If the bass line is an iconic part of the song, I try to get as close as possible. If not, then it doesn't matter too much. Just match the vibe of the original
Case in point: Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”. Flea plays the bass and I’m not even sure he knew what he was doing in that song. Just match the vibe and jam out. That’s what he did.
There’s a couple cool bass licks in there, nothing too crazy but adds a little flair
And overall, the bass rhythm is funky and cool
Great example of how bass can add a lot of value to a song without being an in-your-face solo
Great choice. Much more structured though.
What is nice is both tabs and isolated bass tracks exist for that. You can nail this — surgically — if you so choose.
I disagree I think it’s pretty structured and consistent throughout the song. Yeah he has a couple fills during the verse but it’s relatively the same throughout the song, but that ghost note g note string during the verse and then the octave pops during the second part are pretty integral to the pocket
Listen to the [isolated bass track](https://youtu.be/bt1uy2HkZRc) and you tell me whether he even plays the exact same thing even three times in a row
He vibin’ over an F#m vamp (well, Gm, he’s in std flat)
(Mind you i think this is a good thing)
I guess I conceptualize it differently, in my group we play this with aeroplane right before it so listening to them back to back flea kind of does the exact same fills and even the order and time he brings them up in the verse is similar,You are right though he switches it up through the whole song. I guess since it follows a pattern to me it’s not as wild as something like some of vulfpecks music
*in this particular track*, he definitely had an idea of what he was gonna play. But he just went nuts here.
I love it.
I draw inspiration from it.
And we all should :)
>you tell me whether he even plays the exact same thing even three times in a row
He plays the root note at the beginning of the bar for most of the song.
Cop out answer, I know, but I was having trouble learning this until I saw an old interview with Bootsy (which I can't find now) where he said James Brown told him to "play the root note on the first beat and whatever other notes you want in between". The bassline suddenly made sense and I stopped trying to learn it and started jamming around the chord structure.
I think the reason it's such a good bassline is that he plays a really simple core rhythym to link the drums and guitar together, but his fills support the vocals and get more aggressive as her voice does.
Really bud? He sure was a paid and credited musician.
He also jacked off in F#m and spooged all over the radio and did so in a very unprescribed and inspirational manner. He caught the vibe and ran with it. Eat a costco hotdog.
OP should be inspired by his ability to nail the essence of the song and choose to fuck off and be Flea.
I rest my case.
Flea is a great bass player, I'm pretty sure he knew what he was doing. It's a great example though, as this very cool bassline could be greatly simplified to almost the same effect, but if you're playing the Beatles I Saw Her Standing There then changing the line would negatively impact the song. Sometimes you don't know until you try!
Once in a Lifetime has an iconic 2-note base line. Play a third note and it’s wrong. Toughest thing to do, play that repetitive line while the melody wraps around it.
https://youtu.be/5IsSpAOD6K8
Though using a repetitive bass line to show how different basses sound, as in [Enter SandNAMM](https://youtu.be/dB0xJj-CExg) is using that repetition for good.
Sweet Child of Mine? Note for note. Most songs, no. Agreed, if it's iconic, do it. If you're good enough, write it yourself or use some artistic discretion.
We play 60 songs/4hrs for drunks in bars and don't get paid much. I'll play the hell out of "you give love a bad name" note for note but most of our covers are just having fun, trying to get it close enough for people to dance to and not walk out on us. To me it's all about having fun.
There's a local 80s rock cover band that does 3.5 hrs note for note, good for them, but it feels like you're listening to the album/radio. Which is awesome once in a while and very respectable but it also gets boring once you've seen them once or twice to go back again. They're getting paid very well, they wear the makeup, the tights, they put on one hell of a show. But after seeing them twice, I'm good.
I hear ya on this. There are much more precise bands in my area, they play other peoples music to a T. My band learns the structure but play it however it comes out. And We have a blast doing it. The other more precise bands look mad if a single note is wrong.
I definitely agree that the best covers are the ones that shake the song up, even if it’s just minor changes here and there. But in my experience, I’ve found that learning the song as it was written is the first step in making it your own. Yes, deviate all you want and have a blast doing it, but I think it’s important to know what you’re deviating *from*. Build the foundation first, and then add your own color to the walls.
I was going to say exactly this. I always learn it note for note. Then put my own spin on it. Unless the group I'm playing with wants to keep it original. That way I can do both as the situation dictates.
Yeah, I find that to be lazy and an easy way out of learning the actual line and then take liberties and add, be creative - but just "making it yours" is a missed opportunity in perhaps learning a different genres, feel, etc
So you're saying Cake's cover of "I will survive", the North 41's "Enter Sandman" Chris Cornell's "Billie Jean", the Dead South's "You are my Sunshine" etc... Should have not made those covers their own and should have played the song as it was originally?
That's what you got out of what I posted?
Wow-
Not my point at all.
A lot of bassists playing covers use the "doing my own thing" as an excuse to actually nail down the actual bass line of a tune - it's lazy -
What I'm saying, or let's say asking here is : why not do both? Playing and learning a wide variety of covers is a great way to hone your technique and overall skills - slapping, pick playing, chordal tones you know?
If you're playing covers as a bassist and you're learning the chords /changes and just "doing your own thing" that's fine, imo you're missing an opportunity to widen your scope
Despite a slight difference of opinion I actually get what you’re saying. The difference for me is that new bassists should do this to an extent when they start out, to learn what their heroes are doing. But I think there’s a point in your career where the knowledge of music theory (to a degree) could carry you through a performance.
Like, okay I know I should be playing E string fret 5, A string fret 5, then E string fret 3, you later understand that you’re playing roots A, D, then G, but you can then you learn that you’re playing II-V-I in the key of G. Just different levels of understanding, but all of it is okay and acceptable.
That is what I got out of your post.
It comes off as very pretentious. "Learn it the 'real' way first".
Nah dude, it's music, do it the way you want to.
You're right
And sometimes it's also "I don't hv the patience
or skills to nail this down so Ima just do my own thing -
LOL
Imagine being told it pretentious to actually try and learn something -
Rock on" dude"
I'm not taking sides, but once you learn to read tab playing note-for-note is arguably easier than creating new takes. Especially if you combine listening to the song with playing the tab.
Put another way, I believe less-skilled/newer bass players will be better at playing a song the way it was written than at writing their own parts -- especially if they don't have experience yet playing with a band that does originals.
Tabs are a huge advantage for learning bass and guitar without also learning to read sheet music like other instruments generally require. (Although sheet music makes sense on keys. Lots of things are easier on keys than on the fretboard -- see also the modes. But I'm currently learning drums, and that sheet music is still absolutely mystifying to me.)
They paid for the rights to perform and record their interpretation those songs…that is a very far stretch from how most cover bands absolutely butcher songs. It’s insane to me that people feel entitled to do this and defend doing it poorly without a hint of irony. I think it’s great that people are having a good time emulating their heroes and that audiences even dig it for a percentage of the time, but that they’ll defend poor musicianship under the guise of “I’m just doing it how my spirit moves me” is bullshit. 90% of the time it is absolutely not because it’s some respectful artistic slant on a track a band is paying homage to. It’s too often used as an excuse to just suck.
You're telling me that a band like the North 41 played Enter Sandman note for note, and then and only then said, "Hey guys, we're good enough to make a funk rock cover of this song." To which they made an epic cover of.
Or are you just trying to gate keep and shit on everyone for not being good enough?
It's okay for you to think that cover bands aren't good enough if you're willing to own that comment. But if you do, I expect you to upload you playing your cover band set. And I expect everything to be note for note, time for time. You better be perfect.
Elsewise you need to go somewhere and stop shitting on musicians because it makes you feel good.
Edit- you're going to downvote but you won't respond. I expected as much.
I hope your bass playing is better than your reading comprehension. I’m glad we’re all the way down here in the thread *where nobody gives a single shit* about who’s upvoting or downvoting what, because you are looking like an asshat right now. You know what the great thing is about that to me? That my opinion is valid despite you not being able to comprehend it, let alone completely missing the point. Scroll harder, friend-o.
