Get Down Tonight: microtonal?

[BassUrges]

For the funkmeisters of TB, a question.

I bought the sheet music for Get Down Tonight, because yes, I buy sheet music for funk (my ear is not all that it could be). There are a bunch of sections that look like the picture below, with an A marked with a descending slide.

I have struggled to make this sound right compared to the recording. At first I though the problem was playing on fretless, so I switched to fretted, and it got worse. I tried playing it as a Bb, no good. So I tried bending it up, and it was a bit better.

Back to fretless, I'm sliding up a bit to get something in between A and Bb, and I think it's close.

Am I crazy here or is that actually 25-30 cents sharp in the recording?

 

[SteveCS]

@Whousedtoplay
One for you, my friend...

 

[Whousedtoplay]

@Whousedtoplay
One for you, my friend...

...

 

[Whousedtoplay]

For the funkmeisters of TB, a question.

I bought the sheet music for Get Down Tonight, because yes, I buy sheet music for funk (my ear is not all that it could be). There are a bunch of sections that look like the picture below, with an A marked with a descending slide.

View attachment 3662481

I have struggled to make this sound right compared to the recording. At first I though the problem was playing on fretless, so I switched to fretted, and it got worse. I tried playing it as a Bb, no good. So I tried bending it up, and it was a bit better.

Back to fretless, I'm sliding up a bit to get something in between A and Bb, and I think it's close.

Am I crazy here or is that actually 25-30 cents sharp in the recording?

I think I've found that spot. It's at 0:52 on the recording.
Nothing serious. I'll get back later today.

 

[bass12]

I'm not hearing it. To me it sounds like an obvious A. That's after a quick listen though. It could very well be that the note is a little sharp. Even a properly intonated bass doesn't play perfectly in tune right up the neck.

 

[Mushroo]

Maybe your ear is reacting to the dissonance between the bass and the vocal? The melody note is Eb which forms a tritone with the A in the bass (outlining the 3rd and the b7th of the chord). This is a classic "bluesy" dissonance.

 

[BassUrges]

I’m not saying it sounds sharp to my ear when listening (my ear is not that good). I’m saying when I play along with the recording, the A from my amp doesn’t seem to match the sound from the recording.

The two notes, played simultaneously, sound different to me.

 

[BassUrges]

But also, it goes by fast.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

But also, it goes by fast.

I hear the following notes:
Beat 3 - A
Beat 4 - two 16th notes - G , F, followed by one 8th note- Eb.

 

[BassUrges]

I hear the following notes:
Beat 3 - A
Beat 4 - two 16th notes - G , F, followed by one 8th note- Eb.

That's sort of slide-ish, so almost correct as written.

I'll have another go at it if I can finish up this paperwork.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

That's sort of slide-ish, so almost correct as written.

I'll have another go at it if I can finish up this paperwork.

For my ears, it’s a clearly pronounced phrase - notes on the last beat - two 16ths - G and F - a slide, followed by the 8th note of Eb - most probably, Hammered.
Also, in that particular measure, the bass does not play G G# to A.
It plays two G’s and then , A.

 

[BassUrges]

I cannot begin to hear this level of detail in a mix, which is why I get sheet music.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I cannot begin to hear this level of detail in a mix, which is why I get sheet music.

Should you have any other questionable spots, please, let me know.

 

[BassUrges]

Thank you! This particular riff appears repeatedly, I just grabbed the first one I saw. I suppose all of them are slightly different, but if I can get it to where it doesn't sound weird to my ears, I can be a little loose with the note-for-note-iness.

The real goal here is I'm trying to convince a bunch of Suzuki strings kids to do this at the recital in May...that would put me on an upright with a bow and all the classical kids trying to figure out what "stank" is.

 

[LeeNunn]

I cannot begin to hear this level of detail in a mix, which is why I get sheet music.

Given the choice of sheet music and WUTP, I go with the latter.

 

[bass12]

I cannot begin to hear this level of detail in a mix, which is why I get sheet music.

Sheet music for this stuff almost invariably contains mistakes, which is why it’s important to use your ears regardless. All kinds of funny things can happen with sound when it comes to any given mix and sometimes your ear can get tricked. In a situation like the one you’re describing I wouldn’t sweat it. The chances of you being able to reproduce exactly what’s on the recording (in terms of sonic subtlety) are very slim. Don’t lose your mind by falling down the rabbit hole that is chasing a recording’s tone.

 

[yodedude2]

Thank you! This particular riff appears repeatedly, I just grabbed the first one I saw. I suppose all of them are slightly different....

agree that there are lots of differences in this 'repeated' riff in that recording. there is a bit of improv going on there.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Given the choice of sheet music and WUTP, I go with the latter.

Thank you Lee for your kind words, but I think the people officially-transcribing music parts, selling sheet music, can easily hear the same notes. It’s more about their superficial approach to the work of transcribing.
They hear that G G# A in several spots - it means, everywhere, the bass plays the same.
If it’s a glissando - the customers would figure out on their own.
I love music and I love digging into some details of the bass line nuances.

 

[BassUrges]

I wish I could hear that well. I do reasonably well with melodies, but non-melodic stuff is a struggle for me.

 

[red_rhino]

But also, it goes by fast.

It was probably a mistake they forgot to fix in post-production.