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Help me out with "Seven Nation Army"

pklima

pklima

Commercial User
May 2, 2003
8,468
7,070
Kraków, Polska
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Karoryfer Samples
#1
This is completely true: a girl just asked me to help her make a dubstep version of "Seven Nation Army". Trouble is, I'm not really into classic rock. I haven't heard this song except for about 30 seconds of a country cover - Oak Ridge Boys, I think?

So, please tell me whatever it is I need to know about this song to make a dubstep version. Or I'll have to make a dubstep version based on vague memories of a country version.
 
#3
Listening to it first might help. Look it up on Youtube. If you're confident in your ability to change the rhythm around to put the main riff into a dubstep rhythmic context, than you're set.

Personally, I'm finding dubstep a little hackneyed these days. I know it's the latest thing weven if it's been that way for years now), but aside from bass wobble, big half-time beats, and epic-sounding string pads behind it, there doesn't seem to be anything there. There also don't seem to be many ways to vary the basic phenotype of it, which
is why I think the process should be easy enough for you.

That said, my personal taste is only my business. Best of luck with it, and enjoy!

Also, this post is in the wrong forum, SNA isn't a classic rock song, and I get the feeling that this a troll thread..... hence it being in the "jokes" section. To be honest, the entire concept of making dubstep mixes out of anything is trolling, IMO.
 
#4
"Seven Nation Army" is the new "Smoke on the Water". It would take you less than 10 minutes to learn. It's by The White Stripes and came out around 2002.

Now you have me searching for the Oak Ridge Boys version on YouTube.

Edit: Sweet Jesus. It really exists.
 
#5
Wasnt it played on a guitar originally. ..I thought I read that somewhere. Incidentally, to play smoke on the water correct it actually takes more than 10 minutes. Alot of 8th note passages that are different every time and the solo section is kind of a long non repeating run that changes key from G to C but is different every measure. Hell the bass doesnt even play the patented guitar riff which mostly people are alluding to...lol
 
#10
jamminology101 said:
Wasnt it played on a guitar originally. ..I thought I read that somewhere. Incidentally, to play smoke on the water correct it actually takes more than 10 minutes. Alot of 8th note passages that are different every time and the solo section is kind of a long non repeating run that changes key from G to C but is different every measure. Hell the bass doesnt even play the patented guitar riff which mostly people are alluding to...lol
Click to expand...

That's true about the bass line on "Smoke". I was comparing "Smoke" and "Seven" because the main riffs are super easy and instantly recognizable.

If a band covers "Seven", the bass would play the main riff. There's nothing else for bass to do in that song.
 
#15
bassinplace said:
It's a dirt simple ostinato. YouTube it and you'll have it learned in less than 10 minutes.
Click to expand...

10 minutes? Really? Does something different happen after the first 30 seconds that I would need to pay attention to? And do I need to look up the original? Or can I just go by the first 30 seconds of the Oak Ridge Boys version?
Blue_Whistle88 said:
Also, this post is in the wrong forum, SNA isn't a classic rock song, and I get the feeling that this a troll thread..... hence it being in the "jokes" section. To be honest, the entire concept of making dubstep mixes out of anything is trolling, IMO.
Click to expand...

It's all true though. A girl really did ask me to make a dubstep version of a song that I've only heard 30 seconds of a country cover of. I could have some fun with that. And since I remember reading that the original had no bass, let's ask bassists for advice how to do this.
 
#16
It's really the same riff over and over again. E - G - E - D - C - B. Except in the chorus it adds a little skip back to the D: E - G - E - D -C - D - C - B, and then ends the chorus (low) G... A.... and back to the main riff. That's the whole song. I think the original was recorded in guitar using an octave pedal.
 
#17
pklima said:
...Or I'll have to make a dubstep version based on vague memories of a country version.
Click to expand...

...or you could look the original up on YouTube.

The hardest part of this, however, is sitting still and listening for approximately three-to-four minutes. There is also the part where the riff changes slightly. So I can totally understand that you'd prefer to have us give you a precis of the song.
 
#18
Ugh, little skips in the chorus. That means I might have to listen to the whole thing after all, which is too bad because I was hoping to be as clueless and confused as possible. It's more fun that way. Do I really have to listen to the original though? Can I just listen to the whole Oak Ridge Boys version instead? Or does that not have the same little skips?

Fortunately I asked what kind of dubstep she wants and she sends me the A-Trak remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll". Now I got confusion to spare.
 

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