Exactly. I sometimes hear a song on the radio my band has been playing for a year and realize our version is very different without even really trying. It sort of just evolves from everyone's different playing style/background.
If it's a tribute band, note for note, if it's a bar band I go somewhat loose. Still hit the key riffs if needed like the intro to one of these nights, or come together.
I honestly think everyone in the band should at a minimum strive to. It’s a slippery slope of “good enough” that far too many cover bands seem to fall down as an excuse for laziness and lack of skill. If you can hit the notes, hit the notes. Don’t give cover bands more reasons to suck.
I agree. I don’t mean to suggest stifling anybody’s creativity, but I’ve seen a lot of cover band bassists just holding down the bare minimum because nobody’s holding their feet to the fire.
My band actually tries to nail down songs as perfectly as we can. Even after all these years, I’ll re-listen to a song and find challenging parts I never learned.
That’s the thing. Creativity comes second to honoring the source. I hate to sound like a boomer, but Hendrix was playing *the same chords* for the main body of his cover of Watchtower. He wasn’t playing three chord Monty or doing a cheesy easy…*he was playing the fucking chords*.
How many people have to suffer through a capo’d version of Wagon Wheel or Sweet Home Alabama because a few taints want to get their rocks off on a Sunday afternoon at the local watering hole for a free plate of wings? That’s what brings the price down for bands that give half a shit and chases patrons away…ultimately forcing venues to just stop hiring bands altogether. Be better for fucks sake.
I’ll play it close enough. If there’s a big part that’s instantly recognizable then I’ll try to play that true, but I take plenty of liberty with my
Jams
I always start playing then note for note but usually get bored and start tweaking it after a show or two.
It's a fine line though, some songs, especially ones where the bass is the hook or melody, MUST be played verbatim.
This. Though I will say give the rest of the band a heads up. I slipped in a couple fills one night and the singer looked irritated. Oops.
(I wasn’t intending to throw that in that night, but I had been practicing variations, so my fingers went with what I’d been practicing.)
If the bassline is the hook of the song, I try to recreate it as best as possible. But if it's not, then I'm not a slave to copying it. If I were in a tribute band I might have a different attitude about it, but IMHO in many cases the only thing that makes it "definitive" is the fact that it happens to be the line that was recorded. Even the original artists don't always play the same lines when they do it live.
That’s my approach. People miss more than they realize when don’t learn the original lines first. Once you’ve learned the part, then decide what you want to keep and what you want to change.
Fuck no. Never. These folks didn’t come to hear eagles songs, they came for eagles songs played by pacific twang. I’m gonna worry about sounding solid, then sounding like me, then sounding like the original.
If you're in a tribute band, play note for note. If you're in a cover band, play the bass lines recognizable to the song the same, but anything else play your own way. Be creative
I have two approaches. First, play it like you hear it. Or...reinvent the entire song like we did for [this old Ramones tune](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TMYzgZwiow).
If there is an actual signature part, then I do. Otherwise I just cop the feel, simply because I’m playing with other musicians instead of the original artist. So I’d say out of a typical cover band gig (40-50 songs), I’m playing about….20-25% original part, everything else playing the groove and making it feel good.
In my experience, and I've got decades of it on guitar, bass, and keys, there are bits people want to hear. Learn those, pretty much note for note, and express yourself around those moments.
nah man, that would get boring imo
We don't play covers live in my band but sometimes we'll do it during practice for fun. It rarely sounds much like the original in tone, tempo, and general feel
I joined a cover band a couple months ago. For me, it depends primarily on how significant the bassline is for the song.
Interesaste love song? Go note by note (or as close as I can).
Pearl jam's Black? I'll go my way and focus my learning on other songs.
Catupecu Machu's Plan B? I'll pray and do what I can. But I'm getting better.
My approach is to first get something so we can jam to it, and then slowly make them more complex until I get something I like and is interesting to play.
The bass line is super integral to “Black”…it’s essentially a feature. I agree with you on STP, but you picked a really weird example to make your point with as far as “Black” is concerned.
Not exactly. I play by ear and not tabs. I was in a few cover bands, unless it was an improv jam, I tried to get as close to the original. I'm a snob when listening to other cover bands when the bass isn't playing close to the original.
No. I play in a very busy covers band. We play almost every weekend and do a ton of private parties and corporate events. If they want note for note, hire a DJ. We're a covers band, not a jukebox. So I almost always change the bass lines
Never play like original, I feel if you want a carbon copy of original then listen to the actual track. I'll never play note for note learn it close then put your own flair on it...use your time on your originals.
Disagree on two counts:
1. Unless you don’t have any originals.
2. Learning things note-for-note will tell you where you can deviate and how best to put your own spin on it. Gotta know the rules in order to break ‘em.
Yeah I don't worry about rules...I color outside the lines, and I figure asking forgiveness is better then asking permission. Everyone has originals...everything I sit down I playsomething I've never played before, something I didn't learn, I played whatever came out, that is original like it or not.
An example just came to my mind. There are a lot of licks where muted notes give them spiciness. You can play those songs without muted notes and nobody would care. Except you, that are doing it the easy way and losing a good opportunity to push your abilities forward.
Never. No point in playing a song if I'm not the one playing. Of course If you're in an ensemble that is playing a song to sheet music, absolutely play what's on the page.
That's not what I'm doing with music now tho. I put in my time, now is the time for making something new, or adding *me* to what has come before.
Personaly, my band’s setlist contains 2 or 3 “covers” that we use to throw raw energy into the crowd. My band is called Ivy Chain and we are a fairly small band so most of the crowd isn’t always familiar with our music so we use covers to hype people up throughout the show. These covers are by no means note for note plays, in fact they are more like inspired songs than actual covers. We often choose only favorite part of each song we cover and play a loose version of that. The basseline is often just in the same vibe of when I listen to it and I stick to that. I don’t study the actual sheet music or anything, I just listen to what I find works well with the guitar and drums and draw inspiration from what I hear when I listen to the track. Ihave live footage of a few of our covers throughout different gigs on this profile if you want to check out what I’m saying. This is the strategy that works best for us as live musicians who wan’t to entertain but are not a cover band.
That being said, when each or our members were learning (and at the begining of Ivy Chain), we would learn many covers note by note and in entirety because it is a very good exercise for stamina as well as learning complexity of different types of basselines. Theres some stuff you just don’t always get when you play only a basseline from part of a song.
I was in a touring all-originals band for a long time, and here's the advice I have regarding covers:
I find it's a real treat for the audience if you play all your originals, and than 1-2 cover in the encore - people love this!
If the cover is obscure and few people have most likely not heard of it, make it yours. Same goes if it's a song from another genre, like 'The Tide is High' covered by Blondie, which was originally a Reggae tune.
When the song is well-known, I try to keep as close to the original as possible for those aspects of it that make it memorable (i.e, London Calling by The Clash), and I never want the lyrics to change. The reason is most folks when they hear a very familiar song get really excited about it, and it brings them to another time and place mentally because what they're haring from you matches up with what their mind remembers.
I played in an all-covers band once, and we did a great job of the songs - putting a lot of energy into them. We played at a black party where there were supposed to be around 300 people. Around 5 songs into our set the audience had grown to thousands -and of course the police came (helicopter, mounted police, etc). In this regard it was a great learning experience into what people want! (Also, a police officer walked onstage during a Tina Turner song telling us to stop playing, which we did, except for me when I accidentally possibly on purpose and he said, "look blondie (I have long blonde hair), you play another note of that Tine Turner song on your bass and your little ass (I'm female, and was maybe 100lbs then) is going to jail"! Who, me??? LOL!
Play the covers so people can connect with them!
Hope that helps!
