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Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies - The 'F' and a Half mystery ...

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous [BG]' started by Wwarrior, Jun 28, 2018.

  1. Jun 28, 2018 #1
    Wwarrior

    Wwarrior

    Dec 7, 2014
    Sydney
    Has anyone ever tried playing this bass line and noticed that you have to pull the "F" about halfway to get "F" plus 50 cents to get it right ?

    It happens for me on both the E and the A string when F is played. I thought at first it was a tuning artifact during recording or something else but it really seems like John is playing midway between the "F" and F" Sharp.

    All the other notes are fine for me - Just that F note.

    The other instruments aren't playing the same notes during that section - it's just the bass line. I've listened to a number of recordings and my own CD of it and they are all the same.

    I simply pull that F to get it right in both places and it sounds fine.

    I'd welcome anyone's thoughts on it as I've never really heard any other songs that have that in it.

     
  2. Jul 2, 2018 #2
    RoadRanger

    RoadRanger Supporting Member

    Feb 18, 2004
    NE CT
    I "see" the whole song as being about 65 cents sharp on my "Transcribe!" program. Songs from that era are often mastered at a different speed than they were recorded at.
     
  3. Jul 2, 2018 #3
    Mushroo

    Mushroo Guest

    Apr 2, 2007
    Sounds sped up to me. Listen to Lindsey's voice.
     
    RoadRanger likes this.
  4. Jul 2, 2018 #4
    RoadRanger

    RoadRanger Supporting Member

    Feb 18, 2004
    NE CT
    I usually pitch shift songs back to A440 so I can play along with them without retuning. i just had to do:
    Burnin' Sky - Bad Company (+25 cents)
     
    sears likes this.
  5. Jul 2, 2018 #5
    Wwarrior

    Wwarrior

    Dec 7, 2014
    Sydney
    Hmm - I don't think it is though. All the other notes are fine. I do agree that that one note could be 65 c higher, but all the others I think are on the money.

    Here is a screenshot of them playing it live where he is just playing the F# - But on the Album, that note is slightly lower, being (to me anyway), F +50c.

    I'd love anyone to grab a bass and try that note to match it.

    2.jpg
     
  6. Jul 2, 2018 #6
    Wwarrior

    Wwarrior

    Dec 7, 2014
    Sydney
    Yeah - I have to do that with a few Beatles tunes and some VH songs.

    I believe with the Beatles they did speed a few things up, but with the VH tracks, I think Michael just used to tune to Eddys guitar !

    A few others I've had to retune are - Our Lips Are Sealed by The Go-Go's
    and The Boys are Back in Town.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2018
  7. Jul 3, 2018 #7
    lz4005

    lz4005

    Oct 22, 2013
    I just did. The whole song's about a quarter tone off of standard. Not only that one note.
     
    RoadRanger likes this.
  8. Jul 3, 2018 #8
    RoadRanger

    RoadRanger Supporting Member

    Feb 18, 2004
    NE CT
    Not according to my spectrum analyser..
     
  9. Jul 4, 2018 #9
    Wwarrior

    Wwarrior

    Dec 7, 2014
    Sydney
    So, lower the whole song 25 C ?
     
  10. Jul 4, 2018 #10
    RoadRanger

    RoadRanger Supporting Member

    Feb 18, 2004
    NE CT
    50 cents - a half tone (one fret) is 100 cents, a whole tone (two frets) is 200 cents. As I mentioned above I measured it as being about 65 cents sharp using the spectrum analyzer in the "Transcribe!" program.

    I share my pitch shifted songs with the rest of the band(s) - it makes it much more likely that they will learn them right too. I wish I could share with youse guys but 'taint legal :( . I do mostly rehearse with my Tascam MP-BT1 which can pitch shift and loop sections - but find it quicker to just have all the songs already in the key we play them in so I can jump from one to the next without lots of button pushing :) .

    Another common "out of tune" song is "Mustang Sally" which is 20 cents out - might explain why it is both one of the most hated AND butchered song. I love playing it with competent guitarists who have actually learned the two guitar lines and a vocalist who doesn't try to cut the first verse short.

    I should start a topic about the most butchered "open mic" and "jam" songs LOL. I so hate open mics / jams - being in 5 or 7 bands I don't have to lower myself to those to get my "fixes" :cool:.
     
  11. Jul 4, 2018 #11
    Wwarrior

    Wwarrior

    Dec 7, 2014
    Sydney
    Okies - I'll try and shift it down 65 cents and see how we go.

    I also shift out of pitch songs down for the other band members.

    It's really odd but I just played it against the original and all the bass notes are perfect while I'm playing it - Except that odd F (plus) note.

    I even made absolutely certain my bass was tuned using a digital tuner at bang on 440..
    I'll see what it sounds like a bit lower.

    I did notice on the studio version that the other instruments don't appear to play that note - namely the guitar and keys seem to play something different.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2018