Simple Songs That Ain't So Simple

[Joe Nerve]

Like many, I've played lots of challenging stuff. Rush, MSG, RHCP, old school funk, Motown, 70s disco, even some Jazz ...

Every once in a while though a seemingly super simple song pops up that I have to really work at to get right. My band just threw this at me for a gig this weekend. I love the challenge, but it's going to take a lot of practice to make it look effortless. Which I have every intention of doing.

What simple songs have surprised you?

(I'll add that its the chorus (1:06/1:52) that's a challenge. Not the beginning...)

 

[lokikallas]

Whiter shade of Pale threw me with its chord progression.

 

[IamGroot]

Freddie Freeloader, a simple blues in Bb with Paul Chambers doing a very deceptively easy sounding walking line. Been playing this tune for decades without realizing all the bass gems hidden in it.

 

[2000TA46032]

Good transcription from Aidan / BassMusician here :
The Killers – Somebody Told Me Bass Transcription

 

[DWBass]

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now-McFadden & Whitehead. Seems simple enough but play the main line over the course of the song.......correctly............just like the record!

 

[Joe Nerve]

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now-McFadden & Whitehead. Seems simple enough but play the main line over the course of the song.......correctly............just like the record!

A lot of songs are like that. Try playing Smoke On The Water, note for note . Or even Sweet Home Alabama. Easy songs to muddle through, a bit more challenging when played properly.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

With or Without You is a classic example. 'Straight 8ths', but it just doesn't work right without the slides into the I.

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

Cool thread... I played in a country / southern rock band for a while; we covered "Gimme Three Steps." Try playing it note-for-note. It's not as easy as you'd think. It's fun finding tunes like this when you realize there's a lot more going on under the hood than you first thought.

 

[MonetBass]

Cool thread... I played in a country / southern rock band for a while; we covered "Gimme Three Steps." Try playing it note-for-note. It's not as easy as you'd think. It's fun finding tunes like this when you realize there's a lot more going on under the hood than you first thought.

No kidding. I played that tune in high school and I never got it quite right.

"Billie Jean" by MJ is another one that I have yet to hear a bassist play correctly.

 

[JimK]

The easy one that threw me & made me go "****..."-
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"- Marvin Gaye

 

[JimK]

A lot of songs are like that. Try playing Smoke On The Water, note for note . Or even Sweet Home Alabama. Easy songs to muddle through, a bit more challenging when played properly.

...lots of jamming in those two.

 

[JimK]

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now-McFadden & Whitehead. Seems simple enough but play the main line over the course of the song.......correctly............just like the record!

About 7+ minutes, too.

"Billie Jean" by MJ is another one that I have yet to hear a bassist play correctly.

We used to double that one up (played twice through)...Personally, I think I nailed that bitch.

 

[JimK]

Freddie Freeloader, a simple blues in Bb with Paul Chambers doing a very deceptively easy sounding walking line. Been playing this tune for decades without realizing all the bass gems hidden in it.

...and he probably never played it the same way twice.

 

[DirtDog]

Anything played by Malcolm Young. I call that "deceptively hard" . As opposed to Jimmy Page riffs - "deceptively simple".

 

[Groove Doctor]

INXS had very prominent bass lines, bass/drums need to lock in tight live to sound good.

 

[DWBass]

The easy one that threw me & made me go "****..."-
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"- Marvin Gaye

Ha. How about the Gladys Knight version?

 

[JimK]

Ha. How about the Gladys Knight version?

I actually found that one more straightforward.
Gaye's version has more crossing the barline & questionable note choices.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Like many, I've played lots of challenging stuff. Rush, MSG, RHCP, old school funk, Motown, 70s disco, even some Jazz ...

Every once in a while though a seemingly super simple song pops up that I have to really work at to get right. My band just threw this at me for a gig this weekend. I love the challenge, but it's going to take a lot of practice to make it look effortless. Which I have every intention of doing.

What simple songs have surprised you?

(I'll add that its the chorus (1:06/1:52) that's a challenge. Not the beginning...)

I would use the bass line from their live performance.
It's easier to understand. The bass line is more pronounced and more "specific" in their live performance video.



About the bass player.
Mark Stoermer is a very good musician, song-writer, bass (guitar) player, singer.
He has released his own 3 albums.
Mark Stoermer - Wikipedia

 

[callmejs]

Seven Days by Sting?

 

[two fingers]

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now-McFadden & Whitehead. Seems simple enough but play the main line over the course of the song.......correctly............just like the record!

No kidn! Doing it while singing backups is like doing long division in your head.