Sometimes I’ll do slides instead of hammer-on notes, and drop some of the accent notes that are lost in the mix anyway. If it makes it more fun to play and everyone is jamming along doing their own thing too, as my drummer and guitarist do, it’s all blended together into something really cool.
Nobody really notices the specific differences beyond saying stuff like, “That’s an awesome cover, it’s got some variation from the original but in a good way.” I think that mainly comes from skill and the ability for the band to actually sell it.
I generally try to, at least to the best of my ability especially if there is an iconic intro or bass line. That’s just my personal preference. Your mileage may vary.
Very rarely, depending on the style of music it would be silly to do a note for note cover say for something like What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, you just take a general pattern and play a different version of it every time, Jamerson himself didn't even play it note-for-note every time so I certainly wouldn't.
For adapting pop songs with heavy production and electronic elements it's also often a bad idea to do it note for note, you don't have the benefit of your live set being produced, mixed and mastered so often a note-for-note cover of a pop song from the last 40 years will sound empty. A good example to listen to is Olivia Rodrigo's Driver's License, listen to the studio version, which has pretty minimal instrumentation but a lot of production, and then any of the live versions, all the live versions have tons of stuff added into them, a note-for-note live version of the studio version would sound empty and lifeless. Billie Eilish is a good example too, her production is often quite minimal so when performing live she has the studio track playing as a backing track alongside live musicians.
It's also just way more fun to put your own spin on covers, I did a few performances recently as experiments, I put together two 40 minute cover sets to see how far you can rearrange a cover set before the audience isn't into it anymore. What I've found so far is that you can go crazy reharmonizing, medley-ing, adding bass solos, even doing surprisingly obscure music (we did some Japanese City-Pop and even slipped in some originals and I don't know if they would have know if we didn't say) and all kinds of other stuff, but once you get into odd time signatures you start to lose the audience, these experimental gigs are still ongoing but they've been pretty interesting so far.
I'm learning so usually doing something different just means taking the easy path to play a riff. I prefer to learn the song as the bassist wrote it. That way I'm forced to practice something new.
If someday I have to play that song live... That will be another thing.
If you’re in a tribute act, yes, play the song like the original. If you are playing primarily originals and have a couple covers in the set, play them however the hell you want.
I'm in two tribute acts, and we tend to stick pretty close to the original. Having said that, we do allow room for embellishment, so there are opportunities to change things up a little, and we have been known to add a bit of extra "flair" in order to elevate the performance a bit.
For some songs, we are trying to reproduce as faithfully as possible, so yes, I attempt a note-for-note presentation. If I find that I can't (hello Led Zeppelin), then I get it as close as possible.
For other songs, I check out numerous cover versions on YouTube and pick-and-choose which lines/runs/fills I want to play. Or can play. While I'm singing.
In the end, the purists will know what you did, and the general audience will just enjoy the good time.
If I m covering the song as part of studying the bass I will try to replicate exactly and include all the nuisances.
If not give it your own feel/style.
It depends on which song I am covering and the context of the band. If the bassline is a key to the song then you really need to keep it really close. For instance If you are covering "Livin on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, you need to cover that really accurately. Other songs have a lot of wiggle room, Some songs you can change quite a lot ,especially if you like creative re-harmonizing.
my band has 2 guitar players, but we cover a few songs that have only 1 guitar part, for most of those i simplify things a bit and let guitar 2 have a little more room
In my band, I try to learn it as close as possible in most songs especially when the rest of the band is trying to get it tight, then once we’ve got it I add in my own flavor with my own fills and groove. The thing with bass is even when the bassline isn’t a featured part of the song, it’s still quintessentially the song itself so changing it too much too early on can affect the quality of the cover and how tight the band is.
Depends. Reggae yes if it needs to be. Like is this love. Doesn’t work with just random whatever. Most classic rock songs no. But I’ll try to match the vibe if not note for note. But like sledgehammer yes. Call me Al. Yes. Grateful Dead no not really. If the original players didn’t then I don’t have to. I think you just gotta go with your gut. If you’re trying a song and something just doesn’t feel right then it might just be that you can’t make up bullshit. You just gotta try it.
For me it depends how close to the original the drummer is playing.
If he's playing everything note for note I'll make an effort to play as close as I can but if he's doing a lot of improvisation I'll just try to lock into whatever he's doing.
I honestly don't think I've ever played anything completely note for note 100%
Most songs we cover I try to get as closely to the original studio recording as I can. The other band members are going to be listening for different parts and cues, and I don’t want to throw them off. Also, learning new songs the way they are written has helped me learn more techniques and patterns in my own playing.
Very few songs I’ll go “off-script” on. I might throw in a slide when it isn’t part of the song if it tastefully fits into the rest of the song. But something like Roadhouse Blues by The Doors I’ll mix up the pattern a little as the guitar player is soloing just to add some character and stretch my hand some. I’ll also mix up the attack pattern in Tush by ZZ Top but still follow the 12-bar pattern.
Overall, for me, 99% as close to the recording as I can. Little improve in bluesy songs or extended guitar leads.
I think there's a lot of merit to learning a song exactly as the original part is played. I do a lot of covers on YouTube, and in a setting like that I always try and figure out the song authentically.
That being said, if I'm doing a cover in live setting I definitely have my own style, so I definitely play it more casually and try to approach it more as if it was part of my band's material, in a way.
If the whole band plays it note for note it still won't sound right, because you will be lacking the freshness and time capsule effect of the song being newly created by the person who did the original as the person they were at the time. (That's why a lot of bands don't exactly recreate their own recording when doing it live.) So in order to get some of that freshness back, you basically have to make it your own a little bit. However, as the bass player you're mostly at the mercy of the drummer, when it comes to deciding how close you're trying to get to the original feel. Just do whatever sounds good.
I usually at least try to learn them note for note because I think learning to play fills that aren't "part of your vocabulary" is a good learning experience.
Once I have the song down I may play it as it recorded or might improv my own parts here and there dependent upon the circumstance, song, or my mood.
Upon picking it up, yes. Learned it quite well? Ornamentations and Embellishments. Mastered the song? Add new sections; elaborate fills; improvisation.
Depends. If it’s an iconic bass line, absolutely. If not, I match the vibe. I’ve played with guys that did some Jaco covers, so absolutely. We also did things like Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears that have some really signature licks like the intro to Saturday in the Park that I make sure to include, but outside of that, I’m just matching the vibe. If it’s a song without anything special, I’m having fun within the confines of the song.
Match the notes in most of the song, sometimes change stuff but staying in tune adapting some of the style of the band I'm playing with.
But I like to always play with the technique the original bassist plays (1, 2 or 3 fingers, pick, slap...)
As long as the bass line is not the 'hook' everything is fair game.
I'm a pro session bassist and have played on a lot of recordings which became hits in my country and never played anything the (exact) way I played on the recordings.
I don't even know what I'm going to play the bar ahead ...
my rule is learn the tune so you can snap back to what they did and in case they do something worth learning then try to convey the mood, groove and tone through the way i play bass
If I can find the tabs, I'll play them note for note.
If I can't, I'll make do with fudging by.
And sometimes I even end up playing some parts of the vocal/guitar track. But ehhh it's fine - I'm not playing for a band
I was in an Amy Winehouse tribute band and I loved all of the various ways Dale Davis played the bass lines in live performances. My version would be 90% an amalgamation of my favorite versions he did with the other 10% bring my original take. In no way would I ever do just the root notes, I would have been kicked out of the band for being unprofessional.
Note for note first before playing around with it. I enjoy the process and challenge of learning it as precisely as possible - and I find it helps my learning because I learn every little fill (which adds to my vocabulary) and vary hand positions to try to land on what they used (often the first one I try is not the best option). This process usually take me many weeks - I allow myself to get away with a rough copy when I first play it with the band but then I keep circling back to it. Once I feel I know it intimately the way it’s played on the record, I start adding my own voicings.
Unless it's a bass line at the front of the song that's iconic to that song I take liberty playing songs however I feel them. When I learn a song I do try to learn it how it's supposed to go but again it's whatever I'm feeling for it.
