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Learning "Subdivisions"
- Thread starter mstillman
- Start date
Seems like you're Drop-ready. Somebody please correct me if I'm mistaken, I think aside from having a space on your board and power supply, the biggest things with the Drop is to understand that (1) each step you take the tuning down adds a little tone suck so you might have to make some adjustments on your other pedals to compensate, and (2) because it's DSP-based, it may not play well with all signals fed to it. I tend to run my compressor before my Drop to help fence in the input signal, and have been considering putting my HPF/LPF before it, too. So, you may need some time to experiment to get it where you want it.
Nope - that would do it! Bass --> Drop pedal --> Amp
I used the "Simple Pitch" in my HX Stomp this way when I was learning covers - I tune my basses in standard, then would set up a patch with whatever tuning was needed to learn the song as recorded.
For instance, old Van Halen was tuned down a half-step but we played it in standard - so I'd pitch shift to learn, then turn off the effect to perform it.
We played "Living on a Prayer" so I learned that one in standard tuning, then dropped a whole-step so that our singer could hit the final chorus.
Finally, we also did "Black Hole Sun" which was recorded Drop-D and A=432, so I had a specific pitch patch to learn that song, and performed it in Drop D @ A=440
So, do you hear "F concert" when the synth kicks in? Because they tune down a half step?
An option would be to take a spare bass and have it drop tuned a half step... I know the pedal was suggested before, but this is a low tech solution if you have a 2nd 4-string.
Yes, I hear F concert. Since they tune everything down a half-step, I guess I'll tune my bass a half-step down.
There ya go. I know this song by heart; PM if you have specific questions.
What song? Sounds complicated. Also sounds like counting 16ths in 4/4 absolutely WILL work, for part of it at least.
Thanks much for that offer. Right now it's like when I get an assignment in my day job to develop a piece about an unfamiliar therapeutic area. I don't even know the basics to be able to form an intelligent question! I'll work to change that quickly.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,793
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
the song we're talking about here, "subdivisions" by Rush. The 4/4 sections of the track occur at such a high tempo that it's just so much easier to count in eighths, plus, with all the time signature shifts, counting 16th would be very tedious. Have you tried playing it and counting the 4/4 sections in sixteenths?
There's not even any electric bass during the 4/4 sections.
ahh. There’s a song called “Subdivisions.” My bad! I’ve never heard it, let alone tried to play it. I thought this post was about learning subdivisions in the general musical sense. For learning a really fast 4/4 section that doesn’t have any bass, I probably would NOT count, “1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a.”
To learn any new song, I learn it by ear; playing along with the recording, and writing it down in standard notation. Can take an hour or two for complicated songs, but by the time I’m done charting it out it’s gigable and practically memorized.
I took a stab at transcribing the left hand part for the keyboard sections. Here's what I have so far. I only got up to the keyboard solo.
No way I'd try this with a Rush song. The rhythms shift between 7/8, 4/4, and 3/4 all over the place, the synth bass is monotonous (few landmarks), the bass plays a complex counter-melody, and the drumming is complex, so if you're not doing your own counting, you'll get lost in a hurry. This is one to "know".
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Yes - counting shouldn’t be necessary if you understand the feel. And you get note for note execution with standard notation. I recommend “Rush Deluxe Bass Tab Collection” ISBN 0-7390-5811-8 which has tab and standard notation.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,793
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
Oh, jeez, I got you! Sooooooo… you were 100% correct in your initial post about counting subdivisions. Anyway… it’s a really cool song FWIW, a very popular one among us Rush fanatics.ahh. There’s a song called “Subdivisions.” My bad! I’ve never heard it, let alone tried to play it. I thought this post was about learning subdivisions in the general musical sense. For learning a really fast 4/4 section that doesn’t have any bass, I probably would NOT count, “1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a.”
To learn any new song, I learn it by ear; playing along with the recording, and writing it down in standard notation. Can take an hour or two for complicated songs, but by the time I’m done charting it out it’s gigable and practically memorized.
I read that TAB as you need a bass with at least 775 frets. That's way more than my Ric has...
Imagine the bass you'll need for this...
And bonus points to the first hitter that correctly guesses what this is from...
