Ross Brown Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 As I practiced last night, I realized that I play Sweet Home Alabama two different ways and I wondered what the best way to play this song is. I try not to overplay songs on the bass but I am not sure about this one. I find this song to be a little boring. Style one: I just play the roots of the three chords in a rhythmic manner, for the most part. It is boring to play. Style two: I play each root to emphasize it but then add a ton of fill and grace notes. Lots of playing. Sorry for the lame question, but I would like to know what works for others. I play style two in practice and have received no feedback from the band. Based on this, I suppose it isnt awful, but for this song I worry that I am overplaying. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Woodward Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I've played it 2 different ways as well. What it boils down to is, how the drummer plays it. (Yes it's boring). Have fun with it if the drummer can play along. Also try doing note for notes with the lead player during the rythmn of the song. It works for me with the right band. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Play the song the way it was recorded. Boredom is a state of mind...it is not intrinsic to a song. Any song can be very exciting and powerful if you are into it. Sweet Home Alabama is no exception and even a Northerner like me can enjoy playing the song. If a simple bassline is boring to you, you will have trouble playing an enormous amount of classic music. Get into the music you are playing. Live the bassline. Be the bass. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 16, 2006 Author Share Posted August 16, 2006 Originally posted by jeremy c: Live the bassline. Be the bass. Thanks. I like that. I don't mind a simple bassline, in general. As I mentioned, I do try to avoid overplaying. I can really enjoy "being the bass", that is what I hear, that is what I like. For this song, I am just not sure if what I am playing is it. All I hear on the recording is a very simple line (style 1). I guess I am asking, Is that what you hear? I usually don't have this type of trouble, I think my mind is playing tricks on me for this one. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I agree -- listen to the record -- the original recording provides a lot of tasty guidance. But I have a question: Why is Sweet Home Alabama being used on commericials for Kentucky Fried Chicken? I mean, that doesn't make ANY sense. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamer Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Originally posted by jcadmus: I have a question: Why is Sweet Home Alabama being used on commericials for Kentucky Fried Chicken? I mean, that doesn't make ANY sense. I don't know... the music has something catchy to it... Korg PA3X Pro 76 and Kronos 61, Roland G-70, Integra 7 and BK7-m, Casio PX-5S, Fender Stratocaster with Fralin pickups, Fender Stratocaster with Kinman pickups, 1965 Gibson SG Standard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowbee Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I guess it's just one of those songs that isn't a showcase for your bass ability so like Jeremy says, just climb inside lay down those roots. Now theres three of you in a band, youre like a proper band. Youre like the policemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 I used to slap the root and pop the octave. Not loud or wild -because I really can't slap- but just doing what the bass is supposed to do. "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 Originally posted by Dreamer: Originally posted by jcadmus: I have a question: Why is Sweet Home Alabama being used on commericials for Kentucky Fried Chicken? I mean, that doesn't make ANY sense. I don't know... the music has something catchy to it... Yeah I know, but couldn't they at least try to stick with the theme? Something with Kentucky in the title? Kentucky Woman? My Old Kentucky Home? Help me here. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 16, 2006 Author Share Posted August 16, 2006 I don't know of any songs with Kentucky in them. except those you mentioned. If there were a song Sweet Home Kentucky, how would you play it? Roots, or something fancy. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 We open nearly every bar band gig I play with Sweet Home and I still love the tune. I think the key is to "feel it" with the band and folks watching you. I tend to keep it fairly straight and through in the odd random lick to taste. In the outro of our version I play a solo over the chorus, some nights its good and some I land on my ass (in a musical sense). I also sing some of the high harmony parts which is fun, in fact I think the whole band should be singing on this one. Its a rebelious celebration song and should be played as such!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 And for the KFC what about the Elvis tune with the line "Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining". http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 The Kentucky Waltz Blue Moon of Kentucky On the Old Kentucky Shore Kentucky Mandolin (all are by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys) Lots of good music has come out of that state. And bass player, please play the root on the chords. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrownbass Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 My roots run deep in Kentucky, and I just spent a week there 2 weeks ago. Jeremy is absolutely correct. If you were able to study the Kentucky influence on rock and pop, you'd probably be shocked. It's not only Tennessee Ernie Ford or Loretta Lynn, it's the Everly Brothers and many others. I have a book that traces the blues and bluegrass to a similar beginnings. In fact, Bluegrass is more like Jazz than any other modern music. Except for basses; we still have to play on the roots! Sweet Home Alabama? Is there a wrong way to play that song? Boring or not, and regardless of how many adventures you take as you explore bass lines for it, you know you're playing it right if the crowd jumps up and dances. "Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread. Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 If you are bored with your part in the song it may be because you are overlooking something very basic. I'm sure you know this already, but I strongly believe that the most effective bass in "Most" songs is a very, very, simple bass line. I know we all want to "show what we can do" or to add some "Spice" to the song but what every song needs more than anything is a rock solid, simple, establishment of the rythum, the beat, the groove, whatever we call it. Make it basic, and simple and it is very effective. For years now I have been concentrating on simplifing my bass. But, I am going for super accuracy in the beat, clear notes without mistakes. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Originally posted by EddiePlaysBass: I used to slap the root and pop the octave. Not loud or wild -because I really can't slap- but just doing what the bass is supposed to do. I used to do the same thing - with a 5 it's nice and ballsy. The other thing I did was play the signature licks with the guitarist just once in awhile to break up the monotony. You think your bored with it now? Wait 'till you've played it a couple thousand times. "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stackimo Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 When you play live, make it your own, partner. If it sucks, I am sure someone will tell you. Making yourself happy should be the #1 priority. "Some people are like "slinkies". They're not really good for anything; but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 Thanks everyone. I am not sure why I am bothered by my approach to this one. Could it be that everyone in the world plays it and everyone else knows it. I usually have no trouble just playing what I feel and I do also try to keep it simple. Your replies give me what I was looking for, other bass players interp on the bassline that I can fit into my style. I hear you Jeremy! Roots. I have never been to Kentucky. Hope to get there someday. My brother was a great bluegrass banjo player. I have not really thought about bluegrass for a long time until the other day when my step daughter was practicing her violin. I threatened to break out some "fiddlin" music for her to hear. Probably will.... Also reading about the Blues in a book called Deep Blues. Traces early blues players. Haven't gotten to the Kentucky part yet. Don't know much about bluesgrass or other music from Kentucky. I have been sheltered. We have rehearsal tonite. Will run through Sweet Home again just to make sure I don't mess myself up. Thanks again... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 There's plenty of stuff in the recorded version of "Sweet Home Alabama" to keep you interested. The bass follows one of the major pentatonic guitar licks in the middle of the tune somewhere as I remember, and is generally active while holding it down. Hitting the roots in the verses to me feels as good as any crazy filling would...I love locking in like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhomer Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 "Sweet Home" is one of those songs that isn't that hard to play, but it's very easy to play "incorrectly".. Drummers and guitarists often gloss over the little tasty details on the turnarounds, and I'll get frustrated trying to stuff all that in... If everyone ain't on the same page, it gets very sloppy.. With my band, if we get a request for Skynyrd, we'll play "3 Steps".. There's a song I have YET to hear a bar-band bassist play anywhere's NEAR right... I'm VERY close, and that song is all about the bassline... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 We are working on 3 steps too. It is much more fun. I agree that the bassline is very cool. I don't do it justice but I am sure that I will keep working on this one till I get it. It probably is good enough to play at a gig, but I will keep trying to make my part better. I think the details of Sweet Home are lost on our drummer and guitarist too (and apparently me). They are very good musicians, generally, I just think we don't do this song very well. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabottomend Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Do mine eyes decieve me? Props for Skynyrd? My first band was a cover band back in Fentress County TN where Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle grew up. Of course we had to play tons of Skynyrd (not that we minded) and I got to play lots of shows with Artimus as the drummer. Playing with the guy who recorded the original groove was an excellent education into the nuances of Leon Wilkerson's bass lines, which play off of Tommy's right foot. If you give a close listen, there's more there than you would think. The best way I have found to listen to bass lines for learning purposes is to put on the album, turn it way up, and go take a shower. You get to feel what the bass is doing. When you do that, you find out that Leon played more in a song than you realized. His original lines are sufficiently busy, but I don't think there's really any way to overplay these songs and keep them recognizable for what they are. On a side note (and I've posted this somewhere before), one song we refused to play in a bar was "Freebird". Always requested, but never played. When someone inevitably hassled us for not playing it, we would always replay that "Nobody could do that song like Skynyrd". Our hassler would usually