What are you learning today?

James Hart

Webguy :: Bassist
Hey all... conversations from the "now playing" thread are going to spill over to here (hopefully)

So what tunes / riffs / theory / noise are everyone working on today?
 
I had a crazy idea yesterday to try to put together a Soul Coughing + first 4 Black Sabbath albums played as if Soul Coughing was doing them type cover band (yeah, long shot to find players to fit that narrow piece of style)

I spent some time last night working out "Warning" and "Hand Of Doom" on my Upright bass
 
Hey all... conversations from the "now playing" thread are going to spill over to here (hopefully)

So what tunes / riffs / theory / noise are everyone working on today?
This is a great question and something I continuously struggle with. I am attracted to so many different styles of music that I have difficulty staying focused on anything. I’ve been looking at “How to learn 100 jazz standards”. I know a handful and love jazz but can be derailed so easily by finding a rocking backing track to play with or recording a country swing tune with my wife and going for the country jazz sound. If anyone bothers to check out my Soundcloud page, they would see / hear what a wide variety of music I play. Your idea for the Sabbath stuff sounds great! I’d love to hear that on an upright!
I know I didn’t answer your question, so sorry about that. Not that I won’t but I can’t! It changes too fast.
 
That is pretty close to an answer :)

Today I worked out the bass line for "St. Louise is Listening"
I wasn't familiar with this so I had to look it up. Sounds like the bass line is a constant pedal tone that provides the drive for the tune.
Cool stuff.
 
I wasn't familiar with this so I had to look it up. Sounds like the bass line is a constant pedal tone that provides the drive for the tune.
Cool stuff.

Yeah, definite stamina builder on the upright! Lots of little riffs phrased differently than my thoughts go thrown into an endless pulse.

Today I'm hacking up "How Many Cans"... more movement, but slow and lazy

 
Well,speaking of building up stamina,this has become my default workout for warming up.Not exactly technically demanding,but between the arthritis and a bit of carpal tunnel,the quickness certainly demands some focus.It seems that if I ''take it easy'',my flexibility really begins to suffer. I have always loved the original Alan Spenner version of this song,and this fellow just ramps it up a notch.

 
All I can hear now is Super bon bon super bon bon...over and over in my head.

I think your Sabbath Coughing band could be brilliant...
 
Started playing bass with an old friend. We have our first show with this lineup in a few weeks and then we're recording a week after that. It's been mostly about learning his songs, but we're covering The Smiths "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out". I have to admit I'm mainly going from memory on the bass part for that, but we're not trying to do too faithful a rendition anyway. Mainly I'm just learning how to play bass again and enjoying it more.

Not as much happening guitar-wise. I've got 4 newish songs that need some refinement before recording, but they're getting there. Also a few more that need lyrics. Always a struggle for me.
 
You going to post any of this for us "living vicariously through the artistry of others" to listen to? Sounds like fun. I keep my old G&L L1K bass around just so I'll have it ready. Even plug it in now and again. :)

I'll post the new recordings with me playing bass once they're in a finished form. I also tracked some bass on one of his older songs that's further along. I'm not sure which will see the light of day first.

Here are some from the band I sing/play guitar in. The second is more recent, and while the newer songs we're working on are more upbeat/angrier I want to move in that kind of more polished direction for the next recording.

https://thelaughinggroup.bandcamp.com/releases
https://ballofwax.bandcamp.com/track/what-happens-stays

Definitely keep that bass around. Mine sat dormant for years, but when the chance to do this came around I was very happy to have it. At this point it's the instrument I've owned the longest. 25 or so years.
 
My music partner and I do 90% covers and are constantly adding new songs (8 in the last 2 weeks). Plus I have 2 new chord progressions that will eventually turn into something.
But usually things are more stagnant for me.
 
Well,speaking of building up stamina,this has become my default workout for warming up.Not exactly technically demanding,but between the arthritis and a bit of carpal tunnel,the quickness certainly demands some focus.It seems that if I ''take it easy'',my flexibility really begins to suffer. I have always loved the original Alan Spenner version of this song,and this fellow just ramps it up a notch.


Nice, I covered "What's The Buzz" back in 1990-91 in a ska band

All I can hear now is Super bon bon super bon bon...over and over in my head.

I think your Sabbath Coughing band could be brilliant...

Ha! Thanks... hopefully I can get enough of it recorded to be able to interest other players.

My hands aren't working too well these days so I've gone back more to playing fingerstyle acoustic which is significantly easier than the bends, chokes, vibrato and other hand / wrist / arm gyrations the blues and rock requires. Currently working back through the basics like Elizabeth Cotton's Freight Train, etc. And for the bass players among us...

The truly unique Buell Neidlinger has passed:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/25/obituaries/buell-neidlinger-dies.html

a day learning is a day not dying! I really need a new acoustic guitar. My 70s Yamaha needs frets but not worth the repair. I've been seriously wanting a basic Seagull S6 forever. One day it will happen.

Sad about Buell, Cecil Taylor just died today too... :(

Started playing bass with an old friend. We have our first show with this lineup in a few weeks and then we're recording a week after that. It's been mostly about learning his songs, but we're covering The Smiths "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out". I have to admit I'm mainly going from memory on the bass part for that, but we're not trying to do too faithful a rendition anyway. Mainly I'm just learning how to play bass again and enjoying it more.

Not as much happening guitar-wise. I've got 4 newish songs that need some refinement before recording, but they're getting there. Also a few more that need lyrics. Always a struggle for me.

Nice!

You going to post any of this for us "living vicariously through the artistry of others" to listen to? Sounds like fun. I keep my old G&L L1K bass around just so I'll have it ready. Even plug it in now and again. :)

I still get said over an early mahogany l2k fretless that I missed buying for close to nothing.

I'll post the new recordings with me playing bass once they're in a finished form. I also tracked some bass on one of his older songs that's further along. I'm not sure which will see the light of day first.

Here are some from the band I sing/play guitar in. The second is more recent, and while the newer songs we're working on are more upbeat/angrier I want to move in that kind of more polished direction for the next recording.

https://thelaughinggroup.bandcamp.com/releases
https://ballofwax.bandcamp.com/track/what-happens-stays

Definitely keep that bass around. Mine sat dormant for years, but when the chance to do this came around I was very happy to have it. At this point it's the instrument I've owned the longest. 25 or so years.

Thanks for sharing, good stuff!

G&L collecting obsession which eventually resulted in over 100 guitars and basses.

dang! makes my little collection of customs easier to justify ;) Thanks for sharing the tunes!

My music partner and I do 90% covers and are constantly adding new songs (8 in the last 2 weeks). Plus I have 2 new chord progressions that will eventually turn into something.
But usually things are more stagnant for me.

I tend to stick to my own stuff, but I find the act of learning other peoples work helps connect things musically for me.


Sorry I missed all the responses... I got hit hard with the flu then my 3 year old got it and it turned to pneumonia.

Here is some decade old stuff I did alone at my house... I need to get the ball rolling on new recordings ASAP.

https://soundcloud.com/james-hart-bassist

I'm still working on the Sabbath stuff on upright. NIB and St. Vitus' Dance are the most recent to be worked on. I am just roughing them out to see which ones work... I'll circle back and pick a handful to work out in detail eventually. I also decided I'm ready for a better bass... mine is mid 90s American made plywood bass, I'll be stepping up to a new Chinese carved bass... a cheap one, but a few steps above my current for tone and playability from a reputable builder.
 
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