It's basically like a sports team. They all work out individually, and practice throwing a football and tackling, but you still practice as a team.
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Can you play Sir Duke?
- Thread starter MarkMcCombs
- Start date
Thanks to John and Howard. Really, the more I listen to my recording, the less I like it. I guess that comes with hearing yourself do anything before you really get good at it.
And to those of you discussing band rehersal strategies, thanks. I have nothing to really add, but it's all very interesting.
And to those of you discussing band rehersal strategies, thanks. I have nothing to really add, but it's all very interesting.
I had "Sir Duke" playing on the boom-box yesterday while I was playing basketball with some friends. The thing that I noticed, as was mentioned earlier in the thread, was that those instrumental sections are very cool but the riffs that Nathan Watts does at the end of the song are the coolest part of his bass line.
I was in a 9-piece funk band (4 horns, yeah baby) that played "Sir Duke" and "I Wish" back to back as the are on Songs In The Key Of Life. I sang "Sir Duke" to give the lead singer in the band a break. It's one of the hardest songs I've ever performed where I had to sing the lead part and play bass. I really, really like what Nathan Watts did with this tune when they recorded it, and I'd stick very close to a note-for-note recreation of it when playing it live. The challenge is to get the massively hip feel of the tune and then sing the vocal bit over that. I spent some time in the shed marked "wood" to get this one down.
It's one thing to be able to play the notes, it's an entirely different thing to be able to make it feel good.
It's one thing to be able to play the notes, it's an entirely different thing to be able to make it feel good.
Originally posted by beermonkey
But of course!
I can feel it all over.
Nice one
It's a pretty high song to sing - I've sung it live before, actually, I think I did ok. I was playing piano rather than bass though.awesome thread...after reading this yesterday I went straight home and learned the riff. I've always wanted to but figured it was too hard. It's kind of tricky in parts but not nearly as bad as I thought it'd be. Maybe i'll try to record it and post it...
awesome song, bass, horns, melody, etc. etc. Stevie is the man!
awesome song, bass, horns, melody, etc. etc. Stevie is the man!
Done well Mock Turtle, your rendition is so smooth!
It always amazes me how good it is at getting the crowd going at gigs, ah if only pop was like this these days ....
Here's my attempt, I fear it speeds up towards the end though, arghh!!
It always amazes me how good it is at getting the crowd going at gigs, ah if only pop was like this these days
....Here's my attempt, I fear it speeds up towards the end though, arghh!!
hey, all the clips you guys recorded sound really cool. One thing to think about though, is that comin from playin a horn, I did alot of reading. My last music teacher drilled us for not really making accents and hats (^) stand out in music.
if you listen to the horns play, and the bass for that matter, you really get to hear what notes are accented, and thats what really gets the feel to the song. My teacher actually use to make us sit there and ghost through the sections of music only playin accents and hats.
Forget about missing a Sfz, crescendo or decrescendo... that was just rough!
if you listen to the horns play, and the bass for that matter, you really get to hear what notes are accented, and thats what really gets the feel to the song. My teacher actually use to make us sit there and ghost through the sections of music only playin accents and hats.
Forget about missing a Sfz, crescendo or decrescendo... that was just rough!
Thread necromancy, I know but
I've loved that unison part for years but could never figure it out. I read that, grabbed my bass, thought "B pent with a minor 3rd here and there" and hot damn...easy money!
This was actually the first non rock-oriented song I learned, and I liked it so much, I practiced and practiced and now I can play the whole song without thinking, just sit back and groove. It actually really helped me learn, because it was like the most important link to all the guys I admired on youtube and my different teachers. It was the song that bridged me into learning a bunch of harder songs.
I don't play it by heart but I've read and played the chart a couple of times in different keys when I played as a sideman in a show band.
Just had a listen - yup, you're right, he doesn't drop an octave like the horns do. I'm not convinced he plays a D# though
He plays a D#, and had to bend up to hit the note, as he played a Fender P, tuned to Eb.
Read it in a Watts interview within the past 3 years or so.
bongomania
Commercial User
So that would be about two years after moley posted his comment!
Glad I could help.
So that would be about two years after moley posted his comment!
More like 7 years!!
I learned this tune back in the 80's. It's fairly difficult but nothing to pull your hair out over. If you are working on learning Sir Duke just take it slowly and a few bars at a time.
