Good times by Chic, a difficult bass line??

[Music_for_life]

I can play faster than that, but damm you need good precise, groovy playing, what do you think about this bass line and how do you approch it?

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

no. It's just got a good groove.

How do I approach it? Hard to say - I just play it (I've been playing that sound in bands for a many years)

 

[DWBass]

Difficult? Nope! Plenty folks play it wrong though!

 

[dougjwray]

It's one of my all-time favorites.

How do you approach it? Play along with the recording until you are so fused with Bernard Edwards's brain and fingers that you can't hear yourself anymore. Timing and touch are the key. Speed is irrelevant.

 

[bottomzone]

It's really not difficult and is probably one of the easier Chic bass lines to play. Here is a sample page from the sheet music:

Musicnotes.com: Unsupported Browser or Operating System


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

 

[Chrisk-K]

It's really not difficult and is probably one of the easier Chic bass lines to play. Here is a sample page from the sheet music:

Musicnotes.com: Unsupported Browser or Operating System

The bass line is completely wrong in measure 4!

So many play the iconic bass line but I've yet to see a single person play it correctly with the right feel.

 

[DWBass]

The bass line is completely wrong in measure 4!

So many play the iconic bass line but I've yet to see a single person play it correctly with the right feel.

I'll see if I can find a recording of me playing it. Been playing it since it came out back in the 70's. If not, I'll try to record me playing it over the weekend. Trust me, I am one with that bassline!

 

[Chrisk-K]

I'll see if I can find a recording of me playing it. Been playing it since it came out back in the 70's. If not, I'll try to record me playing it over the weekend. Trust me, I am one with that bassline!

Please!

I can play it note for note. But something's just not right with my playing. I've watched the live video (Live at Budokkan) thousands time but cannot pinpoint exactly what Bernard is doing in measure 4, feel-wise.

 

[waynobass]

I think it's difficult near the end. To my ear, there's a quick bend, followed by a flurry of fast notes.

(I'm not looking at someone else's transcription. Those are wrong more often than not.)

 

[scatman]

In Bar 4 of the lick, you have to from F# to G via the open A!

The "via the open A" part is difficult!

 

[bassplayerbob]

My band just started playing this tune. We slip a little sugarhill gang in for fun too

 

[bassplayerbob]

I think this is pretty close
Intro
G||-----------------------|--------------------------|----------------------|
D||*----------------------|--------------------0--2--|----------------------|
A||*----------------------|-----------0--2--4--------|--0----0----0-------0-|
E||---0----0----0-------0-|---0-1--2-----------------|----------------------|


Play several times
------------------------------|
--2---2---4--4---------------*|
----0---0-------0------------*|
--------------------0-4-2-1---|


Verse

|-----------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|
|-----------------------|-------------------------|---------------------2-|
|---------------------7-|-------------------------|--0----0----0----0-----|
|--0----0----0----0-----|---0-0--0----0----0--1h2-|-----------------------|


|------------------2------||
|---------------------2-4-||
|--0----0----0---0--------||
|-------------------------||

 

[bassplayerbob]

Then there's this dude playing it...
You Play Along! - Good Times - Chic

 

[DWBass]

Then there's this dude playing it...
You Play Along! - Good Times - Chic

He's playing it correctly. I play it the same way.

 

[funkygroover694]

i think the main riff is more like:

E|0-0-0---0-2-3---------------5-5-5------5-5-------------5
A|----------------0-2-4-5-7-------------------------------
D|---------------------------------------------0-4-0-5-4---
G|----------------------------------------------------------

E|--------2------------------------------------------------
A|-0-2-0---------------------------------------------------
D|----------------------------------------------------------
G|----------------------------------------------------------

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

Please!

I've watched the live video (Live at Budokkan) thousands time but cannot pinpoint exactly what Bernard is doing in measure 4, feel-wise.

Sadly, In all of this, that was Bernard's last performance. He died sometime during the night soon after.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Sadly, In all of this, that was Bernard's last performance. He died sometime during the night soon after.

He died like 6 hours after the show. An antibiotic pill could have saved his life

The guy in the above video plays the line correctly! Bernard played the E note on the A string and the F# & G notes on the D string.

 

[bottomzone]

The bass line is completely wrong in measure 4!

So many play the iconic bass line but I've yet to see a single person play it correctly with the right feel.

You are absolutely correct!!! I didn't realize until this morning-that music is for piano! Here is a transcription of the bass part:

Invalid Link Removed

And here is the website with more nice transcriptions:

Invalid Link Removed


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

 

[bass12]

He's playing it correctly. I play it the same way.

YES! SO many people play that line incorrectly - it's great to see that there are others out there who hear it the same way I do. For the record, Bernard did vary the line during live performances sometimes but, as far as the studio version is concerned, that's it.

 

[longfinger]

You are absolutely correct!!! I didn't realize until this morning-that music is for piano! Here is a transcription of the bass part:

Invalid Link Removed

And here is the website with more nice transcriptions:

Invalid Link Removed


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

Wow, Amazing website! Thanks for sharing that.