Submission Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives

[Jloch86]

Classic song. Very difficult to play exactly the way Andrew played on the record if you're not used to the tricky timing and nuances of reggae style bass playing.

Because of the simple chord progression (like so many reggae songs), there's lots of room for fills and rhythmic variation, which Andrew takes advantage of. This leads me to believe this line was improvised, which raises the difficulty for those who wish to play it note for note.

PS - Just so happens my wife was watching the detectives on Law and Order while I made this, which you can see in the background

 

[Thuddy Waters]

Classic song. Very difficult to play exactly the way Andrew played on the record if you're not used to the tricky timing and nuances of reggae style bass playing.

Because of the simple chord progression (like so many reggae songs), there's lots of room for fills and rhythmic variation, which Andrew takes advantage of. This leads me to believe this line was improvised, which raises the difficulty for those who wish to play it note for note.

PS - Just so happens my wife was watching the detectives on Law and Order while I made this, which you can see in the background

Thanks Fusilli Jerry! You are doing the lord's work!

 

[tonym]

Fusilli Jerry, this is fantastic! You are knocking it out of the park!

 

[Jloch86]

Fusilli Jerry, this is fantastic! You are knocking it out of the park!

Thank you, sir! I really appreciate that.

 

[slagheap]

Man, you've got fortitude. One could go batty trying to play/memorize it note-for-note. Thinking about Willie Weeks, his stuff is like that, too. I get about a third of the way through trying to nail something by him and then it's just, like, " Are you kidding me? When is he going to repeat something, anything? "

 

[subbeh]

Top, top work there, always been a favourite of mine and you really nailed it. I'd have been happy enough watching the excellent job you did covering it but providing the notation as well? thanks and thanks again!

 

[Coughdrops]

Nice work. I've always flipped at how much I love the sound of this record and the drum fills are just boobies!

 

[JJR58]

Wow!!!!!!, just smokin, great job!

 

[Lowendtech]

Love this song. Great work.

 

[Inky13]

Wow! I wish every song could be charted like this.

 

[OrangeGlow]

Thanks for this Jerry Fusilli! I was listening to KUTX this morning and they played this tune and it caught my ear. I turned it up and honed in on the bass part. It's pretty awesome. I went looking for the notation and found yours here on TalkBass. Super appreciate it! I'm going to have fun with this one!

 

[Intenzity]

I am feeling the tempo at half the 133, so those are eighths not quarters for me, just because it’s a (sort of) reggae tune and 133 would be blisteringly fast for something like that.

And if you count it like that you can feel the drums doing 2 and 4 there also.

 

[ChrisDev]

I am feeling the tempo at half the 133, so those are eighths not quarters for me, just because it’s a (sort of) reggae tune and 133 would be blisteringly fast for something like that.

And if you count it like that you can feel the drums doing 2 and 4 there also.

Feel is the important word here.
It's 133 in half-time feel. Quite typical for reggae
I have the same as Jerry: Elvis Costello - Watching the detectives | Bass Transcription | Andrew Bodnar