Struck Down For Playing A Jamerson Line!

[Killing Floor]

I could go either way here. You don’t want to draw a line in the sand and cause the finished product to suffer because the fact is you’ve never performed in front of someone who knows the bass line.
Great song and in principle you’re correct in learning the part.
But you don’t want to play a train wreck. Not saying it would be your fault but rehearsal is the time to iron it out.
Maybe there’s a middle ground where you can trim a little closer to the root to accommodate the singer and guitarist?
I know, play it correctly or deconstruct it and make it your own, either way is OK with me but in the end you might me unhappy playing “down”. Maybe play the song for the group and walk through it a few measures at a time? Good luck.

 

[Spidey2112]

You had me at "I learned Jamerson's part note for note".

Yep... if this is a true statement, tell the others to do the same.

 

[Bill Murray]

Been there. Probably gonna save you headache to just dumb it done and groove. Keep the essence of the line but add some of your own flavor to it. Even if you learn a song note for note and don’t play it like that live, it’s still really good practice and builds your vocabulary.

Hard to say without hearing the rest of the band though. Could be: you’re not quite in the groove with the part, the drummers not locking in with you, or the guitarist isn’t playing the part on the record so it’s throwing off the rest of the vibe.


I’d say listen to the track as a band and decide together what needs to change to make the song feel right. Who cares if it’s note for note if the song isn’t grooving?


It’s always best to work as unit rather than critique each other.

 

[LBS-bass]

ersonally, I would pick another song instead of trying to re-write that line. I was (briefly) in a Motown/soul band many years ago and we ran into this problem occasionally with certain songs: everyone was striving to do right by the song, but the synergy just wasn’t firing on all cylinders.

I like this solution better than trying to rewrite the song to accommodate the shortcomings of the guitarist/vocalist. Some folks are harmonically challenged and some songs are just beyond their capabilities. If the group can't come to a consensus on how to make the song work without either rewriting the arrangement entirely or pushing the vocalist past their abilities, I'd recommend dropping the song and moving on. Songs like this can become a hill that you don't necessarily want to die on.

 

[bherman]

If the song works with the band otherwise, then I think that the onus is on you to modify/adapt the Jameson version to make it work with your bands arrangement. I don’t see that as “dumbing it down”, I see that as part of your job as the rythym section.

 

[Paul New]

Personally, i think that line is genius and am saddened but not surprised by many of the responses here that criticize the original line. Stick to your guns as long as possible but try to do everything you can to make sure you're not just playing it, but playing it well.

I had a similar situation in a casual band playing the Jamerson line on How Sweet It Is. That band, unbelievably, had never even heard Stevie Wonder's recording, and were only familiar with James Taylor's recording. I won't tell you how that turned out.

 

[mrcbass]

This is a reason I don't usually get too worked up about learning songs "note for note". If the rest of the band isn't doing the same, the "correct" bass line doesn't always work. I can't count the number of variations of "Gimme Three Steps" I play depending on which band I'm playing it with. I always, try to cop the feel and then adjust my line as needed to fit whatever band I'm working with.

What you do from here depends on the band's desired approach: if they label them selves as a note for note band, then they need to fix their parts; if not, you need to adjust your line to make the song sound good within your band's parameters.

 

[two fingers]

They should learn it, you should not unlearn it.

My lawn, get off it!

I stand with you! (Just outside the boundaries of your lawn. )

Seriously, you're playing the proper bass line. Continue to do so. It will he a learning experience for your guitar player.

 

[LeFunk Machine]

Bass player should be peace makers. Therefore, play it the way the he wants so that there will be peace understanding, and harmony. I'd simplify the line it a bit like you mentioned.

 

[mongo2]

The jazzy guitar/vocalist and bass duo I'm in does that song. It's rare for me to copy a line but I learned it and the first time we played it we got a big spontaneous "YEAH!" from one of the diners as soon as I started the opening GCC passage. To our surprise several people stopped eating, sang along and/or clapped in time.

 

[Spidey2112]

The guitarist/vocalist might as well be Elaine... insert song, for soup.

 

[Jazzdogg]

You don't have to play all of the notes Jamerson played, especially when the band is first learning a song.

Simplify the bass line until the band has a solid groove, then you can start adding the rest of the notes Jamerson played - a little at a time.

 

[Mechanical]

This may surprise some people, but bass lines evolve, even by the person who wrote it. There's a couple of Lee Sklar videos where he talks about how his bass line changed over the course of the tour to fit the song better. If the OP has to make the evolution of the bass line fit the situation better, then I don't see what the issue is.

He learned the bass line note for note. That's great and a good skill to have. But as one of my old band leaders would say, "put it in your pocket." That said, it's not an iconic line like "I'll take you there" or "Under Pressure". I don't see any reason at all not to change the line in order to fit the situation.

If your ego is going to get in the way of playing good music, then you're in for a bumpy ride.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

I am sure it is frustrating for you after taking the time to do an authentic reproduction but if you're going to get the skunk eye every time you play the tune, you might consider making some simple mods. Try to capture the essence but play a more conventional set up of notes (which is not dumbing down, just make other choices). less angst, more fun.

 

[azureblue]

So what he is saying is he has to hear the root of the chord on the down beat, in order to know where he is. I supposed you could change the notes to accommodate him, and keep the rest of the part intact. I know how to improvise in JJs style, but to me, there are some parts (For Once in my Life, I'll Be There, original Grapevine) that are sacred. That is your decision but my two cents is, you like the original part, so they need to up their game and learn how to work with it. The P word - practice. Question 2 is - Are they playing ahead of the beat? If they are, then they have no business playing the song until the can lay in the pocket. I'd say stand your ground and they should step up. Not you, step back..

 

[tmvt]

You should say to bad and learn to play the song right or tighten up whatever skill he needs work on to be able to play to it. Jamerson's lines are a big part of what makes all the songs he played on. He had more knowledge and experience then most of us and knew when to lay back and when to spice it up. Plus he had some of the best producers in history lending their opinions on what he was playing and if he should stick with it or go a different direction durn a song on top of of his own insight so tell him to shape up. These songs werent classics because they are super easy they were top players and producer writing and performing at their peaks.

or

just skip the song

 

[LBS-bass]

If your ego is going to get in the way of playing good music

This assumes the music is being made good by not playing it correctly. I dunno about that. I think that developing a level of skill is pointless if you're continually held back by the others you're surrounded by. If that's ego, then so be it. Seems more like common sense to me. Why bother to get better as a player? Let's all just be really lazy and get by doing the least we can, since that's what we are willing to accept.

 

[Acoop]

If he's singing it it would be helpful to alter the line plus it's always good to learn the line and change it to suit the situation. ... It's good practice toward learning how and invent develop, on the spot, your own lines.

 

[Gustopher]

It's already been said, but it really depends on the make up of the band. If you are learning a part from a band that uses more instruments than yours, those same bass lines might not work the same. The song could still work, but you have to tailor a song to fit the band playing it sometimes. In my covers band we skip songs that feature keys and horns because we don't have those... we have 2 guitars a bass and drums. So if we want to play something that has those components we have to either change it up a little or skip it altogether. Some parts are meant to work with certain arrangements when you put them into other setups, they sound awkward (especially when people are learning them).

 

[BobDeRosa]

Jamerson's line was probably perfect for that group with that instrumentation on the day they recorded that song. I'm guessing your group has different instrumentation and players of a different level. I would have been inclined to either make up a line that better complements your band's version or to modify JJ's line to fit.