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questoin about "Hotel California"
- Thread starter ElectroVibe
- Start date
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
Not at all. It's a reggae groove. That's what I would categorize it as , anyway.
This.
I'm a hack, admittedly. Learned this song and found it easy and fun to play. Never gave it any though really, other than, "what a cool line, and fun to play too!"
But aren't you at least curious? I wonder how another bass player would have approached it. We don't really know how the bass line came about. Was it something that was discussed? Did Randy have something in mind? Was he directed by someone else in the band?
Sorry, you're looking for the PlayBass site. This is TalkBass.
Oh, yeah, sure. I love to hear creative people talk about their process. Those Eagle Rock "classic album" things where they talk to the musicians, engineers, producers who made all those records, love those. So if there is some footage, or an interview w/ Randy where he talks about that, it'd be cool.
But I never though about how it "worked" musically. I think in part because my knowledge of theory is minimal at best, so unlike others here, nothing jumped out at me as odd, or unique. I suppose if I sat down and thought through what was happening it certainly might have jumped out at me, but I certainly didn't "hear" it.
Not saying this is good. In fact, it probably isn't. But every time I have sat down and tried to learn the academic stuff, I quickly get bored and simply revert to "just playing". Part of this is an issue with how I learn. I'd really need to sit down w/ someone and see/hear examples of modes, or whatever. Learning from a book just doesn't work for me. I need to know why it matters.
P.S. Just my opinion. That riff, as it was mentioned in this thread, is a variation of some template-ish Reggae riff.
P.S.2. Yes, I feel your "pain" with that long lasting 5th note in the Weak part of the measure.
From here.
How Hotel California destroyed The Eagles
"While Henley and Frey wrote the lyrics, guitarist Don Felder composed the bulk of the music, initially recording the song's 12‑string riff in his four‑track home studio.
When he first played it to the band, they perceived it as "a bizarre mix of musical influences" and the song's working title became Mexican Reggae."
I never knew about the Reggae influence. That's interesting.
As a guy who's played out since the late 70s, and having two music degrees and having taught theory at university level...and being prone to over analysis myself, this bass line is NO BIG DEAL. It's a well crafted LINE, under a standard chord progression.
Just play it.
Just play it.
I always thought the bass line was a tad clunky.
I never considered reggae; I always thought classical chord progression
I never considered reggae; I always thought classical chord progression
Congratulations on getting those two degrees!
The OP’s question was about a “heavy” and long emphasis on 5th in the second part - the weak/er part of the measure in the bass line.
Thank you.
No, that is what you deduced from his original question. Perhaps correctly. But the OP, by all accounts, doesn't seem to have the knowledge of theory necessary to even know that, in tonal music, certain notes tend to, historically, "work" better, that is, fulfill their tonal function, when occurring on strong vs. weak beats. In fact, many folks don't know, explicitly, that there even are strong vs. weak beats (or which beats are which, in a certain style).
That doesn't necessarily mean their playing is bad, it may be quite good, as, over time, a player with good ears will develop an intuitive sense of how harmonic rhythm works, despite maybe not knowing any accepted terminology.
Still, to me, not everything needs to be analyzed or put into a nice little box. This bass line is simply an example of creative thinking on Meisner's part, as opposed to being a huge mystery.
No, that is what you deduced from his original question. Perhaps correctly. But the OP, by all accounts, doesn't seem to have the knowledge of theory necessary to even know that, in tonal music, certain notes tend to, historically, "work" better, that is, fulfill their tonal function, when occurring on strong vs. weak beats. In fact, many folks don't know, explicitly, that there even are strong vs. weak beats (or which beats are which, in a certain style).
That doesn't necessarily mean their playing is bad, it may be quite good, as, over time, a player with good ears will develop an intuitive sense of how harmonic rhythm works, despite maybe not knowing any accepted terminology.
Still, to me, not everything needs to be analyzed or put into a nice little box. This bass line is simply an example of creative thinking on Meisner's part, as opposed to being a huge mystery.
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We have a similar “hanging” 5th in Abracadabra by Steve Miller.
A kind of Reggae bass/guitar riff
- - A C E and back E C A while the keyboard is playing the 8ths of pure Amin.
This doesn't answer the question, but is immensely interesting ...
The Incredible Harmonic Complexity Found Within Each Part of the Iconic Eagles Song 'Hotel California'
The Incredible Harmonic Complexity Found Within Each Part of the Iconic Eagles Song 'Hotel California'
The problem is that your theory doesn't even apply to this song, since it uses reggae elements.
Smooth_bass88
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It sounds that way because it is that way. Randy doesn't always hit the root. It's beautiful!
Let's summarize our thoughts.
1. The riff was "initiated" (the idea of the riff was started) by the guitar player, Don Felder.
2. The riff is/was some "derivative" from the Reggae Style rhythmic patterns, that's why the song's working title was called Mexican Reggae.
(Somehow, I was able to link remotely(!) that riff to a Reggae Music pattern with two chords per bar - Bmin/F#min.
Then, that 5th of Bmin becomes the Root of F#min (or F#).
3. The riff has two short phrases - antecedent and consequent phrases.
The guitar and bass lines ascending - the antecedent phrase, and just the bass line descending.
4. The bass player DOES play those Root notes.
HOTEL CALIFORNIA BASS
Also, one could check the bass line (TAB) from here.
Hotel California - The Eagles - Guitar tablature PDF
P.S. Around 5:16 - during the guitar solo bass plays B instead of a regular F# in that riff.
1. The riff was "initiated" (the idea of the riff was started) by the guitar player, Don Felder.
2. The riff is/was some "derivative" from the Reggae Style rhythmic patterns, that's why the song's working title was called Mexican Reggae.
(Somehow, I was able to link remotely(!) that riff to a Reggae Music pattern with two chords per bar - Bmin/F#min.
Then, that 5th of Bmin becomes the Root of F#min (or F#).
3. The riff has two short phrases - antecedent and consequent phrases.
The guitar and bass lines ascending - the antecedent phrase, and just the bass line descending.
4. The bass player DOES play those Root notes.
HOTEL CALIFORNIA BASS
Also, one could check the bass line (TAB) from here.
Hotel California - The Eagles - Guitar tablature PDF
P.S. Around 5:16 - during the guitar solo bass plays B instead of a regular F# in that riff.
I could always tell there was a reggae vibe
I agree, I don't see (or hear) the big deal. Very cool bass line
I agree, I don't see (or hear) the big deal. Very cool bass line
Just sounds like a standard root,5th,octave line to me,this is usually my fallback progression if I am playing unfamiliar tunes , actually tbh i use that progression an awful lot in general
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
Thank you!! I'm pulling this together to play with me on bass, lead guitar and acoustic guitar, and the bass line is killing me. I can do it OK, but it's just messy. Imprecise. I've been recording myself practicing and want to shoot myself.
