Anyone play this song? And any tips on how to get the shreddy part at about 2 minutes in down? My hand hates it.
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I want you back- Jackson 5
- Thread starter DaveParker39
- Start date
This is a 2 part tutorial that takes it apart well and looks at fingering for easing transitions. I’ve no affiliation and Im not a member of How To Play Bass but have followed some of his youtube stuff and found it well thought out if a little slow paced.
My band plays it. I've been playing that song since forever. A little tricky at first but once that muscle memory kicks in it's smooth sailing from there.
Practice, practice and more practice. A very cool song to play the bass on!
There is a chart on that tune on UTUBE IIRC.
That is a tricky section but the tune is fun to play.
That is a tricky section but the tune is fun to play.
Try it up an octave for now - less of a finger stretch at first whilst getting the note/finger patterns embedded in your brain.
They’re just arpeggios. Try more practice doing arpeggios generally until your hand gets stronger/used to doing them. Great way to strengthen the hand, work the entire fretboard, practice position/string skipping, and embed chord tones into your brain.
They’re just arpeggios. Try more practice doing arpeggios generally until your hand gets stronger/used to doing them. Great way to strengthen the hand, work the entire fretboard, practice position/string skipping, and embed chord tones into your brain.
Yeah, this one’s tricky at first and can take some time to get down, but a blast to play and a classic.
I’ve occasionally used Audacity to slow down songs that I was struggling to learn, but most of the time I just power through. Lots of reps never fails. This one is worth the effort.
The great Wilton Felder at work.
A great second look at this is Sheryl Crow's cover, and of course she sang background for MJ on the road.
Fun tune to play. Felder's style always seemed halfway between Jameson and Chuck Rainey.
Just dig in and learn it, a ball to play.
A great second look at this is Sheryl Crow's cover, and of course she sang background for MJ on the road.
Fun tune to play. Felder's style always seemed halfway between Jameson and Chuck Rainey.
Just dig in and learn it, a ball to play.
Great tips from everyone... I'm curious... in the more complex parts, is it worth having a backup plan? In other words, if I get lost live, to revert to something that just hits the roots to survive the song? Or better to just plow through it until I'm confident? The band isn't pressuring me to know it in 2 weeks or anything, but I am kind of a perfectionist and tend to like to get everything by the book.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
We do I Want You Back. As with any song that's tricky or has riffs that are out of my wheelhouse...
. Once you have it nailed, you can start speeding it up and playing even faster for added insurance. It works every time. I promise.
- Find some mp3 player with a speed control.
- Loop that section only.
- Slow it down to a ridiculously slow tempo where you can play it flawlessly 10X straight with no effort.
- Up the speed one notch and play it again 10 times.
- Keep doing this until you get to a speed where you start flubbing, and then slow it down to the next slowest speed - where you're not.
- Then play it over and over and over and over... and take a break.
- Repeat the above.
. Once you have it nailed, you can start speeding it up and playing even faster for added insurance. It works every time. I promise.
FWIW, I play it all the time on guitar and we always do it in G and it flows much better than Ab.
A "backup plan" isn't necessary if you know WHY Wilton is playing those notes. The first 3 note phrase connects the 6 to the 3, and the next connects the 4 to the 1 in a similar "shape" that follows and acknowledges the scale. And the faster part is, as mentioned, simply the arpeggios of the 6, 3, 4, and 1 chords respectively. If your fingers aren't fast enough to do it, hit those roots of the fast part when they occur in the song, and don't worry about the arpeggios. Get the band to sing it - they should be doing it anyway!
This version says chords are
Fm Ab/C Db Ab
However the bass line plays C Eb G outlining a Cm chord, not Ab/C listed in the chart.
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back | Bass Transcription | Wilton Felder
Simple bass line would be
F F F C C C Db Db Db Ab
Fm Ab/C Db Ab
However the bass line plays C Eb G outlining a Cm chord, not Ab/C listed in the chart.
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back | Bass Transcription | Wilton Felder
Simple bass line would be
F F F C C C Db Db Db Ab
That makes sense. I guess that's what I was getting at... wrapping my head around that section musically rather than technically first. That's what I did when I learned the "express" version of "Your Smiling Face" in 2 weeks (which I later got note-for-note)
Once you’ve learnt it, try it in other keys.
It is a tricky one. Lots of practice needed.
It is a tricky one. Lots of practice needed.
I once had it called on the bandstand and the singer says “let’s do it in E”. Well, that was a frightening few minutes lol.
