That really is a hard technique. It's frustrating, Because even though I'm a great player, It's really hard to just lay down whole notes. I end up just putting something in without thinking. It's really a mind game.
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Songs you learned that resulted in big improvement
- Thread starter schmig
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That really is a hard technique. It's frustrating, Because even though I'm a great player, It's really hard to just lay down whole notes. I end up just putting something in without thinking. It's really a mind game.
Scarlet Begonias by The Grateful Dead. Such an odd beat to it, took me forever to get it in my head, use to have to listen to it right before playing it. Now it's one of my favorite to play. Of course, I don't play it like Phil did at Cornell, those slides are insane! It's hard to wrap my head around his timing for that particular version, which is fairly unique. He did some of those slides in other '77 versions, but usually played it pretty "straight".
La Villa was my milestone as well. After the guitarist told me flat out I wouldn't be able to play that fill, I came back the following week and nailed it (and then we played it all the time on gigs), and calmly asked him when the classical guitar intro was going to be added. 
He never did. 
The funnest parts to play are the long notes under the first guitar solo that build into a killer groove, and the part I think called "Monsters!" where everyone is just doing their own weird thing, and you have to hold it down to meet back up with the drummer after some crazy drum fills. Of course, like Jimmy says, it's really about locking into the groove.
If you can play your way through most of this tune, the wanky parts will come.
He never did. The funnest parts to play are the long notes under the first guitar solo that build into a killer groove, and the part I think called "Monsters!" where everyone is just doing their own weird thing, and you have to hold it down to meet back up with the drummer after some crazy drum fills. Of course, like Jimmy says, it's really about locking into the groove.
If you can play your way through most of this tune, the wanky parts will come.
"Something" by the Beatles. I just learned it 2 weeks ago for a wedding gig, and it was tough for me. I spend all my time playing rhythmic percussive type stuff, and that melodic bassline was a big 180 for me.
(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth. There are lots of different right and left hand activities going on in that four minutes.
'Hysteria' by Muse - I was set it as a half-joking challenge on the day I got my bass. I haven't got past the intro yet but trying to play it well has got me moving from pick to fingerstyle, working on my left and right-hand speed and, most importantly, muting the other strings.
Jaco - Come On Come Over
great one for speed, agility, and muted notes...but not sure i can groove it quite like Jaco
great one for speed, agility, and muted notes...but not sure i can groove it quite like Jaco
"I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers (bass by David Hood) because it's a simple little groove, but it's the song. Also because it's the glue for all the solos. I use it as a mantra-like practice routine now. Can you play that groove for five or ten minutes straight with consistent attack, time, inflection, etc. and resist the urge to embellish? Only then do you get to do the cool little solo in it.
"Good Hearted Woman" by Waylon & Willie. I hated that song for a long time. When I started playing, I knew I'd have to play it every night, sometimes two or three times a night. It's dirt simple country Root/five with a single walk-up from I to IV. There's a key change, but it's the most annoying kind ever. I finally figured I could either hate those three minutes of my life, or learn to embrace them. I chose to learn to like it. It became my nightly bass lesson. Focus on the precise attack needed, the exact timing of the kick drum, when to release so the snare came through, the tone I wanted to get from my fingers, how to lock exactly with THIS drummer, etc.
"I Want You Back" by The Jackson Five (bass by Wilton Felder), because it made me sharpen up my timing, work out some awkward fingerings, and lock with both the drums AND the piano. Bonus points because our singer needed it in F instead of the recording's Ab, and I didn't have a five-string then.
John
"Good Hearted Woman" by Waylon & Willie. I hated that song for a long time. When I started playing, I knew I'd have to play it every night, sometimes two or three times a night. It's dirt simple country Root/five with a single walk-up from I to IV. There's a key change, but it's the most annoying kind ever. I finally figured I could either hate those three minutes of my life, or learn to embrace them. I chose to learn to like it. It became my nightly bass lesson. Focus on the precise attack needed, the exact timing of the kick drum, when to release so the snare came through, the tone I wanted to get from my fingers, how to lock exactly with THIS drummer, etc.
"I Want You Back" by The Jackson Five (bass by Wilton Felder), because it made me sharpen up my timing, work out some awkward fingerings, and lock with both the drums AND the piano. Bonus points because our singer needed it in F instead of the recording's Ab, and I didn't have a five-string then.
John
Hysteria is far easier than it looks. I could play it fine about 2 weeks after I got my bass.
I can definitely see this being a good resource for when I'm looking for good songs to learn when I want to work on technique or just groove to a good song, just as I am now... Subbed 
I've never really noticed this... I've always noticed an opposite kind of thing going on.
I first remember when I was terrible at bass... basically I took it right out of the box and tried playing a song... I think it was money by pink floyd. I remember telling someone that it was NOT a beginner song lol.
I worked with the DVD my squier jazz affinty came with for a bit. I think I was also just doing a few exercises I found online. When I came back to money I found that within a min or two I could play it no sweat... thinking back on my comment about it not being a beginner song..
I found that throughout my travels in learning this happens alot. I'll find a song I wanna learn at a skill level higher then what I can play, I'll practice for a little while longer and then come back to the song to find it's not that hard.
I'm what I call self taught (some people might think differently). I use books and youtube videos/ music videos / tabs to help me learn as well as exercises I find online and in books. I find as I put time into "fundamentals" that I can progress through specific song learning.
I first remember when I was terrible at bass... basically I took it right out of the box and tried playing a song... I think it was money by pink floyd. I remember telling someone that it was NOT a beginner song lol.
I worked with the DVD my squier jazz affinty came with for a bit. I think I was also just doing a few exercises I found online. When I came back to money I found that within a min or two I could play it no sweat... thinking back on my comment about it not being a beginner song..
I found that throughout my travels in learning this happens alot. I'll find a song I wanna learn at a skill level higher then what I can play, I'll practice for a little while longer and then come back to the song to find it's not that hard.
I'm what I call self taught (some people might think differently). I use books and youtube videos/ music videos / tabs to help me learn as well as exercises I find online and in books. I find as I put time into "fundamentals" that I can progress through specific song learning.
