Weekly Basslines #107: The Way It Was (The Killers) & No One Can (Marillion)

I'm recently listening a lot to "The Killers" after having seen a really impressive live-performance of the band on german TV. Like always, when I like a band, I'm starting to transcribe a few of the basslines. Yesterday I did a song called "The Way It Is", which can be found on the bands latest release "Battle Born" from 2012.
While putting the notes down I had a strong feeling of deja vu as the bassline seemed to be very familiar and suddenly it dawned on me. I once transcribed a song which sounded very similar. So I searched my personal transcriptions-database and found a song by "Marillion" called "No One Can".
Let's Listen to both songs:

marillion "no one can" von miklo

Although the sound and feeling of the two songs is very similar, they are also quite distinct and I was wondering why I was immediatly reminded of a song that I had transcribed at least ten years ago. What triggered my musical memory? By comparing the two songs I found some interessting hints on how my musical memory works.

First of all the tempo of both songs is exactly the same (106bpm).

The bassline is played in a steady eighth-note groove.

The key of both songs is E-Major.

Both songs use - more or less - the same set of diatonic chords.

These common rhythmic und harmonic features of the songs apparently form a pattern, which is unconciously saved in my memory and a deja vu is triggered whenever I hear a similar pattern. Maybe some of you have gained likewise experiences. I'm eager to hear your stories!

 

 

Weekly Bassline #106: My Days Are Numbered (Blood, Sweat & Tears)

I received a donation from Highland Park, Illinois and I'm really excited about that. During the last weeks it occured to me that more and more readers from abroad visit my blog and so I decided to start writing it in english from now on.

As a thank-you gift for the donation I transcribed a fantastic bassline by Jim Fielder to the song "My Days Are Numbered" from the debut album of Blood, Sweat & Tears "Child Is Father To Man" (1968).
It's a pretty busy bassline using lots of arpeggios and pentatonic runs. The song was written by Al Kooper and is alternating between funky mid-tempo verses and a slow tempo gospelish chorus. It also features a backward guitar-solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyHpKZYuIM

Basslesson - Motown- & Memphis-Soul (Teil #3)

Hier kommt der vorerst letzte Teil meines Soul-Workshops.
Das dazugehörige Medienpaket mit 33 Audiotracks und dem Workshop-Handout als pdf-File könnt ihr von mir gegen eine Spende von 10,- € erhalten.
Bitte "Motown #3" als Stichwort angeben.

So, ich hoffe Euch hat mein Workshop gefallen und freue mich auf Euer Feedback!

Weekly Bassline #105: Jesse (Mother Earth)

Hier kommt als Dankeschön für eine Spende eine Hammer-Bassline von der Acid-Jazz-Gruppe Mother Earth. Solche Basslinien sind natürlich die ganz große Herausforderung beim Raushören und dann auch beim Spielen. Viele verschiedene Variationen, viele Licks in schwieriger 16tel-Synkopen-Rhythmik, kurz gesagt es war ein echtes Stück Arbeit, aber man kann auch sehr viel lernen, wenn man sich einzelne Riffs und Licks genauer anschaut. Es lohnt sich also, sich mit dieser Bassline intensiver auseinanderzusetzen. Ich werde sicherlich den ein oder anderen Takt daraus für eine Fortsetzung meines Workshops "Synkopierte 16tel-Pattern" analysieren.
Doch nun aber zunächst mal zum Song:

So, bleibt mir nur mich für die Spende zu bedanken und Euch viel sBass zu wünschen mit "Jesse"!