Help! I picked up a gig in a couple weeks.

Warfender

Warfender

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Hey guys, I picked up a gig in a few weekes playing covers and need to learn about 35 songs in a couple weeks.

1) Does anyone have any tips on fast-tracking the process? I know everyone absorbs differently and I was thinking of learning 15 and then add 2/day.

2) I want to do this without sheet music on stage if possible or should I just do it and have cheat sheets?

I still need to find tabs and/or transscribe about 20 songs (several are originals). Here are some of the songs if anyone has any viable tabs (most of these are not hard but time I need practicing and changing the key they do it in):

Shambala -3 dog night
secret agent man -Jonny Rivers
Walkin to my baby- Fabulous thunderbirds
run away - Del shannon
tears on my pillow-little anthony and the imperials
little red rooster-Willie dixon, Muddy Waters, Rollling Stones
gimme 3 steps-skynard (found one online but not correct)
Last kiss-Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers or Wayne Cochran & CC riders
Brown Eyed girl-Van Morrison (found one online but not correct)

Thanks my fellow Warwick brothers in advance for your help.
 





If you don't know the songs, what
brings you to call the tabs you've
found "incorrect" ?

Most tab is flawed. Real Books are
no model of perfection either. And
you'll hafta accept tab in whatever
key it's scribbled in and expect to
transpose it. Generally, if I need a
lead sheet for song, I'll put it into
Nashville numbers or into 'C'.

I suspect if you put those tunes
into Nashville numbers you'll find
a whole lotta 1-4-5 and 1-6-2-5
patterns, and so you could batch
the similar tunes to learn them.

I kinda like theguitarguy.com and
jumbojimbo.com, but I can assure
you there are errors in this stuff,
most especially in theguitarguy.

​



 
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Some stuff has the changes noted for the
whole line at once, and some has it above
the lyrics so the changes fall in their proper
places in the lyrics. If you copy the latter,
be aware that it only works in monospaced
fonts [like currier]. If you use proportional
spacing, the changes will shift relative to
the lyrics.

Examples follow, but our forum does not
display all the multiple "space bar hits" in
the second version. However, they are in
the text and you can see them in the edit
mode [reply/quote mode] where you can
copy and paste them to a text file on your
local, and read them in currier.

------------------------------------------------

BROWN EYED GIRL . . (V.Morrison)


Hey, where did we go . . (G-C)
Days when the rain came . . (G-D7)
Down in the hollow
Playing a new game
Laughing, and a running, hey, hey
Skipping and a jumping
In the misty morning fog
With our hearts a thumpin'
And you, my brown eyed girl . . (C-D7-G-Em)
You, my brown eyed girl . . (C-D7-G-D7)


Whatever happened to
Tuesday and so slow
Going down to the old man
With a transistor radio
Standing in the sunlight laughing
Hiding behind a rainbow's wall
Slipping and a sliding
All along the waterfall
With you, my brown eyed girl
You, my brown eyed girl

Do you remember when we used to sing . . (D7)
Sha la la la la la la la te da, just like that . . (G-C-G-D7)
Sha la la la la la la la te da, la te da


So hard to find my way
Now that I'm all on my own
I saw you just the other day
My, how you have grown
Cast my memory back there Lord
Sometimes I'm overcome thinkin' 'bout it
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Behind the stadium
With you, my brown eyed girl
You, my brown eyed girl

Do you remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la te da, just like that
Sha la la la la la la la te da, la te da

---------------------------------------------


Hit the "Quote" button to read this one.
Then you'll see the changes all move to
where they belong !

BROWN EYED GIRL VAN MORRISON


G C G D
Hey, where did we go, days when the rains came
G C G D
Down in the hollow, playin' a new game
G C G D
Laughin' and a-singin' hey-hey, skippin' and a-jumpin
G C G D C D
In the misty morning fog, with our hearts thumpin and you
G Em C D G
My Brown-eyed girl, you my-y brown eyed girl


Hey whatever happened, Tuesday went so slow
Goin down the old mine with a transistor radio
Standin' in the sunlight laughin', hide behind the rainbow's wall
Slippin' and a-slidin', all along the waterfall with you
My brown eyed girl, you my brown eyed girl

Chorus:
D G
Do you remember when we used to sing
C G D
Sha-la-la la-la la-la la-la la-la de-da (x2)
C D G Em C D G D
La-de-da

So hard to find my way, now that I'm all on my own
Saw you just the other day, my how you have grown
Cast my memory back there lord, sometimes I'm overcome, thinkin'bout
Making love in the green grass, behind the stadium with you
My brown eyed girl, you my brown eyed girl

Chorus​



 
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Golem,
that's for your input and I'm doing some songs in Nashville formate that are basic. I have tabs that I played/listened thru to check validity and founds errors that I pointed out. I'm just fishing for some that are better or have been corrected. Also, just what people have done in the past since this is my first time doing a fire drill. I'm going to try to not play open notes as much as possible so switching keys is merely switching postions.