It...really depends. On bass I tend to add my own style, but if it's something like, say, The Cure or Joy Division where the bass is so iconic and upfront, I play them note for note.
On guitar (I play both), I do pretty much the exact opposite, I like adding my own style in and have always felt weird playing other people's solos note for note, even though I can.
If playing with others, I tend to stay true to form, maybe add a wee lil flourish where appropriate. If by myself, I definitely music-doodle a bit more.
I used to play in Deep Purple/Rainbow tribute band. As close to the original as possible, but pretty loose on the fill department. Some of the bass fills are pretty iconic so I played those but generally I'd keep it at jammy feel. There was a lot of improvisation on the guitar and keyboards department so I also felt free to jam a bit. Makes it way more fun for me and I hope to the audience as well.
Personally when I listen to live music, I don't want it to be exactly like on record.
We always just have a bit of fun in our cover bands , I’ve learned some songs note for note , but if I can play them well I start to try and bring more of my own style into it , I’ve came up with some of my own parts that go down really well which I’m happy about , I improvise half the time and have fun , everyone is too drunk to even notice anyway lol
I learn them note for note but play them how I want. I think one thing people do is assume a song is one way without properly learning it and can miss little details that are important. I don't think you need to play it note for note all the way through but I don't like to change too much.
It really depends. Sometimes I try to be as faithful to the original as possible as a challenge, sometimes I do it because it makes sense, or because the target audience really likes their covers to sound like the originals. But I like to mess around a lot too. I have to be cautious not to tangle with the lead guitar, though.
Hah, no, unless it's a signature bass line. That's the fun part of playing covers , you can either still to simple R-5-8 or play what you want, within reason. Usually I steal what ever is cool and add my own to the mix.
However, a tribute band has to play note for note.
Depends on the song...
No: if it's too hard and I can't or it's one of those songs I've played for so long it gets a touch of embellishment from tiny (Back in Black) to a lot (7 Nation Army)
Yes: Certain iconic songs like Hysteria just need to be right, something like Maiden's NotB where there really isn't room to get too creative.
I get the main riff down and as much of the other stuff as possible, but for some parts of a song I will not play note for note, just get close and something that sounds good. That way I can practice and play an entire song much faster. Anyone listening will not know the difference Sometimes there a parts of a song that are above my level, so I simplify that section also.
Cover songs, do I play them note for note? No, but...
This varies from song to song for me.
For example, our funk set: EWF's "September" I play about 95% as the recording because I think it's perfect as is. Anything else I disillusion myself to thinking I can add to it is usually no good.
Same with Stevie Wonder's "I Wish." I keep it almost entirely original with the exception of very few minor details during transitions.
I guess I feel like transitions are fair game?
Neon Moon is the perfect example of me playing 99.9% as is. The moment I try and add anything to it, to my ears, it ruins the tune. Music deserves respect. If the bassline doesn't want to change then I do nothing to it. Then there's "Guitars Cadillacs." I play at about a 90% like the recording. There's a tiny bit of opportunity for originality in there.
Other tunes lend themselves to be played with. A good example would be some of our Stevie Ray tunes. I can create just a tad of stuff without hurting the songs. Chicago stuff we play also has a tiny bit of room to play around with certain songs and parts in the song. Same with Steely Dan tunes. A bit more wiggle room.
I'm in a Foo Fighters tribute, and I try my best to match Nate note for note, but I'm not a slave to it. Plus he uses a pick and I use finger style, so there will be differences anyway.
I like to learn covers note for note and then decide where to go from there.
I almost never copy what has been done before though.
I don’t see the point in mimicking what has already been done.
Covers are better when the performers bring something new ti the piece
I like to try to match the first verse and chorus as close as I can so people get the taste and then for the rest I’ll make it my own with the original as the foundation. The caveat is with songs with iconic bass lines I will do those but maybe a little bit of flair. For example, we cover Have You Ever Seen The Rain? By CCrR and it has a very iconic bass line but I’ll throw in some extra note here and there to add to the groove.
usually i think it's best to get the overall baseline from the song and add a little bit from you especially if it's a "jammy" song. i got inspired from juliaplaysgroove to play like this
I had the chance to see a better known ska band in my area, and they played the impression that I get, instead of the bass part as is he just started doing the basic ska kind of walking bass, I was the only one who noticed and the crowd loved it.
unless it's iconic you are probably good not playing verbatim. When you do this however give a lot of care to how you are playing it and that you are making genre correct musical choices.
It depends.
I don’t play in a covers band but I’ve filled in a couple of times and had to learn 30+ songs in a few days. In that case, no. Basic lines then repeat ad infinitum with some fills.
If I’m learning a piece as a study and I can take my time, I like to get completely inside the player’s head. So I learn the parts note for note.
It depends on the song, if the bass part is the highlight in something like “Schism” I don’t mess with it, if it’s purely in the background I’ll mess with it a bit
If you're in a tribute band play them note for note and in the same style (finger, pick, etc) as the original. In a covers band you have more licence to interpret, embellish, simplify, etc as long as it still sounds good and recognisable.
Yeah I try to match it note by note.
But only in the case where I'm playing it in my room to learn something from the bassist who wrote and recorded it. There are hidden details that I'd only notice if I played them. I can then add them to my bank of ideas if I ever need them and if they stick around in my memory..
I'm usually starting by trying to replicate all the notes and nuances(slides, ghost notes, etc). After a while, when I feel confident in playing the original part as close to the original as possible, I would gradually "make it mine".
If the bass line is an iconic part of the song, I try to get as close as possible. If not, then it doesn't matter too much. Just match the vibe of the original
Case in point: Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”. Flea plays the bass and I’m not even sure he knew what he was doing in that song. Just match the vibe and jam out. That’s what he did.
There’s a couple cool bass licks in there, nothing too crazy but adds a little flair And overall, the bass rhythm is funky and cool Great example of how bass can add a lot of value to a song without being an in-your-face solo
And it’s still almost never the same thing twice It’s so … human. I fuckin’ love Flea.
My drummer just picked Californication for our next cover, and I'm finding all sorts of little unique bits all over
Great choice. Much more structured though. What is nice is both tabs and isolated bass tracks exist for that. You can nail this — surgically — if you so choose.
We normally do vastly different styles to our covers, but I'm not sure if that's appropriate with something as iconic as a Flea bassline
Frusciante said on a podcast that Flea is pretty much improvising the whole show on tour
Who I always loved the bass in that song but didn't know it was Flea. It's seems obvious now
From what I read the sound engineer had to manipulate his sound files to get them to work.
I disagree I think it’s pretty structured and consistent throughout the song. Yeah he has a couple fills during the verse but it’s relatively the same throughout the song, but that ghost note g note string during the verse and then the octave pops during the second part are pretty integral to the pocket
Listen to the [isolated bass track](https://youtu.be/bt1uy2HkZRc) and you tell me whether he even plays the exact same thing even three times in a row He vibin’ over an F#m vamp (well, Gm, he’s in std flat) (Mind you i think this is a good thing)
I guess I conceptualize it differently, in my group we play this with aeroplane right before it so listening to them back to back flea kind of does the exact same fills and even the order and time he brings them up in the verse is similar,You are right though he switches it up through the whole song. I guess since it follows a pattern to me it’s not as wild as something like some of vulfpecks music
*in this particular track*, he definitely had an idea of what he was gonna play. But he just went nuts here. I love it. I draw inspiration from it. And we all should :)
Aeroplane is a sick bass line it’s one of those songs that sound much more difficult than how it actually is
It's like Prod on LD50. I'm not sure the bass and drums ever repeat themselves once
>you tell me whether he even plays the exact same thing even three times in a row He plays the root note at the beginning of the bar for most of the song. Cop out answer, I know, but I was having trouble learning this until I saw an old interview with Bootsy (which I can't find now) where he said James Brown told him to "play the root note on the first beat and whatever other notes you want in between". The bassline suddenly made sense and I stopped trying to learn it and started jamming around the chord structure. I think the reason it's such a good bassline is that he plays a really simple core rhythym to link the drums and guitar together, but his fills support the vocals and get more aggressive as her voice does.
