I want to tackle some RUSH.

I'm curious as well. I'd also like to have a go at some Rush songs, but I've always just backed off: "Geddy Lee? No WAY can I play like that guy!" Well, that line of thinking has so far only made me not even attempt it. Time to change that...

 

Leave that thing alone-Studio Version

Not that hard at all, and fun to play still.

There is easier stuff, but then it's just boring crap like most songs.

 

I thought no way as well...but tried it. New World Man, Distant Early Warning, Free Will even the bass solo isn't impossible. For most of the songs its the speed, practice to build speed. Some tunes it's timing and that takes work.

 

Geddy plays fancy and cool enough, but most of it is'nt realy that hard to play, as geddy is mostly an melodic and not a "look at how fast and hard i can play this" bass player.

But still, trying to play and sing "big money" seems like hard work. In fact, that is where the hard stuff in rush-tunes shows up.
Singing the song (In my octave range wich is like... 5 below Geddy): fair enough.. Most of the basslines: Fair enough. Singing and playing at the same time: This is when things get tough.

 

I haven't really studied much Geddy either. I plan on it, he's one of my favorite players, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I dunno, maybe something off the first album? Working Man? Finding My Way?

 

Limelight is a pretty easy one to pick up if you get the timing down. I don't usually put much effort into covers and I can play it decently...freakin awesome song too =)

 

Distant Early Warning is pretty easy, plus it's really fun to play.

 

Subdivisions isn't too hard.

 

Bravado
The Pass
Turn The Page


















(ok, just the first two)

 

One of the first songs I ever learned growing up was Distant Early Warning. Really fun to play.

Working Man is pretty simple and groovy, and it'll help you with stamina to keep the same groove the whole time.

Tom Sawyer is also pretty easy once you get the hang of that bass riff during the guitar solo. YYZ is still a challenge to me after all the years. I can play it, but I can't play it smooth the way Ged does, and it's got some really fast passages that make it tough. It's a lot tougher if you're lazy like me; I don't play Rush covers outside my living room so I don't have the motivation to get it down tight.

I also recommend Red Barchetta. It's a great song, most of the bassline is easy but it's still got some fancy parts to it to make it interesting to Geddy fans.

 

These are the ones I leaned when I was in my Rush phase (1979 - 1989) - I think these are all worth learning (obviously). They cover the spectrum from pretty easy to complex (relatively speaking).

The ones in bold I think are pretty good starter tunes.

From their eponymous album:
What You're Doing
In the Mood
Working Man

Fly By Night:
Fly By Night
Anthem

Caress of Steel:
Lakeside Park
The Fountian Of Lamneth
Bastille Day

2112:
A Passage To Bangkok
(I) Overture
(II) The Temples Of Syrinx
(III) Discovery
(IV) Presentation
(V) Oracle: The Dream
(VI) Soliloquy
(VII) Grand Finale

A Farewell to Kings:
Closer To The Heart

Hemispheres:
Hemispheres
Circumstances
The Trees
La Villa Strangiato

Permanent Waves:
The Spirit Of Radio
Freewill

Moving Pictures:
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
Vital Signs

Subdivisions:
New World Man

Then they lost me... Sorry...

 

I've been kind of surprised in the few Rush songs I've learned, in that they're not too hard.
One band I was in did Working Man. That was pretty easy, I also had to sing it too, which wasn't so bad.
My band now is doing, By-Tor and The Snow Dog, 2112 Overture through Grand Finale, and Something For Nothing. The hardest part is getting everybody tight. But as far as the playing itself, it's not too bad.

 

Know what's an easy song to try? The Color Of Right, from Test For Echo. It's got a nice, midtempo groove, not complicated at all, a good song for a beginner on the verge of being an intermediate player. Give it a try!

Rush - The Color of Right - YouTube

 

Work out the Overture from 2112, which will teach you the basics to all the other movements. From there you could probably get through the entire song without too much trouble.

 

The first one I did was Fly by Night.

 

Just take it slow, like anything else, practice and time.

Also, this is a biggie. Learn 'Blues' modal patterns Geddy Lee uses a lot of blues licks in his playing. Perfect example is 'Roll the Bones" from the album of the same name. That song is based on G minor blues.

 

Don't ever say you cannot emulate someone. That will only hold you back.

 

There is a guy on You tube who has approx. 50 RUSH tunes laid out.
Can't remeber the site, just surf it.
Great source for Geddy stuff.