I know others and yourself will have helpfull info or tabs. Thanks!

T
 






Well rotsaruck finding corrected tab !

I was trying to make sure you were not
introducing error by reading or printing
in proportional fonts, if you were using
the tab that has the changes above the
lyric lines. There's enuf error for real so
adding more is worth avoiding !

I've never worried about errors in tab
or lead sheets cuz my own lines will be
evolving while I'm learning/practicing
anywayz. But for a quick start-up, hey
if someone already offers me the chart
when without it I'd be noodling by ear
til the tune sounds OK to me, hey I'm
OK with a few built-in errors !

Also, I don't hafta play "note-for-note"
cover style. I'm just expected to play
something appropriate [and of course
"not too loud !"]. IOW, if I have a lead
sheet, it's not the bass line ... it's the
treble clef changes and I'll just seek
out the accented notes around which
my line will grow.

I am kinda spoiled. We play in a very
predictable style, nothing avantgarde,
so usually Ms Diva will toss in a new
song just every now and then. I'll be
expected to pick it up by ear while I
fudge along. Predictable patterns of
ballads and bloozes allows this. Your
sample set list is full of well-known
patterns, so you'll be OK .... unless
you're in a note-for-note cover band
full of ego-deluded wannabees ....

​



 
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Forget tab.

Put the whole set into an iTunes playlist and start listening. Play along and keep making mistakes until it sounds right. You have to train your ear and your memory if you want to do the gig without sheet music.

Put the playlist on your iPod and listen to it on repeat ad nausea. Listen to it all day, every day until the gig. Listen to it on low volume while you sleep.

3 weeks for 20 songs is relatively generous in the music world... most gigs have you learning the set the night before (as I'm sure a lot of have us done many times). You have the luxury of time to really absorb the music, notes, melody, rhythm and song structure. But do it by ear... train your ear and your brain to separate right from wrong before you take visual cues (tab or notation) for answers.

Best of luck.
 






I do agree with Lex about total immersion
listening, but I still bleeb some direct info
about just what changes you're hearing is
a bit of stress relief ... a nice anchor point,
kinda the way you use the open strings on
an URB as sonic anchor points for all those
other notes that you gotta do by ear ... but
by ear RELATIVE TO the open strings.

Here's 'Runaway' in two differant formats.

Just happen to have it on file. Never did
play it. Sometimes I just collect charts !

Can never collect or find all the charts you
need, so the ear stuff always dominates.
As I'd mentioned, thaz what I do. But I'm
spoiled by the predictableness of Ms Diva.


---------------------------------------------

Runaway

Intro

Am

E----0--0------------0---
B----1--1------------1---
G----2--2------------2---
D----2--2------------2---
A-0---------------0------
E----------0---3---------

am g
As I walk along I wonder
f
what went wrong with our love
e
a love that was so strong

am
and as I still walk on
g f
I think of the things we've done together
e
while our hearts were young

a
I'm a walkin' in the rain
f#m
tears af fallin' and I feel the pain
a
wishin you were here by me
f#m
to end this misery
a
and I wonder
f#m
I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder
a
Why
f#m
why-why-why-why-why she ran away
d e
And I wonder where she will stay
a
My little runaway

------------------------

{t:Runaway}
{st:Del Shannon/M. Crook}


[Am]As I walk along I [G]wonder what went wrong
With [F]our love, a love that was so [E]strong
[Am]And as I still walk on I [G]think of the things we've done
Together [F]while our hearts were [E]young


[A]I'm a-walkin' in the rain
[F#m]Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain
Wishin' [A]you were here by me
To end [F#m]this misery
And I [A]wonder I wo-wo-wo-wo-[F#m]wonder
Why [A] Why-why-why-why-why she [F#m]ran away
And I [D]wonder where she will [E]stay
My little [A]runaway, [D]run-run-run-run, [A]runaway [E]



My little [A]runaway, [D]run-run-run-run, [A]runaway [D]


​



 
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Lex said:
Forget tab.

Put the whole set into an iTunes playlist and start listening. Play along and keep making mistakes until it sounds right. You have to train your ear and your memory if you want to do the gig without sheet music.

Put the playlist on your iPod and listen to it on repeat ad nausea. Listen to it all day, every day until the gig. Listen to it on low volume while you sleep.