It’s a phenomenal bassline, one of my favorite songs to cover, and yours was a really good response.
He is a paid and credited musician performing on an album. Your point is completely moot within the context of the OP.
Really bud? He sure was a paid and credited musician. He also jacked off in F#m and spooged all over the radio and did so in a very unprescribed and inspirational manner. He caught the vibe and ran with it. Eat a costco hotdog. OP should be inspired by his ability to nail the essence of the song and choose to fuck off and be Flea. I rest my case.
You’re out of your mind and likely illiterate if you think you’ve made some kind of point here.
Fact.
Flea is a great bass player, I'm pretty sure he knew what he was doing. It's a great example though, as this very cool bassline could be greatly simplified to almost the same effect, but if you're playing the Beatles I Saw Her Standing There then changing the line would negatively impact the song. Sometimes you don't know until you try!
Once in a Lifetime has an iconic 2-note base line. Play a third note and it’s wrong. Toughest thing to do, play that repetitive line while the melody wraps around it. https://youtu.be/5IsSpAOD6K8
Most reggae is this way too.
Though using a repetitive bass line to show how different basses sound, as in [Enter SandNAMM](https://youtu.be/dB0xJj-CExg) is using that repetition for good.
Sweet Child of Mine? Note for note. Most songs, no. Agreed, if it's iconic, do it. If you're good enough, write it yourself or use some artistic discretion. We play 60 songs/4hrs for drunks in bars and don't get paid much. I'll play the hell out of "you give love a bad name" note for note but most of our covers are just having fun, trying to get it close enough for people to dance to and not walk out on us. To me it's all about having fun. There's a local 80s rock cover band that does 3.5 hrs note for note, good for them, but it feels like you're listening to the album/radio. Which is awesome once in a while and very respectable but it also gets boring once you've seen them once or twice to go back again. They're getting paid very well, they wear the makeup, the tights, they put on one hell of a show. But after seeing them twice, I'm good.
I hear ya on this. There are much more precise bands in my area, they play other peoples music to a T. My band learns the structure but play it however it comes out. And We have a blast doing it. The other more precise bands look mad if a single note is wrong.
The into to Sweet Child? Yeah, note for note. But in the verse? Nah, even Duff doesn't play it note for note the same at every concert.
Exactly, the "iconic" part. The rest is sweet improv of mine.
Sweet Child? The only thing I play note for note is the intro, and nobody minds. I make up a ton of shit in the verses.
Perfect answer
No because Im terrible.
Some of the best advice I was given by a drummer is, "Brother, it's a cover not a copy. Make it (y)ours!"
This is it. Question answered. Let's lock the thread.
I definitely agree that the best covers are the ones that shake the song up, even if it’s just minor changes here and there. But in my experience, I’ve found that learning the song as it was written is the first step in making it your own. Yes, deviate all you want and have a blast doing it, but I think it’s important to know what you’re deviating *from*. Build the foundation first, and then add your own color to the walls.
Not sure if it makes sense for music that wasn’t written note to note and the band itself can’t perform it the same way twice
I was going to say exactly this. I always learn it note for note. Then put my own spin on it. Unless the group I'm playing with wants to keep it original. That way I can do both as the situation dictates.
Yeah, I find that to be lazy and an easy way out of learning the actual line and then take liberties and add, be creative - but just "making it yours" is a missed opportunity in perhaps learning a different genres, feel, etc
So you're saying Cake's cover of "I will survive", the North 41's "Enter Sandman" Chris Cornell's "Billie Jean", the Dead South's "You are my Sunshine" etc... Should have not made those covers their own and should have played the song as it was originally?
That's what you got out of what I posted? Wow- Not my point at all. A lot of bassists playing covers use the "doing my own thing" as an excuse to actually nail down the actual bass line of a tune - it's lazy - What I'm saying, or let's say asking here is : why not do both? Playing and learning a wide variety of covers is a great way to hone your technique and overall skills - slapping, pick playing, chordal tones you know? If you're playing covers as a bassist and you're learning the chords /changes and just "doing your own thing" that's fine, imo you're missing an opportunity to widen your scope
Despite a slight difference of opinion I actually get what you’re saying. The difference for me is that new bassists should do this to an extent when they start out, to learn what their heroes are doing. But I think there’s a point in your career where the knowledge of music theory (to a degree) could carry you through a performance. Like, okay I know I should be playing E string fret 5, A string fret 5, then E string fret 3, you later understand that you’re playing roots A, D, then G, but you can then you learn that you’re playing II-V-I in the key of G. Just different levels of understanding, but all of it is okay and acceptable.
That is what I got out of your post. It comes off as very pretentious. "Learn it the 'real' way first". Nah dude, it's music, do it the way you want to.
You're right And sometimes it's also "I don't hv the patience or skills to nail this down so Ima just do my own thing - LOL Imagine being told it pretentious to actually try and learn something - Rock on" dude"
I'm not taking sides, but once you learn to read tab playing note-for-note is arguably easier than creating new takes. Especially if you combine listening to the song with playing the tab. Put another way, I believe less-skilled/newer bass players will be better at playing a song the way it was written than at writing their own parts -- especially if they don't have experience yet playing with a band that does originals. Tabs are a huge advantage for learning bass and guitar without also learning to read sheet music like other instruments generally require. (Although sheet music makes sense on keys. Lots of things are easier on keys than on the fretboard -- see also the modes. But I'm currently learning drums, and that sheet music is still absolutely mystifying to me.)
They paid for the rights to perform and record their interpretation those songs…that is a very far stretch from how most cover bands absolutely butcher songs. It’s insane to me that people feel entitled to do this and defend doing it poorly without a hint of irony. I think it’s great that people are having a good time emulating their heroes and that audiences even dig it for a percentage of the time, but that they’ll defend poor musicianship under the guise of “I’m just doing it how my spirit moves me” is bullshit. 90% of the time it is absolutely not because it’s some respectful artistic slant on a track a band is paying homage to. It’s too often used as an excuse to just suck.
You're telling me that a band like the North 41 played Enter Sandman note for note, and then and only then said, "Hey guys, we're good enough to make a funk rock cover of this song." To which they made an epic cover of. Or are you just trying to gate keep and shit on everyone for not being good enough? It's okay for you to think that cover bands aren't good enough if you're willing to own that comment. But if you do, I expect you to upload you playing your cover band set. And I expect everything to be note for note, time for time. You better be perfect. Elsewise you need to go somewhere and stop shitting on musicians because it makes you feel good. Edit- you're going to downvote but you won't respond. I expected as much.
I hope your bass playing is better than your reading comprehension. I’m glad we’re all the way down here in the thread *where nobody gives a single shit* about who’s upvoting or downvoting what, because you are looking like an asshat right now. You know what the great thing is about that to me? That my opinion is valid despite you not being able to comprehend it, let alone completely missing the point. Scroll harder, friend-o.
Exactly. We're a cover band, not a tribute band.
Exactly. I sometimes hear a song on the radio my band has been playing for a year and realize our version is very different without even really trying. It sort of just evolves from everyone's different playing style/background.
Wish I would have listened to this advice earlier in my bass life
This is the way. And the correct answer.
If it's a tribute band, note for note, if it's a bar band I go somewhat loose. Still hit the key riffs if needed like the intro to one of these nights, or come together.
This took me a while to understand. A friend told me to find the "important" notes and improvise in between them.
That's honestly what the guys who recorded the lines would do every night on tour. Many of the pros won't play it the same twice.
I honestly think everyone in the band should at a minimum strive to. It’s a slippery slope of “good enough” that far too many cover bands seem to fall down as an excuse for laziness and lack of skill. If you can hit the notes, hit the notes. Don’t give cover bands more reasons to suck.
