"Let's do Le Freak... it's real easy"

[Flatwound]

Okay, the actual text says "Any interest in doing this song real easy and I think it's pretty upbeat Le Freek. Chic" He's not big on spelling or punctuation.

But ARE YOU KIDDING? It's real easy? Maybe if you listen to it on your phone, and can't hear the bass, you could get that idea. Aghh... drummers.

 

[51PRI]

Okay, the actual text says "Any interest in doing this song real easy and I think it's pretty upbeat Le Freek. Chic" He's not big on spelling or punctuation.

But ARE YOU KIDDING? It's real easy? Maybe if you listen to it on your phone, and can't hear the bass, you could get that idea. Aghh... drummers.

Yeah, listening on the phone doesn't get it.

 

[Slater]

It’s not “easy”, but your band should cover it. It’s a great song.

 

[LBS-bass]

Listening to it now. It's a lot of repetition so far, not all that hard once you get the main riff down, which shouldn't be difficult. There are few turnarounds that IMO are optional.

Songs like this can sound hard because he seems to be playing a lot of notes, but he's really just repeating two phrases throughout. I bet you sit down with this to nail those down and you'll have 90% of it within a half hour.

 

[5StringBlues]

Hope your guitarist finds a good tutorial for getting that guitar part right.

 

[Michedelic]

Hope your guitarist finds a good tutorial for getting that guitar part right.

That’s not all that hard either. The true Bernard test is “Good Times”/“Rapper’s Delight” or “We Are Family”.

 

[5StringBlues]

That’s not all that hard either. The true Bernard test is “Good Times”/“Rapper’s Delight” or “We Are Family”.

"Hard" and "right" are different issues.

 

[Pocket Dave]

Actually, it sounds like a fun song to play on bass.

Though I could see myself having to include it in a daily woodshed routine for 4-5 days to get it committed to muscle memory.

 

[Flatwound]

I can learn it. But "easy" is a song like "I'd Rather Go Blind".

 

[LBS-bass]

I can learn it. But "easy" is a song like "I'd Rather Go Blind".

That'd be my definition of "very easy" but I get what you mean.

There have been many songs I've thought would be hard to learn because they sound fast and slick, but when I sat down to deconstruct them I realized that they were repetitious box patterns that just sounded more complicated than they actually are. Don't let a fast line put you off thinking you can do something.

 

[51PRI]

I can learn it. But "easy" is a song like "I'd Rather Go Blind".

Sure, it's one bass pattern through the entire song.

 

[TheLowDown33]

Eh…not to be conceited but this definitely falls in the easy camp. I play this in my band and I think it took me like 20 minutes tops. Not note for note, mind you, but pretty damn close.

 

[LBS-bass]

Let's not forget that what was difficult for us when we were earlier in the game might be the things we're calling easy now. If I were the OP I'd look at this as a challenge, because this is exactly the kind of song that showed me when I was younger that I was capable of more than I believed I could do. Sometimes you really do have to sit down and try the thing before you realize it's within your skill level with just a little work. And if it isn't yet, it can give you something to work toward.

 

[ebo]

Hope your guitarist finds a good tutorial for getting that guitar part right.

This. Sometimes rock guitarists don’t have the funk to pull off this repetitious James Brown wicky wicky stuff. A clunky guitar part will submarine this faster than grandmas potato casserole. You can do the bassline. Watch the above tutorial. Whoever that is has great YouTube videos. I’ve learned a few from him. Except I’d Rather Go Blind. I learned that all on my own.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Okay, the actual text says "Any interest in doing this song real easy and I think it's pretty upbeat Le Freek. Chic" He's not big on spelling or punctuation.

But ARE YOU KIDDING? It's real easy? Maybe if you listen to it on your phone, and can't hear the bass, you could get that idea. Aghh... drummers.

I was lucky. I was given a chart. It’s pretty quick but it’s repetitive. Great song. You’ll get.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hope your guitarist finds a good tutorial for getting that guitar part right.

Yup!

 

[TeaTime]

"A clunky guitar part will submarine this faster than grandmas potato casserole."

I feel like this line should illuminate much of what is holding us as a species back from reaching our potential.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Let's not forget that what was difficult for us when we were earlier in the game might be the things we're calling easy now. If I were the OP I'd look at this as a challenge, because this is exactly the kind of song that showed me when I was younger that I was capable of more than I believed I could do. Sometimes you really do have to sit down and try the thing before you realize it's within your skill level with just a little work. And if it isn't yet, it can give you something to work toward.

Good post!

 

[devnulljp]

I like the back story to the song; the original lyric was "Anglo-Saxon word for intercourse off!"

 

[Bunk McNulty]

The licks are easy. That's the genius of Bernard: You can sing the parts. But you also have to maintain the energy of his attack. He's right on top of the beat, start to finish. There is a lot of stuff in my band's book that I can just sort of cruise through. Not this! Put it another way: It may be simple, but it's never boring!

Separately: It's pretty much the same for the guitars. Nile Rodgers is one tidy rhythm player--gotta have your mute technique down.