3 weeks for 20 songs is relatively generous in the music world... most gigs have you learning the set the night before (as I'm sure a lot of have us done many times). You have the luxury of time to really absorb the music, notes, melody, rhythm and song structure. But do it by ear... train your ear and your brain to separate right from wrong before you take visual cues (tab or notation) for answers.

Best of luck.
Click to expand...

That was exactly what I wanted to tell you. 3 weeks are a lot don't worry. Listem to them, try to have fun.
I never played exactly the same bass line anyway, and I've had a lot of fun because of that, but probably this is the reason I don't have a job now haha :-)
 
Thanks everyone....I just got all the songs corraled in mp3 and will be listening like crazy thru my bass trainer and ipod and playing like crazy. 40 songs in 3 weeks is crazy for me, but I knocked off 15 already that I can play rough right now. Thanks everyone.

Golem,
my last response to you made no sense at first, it was suppose to say thanks not that's as the first word.
 
Golem,
thanks for taking the time to help and write all that out. Much appreciated.
 





Yer welcome !

... but 'write all that out' ? LOL.

I uses a 'pooter ... cut-n-paste
direct from our LAN to the web.

---------------------------

[Hijaq Uno]

BTW, the stuff I posted is what I
bleeb are lead sheets ... not TAB.
But I find it at "TAB" sites ! Can
anyone here clarify the terms ?

Altho I expect to hear/see terms
used inaccurrately, like calling a
'lead sheet' by the term 'tab', I'd
still like to know if I've even got
the proper usage m'selves. All
corrections welome. Here is
what I bleeb the terms are:

TAB [aka tabulature]:
String diagram with fret numbers.

Lead Sheet:
Lyric with changes in either chord
names or Nashville numbers.

Chart:
Std notation [aka staff notaton],
often augmented by chord names,
arrangement info, and whatever.

Is the above the "proper" usage ?

---------------------------------------

[Hijaq Dos]

For the life of me I cannot use TAB if
that means string diagrams with fret
numbers. I came up using numbered
notes INSIDE chords, and something
like the Nashville numbers to mark
the changes. So "string/fret TAB" is
toadally confusing to look at, for me.
When I see numbers, I see changes
.... not fingers, not frets, etc.

---------------------------------------

[We now return you to our
regularly scheduled thread.]
​



 
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Hey man, gotta say i dunno most the songs on your list but if you are really struggling with a couple of songs just simplify the bass line right down and follow the guitar chords. Makes for a really boring bass line, but at least it'll sound good to the average gig-goer and if you get lost, you can just watch the guitarists hand and follow along.
 
Hey Warfender... 8:

First of all ... congratulations on your gig man !
I see you already got some good advice from our fellow Warwick brothers !!...:d... and erm... I don't think it's a big problem if you use some crib sheets on stage... I always tape em on my rig... so when I (like every 'pro') change the settings on my amp between songs, I can take a quick peak to be sure to hit da right strings...!!:lol:

I 'attached' an example I'd use for two of the songs you 'asked' for...

Besides that I also found an instruction vid that shows you how to play Frank Wilson's "Last Kiss"...

[ame=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxMn9i3P4EY]YouTube - Last Kiss Bass Cover (J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers)[/ame]

Good luck !!

and if you need more help on these songs....I'd be glad to help you man !
 

Attachments

Thanks da-vonk! I appreciate the help. Most of these are pretty simple, but it is the time that is kicking my arse and you guys have been GREAT to help knock some off. I still haven't even played or heard the originals yet so I want to have these ready for this weeks first rehersal so I can concentrate on the originals.
 
Writing them down is a good Idea. I write the things I keep forgetting on my playlist that stands before me.
I write the name, the tonality, and a couple of signs that only I can Understand, for things that I forget constantly about that song, or for very important special parts on that song.
 
Lex said:
Put the whole set into an iTunes playlist and start listening. Play along and keep making mistakes until it sounds right. You have to train your ear and your memory if you want to do the gig without sheet music.
Click to expand...

Sage advice right there. If I have the time, I'll listen to songs I need to learn non-stop for two weeks before even playing along. At that point, the feel is ingrained in your head, so adding the notes becomes pretty easy. According to my iPod, I listened to the entire soundtrack of RENT 43 times before actually playing along with the music and the sheet music. It made navigating the score a LOT easier.
 
AS everyone said, once you have heard the songs 500 times & your ear is in, you get a hold of them pretty quick.

Nashville numbers rocks as you can play any song in any Key, thats the main type of chart I use, cheat sheets on the floor are ok as well. Its your first gig with them, so just relax & do the best you can.

Im now in the process of learning 50 songs in 3 days for a gig this weekend, my brain is hurting but hey, thats what we do. I see it as a challenge!!

Best of luck & knock em dead.

Rusty
 
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