keyboard players - fake "new" progressions because they don't know the actual

[LO_RIDER]

Am I the only bass player out there that has encountered a keyboard player who insists that a bass player play his "new" progression to a song because he doesn't know the correct progression?  I am not being mean just observing and seeing if I am all by myself here.  I am all for trying new progressions but not as an escape route because you don't know the correct progressions.  Please tell. 

[BACEFINGERS]

It really all depends, is this an entirely different arrangement of a common song?, or is the song the same, but only in certain changes  do they put in a special progression (if they are teaching this during a practice session I don't see a problem, but if they are doing it live and YOU have no idea whats coming next you may want to sit out, play under the radar or develop your ear better. One thing to remember about music, notihing is etched in stone. Sometimes being a good musician is about being able to adapt. Look at Uriahs videos. He teaches a method of learning that will prepare you for just those very things, because he doesn't learn songs. His method teaches freestyling techniques based on common chord progressions. Check him out.

[Cherri]

 . Learning. Learning from you guys...

[uriahsmusic]

...I think you may be taking it in the wrong way!....After you have learned a great deal of stuff and can add your own flavor to a song...you get the urge to put your own twist on the music.

So where you used to copy songs ...you no longer do that....you play the song through your own experience....it's really pretty cool!

For example....I dont ever learn a song....I always play it my way....

[ddwilkins]

...I think you may be taking it in the wrong way!....After you have learned a great deal of stuff and can add your own flavor to a song...you get the urge to put your own twist on the music.

So where you used to copy songs ...you no longer do that....you play the song through your own experience....it's really pretty cool!

For example....I dont ever learn a song....I always play it my way....

I agree somewhat with uriah.  the only difference is that, I will learn a song so that I get the right structure of the song, then I'll add my flavor to it.  But I have experienced Keyboardist who won't ever practice and try to play songs like they want to and expect me to follow them when I definately know that they are wrong.  I just don't play with them.

[MikeGee]

Our keyboardist changes things often without telling me. So if I try to adlib based off the chord chart it sounds terrible. So I don't. Then I'll ask her what she is playing she'll tell me she is playing exactlly what's on the paper. It gets annonying, I don't mind a change just tell me so I can change with you. Of all the songs that I have played I've learned none.

[uriahsmusic]

I agree somewhat with uriah.  the only difference is that, I will learn a song so that I get the right structure of the song, then I'll add my flavor to it.  But I have experienced Keyboardist who won't ever practice and try to play songs like they want to and expect me to follow them when I definately know that they are wrong.  I just don't play with them.

I DO THE SAME....BUT I ONLY LISTEN TO A SONG FOR THE KIND OF CHANGES MADE....THEN I JUST GO OFF!

[Cherri]

I DO THE SAME....BUT I ONLY LISTEN TO A SONG FOR THE KIND OF CHANGES MADE....THEN I JUST GO OFF!

I will adopt that concept into learning keys (currently working at it).

[cas10a]

Keyboardist, just giving inputs,

Sometimes when I play with bass players they may pass on Bass notes with alternate notes to get to the next note in the progression or even use and alternate note that fits in a progression, but unless I know where they are going I will hit the basic chord for the progression, and it doesn't always fit.  Also sometime bass players use a different circle to get to the next bass note in a chord.  Nothing wrong with it, but what happens is, if the keyboard player plays the regular chord progression it will not fit either.  The bass player and the keyboardist always need to communicate and adjust with each other.  I normally layoff the bass and play broken chords when I play with a bass player and we haven't went over a song, no need for me to play bass-lines if they got it covered.  Just my inputs. God Bless!

[musiqisme26]

it sounds like a lack of communication between the 2

[B3Wannabe]

When I play with a bass player, I rarely hit a bass note. It depends on the song. If I'm playing bass with a keyboardist, then most of the time, I can pick up the song without having heard it before, unless there are some weird changes, but if the pattern is consistant, I'll catch it the next time.

[bradleymoorer]

When I play with a bass player, I rarely hit a bass note. It depends on the song. If I'm playing bass with a keyboardist, then most of the time, I can pick up the song without having heard it before, unless there are some weird changes, but if the pattern is consistant, I'll catch it the next time.

I like this reply...when it gets down to it we are the bassplayers and as long as we are playing within the scale of the song and basic chord structure it shouldn't matter what the keyboardist is playing, but if you have keyboardist that likes to throw in crazy chords every now and then, ya'll need to practice together more so you can maybe anticipate where he is going. With every keyboard player I have ever played with I eventually figured out their playing style and we sound tight! peace!

[ddwilkins]

what about the keyboard player that plays every song like a hymn?

[ddwilkins]

and same key?

[QuietSoul]

and same key?

That's what I'm saying. The organist/pianist that I play with plays mostly everything in E flat. However they'll play all the contemporary gospel tunes in the original key. That takes the monotony out of it.

[ladybass]

If I'm playing bass with a keyboardist, then most of the time, I can pick up the song without having heard it before, unless there are some weird changes, but if the pattern is consistant, I'll catch it the next time.

That's basically where I am.

[uprising_bassist7]

same here lady bass

[4hisglory]

You guys are experts.

[BassAddict]

That'ss the thing about practice. Once you and your keyboardist get on the same page you will be able to anticipate what they are gonna play before they play it because you get used to there "style" of play. It is very unusual (but not impossible) for someone on keys to play a song 20 different ways in a church setting usual there will be maybe 2 or 3, but the main thing to remember is that the same way we as bassist have our own voice in playing, so does the keys and once you are able to dial into that you will have no problem flowing ESPECIALLY when you are under the annointing of the Lord.

[corbro007]

acutually it is really confusing when a keyboardist pops a different progression or alternate walk down or walk up to a song, and for the most part it actually teaches me to think outside the box and gives me ideas to make my playing sound different.  So during rehearsal I encourage the keyboardist to do that stuff cause it only helps me, but the funny thing is when I go and play with a keyboardist that just do basic progressions I'll use that strange alternate changes and the keyboardist is looking at me like I'm playing too much in the song, but it actually sounds tight...so my advice is to learn from it to help your playing so you can to confuse someone else...