Phred Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I have been noodling with this tune for while - What I say (Ray Charles). On the surface, it is not that difficult a song (I do find the run on the 5 that he does a lot to be tricky, but I am getting better at it. Anyway since I have been screwing around with it for a while, off and on, I suggested that my band learn it. They thought it was a great idea and we are going to try it at next rehersal (with the expectation that it goes smoothly because I already know it...) I threw it on and started playing along with it. Whoa this is a song that noodling around with it and 'playing' it are two very different things. For starters, it's six minutes of carrying the tune... My stamina was really tested - in a big way... Also there doesn't appear to be bass in this tune, and there is no guitar. Anyone successfully covering this tune with the following lineup: vox, keys, drums, bass, guitar. No Rayletts or Brass. I want to keep the oooohh - oooohh part but our band leader has concerns that it is gonna sound funny with the maleness of the background vox... Any thoughts? I'm just saying', everyone that confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo schultz Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Yeah he plays LH bass on that one all the way through. If you have a bass player, that will free up your LH and make it easier for you, although with practice you should be able to make it easy to play with both hands together, if you have good technique to start with. I think it would sound better with female voices on the ooh part How about doing some audience participation on it, there are probably a few ladies that wouldn't mind oohing and aahing onstage for that song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burningbusch Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Stoo, I disagree about the left hand bass. If you watch the movie "Ray" you'll see the opening bass line played one note left hand, three notes right hand. Ray Charles was a consultant on the movie and helped the actor significantly with regards to how to play various tunes. Also, I have a songbook with detailed transcriptions and it too shows it as I described. The other thing about playing it with two hands is that you can sustain the first note, which is difficult to do with one hand. After the opening line, the bass is less regimented, i.e. you don't have to play the opening line throughout. Regarding sound. Avoid the Super Tramp Wurly sound. The original piano was very funky sounding. Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo schultz Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Busch, I should have been clearer: he doesn't play that opening line throughout the tune, he just plays alternating I and V in the LH after that intro vamp. That's what I think is fairly easy to do all the way thru. If Phred is trying to play RH with that intro LH vamp all the way through, then I agree that's a lot harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 You mean "What I'd say", right?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridog6996 Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Actually, I believe it's "What'd I Say" My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo schultz Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 "What'd I say"? I'm glad somebody around here speaks English Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I've done the song off and on since I was a teen in the 1960's. It's kind of had a rebirth since the movie. Here's my very subjective thoughts: Sure...do it with guitar and bass. No need to be that authentic about it. Don't do it for 6 minutes. Not unless you want to see the dance floor start to empty after 4. Do keep the call and response... both the chorus and the woahhh's. People who were around remember that part of the song the most. Also keep the false ending and the "Baby One More Time!" but make it just one more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Right, unless the crowd really wants it to keep going. If the singer's any good at reading the crowd, this should be no problem. And if he isn't, well ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 Right, unless the crowd really wants it to keep going. If the singer's any good at reading the crowd, this should be no problem. And if he isn't, well.. Sigh - he is okay at reading the crowd. NOTgood at changing tunes to be different then we rehearsed it... If Phred is trying to play RH with that intro LH vamp all the way through, then I agree that's a lot harder. Nope - trying to play it like I hears it... What I find hard is not the left hard part, its the right hand. Pretty busy to keep that up for so long... That run that he does on the five is hard for me too. So is the timing of the lick that he does durring one of the stops (G-G#-B-E X 4). That lick is easy enough, but the timing is strange. I'm just saying', everyone that confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Get the audience to help you sing the call and response parts. In other words, don't start the night out with it, but play it when things are hoppin'. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo schultz Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 That run that he does on the five is hard for me too.(Hard to notate here but here goes) That's A-Bb-B-D-E Bb-A-G-E-D-E Are you sliding from the Bb to the B with 2nd finger, then from the Bb to the A with the 3rd? That would make it easy I think. So is the timing of the lick that he does durring one of the stops (G-G#-B-E X 4).Actually there he plays F#-G-G#-E (X 4). Try that, with sliding with the thumb from the F# to the G. That might make it easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Let the other instruments play the "horn" parts; have the rest of the band be the Raylettes and have the audience help out - or, a real good trick is to get 4 or 5 babes from the audience up with the band to be the chorus and to the Raylette parts. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Davis Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 There's a very good transcription of it in the KB magazine that had Ray on the cover. Don't remember the date, but maybe someone here will know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trill Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Originally posted by stoo schultz: That run that he does on the five is hard for me too.(Hard to notate here but here goes) That's A-Bb-B-D-E Bb-A-G-E-D-E Are you sliding from the Bb to the B with 2nd finger, then from the Bb to the A with the 3rd? That would make it easy I think. So is the timing of the lick that he does durring one of the stops (G-G#-B-E X 4).Actually there he plays F#-G-G#-E (X 4). Try that, with sliding with the thumb from the F# to the G. That might make it easier. I agree with Stoo's take on the run then come out into the the decending chordal run to B (turn around) you may want to alternate the E with the other two notes. E-B-G E-A-C# E-G-B G# F# D#-F#-B x4 Then throw in the hillbilly ( my term) type arppeggio roll to start the first break G-G#-B-E Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 Thanks so much for advise - tonight at rehearsal we are going to try it... Actually there he plays F#-G-G#-E (X 4). Try that, with sliding with the thumb from the F# to the G. That might make it easier. Hmmm... I tried that and I think that I had it closer with G-G#-B-E. The part I am refering to is at :48 seconds of the 6 minute version of the tune... I'm just saying', everyone that confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo schultz Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Hmmm... I tried that and I think that I had it closer with G-G#-B-E. The part I am refering to is at :48 seconds of the 6 minute version of the tune... Yep, that's the place (:48) and the version I'm listening to, 6:27 from Oldies But Goodies: Legendary Hits. I think it's the original version he recorded in 1956. I have a couple other versions too, and in all I've heard he plays F#-G-G#-E there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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