wipe their misty, bloodshot eyes, agree with us, and buy us all a beer. Win/win! Do not be deceived by, nor take lightly, this particular bit of musicianship one simply describes as "bass". - Lowell George "The music moves me, it just moves me ugly." William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Originally posted by thabottomend: Do mine eyes decieve me? Props for Skynyrd? My first band was a cover band back in Fentress County TN where Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle grew up. Of course we had to play tons of Skynyrd (not that we minded) and I got to play lots of shows with Artimus as the drummer. Playing with the guy who recorded the original groove was an excellent education into the nuances of Leon Wilkerson's bass lines, which play off of Tommy's right foot. If you give a close listen, there's more there than you would think. The best way I have found to listen to bass lines for learning purposes is to put on the album, turn it way up, and go take a shower. You get to feel what the bass is doing. When you do that, you find out that Leon played more in a song than you realized. His original lines are sufficiently busy, but I don't think there's really any way to overplay these songs and keep them recognizable for what they are. On a side note (and I've posted this somewhere before), one song we refused to play in a bar was "Freebird". Always requested, but never played. When someone inevitably hassled us for not playing it, we would always replay that "Nobody could do that song like Skynyrd". Our hassler would usually wipe their misty, bloodshot eyes, agree with us, and buy us all a beer. Win/win! That is so cool, playing with AP and I love the wisdom at the end!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 Our drummer has an AP connection too. I'll have to explore what that was. We just started playing together. He is good, but we haven't had lots of time to talk. Could I be right? Is there more to it than just roots? I played it last night. Stuck to a lot of roots but did add some of my our style (sorry Jeremy). I am sure that the way I end up playing it will depend on the details of the night... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottomgottem Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 There was more to Wilkeson's playing than first meets the ear. Yes, he primarily hit the root on the chord, boy he didn't limit himself to the one note. He went places. But it was all very tasteful and appropriate. That being said, I never really got into him, though I respected him as a player. I saw them in '87 at the Omni in Atlanta during the Southern By The Grace Of God tour. It was a good show, played very well by the surviving members. All the special guests were a treat. Steve Morse, Charlie Daniels, and one or two others whose names escape me at the moment. Wilkeson was a fairly decent showman who did not strictly play live the same lines that he put down on vinyl. The constant changing of the wacky hat and/or visor was a little off-putting, but all in all, I was impressed by him. My whole trick is to keep the tune well out in front. If I play Tchaikovsky, I play his melodies and skip his spiritual struggle. ~Liberace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I've done it both ways, and to me it depends on the available musicianship. Style one works when you have two guitarists available to fill in the signature licks, and I always default to that when a keyboard player is involved so that the bass doesn't clash with the left hand. I've used style two when working with a trio to fatten up the rhythm section. Also I admit to playing it that way at 1AM when I'd rather call it a night but the audience wants a "Southern injection". As a former Southerner, I find it hard to refuse playing what is almost the anthem of the New South. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Originally posted by Ross Brown: We are working on 3 steps too. It is much more fun. I agree that the bassline is very cool. I don't do it justice but I am sure that I will keep working on this one till I get it. It probably is good enough to play at a gig, but I will keep trying to make my part better. I think the details of Sweet Home are lost on our drummer and guitarist too (and apparently me). They are very good musicians, generally, I just think we don't do this song very well. Gimme 3 Steps is a fun one to play but still after awhile . . . If you guys are having trouble with the details in these (or any) songs, sit down with the recordings individually. Listen, rewind, play along, rewind, repeat, until you feel good about it. Then get together as a band and do the same thing. Whatever you do don't throw the CD on at practice and wail along. Nothing gets accomplished. And only trust your ears! Don't let someone else figure your part for you. "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabottomend Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Fred, I didn't know that there was such a critter as a "former Southerner". You can take the boy out of the South........ Do not be deceived by, nor take lightly, this particular bit of musicianship one simply describes as "bass". - Lowell George "The music moves me, it just moves me ugly." William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feel_Grooves1 Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Take your roots and octaves for the main line. IF your playing with a band then start out slow and feel the easy bass line (sometimes its the best). Then once the song gets more groovin make your move doing other shit doing little fills maybe, maybe even trying to do some stuff real high on the neck for a quick second. The crowd would enjoy that! Feel the Vibration of the bass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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