# Is Paul's bassline on "I Saw Her Standing There" as impressive as it seems to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142 "2017-09-24T03:24:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142/21 "2017-09-29T11:18:30Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Gotta strongly disagree with this. Walk This Way is not only fast and wordy, it’s melodic and deceptively difficult to sing right. I’ve heard a lot of bar bands attempt it, but only a few who could pull it off. It’s funny, but just yesterday a student at the high school where I work was playing the Run DMC video on YouTube, and the first thought that popped in my head was “God, I’d almost forgotten how they sucked all the life out of that song.” I appreciate your point, but that’s not an issue for me. It is a song that must be sung with character. I have an ample supply ;). I am also the guy in the band who does Fred Schneider’s parts on Love Shack and who sings Blister in the Sun. Walk this Way is fun if you know how to sell it. The only point I am making is that the vocals have a strong, obvious cadence to them. A musician/juggler can use that as part of multi-tasking various duties, especially when having to groove a boogie shuffle. It’s craft, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142/22 "2017-09-29T12:39:59Z")
I play bluegrass upright bass. When I started attending jams, I felt a little left out, because just playing the rhythm and not singing, it was hard to lead a song when it came your turn. (In jams, usually the players sit in a circle, and take turns choosing and leading which song they play/sing.) I also have a pretty low opinion of my voice. But with not all that much practice, I was able to learn to sing and play at the same time. At first I tended to sing pretty much in lockstep with the rhythm I was playing. But now, I’m pretty much able to segregate the 2. I’m by no means virtuosic - tho I am exceptionally solid. The way it feels to me as a bassplayer is - the beat is always there. I assume drummers feel the same. But whether I’m playing a busy or simple line, straight, syncopated, or crooked, a huge part of my being is aware of when the 1 beat is coming around. It is so elemental and essential, it almost becomes subcnscious. Once you have that rhythm awareness ingrained, it is easier to do other things at the same time. Does that make sense? Singing is just layering a different pattern on top/ My biggest problem with singing is remembering the words. But not everyone can do it. I was taking lessons a while back and ,y instructor - an amazing bassist - said he just couldn’t sing and play at the same time. Talking is a bit of a different beast. In jams, it is not uncommon for someone to come up and ask you a question, or start a conversation. There are some songs in which I can hold up my end, others in which I can’t. Or I choose the part of the song where I’m able to talk - almost as though I’m talking in between breaths. Does that make sense? If we are talking about Beatles’ basslines, we have to distinguish between Paul I and Paul II. 😉 Lotta fun basslines, but nothing too difficult, as most of it is pretty poppy and stays within a basic beat. Geddy Lee, on the other hand, is pretty amazing, to be able to sing, play bass, and foot pedals on some of Rush’s complex songs. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142/23 "2017-09-29T12:48:35Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > If we are talking about Beatles’ basslines, we have to distinguish between Paul I and Paul II. 😉 Lotta fun basslines, but nothing too difficult, as most of it is pretty poppy and stays within a basic beat. > > Geddy Lee, on the other hand, is pretty amazing, to be able to sing, play bass, and foot pedals on some of Rush’s complex songs. Fight my ignorance, since I don’t play bass: how do you diff between Paul 1 and Paul 2? Early rock through middle-period, then Sgt Pepper on? From Hofner to Rickenbacker ;)? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142/24 "2017-09-29T17:43:13Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I play bluegrass upright bass. When I started attending jams, I felt a little left out, because just playing the rhythm and not singing, it was hard to lead a song when it came your turn. (In jams, usually the players sit in a circle, and take turns choosing and leading which song they play/sing.) I also have a pretty low opinion of my voice. But with not all that much practice, I was able to learn to sing and play at the same time. At first I tended to sing pretty much in lockstep with the rhythm I was playing. But now, I’m pretty much able to segregate the 2. > > I’m by no means virtuosic - tho I am exceptionally solid. The way it feels to me as a bassplayer is - the beat is always there. I assume drummers feel the same. But whether I’m playing a busy or simple line, straight, syncopated, or crooked, a huge part of my being is aware of when the 1 beat is coming around. It is so elemental and essential, it almost becomes subcnscious. Once you have that rhythm awareness ingrained, it is easier to do other things at the same time. Does that make sense? > > Singing is just layering a different pattern on top/ My biggest problem with singing is remembering the words. > > But not everyone can do it. I was taking lessons a while back and ,y instructor - an amazing bassist - said he just couldn’t sing and play at the same time. > > Talking is a bit of a different beast. In jams, it is not uncommon for someone to come up and ask you a question, or start a conversation. There are some songs in which I can hold up my end, others in which I can’t. Or I choose the part of the song where I’m able to talk - almost as though I’m talking in between breaths. Does that make sense? > > If we are talking about Beatles’ basslines, we have to distinguish between Paul I and Paul II. 😉 Lotta fun basslines, but nothing too difficult, as most of it is pretty poppy and stays within a basic beat. > > Geddy Lee, on the other hand, is pretty amazing, to be able to sing, play bass, and foot pedals on some of Rush’s complex songs. I can’t think of one upright bass player singing while he was doing it. I wonder if anyone has. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142/25 "2017-09-29T18:01:18Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I can’t think of one upright bass player singing while he was doing it. I wonder if anyone has. Didn’t **Dinsdale** just say he did? There’s gotta be plenty of other examples, right? Here are just a couple I happen to be familiar with: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kSMTRkpnN9Q/maxresdefault.jpg "I Want You To Want Me-The New Standards at their 4th Annual Holiday Show") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSMTRkpnN9Q&t=120) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qysrKQUfp90/maxresdefault.jpg "The Way Down Wanderers - Blowin in The Wind - Live Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qysrKQUfp90&t=60) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142/26 "2017-09-29T18:16:18Z")
Dickie Smothers played upright bass and sang. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142/27 "2017-09-29T19:37:29Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Fight my ignorance, since I don’t play bass: how do you diff between Paul 1 and Paul 2? Sorry - I was just being snarky. Back in college we used to jokingly argue that the guy they hired after Paul died was by far a better bassplayer. Well, if you could call what I do singing, yeah, I do it. :eek: And I don’t know why it would be harder to sing while playing upright than any other instrument. Of the folk I play with and have seen, I don’t think the bassists sing any less than other backup musicians. I know Mike Bub - as good as a bluegrass bassplayer gets - sang the lead on Nashville Cats for Del McCoury. Last week on Bluegrass Underground the bassist was regularly singing harmony. Can’t think of any really big “frontmen” who play upright. But if you watch a lot of bluegrass groups, the bassist is as likely as the mando/fiddle/banjo to sing backup or even occasional lead vocals. A lot of fiddlers have difficulty singing as they play, because the melody on their fretless fingerboard requires a lot more attention, and is much closer to the act of singing. But I’ve known fiddlers to sing while they chop or drone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pauls-bassline-on-i-saw-her-standing-there-as-impressive-as-it-seems-to-me/797142.md?page=1)