Free Ride keys?

[llatham]

Long time guitarist. Keyboard hobbyist who's been thrown into a band where my woeful keyboard abilities are being called into play! It's not really that bad, but I'm still learning to figure out keyboard parts on keys - which doesn't have the 30+ year advantage figuring out guitar parts on guitar has for me!

 

What kind of instrument/sound is the backing riff on Free Ride? Clavinet?

 

Would anyone be willing to share what he's playing - from accurate transcription to bare-bones sketch - I mean, I know the chord progression, and the "riff" part of that key bass line but it's harder for me to figure out stuff like what the LH is doing behind chords, etc.

 

TIA,

Steve

[mate stubb]

Hohner Clavinet.

[CEB]

I play clavs through most the song. When the song was in the setlist on a consistent basis I carried an old analog synth I used for the breakdown I think it was sine wave and sub ocillator tone and noise with some portomento.... Heck I don't know what I did but it sounded like the record.

 

Now I just use a Motif noise patch on Zone 2 which doesn't sound like the record but it is cool.

[JeffLearman]

I play keyboards in my soul band and second on guitar, and I play guitar on this. Two guitar parts are way more important than the keyboard part. (Our trombone player sits on clav for this, but I've given up trying to get him to play the clav part rather than doubling the rhythm guitar part.)

 

It's a high part; IIRC it's panned a bit to one side, which helps pick it out. It's very similar to the rhythm guitar part, but with different direction of motion and quite a bit higher.

 

For the breakdown, I figured out something I could do on my NE2 that would work, but shudder to think of explaining it to the trombone player. Instead, we loose the lead guitarist on it. It works.

[Threadslayer]

I never played this tune, but I just ran through it in my head and I can't even hear any keyboards - it's really a guitar centric tune.

 

OK. I went and listened to it on YouTube. It's there, but it isn't really pivotal to the song. It sounds like slap bass could cover it just as effectively.

[JeffLearman]

The song works just fine without the clav. But if a band has two guitars and a keyboard player, there's something for the keyboard player to play.

 

If there's one lead guitarist and a keys/guitarist (like me), the 2nd guitar part is a lot more effective than a keyboard part.

 

Of course, I'm sure there's a keyboard player who can prove me wrong, and play a killer part. But I'm a better keyboard player than guitarist, but this tune still works way better with me on rhythm guitar than on keyboards.

 

Except for the breakdown, though. I'd rather be on keys there, but the damn trombonist is in the way.

[HammondDave]

Def clavinet... One of the most fun songs I ever played on clav....

[poserp]

That clav part for me gives the song extra awesomeness that, at least on the studio recording, would be missing if it wasn't there. I don't know about what an audience would notice live, but a clavinet has a certain low-end twang to it that a guitar or bass can't really duplicate (I say this as a guitar and bass player). Similar situation to the Eagle's "Life In The Fast Lane". I think there's a real art to pairing instruments playing in unison -- when done right it can make a song.

[Doerfler]

That clav part for me gives the song extra awesomeness that, at least on the studio recording, would be missing if it wasn't there. I don't know about what an audience would notice live, but a clavinet has a certain low-end twang to it that a guitar or bass can't really duplicate (I say this as a guitar and bass player). Similar situation to the Eagle's "Life In The Fast Lane". I think there's a real art to pairing instruments playing in unison -- when done right it can make a song.

 

interesting, I was in the process of posting the exact same thing earlier but got busy at work and got called away from my desk. The clav is buried in the mix on both these songs but take it out and something is definately missing :idk

Great to hear this from the "other side"

[KeyPlaya]

Always loved this song but never played it. Pretty sure it's a clav, but it's so buried most people don't recognize it. Agree with previous posters that they might notice something different if it was missing though.

 

Would love to hear what you come up with!