rush songs

[SenourDakota]

what is a good challenging song by rush i can learn to play to improve my technique?

 

[Disco Batman]

Digital Man, YYZ is always a good bet as well.

 

[john_g]

Any of them. Seriously. But for example:

Circumstances. YYZ. Bytor & the Snow Dog. Malignant Narcissism. Hemispheres. 2112. Pretty much throw a dart at a song list and its a good song to play on bass.

 

[I<34080]

Any of them. Seriously. But for example:

Circumstances. YYZ. Bytor & the Snow Dog. Malignant Narcissism. Hemispheres. 2112. Pretty much throw a dart at a song list and its a good song to play on bass.

Unless you hit Red Sector A, Bravado, Hope, Rivendell...

Anyway, if you don't think you're capable of playing something like Digital Man, YYZ, or La Villa yet, I'd recommend

Vital Signs, Chemistry, Mystic Rhythms, or The Enemy Within.

 

[Musiclogic]

Analog Kid, Entre Nous, Circumstances, Cinderella man, Freewill, Anthem, Driven, Dreamline, Mystic rythms, Enemy Within. Does it really matter, they all build your chops in one way or another....except Didacts...LMAO

 

[tangentmusic]

XANADU

 

[saxman_singcan]

Trees - I have always like the bass in that song - very melodic.

 

[OPBASSMAN1994]

Go for La Villa Strangiato if you are well experienced. Xanadu is fun too. I started with Tom Sawyer. I am re-learning it now, as I have changed my technique to the correct floating thumb style lately. (It has improved my tone, opened up the door to new techniques, improved my accuracy and speed, and also looks cooler, and keeps you from getting tendinitis.) Which reminds me! GET TECHNIQUE FIRST!!! THEN LEARN SONGS. I didn't, and it nearly put me out of commission for God only knows how long. but yeah, pretty much any Rush song is fantastic for bass. I am a much better player because I learned Rush.

 

[dogofgod]

this reminds me of I love you, Man, slappin da bass...listenin to rush


made my day

 

[Rojo Grande]

I started with Xanadu. Try the version on "Exit stage Left". There are a couple of fun little Geddy licks that aren't on the original.

 

[JBuckley]

Xanadu is a great workout. There's a section of Natural Science that's in 9/8 that I like to use to warm up.

 

[Rush-2112]

Man! Most of the ones I was going to say have already been mentioned! But how about...Bastille Day and Jacob's Ladder!

 

[I<34080]

Text

Tendinitis at 16? From not using floating thumb?

 

[iamlowsound]

Try Tom Sawyer, it is a good place to start with Rush.

lowsound

 

[GianGian]

YYZ. I can't play it properly, even after 8 years of bassing.
The instrumentals are all good. La Villa Stragiato and YYZ are hard, Leave That Thing alone is a bit easier, you could try these.

 

[mmbongo]

Anything from Hold Your Fire or Presto. By far the most melodic, and sometimes most challenging basslines Ged ever did.

 

[soundgardenis]

Why play rush songs when you can play your own songs?


So you can show your chops or improve your musical abilities or come up with new ideas for your own work?


Uh okay. I could improve my math capabilities by practicing algerbra. Will I do that? No.

 

[markkoelsch]

I am a big Geddy fan, and have learned a lot of Rush over the years. That being said, Geddy has a very aggressive and somewhat unorthodox technique, and if you are early in your development I would worry about getting the basics down first.

That being said, I would say start with songs like Working Man, Fly By Night, and some of the simpler stuff like Bravado (not a typical Rush tune, but a really good song).

I would then move to say Tom Sawyer, New World Man, and Marathon.

From there, I would work on the rest of Moving Pictures minus YYZ, Spirit of Radio, Freewill, Natural Science, and La Villa Strangiato.

Then YYZ. It is one of the greatest bass songs ever, and it is really tough to play correctly.

Another thing about playing Rush, and playing everything correctly/note for note. Geddy is great, but Geddy really plays a lot of notes. He is occasionally a bit sloppy, but it goes by really quick so between the duration and it sitting in the mix you would not notice. My point is that if you play a song exactly like Geddy some folks are going to look at you like you are nuts as a lot of folks will never notice just how insanely active Geddy is.

 

[Georynn]

XANADU

a fun song to play... definitely gets my vote...

 

[Chrisk-K]

Playing only the bass line of Xanadu is cheating. You gotta also play a 12 string, a Minimoog and Taurus pedals connected to the Mini.