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Songs you play wrong on purpose

DaveParker39

DaveParker39

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Feb 28, 2022
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#1
Anyone (particularly in the cover scene) have songs you play incorrectly, but you do it on purpose because it works for your band or the arrangement, or just sounds right to you?

Not including songs that you play wrong just because you haven't mastered them yet... these have to be planned deviations.

I'll start:

Like a Prayer by Madonna (Guy Pratt)... when he runs up the fingerboard in the D Minor part to do the Bb, A, Bb, C octaves, I substitute the A's with F's to match the guitars.

Others?
 
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#4
I approximate the bass in songs, but I see no need in trying to copy the recordings exactly. I'm playing rock in a 3 piece.

Not to mention, in a 3 piece, almost any song you play is going to be missing other parts that are present in the recording - more guitars, keyboards, etc. So I might sometimes play something that is a hybrid of other parts.

It's strange because in my younger days I was the exact opposite - I would spend so much time trying to figure out all the little nuances so I could play it "right." Now I figure that actually isn't important at all.

So I guess I play all the covers "wrong on purpose!"

As for the originals - it's my part - so it can't be wrong! :)

But for a specific example, we are trying You Got Lucky (T Petty & the Heartbreakers.) It has a lot of subtle little rhythm guitar things going on, and I mix those into the bass part, because the guitar is playing the keyboard stabs.
 
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#5
Tim Skinner said:
I don't really feel the need to play it 'right' to be honest. Our band tends to make our own versions of songs to suit our players, our audience, our mood on the day, what is the event, how is the energy in the room. We approach them in a pretty organic way and try to nail the songs important hooks, but feel free to take liberties in the moment.
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+1 ^

Half of the fun of music is playing our own versions of known songs. Typically, covers run pretty close to original versions, but in my book, the more you can twist something the more fun it is. My philosophy is: That's the way THEY played that song; this is the way WE play this song.

My approach to cover songs is to
1. Create a passable line as fast as I can (I do a fair amount of sub work)
2. Tap into any signature lines I can
3. Mold it into what ever project it's going to be used in.

I do have some songs that I play or have played in multiple projects that I play slightly different because of each project's character. In some cases they want N4N approach, in others, close enough is close enough. I do what I can to make it work with each project. The song that I've played the most versions of is Gimme Three Steps. I think every classic rock project I've ever been involved in has played it, and every single one does their own version of the guitar solos - trying to play the original basslines behind guitars that are not playing original solos doesn't work well. I have another similar songs, but that one clearly stands out
 
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#7
mrcbass said:
+1 ^

Half of the fun of music is playing our own versions of known songs. Typically, covers run pretty close to original versions, but in my book, the more you can twist something the more fun it is. My philosophy is: That's the way THEY played that song; this is the way WE play this song.

My approach to cover songs is to
1. Create a passable line as fast as I can (I do a fair amount of sub work)
2. Tap into any signature lines I can
3. Mold it into what ever project it's going to be used in.

I do have some songs that I play or have played in multiple projects that I play slightly different because of each project's character. In some cases they want N4N approach, in others, close enough is close enough. I do what I can to make it work with each project. The song that I've played the most versions of is Gimme Three Steps. I think every classic rock project I've ever been involved in has played it, and every single one does their own version of the guitar solos - trying to play the original basslines behind guitars that are not playing original solos doesn't work well. I have another similar songs, but that one clearly stands out
Click to expand...


Agreed on the fun part, and really that's what it is all about. We play 500 Miles by the Proclaimers and I do have fun sneaking the bass part from My Sharona into the chorus.
 
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#10
I started playing bass over 45 years ago, and music 57 years ago. I do church gigs, where some of the tunes we do I've played over a hundred times. When a tune is recorded, a lot of times, the recording is done a day or two after the band members first hear it - you might be hearing their 5th take or something. If you see the same band play that tune live, it's inevitably different - it's later in the process, they have learned a few things that make the tune better and they use their experience to improve things a bit,. or they're in an environment live that calls for something a bit different..

So, if I come up with something different that makes the tune better, or that fits the vibe of what's happening around me on stage or in the audience, I do it. I've played the thing many more times that the original musicians did when they recorded the studio version, and I have more years of experience playing music than they do. It's certainly not "wrong" for me to come up with a better part.
 
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#11
Can’t say a particular song, but if the run/riff is a little complex I will let the notes I struggle with pass on by! I did audition for a church. The control freak WL wanted the bass part played exactly as the original. I realize why because they use tracks on every song. Which I am not a fan of….
 
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#16
I always played in all-original bands, so it wasn't a huge problem. But one of the bands we covered Queensrÿche "Take Hold of The Flame" and the little "C-F-C-D-G" run was hard for me to finger as the tab was written, so I moved my fingering and just did it all on the A string.
I had one guy in another band who, whenever he was at our shows, would always yell "YOU'RE PLAYING IT WRONG!" at me. In fact, it's been like 30 years since I was in that band and when I see him these days he still yells "YOU'RE PLAYING IT WRONG!" :roflmao:
 
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#18
Our band plays I Want You Back a little differently. I don't even notice it anymore, but whenever we have subs, you have to kinda talk them through the form we do. What's funny is that the reason we do it the way we do is because our original drummer was...not a professional, to say the least. We simplified it so he would stop getting it wrong, and then just kept it once we replaced him. That's been 3 years now so I doubt we'll ever go back to playing it correctly lol

There's also a culture in my band of trading the lick all over the place, so that pops up in about half the songs we play too. We're very mature and serious musicians.
 
#20
The beginning section of "China Girl" by David Bowie always sounded goofy when I play it with my band. Something about the way my band swings it just doesn't work with the original bass line so I modified it to work. Once we get past the intro, I play it pretty much note for note until that section comes back around at the end of the song. I'm so used to how we play it that the original version is starting to sound goofy to my ear!
 
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