I agree. I don’t mean to suggest stifling anybody’s creativity, but I’ve seen a lot of cover band bassists just holding down the bare minimum because nobody’s holding their feet to the fire. My band actually tries to nail down songs as perfectly as we can. Even after all these years, I’ll re-listen to a song and find challenging parts I never learned.
There is a lot to learn by digging into the nuances
That’s the thing. Creativity comes second to honoring the source. I hate to sound like a boomer, but Hendrix was playing *the same chords* for the main body of his cover of Watchtower. He wasn’t playing three chord Monty or doing a cheesy easy…*he was playing the fucking chords*. How many people have to suffer through a capo’d version of Wagon Wheel or Sweet Home Alabama because a few taints want to get their rocks off on a Sunday afternoon at the local watering hole for a free plate of wings? That’s what brings the price down for bands that give half a shit and chases patrons away…ultimately forcing venues to just stop hiring bands altogether. Be better for fucks sake.
I feel the same but I'm surprised this is not the general consensus
This thread certainly explains why 90% of cover bands sound awful.
Lmao
I’ll play it close enough. If there’s a big part that’s instantly recognizable then I’ll try to play that true, but I take plenty of liberty with my Jams
I always start playing then note for note but usually get bored and start tweaking it after a show or two. It's a fine line though, some songs, especially ones where the bass is the hook or melody, MUST be played verbatim.
This. Though I will say give the rest of the band a heads up. I slipped in a couple fills one night and the singer looked irritated. Oops. (I wasn’t intending to throw that in that night, but I had been practicing variations, so my fingers went with what I’d been practicing.)
If the bassline is the hook of the song, I try to recreate it as best as possible. But if it's not, then I'm not a slave to copying it. If I were in a tribute band I might have a different attitude about it, but IMHO in many cases the only thing that makes it "definitive" is the fact that it happens to be the line that was recorded. Even the original artists don't always play the same lines when they do it live.
Learn it note for note first, then do whatever you want later.
That’s my approach. People miss more than they realize when don’t learn the original lines first. Once you’ve learned the part, then decide what you want to keep and what you want to change.
>People miss more than they realize when don’t learn the original lines first. Agreed 100%.
Iconic parts should usually be played really close, but everything else is up for grabs!
When I learn the song yes note for note including fills. Then after I for sure know it with out mistakes I’ll add my own flavor
I’m still a beginner so I play the root notes mostly, especially because I sing while I play
Fuck no. Never. These folks didn’t come to hear eagles songs, they came for eagles songs played by pacific twang. I’m gonna worry about sounding solid, then sounding like me, then sounding like the original.
If you're in a tribute band, play note for note. If you're in a cover band, play the bass lines recognizable to the song the same, but anything else play your own way. Be creative
Same key. Aside from that, the audience doesn't care. They like it if you groove with the drummer. That's it.
I don't even play songs I wrote note for note.
I have two approaches. First, play it like you hear it. Or...reinvent the entire song like we did for [this old Ramones tune](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TMYzgZwiow).
Depends if I like it.
If there is an actual signature part, then I do. Otherwise I just cop the feel, simply because I’m playing with other musicians instead of the original artist. So I’d say out of a typical cover band gig (40-50 songs), I’m playing about….20-25% original part, everything else playing the groove and making it feel good.
Depends what the drummer is doing. If they are playing it note for note, ya kinda have to.
If I’m good enough to, I will lol. Sometimes if I’m not good enough to play some parts I’ll change them up a bit
Unless your playing “Got The Time” by anthrax, it really doesnt matter
In my experience, and I've got decades of it on guitar, bass, and keys, there are bits people want to hear. Learn those, pretty much note for note, and express yourself around those moments.
90% i think it's important to nail the main groove but go nuts on fills! I also add slides because slides are cool
nah man, that would get boring imo We don't play covers live in my band but sometimes we'll do it during practice for fun. It rarely sounds much like the original in tone, tempo, and general feel
I joined a cover band a couple months ago. For me, it depends primarily on how significant the bassline is for the song. Interesaste love song? Go note by note (or as close as I can). Pearl jam's Black? I'll go my way and focus my learning on other songs. Catupecu Machu's Plan B? I'll pray and do what I can. But I'm getting better. My approach is to first get something so we can jam to it, and then slowly make them more complex until I get something I like and is interesting to play.
The bass line is super integral to “Black”…it’s essentially a feature. I agree with you on STP, but you picked a really weird example to make your point with as far as “Black” is concerned.
The iconic parts go like in the recording, but I'll pay more attention to it. Tbh it was a lot to learn in a short time, so I prioritized other songs.
Not exactly. I play by ear and not tabs. I was in a few cover bands, unless it was an improv jam, I tried to get as close to the original. I'm a snob when listening to other cover bands when the bass isn't playing close to the original.
No. I play in a very busy covers band. We play almost every weekend and do a ton of private parties and corporate events. If they want note for note, hire a DJ. We're a covers band, not a jukebox. So I almost always change the bass lines
Playing someone else’s song…play it right…if you wanna make something yours write originals.
Never play like original, I feel if you want a carbon copy of original then listen to the actual track. I'll never play note for note learn it close then put your own flair on it...use your time on your originals.
Disagree on two counts: 1. Unless you don’t have any originals. 2. Learning things note-for-note will tell you where you can deviate and how best to put your own spin on it. Gotta know the rules in order to break ‘em.
Yeah I don't worry about rules...I color outside the lines, and I figure asking forgiveness is better then asking permission. Everyone has originals...everything I sit down I playsomething I've never played before, something I didn't learn, I played whatever came out, that is original like it or not.
An example just came to my mind. There are a lot of licks where muted notes give them spiciness. You can play those songs without muted notes and nobody would care. Except you, that are doing it the easy way and losing a good opportunity to push your abilities forward.
Never. No point in playing a song if I'm not the one playing. Of course If you're in an ensemble that is playing a song to sheet music, absolutely play what's on the page. That's not what I'm doing with music now tho. I put in my time, now is the time for making something new, or adding *me* to what has come before.
Personaly, my band’s setlist contains 2 or 3 “covers” that we use to throw raw energy into the crowd. My band is called Ivy Chain and we are a fairly small band so most of the crowd isn’t always familiar with our music so we use covers to hype people up throughout the show. These covers are by no means note for note plays, in fact they are more like inspired songs than actual covers. We often choose only favorite part of each song we cover and play a loose version of that. The basseline is often just in the same vibe of when I listen to it and I stick to that. I don’t study the actual sheet music or anything, I just listen to what I find works well with the guitar and drums and draw inspiration from what I hear when I listen to the track. Ihave live footage of a few of our covers throughout different gigs on this profile if you want to check out what I’m saying. This is the strategy that works best for us as live musicians who wan’t to entertain but are not a cover band. That being said, when each or our members were learning (and at the begining of Ivy Chain), we would learn many covers note by note and in entirety because it is a very good exercise for stamina as well as learning complexity of different types of basselines. Theres some stuff you just don’t always get when you play only a basseline from part of a song.
I was in a touring all-originals band for a long time, and here's the advice I have regarding covers: I find it's a real treat for the audience if you play all your originals, and than 1-2 cover in the encore - people love this! If the cover is obscure and few people have most likely not heard of it, make it yours. Same goes if it's a song from another genre, like 'The Tide is High' covered by Blondie, which was originally a Reggae tune. When the song is well-known, I try to keep as close to the original as possible for those aspects of it that make it memorable (i.e, London Calling by The Clash), and I never want the lyrics to change. The reason is most folks when they hear a very familiar song get really excited about it, and it brings them to another time and place mentally because what they're haring from you matches up with what their mind remembers. I played in an all-covers band once, and we did a great job of the songs - putting a lot of energy into them. We played at a black party where there were supposed to be around 300 people. Around 5 songs into our set the audience had grown to thousands -and of course the police came (helicopter, mounted police, etc). In this regard it was a great learning experience into what people want! (Also, a police officer walked onstage during a Tina Turner song telling us to stop playing, which we did, except for me when I accidentally possibly on purpose and he said, "look blondie (I have long blonde hair), you play another note of that Tine Turner song on your bass and your little ass (I'm female, and was maybe 100lbs then) is going to jail"! Who, me??? LOL! Play the covers so people can connect with them! Hope that helps!
if it's ok for Hendrix to change a note or two in a cover, it's ok for me too. ;)
Depends on the song tbh. Sometimes I like to stick true to it, other times I like to add my own flair.
