This looks like a great tool for learning songs. I get all my music from Spotify. Can I upload my songs from Spotify to this device? If I can, I’m sold! Thanks for the post!
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China Grove
- Thread starter Kipp Harrington
- Start date
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
Check Tascam's website. They have similar products. Here is a link to a Guitar / Bass trainer.
Invalid Link Removed
I'm thinking...the "main" riff is all C# (no C).
The only C (I'm remembering) is the walk-up A-A#-B-C right before the chorus. Find the VERSE, count 11 bars in (C is tied over to the following Bar).
Looking at a pretty accurate transcription, I do see another C used a chromatic approach; he going from E to C#...so he plays B-C-C#.
Find the VERSE, count 8 bars in-
The Doobie Brothers - China Grove | Bass Transcription | Tiran Porter
The above link does not show the Key Signature...
The Key Signature for "China Grove" has 4 Sharps ( F#-C#-G#-D#)...the note that is 'out' is the D.
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That makes sense to me, probably the tab is just wrong. (trying to over complicate the actual line)
Can you open the Link above? It is pretty accurate.
FWIW, nice to know you are studying this song, Tiran Porter, etc.
My HS garage band did a lot of Doobies...I never got the rhythm 100% correct for the verses in "China Grove".
The guitarist/keyboardist in this band nailed the solo, though. Same for the solo in "Another Park, Another Sunday". Thinking back, that was pretty damn good for a 16-year old (& he is still making money playing music around here).
FWIW, nice to know you are studying this song, Tiran Porter, etc.
My HS garage band did a lot of Doobies...I never got the rhythm 100% correct for the verses in "China Grove".
The guitarist/keyboardist in this band nailed the solo, though. Same for the solo in "Another Park, Another Sunday". Thinking back, that was pretty damn good for a 16-year old (& he is still making money playing music around here).
Smartphone can have any number of metronome and tuner apps (true, tuning bass with app is worse), and there are apps to slow down / change pitch etc. And on smartphone you can just download a file and work on it, no steps to put files on card.
Old gizmo had a stereo microphone option, which is a killer feature for band practices for bassist, because recording on any phone gives low farts or nothing at all to listen to afterwards. Don't know why they had not added it here. And then I guess it is possible to record and slow down to let everybody hear a flam / wrong note; or pitch shift to try a different key.
This thing has instrument "in" instead of microphones, and overdub mode, but I guess it is not needed much for bassists, maybe for bassist / singers (but how to record voice then?). After playing and recording bass line, what, play it over again on overdub? Maybe if there are different effects, but I see no effects listed.
IMO old gizmo was a better tool, with music and practice / rehearsal in mind, new one is "feature-rich" but features are just lines on advertisement, and can be had for less money in different arrangements.
Edit: see effects; well, overdub makes more sense then.
Kipp, now is a good time as any to start...
... yard work, or sight reading... your call.
Lol. Not too lazy to do yard work. Notation... I’ll stick to trusting my ears.
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
I don't know about China Grove but I remember when they had Weeks in the band they would funk up Listen To The Music and some other songs a bit.Thoughts?
In concert, did Tiran Porter play "China Grove" exactly like the recording? Or were there some variations?
How about Willie Weeks...did he play "China Grove" just like the recording?
(Rhetorical questions because I do not really recall or know).
I used to be anal about playing it 'exactly like the recording' until I heard enough live performances (including local cover bands) where they was variation/improvisation & the songs killed. Sometimes, I heard the live version first & then I was let down by the recorded version.
I think I expect some variation...let's me know that the player is thinking & is in the moment vs. auto-pilot.
YMMV.
@Kipp Harrington
(Using the transcription from above)
Run down before verse: E D C# B A G-G#E
Verse bar 10: B D# F# G# F# D# B
Verse bar 11: A____ A A# B C______
(Using the transcription from above)
Run down before verse: E D C# B A G-G#E
Verse bar 10: B D# F# G# F# D# B
Verse bar 11: A____ A A# B C______
For iPhone it seems to be easier. There are things called iRig; this is external audio card I guess. Have no idea if it is Android-compatible. Plus, it costs so a specialized device would be not much cheaper.
My point was that with microphones old gizmo was much more convenient.
That isolated bass track sounds like a guy jamming his behind off. I would be very surprised if they ever played it the same way twice. I would try and capture the essence of the track rather than a solid note-for-note transcription. Your audience won't spot the difference, but if you play it by slogging away on the root notes then they might notice that the 'feel' is off.
I never thought of it that way. Yeah, if the track sounds like he was purely “jamming” for the most part, it more than likely will not be replicated (note for note). I have pretty much the whole song down now and I’d say I’ve got about 85-90% of it like the recording Thanks for the input.
It is just a thought, really. I remember somebody on here trying to learn Bill Wyman's endlessly evolving bass lines in Miss You. For my own part I'm going to try and learn the bass part to 'Songs from the Wood' by Jethro Tull. The difference is that the Tull bassist had a very set, composed part to play. It is complex, but it is hard-written.
For me, the China Grove bass line has some 'tropes' rather than either completely improvised sections (like Chris Hillman's lines on Renaissance Fair by the Byrds), but the bass lines aren't set in stone. I notice some Motown-esque traits in the bass parts, and even a bit of chord work! Quite an interesting bass line.
We're contemplating a set of Tull tunes, with 'Bouree', and others featured... BL is both accomplished pianist, and sounds equally awesome on the flute...
... never was a true Tull fan, but I love learning their bass lines, as they're both challenging to learn and fun to play.
Good points. Yes, I definitely found it challenging. I picked up the bass about 6 months ago and some stuff I’m learning leaves me scratching my head. It’s a healthy frustration though. I really appreciate and enjoy playing the bass. I think I’m addicted! Lol.
