Learning "Subdivisions"

[Shlabotnik]

This is not a difficult song as far as Rush goes. I suggest that you first learn the fills (I think there are maybe 4 of them) such as the ones at the middle and the end of the guitar solo and the 2 that start each of the "subdivisions" sections. Other than those there's not a lot to it, especially if you're not playing over the keyboard parts. Even those fills aren't especially fast, you just need the patience to learn how they go. Listen to the songs until you can sing the parts in your head. Once you can do that, you'll likely be all set to play them properly.

 

[Spidey2112]

There's at least one reasonably solid cover with tabs on YouTube:



Also, check out the Rush Tablature Project. Solid tabs there for many songs, they're not always 100%, but in most cases they're quite good.

What an incredible job he does of restraining himself from playing for the first 1:46... fingers twitching, tingly spine movement... Bwawaahaha!

 

[Smooth_bass88]

And here's the problem with just reading the music without doing any other prep; the score (as it is for almost every "rock" tune) is wrong. It IS in G, and the song is in F#.

Actually it’s in D because there are two sharps, F# and C#

 

[2112]

What an incredible job he does of restraining himself from playing for the first 1:46... fingers twitching, tingly spine movement... Bwawaahaha!

Lolol indeed. In my group, I play the octaves to... help fill out the sound... yeah, that's the ticket...

 

[80jazz]

Am I the only one? It looks like Bilbo's transcription is in G, but I'm 99% sure the tune is in F#.

I played this with a band I was in WAY (like WAY WAY) back in the day. I played the bass line under the synth bass. For the fills I tended to use the recorded fill as inspiration/modeling rather than looking to nail them all note for note. We were definitely playing to folks who wouldn't have known.

You are correct concerning the key.

There is also some 7/8 involved.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

The key of Subdivisions, technically would be F# phrygian, because the song has two sharps (F# and C#), but they don’t emphasize the D major scale, or even B minor.

 

[Febs]

Am I the only one? It looks like Bilbo's transcription is in G, but I'm 99% sure the tune is in F#.

And here's the problem with just reading the music without doing any other prep; the score (as it is for almost every "rock" tune) is wrong. It IS in G, and the song is in F#.

Play along with the transcription (and count the rests) and you'll see that the transcription starts where the bass enters (at 1:41 of the song) and it is in the correct key.

It could be noted more clearly -- the transcription uses single rests with numbers over them instead of proper multi-measure rests -- but it's correct.

 

[mstillman]

This seems to be a lot of trouble to go to just to avoid learning how to read music. Because in learning to read, you are learning to hear the rhythmic subdivisions. So you can either look at the notation on a page and hear how that sounds in your head OR hear it and understand how it lays out in notation.
No guesswork.

I'd prefer reading music. I find tab much more of a PITA than standard music notation. Years of classical piano lessons as a 'yout', sometimes with tuba in band, made bass clef very familiar.

 

[Spidey2112]

... help fill out the sound...

Ditto.

 

[mstillman]

Actually it’s in D because there are two sharps, F# and C#

My money was/is on F#. Ask me again in an hour.

 

[2112]

This seems to be a lot of trouble to go to just to avoid learning how to read music. Because in learning to read, you are learning to hear the rhythmic subdivisions. So you can either look at the notation on a page and hear how that sounds in your head OR hear it and understand how it lays out in notation.
No guesswork.

No guesswork here:

 

[mstillman]

My best tip is to learn it in the basement bars but not in the backs of cars.

Darn, I had a nice spot picked out in a shopping mall.

 

[mstillman]

We cover it in Late Night Alibi... pretty well, if I say so myself.

How tight are you and your drummer?

PM me, if you have any questions.

We're pretty tight but this is for an audition.

I also omitted that the band drops everything one semitone. Probably not a big deal for most but this is one of those times when perfect pitch is my enemy. I've always done standard E-A-D-G tuning despite becoming a big Smithereens fan right about the time my pitch started its midlife shift (thought I was going nuts until I searched the medical literature and found yes, this is a thing!).

So many strikes against me, but at least I don't have to sing it.

Now that I'm free for the day at home, I'm starting with my step one: Use Audacity to lower it a half-step, so I'll have something to play along with besides a recording of the band, which is a great goal to shoot for (yes, current bassist plays the keys/pedal part). Not great fidelity but it'll be helpful. Right now I just need to hear it in the key we'll do it.

Thanks to all who replied.

 

[Mechanical]

And here's the problem with just reading the music without doing any other prep; the score (as it is for almost every "rock" tune) is wrong. It IS in G, and the song is in F#.

Move your hand down one fret.

 

[2112]

Darn, I had a nice spot picked out in a shopping mall.

It didn't happen to be Lerxtwood Mall over in the Borough of Shmeng, did it?

 

[mstillman]

Move your hand down one fret.

Not sure I can undo 4 decades of seeing a note on the bottom line of a bass clef and playing the 3rd fret of my E string. That may be too much to ask, especially in a short amount of time with other songs to learn and a holiday weekend.

Then again, I've never tried any alternate tuning stuff so it's guesswork. For tonight, I'll settle for having recordings that'll be in the proper key. I'll listen the heck out of them, especially since tonight there's no Celtics game.

 

[Febs]

Not sure I can undo 4 decades of seeing a note on the bottom line of a bass clef and playing the 3rd fret of my E string. That may be too much to ask, especially in a short amount of time with other songs to learn and a holiday weekend.

Then again, I've never tried any alternate tuning stuff so it's guesswork. For tonight, I'll settle for having recordings that'll be in the proper key. I'll listen the heck out of them, especially since tonight there's no Celtics game.

You don't need to. The transcription is in the correct key.

 

[2112]

Not sure I can undo 4 decades of seeing a note on the bottom line of a bass clef and playing the 3rd fret of my E string. That may be too much to ask, especially in a short amount of time with other songs to learn and a holiday weekend.

What about using a Digitech Drop? Rehearse it the proper key, play it at the audition dropped a half-step without changing your fretting.

This is assuming, of course, your rig is setup for that and you could get your hands on one before the audition with enough time to get used to it.

 

[mstillman]

What about using a Digitech Drop? Rehearse it the proper key, play it at the audition dropped a half-step without changing your fretting.

This is assuming, of course, your rig is setup for that and you could get your hands on one before the audition with enough time to get used to it.

Yup, this hit me a few minutes ago. There's a chance it might be viewed similar to when Kirk reprogrammed the Kobayashi Maru test, but hey, nobody explicitly said I COULDN'T use one.

What would my setup need to be? It seems to be a stomp box, so I'd need another patch cord. Am I missing something basic?

 

[mstillman]

My process is to listen a bunch and notate a piece out for myself in Muse (notation and TAB in case there are any tricky fingerings that need to be documented - Rush has lots of these). This way, you're both learning it and building a reference guide for later, if you need to re-learn it down the road.

For Subdivisions, most of the piece is synth. Are you going to arrange it for bass, or twiddle your thumbs?

Looking at a video of the band, the current bassist plays the synth/pedal parts, so I probably should also.