Fool in the ...

[JoeyO]

My band is considering adding fool in the rain to the set list. For the bridge I am playing a fairly fast riff. Learned it by ear and practiced by playing along a few dozen times or more. But the way the piano player is playing his part I cannot seem to fit my riff into his Rhythm. He is adamant his part is correct even when I play my part along with the disc ... I have huge respect for his playing always. 99% he is always correct so I find myself questioning myself even though I think he is wrong in this rare case. Now I could simply modify what I am playing to mesh with his but I'm thinking that is just avoiding the issue instead of confronting it. How do I best go about communicating articulately that what he is playing is not quite right or that what I am playing is more right? ...

 

[lowendfriend]

Record it.

I find that recording live play along with an MP3 "outs" things that don't make sense.

You might try recording your piece over the MP3 and illustrate that it works.

 

[seanm]

Could he be using a live version instead of the studio version? I find that guitarists in particular now learn off youtube videos or live dvds since they can see where the guitar player is playing. Live versions of songs can be quite different from the studio version.

 

[Jason P Bass]

He is adamant his part is correct even when I play my part along with the disc ... I have huge respect for his playing always. 99% he is always correct so I find myself questioning myself even though I think he is wrong in this rare case.

IMO, it doesn't matter if EITHER of you are playing it correctly. What matters is whether the SHOW is entertaining.

If you guys are having a musical clash, it doesn't matter if you are right, or if he is right, or if none of you are right. Tell him that you think that *something* sounds off, and the two of you should sit down and work it out.

It doesn't matter if it's exactly like the LP*. It just has to sound good, and it has to be entertaining to the audience.

* I actually have this album on LP, which is saying something for a young kid like myself, born (nearly) after Zeppelin broke up. I'm just showing off now.

 

[guroove]

What does the drummer have to say about it? FWIW, I've listened to the track a few times, and it shouldn't be that hard. The bass parts move around a little bit, but the emphasis is on the downbeats, except for the 3rd beat where the emphasis moves to an off beat. Keep it simple, listen to the drums, and make it danceable. I wouldn't worry about splitting hairs to make it sound exactly like the album.

 

[prd004]

How about a comprimse? You learn a different bass line that jives with whatever he's playing, and he reworks the part to fit what you are doing. Play them both and let the other band members vote and be done with it.

 

[Skitch it!]

The fast riff little bit I do using opens, much easier, maybe your piano player can't swing?

 

[colcifer]

Could he be using a live version instead of the studio version? I find that guitarists in particular now learn off youtube videos or live dvds since they can see where the guitar player is playing. Live versions of songs can be quite different from the studio version.

There is no live version.

The bass, piano, and guitar play pretty much the same thing for the entire song so see if your guitarist can help the piano man out. Other than the samba section's intro, the piano is a bit buried in the mix so it doesn't surprise me that he'd be having problems (not having heard your band play it, I'm assuming he's wrong rather than you, though the other way around is plausible).

Can you post a recording? It should be noted that if you play so great a song poorly we will all be very cross but be brave and post it anyway.

 

[Floyd Eye]

IMO, it doesn't matter if EITHER of you are playing it correctly. What matters is whether the SHOW is entertaining.

If you guys are having a musical clash, it doesn't matter if you are right, or if he is right, or if none of you are right. Tell him that you think that *something* sounds off, and the two of you should sit down and work it out.

It doesn't matter if it's exactly like the LP*. It just has to sound good, and it has to be entertaining to the audience.

* I actually have this album on LP, which is saying something for a young kid like myself, born (nearly) after Zeppelin broke up. I'm just showing off now.

The young kid has it right. Make it work or drop it from the setlist, period.