Repetitive lines that repeat repetitiously

[Relayer71]

I don't mind repetitive bass lines if they are busy and you're playing more than 2 or 3 notes and moving around the board a little. But take something like U2's With Or Without You. My god, I don't know how anyone can get through that song without falling asleep.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic song (as is the album it's from) and it's ironic that the bass is such a huge part of the sound of a song I think is fantastic, but it's also everything combined on that song that makes it great. But PLAYING those same three notes OVER and OVER is just mind-numbing. I'd rather play the simplest Geddy Lee line, any day.

But to the OP: you're right, it's so easy to start drifting off and forgetting about the music entirely so that you can make a mistake on the easiest of songs. Just put yourself in the mindset that you're playing the song for the very first time, every time.

Also, and probably easier to do: focus on the other parts of the song instead of what you're playing. Listen to the song as if you were LISTENING to the song and not performing it.

One more: get in front of the singer, become THE STAR of the show. With everyone watching you, you're bound to stay focused

 

[RudyTardy]

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Back in the day, when wedding receptions were the best paying of gigs,
you were pretty much required to have a song at the ready for the inevitable
" money dance".
This is where the bride and groom make themselves available to a long line of guests who come up, pin some money on them, and get a few turns on the dancefloor. The song has to be sloooooow and loooong so aunt Becky and alot of non-dancers has a chance to help the happy couple make that down payment on a house.
In our case,....that song was..."Help me make it through the night ".
You couldn't stop, or change song's until every one in line had a chance to chip in. Lots and lots of guitar solos, and repeating the verses, bridge and chorus.
By the time it was over, you were ready to eat a gun.

 

[DavC]

some things in life are just boring ... !?

another one bites the dust

 

[trevcda]

We had a song that was like that. I have no excuse, we played it so much, but I wish I could remember what song it was! Anyway, I playing along when all of a sudden I realized that I was the only one holding the rhythm down. The drummer was off dicking around with whatever the guitar player and keyboard player were doing and not playing a proper drum part. It was not a jazz number where this might have been appropriate. I asked him when he starting doing that and replied, "I dunno. A couple of years ago." I conveniently broke a cable the next time we did it and had to lay out. That song fell apart like a dandelion house in a wind storm. We reeled it back in at the next rehearsal. The crowd reaction was much better and we realized that our version had become quite self indulgent.

My other favorite example of this would be Fleetwood Mac's Dreams. I always loved watching a typical bass player arrogantly start playing this song like it was so beneath them and their talent, only to fully choke it up when the bass solo section came up. Yeah, you failed.

 

[Low Down Brown]

When my band practices, we record the whole thing. Each week I sit and go back through each song listening to my playing and singing. I usually don't look happy while doing this, lol... but it keeps me working on it!

My group is fortunate enough to be able to do this as well. It's been very helpful for me as far as improving on a less is more approach. I occasionally get bored playing repetitive bass lines and have a tendency to begin overplaying when the song really doesn't need it. Now, I'm focusing on just locking in with the drums, listening, and trying to appreciate the musicianship from the rest of the band. As long as I hold down the low end and stay on the one, it's all groovy gravy.

 

[iiipopes]

And arguably the first of this kind of bass line, one note repeated rhythmically: Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows off the Revolver album:

 

[Mark McClelland]

Try Dance The Night Away by The Mavericks. I used to play this in a function band. Same two bars the whole song of four minutes plus, and quite stretchy at that. But could be good for said stretches, or for finding different patterns to play the same thing within a live environment, so not all bad

 

[Lobster11]

And arguably the first of this kind of bass line, one note repeated rhythmically: Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows off the Revolver album:

Yeah, this one's a real test of your picking technique.

I mentioned in a previous post that I enjoy taking liberties with "Riders on the Storm" to mix things up. I don't take such liberties with McCartney parts. I just think of this one as a technique challenge, trying to keep my notes even and grooving -- not easy to do!

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I try to make every note exactly like the last and perfectly placed. It helps if you're working with a drummer that want's to lock in as tightly as possible.

That's how you separate a beginner from a seasoned one (a Pro).

 

[Whousedtoplay]

but when you're playing the same three notes over and over for 8 minutes one missed note or off time beat is noticed by every one.

... and that is the difference between a beginner bass player and a GOOD one.

 

[SunByrne]

But my mind starts to wandering about stimulating topics, such as "what thread size is a garden hose anyway? Why is it called a thread? If I don't have a garden, is it still a garden hose if used only to wash a car?" and of course eventually, "uh, what beat are we on?"

That's not where my wandering mind wanders but that's good stuff there.

 

[Dynomuttasaurus]

I'm in a cover band that does this song. I just try to go into a trance when playing it much, very similar to what Bush's bass player does. It's just a lock in and sway to the groove. It's not uncommon for our guitarists to wank for a couple minutes before the vocals start and I need to be spot on or any little mistake is super obvious.

 

[SunByrne]

Paul S. Denneman is one of my favorite players.

I thought of him when I saw the title of the thread. His line in "Paradise" is a perfect example: four notes, nice little riff, repeat... for the entire song. And it sounds great. Denman's tone is terrific, which is part of why it sounds great, but I do sometimes wonder if he couldn't have mixed it up a little. But it works so well for the song, it's probably best not to.

