb then up a semitone to B then up a fourth to E, then repeats but drops back to do a little run A,B,C,D,E instead of going straight to the E on the second time through.

Could be wrong but I'm at work in my lunch hour so...maybe I will try it when I've got a bass nearby.

Good luck with the audition, they are a nice sounding band...if I was in New Delhi I'd audition myself....I come to Bangalore quite often, does that help ;)
 
#13
thanks everyone
and Jools4001, i sat for a couple of hours this afternoon here and i figured out the song pretty much completely (wishing i had read your post before i cracked my head but the good thing is somewhere it must have improved me)

chorus chords turned out to be F/A#/B/E i wanted to confirm but Jools4001's post confirmed it already:). i think i can nail this song pretty much now. am half prepared with the bus song too ; there is almost a whole week for the audition i would do it well :D
 

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