Hillsongs - My Redeemer Lives
I realised that I love playing bass. No, I realised that a long (ok, it ain't that long, but that's how normal people usually phrase the sentence) time ago, but I revived my love for playing bass today. Bass-ed for service today, and although it wasn't like anything spectacular (I'm still figuring how to play the bass spectacularly like Leonard or Choon Beng or Peter), but it was pretty enjoyable. Had worship practice yesterday and Vincent sang the song "My Redeemer Lives" and due to the limitations of my poor bass skills, the bass just sounded pretty monotonous. Then Leonard (who was supposed to be on guitar) picked up the bass after practice and he did some spectacularly-sounding stuff and I was like "How do you do that?!" and so he taught me some stuff which I experimented at home while playing along with the Hillsongs CD. One thing I realised while trying to do bass on a normal acoustic guitar. No, I realised two things:
1. Sounds are different (duh). So I couldn't really tell how it would sound on a real bass guitar.
2. Guitar frets tend to be smaller/shorter and the strings are not that far apart, so it's easier to do some dandy finguring on the guitar, but what I realised while trying to do the same thing for service today was totally opposite. So in the end, what I tried to do ended up sounding weird. Nevertheless, I'm like totally obssessed, no, re-phrase, insipired to go pick up some funky bass skills.
Oh, for the sake of anyone who thought that the bass sounded much better during Offertory, it was because Leonard was playing. We switched instruments for that particular song 'cos he wanted to play bass for it. The conversation felt pretty funny at that time:
Leonard: Hey Tracy, later Offertory I play bass you play guitar ok?
Me: (trying to wriggle out of a tight situation) HUH?! I can't!! My guitar skills very lousy. The song will sound very gross.
Leonard: But you knew guitar before you learnt bass right?
Me: Yah, but I can't play F#m without the song sounding out of tune.
Leonard: Nevermind one. Just play the shortcut. Don't have to do the full chord.
Me: Er....really? Do I have to??? (I was stalling)
Leonard: Ok? Ok?? (cheesy grin)
Me: Er..heh...erm...
Leonard: Nevermind one. If anyone scolds you after that, say I forced you.
Me: Heh heh...erm, ok...(squirmish grin)
So when it was time for Offertory, I took the guitar (Leonard was still giving the cheesy grin) and he took the bass and then proceeded to do some funky bass thing and there I was trying, with everything in my power, to make the song sound normal. So embarrassing. At least it wasn't some weird song with weird chords so it was pretty manageable.
On my way home, I was thinking how brilliant it would be if I got a bass guitar. At least I can try tinkering around with it at home instead of trying to experiment during service. Haha. Anyone know of any good deals? Nigel once mentioned that it would be cool if we had a bass guitar at home, then the both of us can jam. Maybe one of us (Daniel?) can pick up keyboard and then I'll bring my keyboard down from the shoe cupboard and the Lumpies can jam at home. We have everything we need except for the drums but the keyboard can be programmed to do some drummy thingy so it's pretty cool.
Listening to "My Redeemer Lives" now. The bass is uber good!!! AAHHH! Can never play like that. My fingers are like all over the place. Check out the song and listen carefully to the bass guitar. *swoon* My aim is to play like that. I wonder how these pro-guitarists or bassists do it. I shall practice everyday and stun everyone. Haha. Crazy. I need to get a bass guitar.