Sometimes "cool and simple, repeat" is all you need.

 

[Dr. Love]

My mind will wander too which leads to stupid mistakes, so on a repetitive simple part I like to concentrate on trying to perfectly place the notes within the groove. For example: on a slow 1-5 country tune, trying to hit exactly in time with the drums. Suddenly, the bassline isn't as easy as I thought and I'm mentally involved again.

 

[obimark]

I don't mind repetitive bass lines if they are busy and you're playing more than 2 or 3 notes and moving around the board a little. But take something like U2's With Or Without You. My god, I don't know how anyone can get through that song without falling asleep.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic song (as is the album it's from) and it's ironic that the bass is such a huge part of the sound of a song I think is fantastic, but it's also everything combined on that song that makes it great. But PLAYING those same three notes OVER and OVER is just mind-numbing. I'd rather play the simplest Geddy Lee line, any day.

But to the OP: you're right, it's so easy to start drifting off and forgetting about the music entirely so that you can make a mistake on the easiest of songs. Just put yourself in the mindset that you're playing the song for the very first time, every time.

Also, and probably easier to do: focus on the other parts of the song instead of what you're playing. Listen to the song as if you were LISTENING to the song and not performing it.

One more: get in front of the singer, become THE STAR of the show. With everyone watching you, you're bound to stay focused

Three notes? Last time I checked it has 4 notes! You may not be playing it right... D A B G

 

[blastoff]

• The standard thread used for garden hoses is commonly known as garden hose thread (GHT), but officially its title is NH ("National Hose") defined in Invalid Link Removed There are two designations. NHR is for thin-walled couplers on hoses formed from rolled, thin material and NH is for full-form threads cut into thicker material, typically used for bib cocks and female hose ends.
• Fittings have an external thread diameter of 1 1/16", with a thread pitch of 11.5 threads per inch (TPI). A 3/4 inch GHT fitting is suitable for hoses with an internal diameter of 1/2", 5/8" or 3/4".
• GHT is not compatible with National Pipe Tapered (NPT) as used for plumbing fittings
• Some hoses may be fitted with an NPT connector for connecting to a threaded fitting on a water supply pipe (i.e. not a spigot).

(now you can concentrate on the bass part)

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Sometimes, you're signed up to play something with a distinctive bass line, which doesn't lend well to improvisation, that repeats, repeats, repeats, repetitiously.

How to deal with it and not go bonkers?

A good example might be Doors, Riders on the Storm.

It was I'm pretty sure, a Rhodes key-bass line. Not hard to play at all. But the main riff just repeats and repeats. Then there are the extended keyboard solos and the inevitable 28-minute long guitar wankfest. Even if the band is pretty disciplined and sticks with the "as-recorded" song, there's still a lot of da-da-di-da-da-duh-da.... over and over stuff, without a lot of "re-centering" cues if one wanders off the charted bass line.

Thing is it sounds tight, played right.

But my mind starts to wandering about stimulating topics, such as "what thread size is a garden hose anyway? Why is it called a thread? If I don't have a garden, is it still a garden hose if used only to wash a car?" and of course eventually, "uh, what beat are we on?"

Another one that drives me a bit nuts is the Doors "Roadhouse Blues". Outside of the chorus (thank GOD for the chorus!) there's only on little variation run down from the octave that's in that bass line.

The bass line on the Riders on the Storm is definitely NOT a Fender Rhodes. It is someone playing a real bass. I toured for about 2-years with a keys player who used a Farfisa Organ and a Fender Rhodes stage piano (the one without the built in amp and speakers). The Fender Rhodes was not capable of making a bass sound like you hear on that recording. It produces a very bell-like sound, almost like a vibraphone, whereas on the recording of the song in their "LA Woman" album recording, there is a very string-like attack on the bass sound.

Ray Manzarek was the keys guy for the Doors and he played "keys-bass" on almost all of their earliest songs and often on their live performances. He played a Vox organ live, but I'm not sure what he used for the bass keys. He used an organ bass (keys not pedals) for most of the early stuff but a Fender Rhodes piano bass is visible in some of his live shots. Odds are he came up with the bass line on the Fender Rhodes piano bass or organ bass keys, but they hired a bass player for the recordings and some of the performances.

 

[Steve-D]

• The standard thread used for garden hoses is commonly known as garden hose thread (GHT), but officially its title is NH ("National Hose") defined in Invalid Link Removed There are two designations. NHR is for thin-walled couplers on hoses formed from rolled, thin material and NH is for full-form threads cut into thicker material, typically used for bib cocks and female hose ends.
• Fittings have an external thread diameter of 1 1/16", with a thread pitch of 11.5 threads per inch (TPI). A 3/4 inch GHT fitting is suitable for hoses with an internal diameter of 1/2", 5/8" or 3/4".
• GHT is not compatible with National Pipe Tapered (NPT) as used for plumbing fittings
• Some hoses may be fitted with an NPT connector for connecting to a threaded fitting on a water supply pipe (i.e. not a spigot).

(now you can concentrate on the bass part)

I knew someone would come up with thread sizes for garden hoses

 

[Engle]

Sometimes I make very subtle changes to the line every 8 or 16 bars, but in general I’m ok with repetition, especially if people are dancing.