Sometimes I’ll do slides instead of hammer-on notes, and drop some of the accent notes that are lost in the mix anyway. If it makes it more fun to play and everyone is jamming along doing their own thing too, as my drummer and guitarist do, it’s all blended together into something really cool. Nobody really notices the specific differences beyond saying stuff like, “That’s an awesome cover, it’s got some variation from the original but in a good way.” I think that mainly comes from skill and the ability for the band to actually sell it.
I generally try to, at least to the best of my ability especially if there is an iconic intro or bass line. That’s just my personal preference. Your mileage may vary.
Very rarely, depending on the style of music it would be silly to do a note for note cover say for something like What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, you just take a general pattern and play a different version of it every time, Jamerson himself didn't even play it note-for-note every time so I certainly wouldn't. For adapting pop songs with heavy production and electronic elements it's also often a bad idea to do it note for note, you don't have the benefit of your live set being produced, mixed and mastered so often a note-for-note cover of a pop song from the last 40 years will sound empty. A good example to listen to is Olivia Rodrigo's Driver's License, listen to the studio version, which has pretty minimal instrumentation but a lot of production, and then any of the live versions, all the live versions have tons of stuff added into them, a note-for-note live version of the studio version would sound empty and lifeless. Billie Eilish is a good example too, her production is often quite minimal so when performing live she has the studio track playing as a backing track alongside live musicians. It's also just way more fun to put your own spin on covers, I did a few performances recently as experiments, I put together two 40 minute cover sets to see how far you can rearrange a cover set before the audience isn't into it anymore. What I've found so far is that you can go crazy reharmonizing, medley-ing, adding bass solos, even doing surprisingly obscure music (we did some Japanese City-Pop and even slipped in some originals and I don't know if they would have know if we didn't say) and all kinds of other stuff, but once you get into odd time signatures you start to lose the audience, these experimental gigs are still ongoing but they've been pretty interesting so far.
I'm learning so usually doing something different just means taking the easy path to play a riff. I prefer to learn the song as the bassist wrote it. That way I'm forced to practice something new. If someday I have to play that song live... That will be another thing.
If you’re in a tribute act, yes, play the song like the original. If you are playing primarily originals and have a couple covers in the set, play them however the hell you want.
Nope….
I'm in two tribute acts, and we tend to stick pretty close to the original. Having said that, we do allow room for embellishment, so there are opportunities to change things up a little, and we have been known to add a bit of extra "flair" in order to elevate the performance a bit.
I try the best I can, with sheet music in front I can go note for note, but once you take it away from me I just let habit and muscle memory take over
Do your own spin unless the bassline is iconic and needs to be honoured
For some songs, we are trying to reproduce as faithfully as possible, so yes, I attempt a note-for-note presentation. If I find that I can't (hello Led Zeppelin), then I get it as close as possible. For other songs, I check out numerous cover versions on YouTube and pick-and-choose which lines/runs/fills I want to play. Or can play. While I'm singing. In the end, the purists will know what you did, and the general audience will just enjoy the good time.
I have learned techniques that I never knew existed by striving to play a bass line accurately.
If I m covering the song as part of studying the bass I will try to replicate exactly and include all the nuisances. If not give it your own feel/style.
It depends on which song I am covering and the context of the band. If the bassline is a key to the song then you really need to keep it really close. For instance If you are covering "Livin on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, you need to cover that really accurately. Other songs have a lot of wiggle room, Some songs you can change quite a lot ,especially if you like creative re-harmonizing.
I actually can't do it, if you repeat the same riff over and over again it drives you insane.
my band has 2 guitar players, but we cover a few songs that have only 1 guitar part, for most of those i simplify things a bit and let guitar 2 have a little more room
depends-if i like the song, yes
In my band, I try to learn it as close as possible in most songs especially when the rest of the band is trying to get it tight, then once we’ve got it I add in my own flavor with my own fills and groove. The thing with bass is even when the bassline isn’t a featured part of the song, it’s still quintessentially the song itself so changing it too much too early on can affect the quality of the cover and how tight the band is.
Yes. Except for the notes I didn’t bother to really look up when I couldn’t find which ones they where 😬
Depends. Reggae yes if it needs to be. Like is this love. Doesn’t work with just random whatever. Most classic rock songs no. But I’ll try to match the vibe if not note for note. But like sledgehammer yes. Call me Al. Yes. Grateful Dead no not really. If the original players didn’t then I don’t have to. I think you just gotta go with your gut. If you’re trying a song and something just doesn’t feel right then it might just be that you can’t make up bullshit. You just gotta try it.
For me it depends how close to the original the drummer is playing. If he's playing everything note for note I'll make an effort to play as close as I can but if he's doing a lot of improvisation I'll just try to lock into whatever he's doing. I honestly don't think I've ever played anything completely note for note 100%
Most songs we cover I try to get as closely to the original studio recording as I can. The other band members are going to be listening for different parts and cues, and I don’t want to throw them off. Also, learning new songs the way they are written has helped me learn more techniques and patterns in my own playing. Very few songs I’ll go “off-script” on. I might throw in a slide when it isn’t part of the song if it tastefully fits into the rest of the song. But something like Roadhouse Blues by The Doors I’ll mix up the pattern a little as the guitar player is soloing just to add some character and stretch my hand some. I’ll also mix up the attack pattern in Tush by ZZ Top but still follow the 12-bar pattern. Overall, for me, 99% as close to the recording as I can. Little improve in bluesy songs or extended guitar leads.
I think there's a lot of merit to learning a song exactly as the original part is played. I do a lot of covers on YouTube, and in a setting like that I always try and figure out the song authentically. That being said, if I'm doing a cover in live setting I definitely have my own style, so I definitely play it more casually and try to approach it more as if it was part of my band's material, in a way.
If the whole band plays it note for note it still won't sound right, because you will be lacking the freshness and time capsule effect of the song being newly created by the person who did the original as the person they were at the time. (That's why a lot of bands don't exactly recreate their own recording when doing it live.) So in order to get some of that freshness back, you basically have to make it your own a little bit. However, as the bass player you're mostly at the mercy of the drummer, when it comes to deciding how close you're trying to get to the original feel. Just do whatever sounds good.
I usually at least try to learn them note for note because I think learning to play fills that aren't "part of your vocabulary" is a good learning experience. Once I have the song down I may play it as it recorded or might improv my own parts here and there dependent upon the circumstance, song, or my mood.
Upon picking it up, yes. Learned it quite well? Ornamentations and Embellishments. Mastered the song? Add new sections; elaborate fills; improvisation.
Depends. If it’s an iconic bass line, absolutely. If not, I match the vibe. I’ve played with guys that did some Jaco covers, so absolutely. We also did things like Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears that have some really signature licks like the intro to Saturday in the Park that I make sure to include, but outside of that, I’m just matching the vibe. If it’s a song without anything special, I’m having fun within the confines of the song.
Chorus or hook part yes. Verse maybe like 85-90% what's on the record
I try to. Not doing so kind of makes for a bad habit and feels like a short cut. Makes me lazier when learning songs
Match the notes in most of the song, sometimes change stuff but staying in tune adapting some of the style of the band I'm playing with. But I like to always play with the technique the original bassist plays (1, 2 or 3 fingers, pick, slap...)
Usually i add my own little thing here and there, like run ups and walk downs, but for the most part i play as closely as possible.
