questoin about "Hotel California"

[ElectroVibe]

Does anyone else think that the bass guitar during the verses of "Hotel California" sounds strange?

It sounds like: Every other chord the bass note lands on the low root, while on the alternate chords it sounds like it lands on the 5th.

 

[soulman969]

Strange? No, it's a Latin/Reggae type line played against the changes. Different yes, but it fits the feel Felder wrote for the instrumentals which he originally entitled "Mexican Reggae".

 

[jallenbass]

That's correct that it lands on the 5th. It sounds fine to me being that it's one of the chord tones.

 

[ElectroVibe]

That's correct that it lands on the 5th. It sounds fine to me being that it's one of the chord tones.

Then that would alter the chord name.
So instead of this: Am, E
It would be this: Am/E, E
(adjusted from actual song key)

It seems like it's not really the kind of thing that a bass player would naturally play. He has to make a conscious decision to play those notes. As long as you don't listen to the bass too closely, it sounds great overall. And it's interesting how it all works together.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Then that would alter the chord name.
So instead of this: Am, E
It would be this: Am/E, E
(adjusted from actual song key)

It seems like it's not really the kind of thing that a bass player would naturally play. He has to make a conscious decision to play those notes. As long as you don't listen to the bass too closely, it sounds great overall. And it's interesting how it all works together.

Does it seems strange to you when the bass line playing a simple country rock - Root -5th - pattern ends on the 5th?

 

[electracoyote]

I disagree that the last note of a phrase should require an alternate root name for the chord. Am/E is incorrect, and the chordal instruments would not play it that way.

Ending on the 5 is a nice touch and gives the whole progression an urgency and push for resolution to the listener it would not have otherwise. The rhythmic demands of the song make it appropriate.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I disagree that the last note of a phrase should require an alternate root name for the chord. Am/E is incorrect, and the chordal instruments would not play it that way.

Ending on the 5 is a nice touch and gives the whole progression an urgency and push for resolution to the listener it would not have otherwise.

I think some TB members tend to forget about Strong/Weak beat stress theory.

 

[knumbskull]

Also, you can actually leave right after checkout.

...

No i will not apologise.

 

[TomB]

Also, you can actually leave right after checkout.

...

No i will not apologise.

...but you can never leave!

 

[ElectroVibe]

I disagree that the last note of a phrase should require an alternate root name for the chord. Am/E is incorrect, and the chordal instruments would not play it that way.

Ending on the 5 is a nice touch and gives the whole progression an urgency and push for resolution to the listener it would not have otherwise. The rhythmic demands of the song make it appropriate.

Pushing for resolution. Yes, I agree.

 

[ElectroVibe]

Does it seems strange to you when the bass line playing a simple country rock - Root -5th - pattern ends on the 5th?

I've played country bass before, including earlier songs by the Eagles. This song is not country though.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I've played country bass before, including earlier songs by the Eagles. This song is not country though.

The bass plays Root on the strongest beat - downbeat and 5th on the weak beat in HC and in country rock. Nothing different harmonically. The rhythmic pattern could be different.
But we don’t notate the bass line as
Amin/A - Amin/E. If I decide to add G before A in the bass line, I would not write it as Amin/G.

 

[Ekulati]

Who says every piece of music has to be able to be reduced down to a chord chart in simplified form, enough for example to be played by folks strumming around the campfire? That's not how music works. Not everything has to be in ultimate guitar (or Hal Leonard/Mel Bay for us old guys) format.

 

[seanm]

I always thought the bass line was supposed to be a little "off" to match the lyrics

I am struggling a bit with this song since I am now playing it with just bass and one acoustic guitar. I find the original bass line is too busy. I nailed it once (IMHO) but next gig could not remember exactly what I played

 

[ElectroVibe]

I always thought the bass line was supposed to be a little "off" to match the lyrics

I am struggling a bit with this song since I am now playing it with just bass and one acoustic guitar. I find the original bass line is too busy. I nailed it once (IMHO) but next gig could not remember exactly what I played

Didn't the band redo it about 15-20 years ago without electric guitars? I wonder if Timothy B Schmidt altered the original Randy Meisner bass line.

 

[ElectroVibe]

The bass plays Root on the strongest beat - downbeat and 5th on the weak beat in HC and in country rock. Nothing different harmonically. The rhythmic pattern could be different.
But we don’t notate the bass line as
Amin/A - Amin/E. If I decide to add G before A in the bass line, I would not write it as Amin/G.

Yes. I wouldn't have written it with this song either. It's something different that I've never heard before.

 

[TomB]

Lots of fun to play, I've always thought.

 

[JPaulGeddy]

Meisner's a genius. The more you dig into his lines, the more you see it.

 

[pglaser01]

I’ve always felt Randy’s bass lines may have been “off” but were chosen to match the effort it took for his harmonies.

Listen to the chorus line on “One of These Nights” first bar is a more difficult run because he’s singing a single note. 2nd bar is less difficult and the notes match his voice (albeit an octave lower)


At least that’s how I’ve always felt with Eagles bass parts

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

Didn't the band redo it about 15-20 years ago without electric guitars? I wonder if Timothy B Schmidt altered the original Randy Meisner bass line.

Timothy B. Schmit has always played Randy Meisner's original bass line on this song. He seems to do that with all of the songs that Randy originally played bass on which I think is respectful. They were also good bass parts.

- Steve