Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

I play this song constantly. There are so many versions, tab is useless on this one. Just learn it by ear section by section. It really isn't that hard. Here is a vid of my band performing it a while ago:

JoBonanno & The Godsons - Rosalita @ Light of Day 11 - YouTube

 

I have played the Pony a LOT. It's a good room, and they treat us well there. We are a bunch of old Asbury Park warhorses!

As any FYI, my Jazz is passive, strung with Chromes, .40-.100.

Rosalita is in the key of F. The verse bounces F-Bb-F-C; The runs in the song are primarily pentatonic in nature. The song contains all of the "Garryisms" as I call them (Garry Tallent), and is an excellent study of his style. I could give you an entire dissertation of the song here, but it would take up too much room. The real key to playing this song well is to think in terms of swing instead of rock. This was from his second album with David Sancious on organ, so the jazz influence is prevalent on the entire record.

I think I have been playing this one since I was around 19 or so, and I am a lot older now!

 

Yep. Song is also in the key of F. The bridge is Dm-C-Bb; the verse goes from F-Bb-F-C-Bb. We do probably 18 different Springsteen tunes (not all in the same night!), so I'm pretty well versed in his style(s). Again, like Rosalita, the key to playing it well is to make it swing. Think on the 2 and 4 rather than the 1 and 3.

While I'm not the biggest Springsteen fan anymore, I love Garry's style and what he does. One of his quotes is you don't even know he's there until he stops and you don't hear him. He plays for the song, and shines inside the structure. He does a lot of I-VI-V-III-II (scale degree) "slides" on each chord in tenth, so listen for them.

I would tab it, but I'm an old guy that started before tab, so I either learn it by ear or grab standard notation if I can find it.

 

I'm just the opposite! Different strokes, I guess. Notation is easier for me. It's just the way I learned.

 

I Just finally looked at your profile. You're 15. You have the blessing of learning properly at an early age. Take advantage of it!

Learn how to read, no matter how much time it takes. Read a little each day. Find a piece of music that is a little above your level, and work it out measure by measure. Learn all of your triads, chord tones, arpeggios, and scalar modes. This will improve your ear VASTLY, and, as a side benefit, will make reading easier because you will be able to recognize intervals quickly. Learn the cycle, and do all of your exercises through the cycle. By doing this work, it becomes immeasurably easier to quickly learn tunes by ear. You are willing to take lessons. That's excellent. Find a teacher that will teach solid music fundamentals with standard notation. While difficult in the beginning, it will pay off in spades in the long run.

I have done two separate sub gigs in the last two weeks with different bands, with completely different material. I get hired because I have a reputation for being able to learn an entire nights' worth of material quickly, and nail the gig with no rehearsal required. I can do this because I have taken, and continue to take the time to know and constantly improve upon my fundamentals. Being a musician as opposed to just a bass player means constantly looking for growth and new information to absorb. You can do this.

 

If your teacher is into jazz, Rosalita will be a piece of cake. Most of it deals in chord tones, chromatic movement, etc. Turn it into a project with your teacher. There is a ton of great, practically applied solid musical information in that piece. I have both a Tascam BT 1 CD unit as well as the Tascam MP BT 1. These are great tools for learning. Get one of these units and learn the song measure by measure. It will be well worth the effort!

 

Look on E Bay. There are a bunch, and not a lot of money. Here you go: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...1313&_nkw=tascam+bt&_sacat=See-All-Categories

 

Let me know what else you need. It is my pleasure to help a young player get started the right way. By learning music properly, you open your world up to so much more than just being in a self contained band - there is studio work, pit work for shows, theater gigs, wedding and "society" gigs, etc. It is all there if you remain open, work hard, learn from your mistakes, consistently strive for improvement, and remain humble at the same time. Work to keep your reputation in tact. Don't get messed up with booze and drugs - that's a losers game. Keep your head clean. Life is a lot more fun that way.

I guess I sound a little "fatherly" here, but that's OK. I have three kids myself, all teenagers. We have fun because we turn each other on to our music, and I go to concerts with them for their music and mine. They come to my shows. It's fun, but they also see how much work I put in to my music as well. The glory really is in the journey, and if you are consistent in your approach, you will be amazed at where your playing will be in a year. Stick with it, and stay in touch with me.

 

Seen them many times! Good band!

 

Slightly off topic, but..... Was is Gary doing on "I'm going down?" I have yet to listen with a decent set of headphones and I can'd find any relevant info on the bassline. I've checked out the Vampire Weekend version of the song and that player seems to simplify it for the most part. From what I read Commreman has probably played this song a thousand times too.