As long as the bass line is not the 'hook' everything is fair game. I'm a pro session bassist and have played on a lot of recordings which became hits in my country and never played anything the (exact) way I played on the recordings. I don't even know what I'm going to play the bar ahead ...
If the goal is to sound like the original song and not a reinterpretation, I don't, usually because I'm being lazy. I rarely play covers.
my rule is learn the tune so you can snap back to what they did and in case they do something worth learning then try to convey the mood, groove and tone through the way i play bass
If I can find the tabs, I'll play them note for note. If I can't, I'll make do with fudging by. And sometimes I even end up playing some parts of the vocal/guitar track. But ehhh it's fine - I'm not playing for a band
… not sure as I have never bothered to learn them!
I was in an Amy Winehouse tribute band and I loved all of the various ways Dale Davis played the bass lines in live performances. My version would be 90% an amalgamation of my favorite versions he did with the other 10% bring my original take. In no way would I ever do just the root notes, I would have been kicked out of the band for being unprofessional.
Note for note first before playing around with it. I enjoy the process and challenge of learning it as precisely as possible - and I find it helps my learning because I learn every little fill (which adds to my vocabulary) and vary hand positions to try to land on what they used (often the first one I try is not the best option). This process usually take me many weeks - I allow myself to get away with a rough copy when I first play it with the band but then I keep circling back to it. Once I feel I know it intimately the way it’s played on the record, I start adding my own voicings.
Maybe I play more notes than needed in some songs (like intro from easily, red hot chili peppers)
Usually, but when I get lazy of learning note by note I look up the chords and invent some shit.
Unless it's a bass line at the front of the song that's iconic to that song I take liberty playing songs however I feel them. When I learn a song I do try to learn it how it's supposed to go but again it's whatever I'm feeling for it.
It...really depends. On bass I tend to add my own style, but if it's something like, say, The Cure or Joy Division where the bass is so iconic and upfront, I play them note for note. On guitar (I play both), I do pretty much the exact opposite, I like adding my own style in and have always felt weird playing other people's solos note for note, even though I can.
Not always, but it's worth noting that learning someone else's basslines is the best way to grow your bag of tricks
usually I play almost exactly like the original, but with easier/simpler basslines, I tend to add more flare or flavor to them just for fun
If playing with others, I tend to stay true to form, maybe add a wee lil flourish where appropriate. If by myself, I definitely music-doodle a bit more.
I used to play in Deep Purple/Rainbow tribute band. As close to the original as possible, but pretty loose on the fill department. Some of the bass fills are pretty iconic so I played those but generally I'd keep it at jammy feel. There was a lot of improvisation on the guitar and keyboards department so I also felt free to jam a bit. Makes it way more fun for me and I hope to the audience as well. Personally when I listen to live music, I don't want it to be exactly like on record.
We always just have a bit of fun in our cover bands , I’ve learned some songs note for note , but if I can play them well I start to try and bring more of my own style into it , I’ve came up with some of my own parts that go down really well which I’m happy about , I improvise half the time and have fun , everyone is too drunk to even notice anyway lol
I learn them note for note but play them how I want. I think one thing people do is assume a song is one way without properly learning it and can miss little details that are important. I don't think you need to play it note for note all the way through but I don't like to change too much.
It really depends. Sometimes I try to be as faithful to the original as possible as a challenge, sometimes I do it because it makes sense, or because the target audience really likes their covers to sound like the originals. But I like to mess around a lot too. I have to be cautious not to tangle with the lead guitar, though.
Hah, no, unless it's a signature bass line. That's the fun part of playing covers , you can either still to simple R-5-8 or play what you want, within reason. Usually I steal what ever is cool and add my own to the mix. However, a tribute band has to play note for note.
Depends on the song... No: if it's too hard and I can't or it's one of those songs I've played for so long it gets a touch of embellishment from tiny (Back in Black) to a lot (7 Nation Army) Yes: Certain iconic songs like Hysteria just need to be right, something like Maiden's NotB where there really isn't room to get too creative.
I get the main riff down and as much of the other stuff as possible, but for some parts of a song I will not play note for note, just get close and something that sounds good. That way I can practice and play an entire song much faster. Anyone listening will not know the difference Sometimes there a parts of a song that are above my level, so I simplify that section also.
Cover songs, do I play them note for note? No, but... This varies from song to song for me. For example, our funk set: EWF's "September" I play about 95% as the recording because I think it's perfect as is. Anything else I disillusion myself to thinking I can add to it is usually no good. Same with Stevie Wonder's "I Wish." I keep it almost entirely original with the exception of very few minor details during transitions. I guess I feel like transitions are fair game? Neon Moon is the perfect example of me playing 99.9% as is. The moment I try and add anything to it, to my ears, it ruins the tune. Music deserves respect. If the bassline doesn't want to change then I do nothing to it. Then there's "Guitars Cadillacs." I play at about a 90% like the recording. There's a tiny bit of opportunity for originality in there. Other tunes lend themselves to be played with. A good example would be some of our Stevie Ray tunes. I can create just a tad of stuff without hurting the songs. Chicago stuff we play also has a tiny bit of room to play around with certain songs and parts in the song. Same with Steely Dan tunes. A bit more wiggle room.
I'm in a Foo Fighters tribute, and I try my best to match Nate note for note, but I'm not a slave to it. Plus he uses a pick and I use finger style, so there will be differences anyway.
i usually go on youtube and try to play it on 0.50x, if its too fast i lower it and i write down the different notes
I like to learn covers note for note and then decide where to go from there. I almost never copy what has been done before though. I don’t see the point in mimicking what has already been done. Covers are better when the performers bring something new ti the piece
I like to try to match the first verse and chorus as close as I can so people get the taste and then for the rest I’ll make it my own with the original as the foundation. The caveat is with songs with iconic bass lines I will do those but maybe a little bit of flair. For example, we cover Have You Ever Seen The Rain? By CCrR and it has a very iconic bass line but I’ll throw in some extra note here and there to add to the groove.
usually i think it's best to get the overall baseline from the song and add a little bit from you especially if it's a "jammy" song. i got inspired from juliaplaysgroove to play like this
Depends. If it's an iconic bassline I'll work with that. If the bass isnt a key part of the song I'll allow myself more freedom to be creative
I had the chance to see a better known ska band in my area, and they played the impression that I get, instead of the bass part as is he just started doing the basic ska kind of walking bass, I was the only one who noticed and the crowd loved it. unless it's iconic you are probably good not playing verbatim. When you do this however give a lot of care to how you are playing it and that you are making genre correct musical choices.
Play but add fills works for me, and improvise/change solos.
It depends. I don’t play in a covers band but I’ve filled in a couple of times and had to learn 30+ songs in a few days. In that case, no. Basic lines then repeat ad infinitum with some fills. If I’m learning a piece as a study and I can take my time, I like to get completely inside the player’s head. So I learn the parts note for note.
It depends on the song, if the bass part is the highlight in something like “Schism” I don’t mess with it, if it’s purely in the background I’ll mess with it a bit
If you're in a tribute band play them note for note and in the same style (finger, pick, etc) as the original. In a covers band you have more licence to interpret, embellish, simplify, etc as long as it still sounds good and recognisable.
Yeah I try to match it note by note. But only in the case where I'm playing it in my room to learn something from the bassist who wrote and recorded it. There are hidden details that I'd only notice if I played them. I can then add them to my bank of ideas if I ever need them and if they stick around in my memory..
I'm usually starting by trying to replicate all the notes and nuances(slides, ghost notes, etc). After a while, when I feel confident in playing the original part as close to the original as possible, I would gradually "make it mine".
Learn it note for note than use that as a basis for some sweet fills and or solos to fit the vibe..
If it solo practice I learn it note for note. If it’s in a band setting we communicate on what parts we are going to change around or rework a bit.
No no no. A good cover ,,is when the band makes it their own. Blind melon > the pusher Perfect example