In all seriousness, whilst I don't read music I don't deny that it can make you a better musician understanding and applying theory. I play by ear, and I understand the structure that makes good music. But I just think that you have to ultimately feel your way through a piece of music. For me especially, playing bass it's a mixture of playing the right notes and playing the right rhythm to interact with the drummer. That goes for all musicians really. The late great Thelonious Monk would often start his gigs by playing just one note, but it was the way he did it that carried the feel and set the tone.
How many times do I need to remind you. We're in the Champions League mate And we've been hearing you say you'll finish above us for years. it's getting boring
I'm not going to get into this too much, but to explain some basics simply, the relative minor of any major chord is always a tone and a half below the major. I.e. A is a tone and a half below C therefore the the relative minor of C major is A Minor. The notes of the two scales are also identical, therefore you can solo in Amin over C tonality.
Oh, by the way, the answer is D Dorian, PISKIE. It's important for a bass player to know these simple things, if he doesn't want to inadvertently **** things up for the star (ie. lead guitarist).
Like I said, you don't need to know music theory to know how to play in key. For a bass player it's about the interaction with the rhythm with the drummer which is at least, if not more important than what tonalities off of the root the lead guitar or keys / sax wants to play. In my band we have two sax players, they play harmonies over each other and the keyboard player will play dominant chords and minor chords that float around the root key. Now for me as a bass player, it's important that I keep the root going to bed the song into key. If I follow the leads and change the root, then the whole feel changes even if I'm still playing a note that fits in that scale. I am the anchor that allows the lead instruments to play off of the root. I'm also the Anchor that keeps the drummer knowing what type of percussive accompany is needed to express the whole feel of the song. Our band is based on freedom of expression, because we know how each other likes to play and we can anticipate changes and when to strip it back and when to layer it up. It isn't about backing a lead guitarist, everybody has a chance to step forward, which makes our songs dynamic. You however sound like a bit of a self obsessed **** to play with. Probably best sticking to playing Guitar hero on the playstation
Actually, PISKIE, I am a very generous leader (of the band). I'm more than happy to let the guys make me look fantastic. And they enjoy it, too. At the end of the day, the punters come to see me blaze my fingers over the fretboard, as I'm always reminding the band. Yeah, they might call me names, like "****er" and "twat," but that's the kind of banter that goes on in every band, right?
I know this is a WUM thread, but just being serious for a brief moment. Re guitar playing. It's not about how many notes you can squeeze into a bar, it's about what you can say with those notes. One of my oldest mates from my days in the music business is Peter Green - from the original Fleetwood Mac. That guy was/is one of the most talented, naturally gifted guitar players I've ever heard. If you can appreciate it, listen to the intro to "Need your love so bad" it's, in a way so simple, but so haunting too. Fabulous guitar playing!
Totally agree. Personally I don't really like these lead guitar players who stamp over every bar trying to fill it up with technical wizardry (the type HIAG pretends he is when he's playing guitar hero) I'd much rather hear a player with soul, who makes the song come alive with his own nuances. If you listen to some of the old blues guitar players, they will play ghost notes and suggest the theme. Sometimes it's about what you don't play that sets the meter. Less is more. In my band that approach allows every instrument to shine in it's own moment and adds dynamism to our songs.
